Bavaria and the snowy Alps: Munich

München as seen from the Rathaus in Alexanderplatz (the location of the Glockenspiel)

Easter weekend, we made it to Bavaria, and my favorite city in Germany.
As in the place with the leather-clad-lederhosen-wearing Germans!
(Which coincidentally means "leather pants" in German)

For 2 days in Munich and 1 1/2 days in Garmisch (a small town, known for being close to the Alps!) we left late Thursday night. We made it to Munich (München) even later, at around 1:30 am, due to our train being delayed by only 90 minutes. But we made it!

Right after a service in the middle of Alexanderplatz, on Good Friday

Arriving on Good Friday, we forgot it was Good Friday because of the train ride; we were mostly happy just to make it there!
The Rathaus Glockenspiel was not operating on Good Friday, probably due to the weekends activities, but we had a great view from the top of the Rathaus (the town hall), and then visited St. Peter's Church nearby.


Our bike tour through Munich, was the most amazing thing. Our awesome Australian tour guide Chris was fantastic. We visited the Royal House, a statue of Juliet (without Romeo). He taught us the traditional cooper dance (coopers being the gents who would create and cask 'fluids' into barrels), which was great considering the bike tour had a very fun group of people.

And he chastised all the freeloaders who would tag onto our tour, by using the stranger danger concept, we'd embarrass the freeloaders beyond their imagination by yelling "Stranger Danger" and crouching until they left.

Kristen, confused as usual by "Stranger Danger" 

He also stopped the tour to have us all model the statues behind us. Kristen was one of 3 tigers, and Jordan was the princess or damsel in distress. Luckily we have a video of Stranger Danger and the modelling shoot!

The ladies following the memorial
dedicated to those resisting Nazi propaganda.

We visited the English Gardens and the modern Capital building of Munich, with a plaque dedicated to the White Rose Movement during the Nazi occupation of Munich and Germany. And we visited the 2nd largest beer garden in Munich for lunch. Our tour ended soon afterwards, and we visited the Hofbräuhaus that night, bumping into some friends from Penn State! We met a man named Dave at a local hostel, and even bumped into some folks from our bike tour that very day.

Day 2 Munich: Nymphenburg and Colin's favorite 'pile of rocks'

On our second day we visited the Nymphenburg Palace, and attempted to be tourists. Touching the geese, the girls tried a jumping photo and then I took a photo of myself at the Palace.

Nothing screams 'tourist' like having a good time, and taking bad photos.

We later visited the interior of the Royal Palace we had seen on our bike tour, as well as the Royal Theatre. After Colin and I both bought some kick butt steins (which mine will be devoted to sweet tea), we visited the Hofbräuhaus and the Augustina Keller during a blowout soccer game of the very Munich team vs Hamburg. The town was alive with the soccer game, there was that awesome street band who's CD album I bought! And the Hofbräuhaus contained quite a few excited South Africans and Australians that we had the pleasure of talking too! 

All in all, my favorite city in Germany. Maybe it's the blue and white crest with lions on it. I'm not sure why, but the history of the early Nazi movement, it's resistance and some good old fashioned German castles are always appreciated.

Bye Munich!