Travel Blog - München Tag Eins

Tourist Must Do's Day

No we are not in Italy but I will forgive you for thinking that

I would usually buy a travel guide but as this was a low cost holiday I decided to use Trip Advisor.  I recently discovered that they do a travel guides in the "more" section that gives you advice depending how long you are visiting a city for.  After the excitement of our first night in our Ibis capsule we were raring to go.  

Orange walls in the Subway station

This was my first ever visit to Muenchen (GO had been before for a family wedding) and as much as he was relying on me to be his personal interpreter, I have to confess I do struggle with the Southern German accents (think a combination of Scouse and Geordie and you can understand).   Our first challenge appeared which travel card to purchase, we decided on a two day card, which can be used on any U Bahn within the city limits it cost 23 Euros, which was slightly more than the 11 Euro for a day card, but the card was a family card that meant it was for the two of us.  Our card was never checked the entire time we were there, I also had an unfortunate accident where I thought it was an old ticket and ripped it up, oops. 

Map taken from Munich Tourist Board

We started our day at Odeonsplatz, we didn't know why, it just seemed like a sensible place to start then we planned to make our way along the main street through the city heading towards Sendlinger Torplatz, going off to the sides to see the many sites.  

First church of the day

This all changed pretty much instantly when we arrived in the square outside the Theatine Church, it was just like an Italian Piazza, as we were there relatively early it wasn't too busy, we took a few happy snaps before heading into the church.  Bavarian churches are a bit of an obsession of mine, they are so ornate and beautiful it is hard not to be amazed by them. I make a point of visiting churches when we go to new place and lighting a candle to keep all of our nearest and dearest safe, healthy and happy (don't say I never give you anything).

Amazing Architecture

As we left the church we headed right along our planned route, other tourists kept asking us for advice and directions (I obviously look like a local), we decided to nip into a local passage (shopping boulevard) to see if we could find some breakfast, I had seen workmen with bakers bag. Where there are workmen there must be reasonably priced eats, I didn't want to blow the budget on breakfast.

Me buying rolls is worth a picture?

We found hidden amongst the designer boutiques there was a REWE with an on site bakers, for 3.50 euros we got a filled roll and a cup of coffee, bit of a bargain me thinks. "We'll come back here!" GO exclaimed (we didn't go back, we found other places, not better, just different).  After our yummy "pause" and a quick look around the supermarket we moved on (I will elaborate on the supermarket later).  We should have returned the way we came, but where is the fun in that? 

First thing Mamilein sais when she saw this was, ooh pretty lights.

We arrived at Promenade Platz which not only had a monument to a famous Münchener son (enter name here later) it also had a shrine to Michael Jackson.  We didn't know it existed, and speaking to others who have been to München neither did they.  It is statue that has been taken over by Michael's devoted followers who have covered it with flowers, photos and poems dedicated to the King of pop.

GO and the famous.....  um

Yeah, Him.

We carried on walking towards a large junction, with every intention of heading back to Theatiner Plz, we didn't get there until much later though.  Where we did get to was a huge fountain.  The sun was blazing and the fountain was, amazingly, tourist free. So we took it  a sign to pause for a bit.  It was nice to enjoy the peace and quiet and the warm sun.

Getting our money worth out of the selfie stick

We took stock of where we had been, and how we had got so diverted.  I was concerned that we would miss all of the sehenswurdigkeit, so out came the free map.  Wherever I go I try to get a free map and cross off all of the things that we have visited.  I recently found the map that I used in New York, it was covered in notes and squiggles.   After taking more happy snaps, we headed toward a big building.  GO said that he thought is was something to do we courts, I thought it was a palace.  I hate it when he is right.

A Map in progress

  

We got a lovely passerby to take this for us

I really was that sunny

He always has to pose with orange things

Panorama gone wrong

Another church

I'm going in here!

After a restroom stop, we headed towards the main shopping area, we had no real plans to buy anything but it was nice to look around the shops.  One thing I did want to do was try on a Dirndl so that was one of the first shops that we went into.  I honestly had every intention of buying one, but we just got so busy that we forgot to go back (laws of Karma mean I obviously didn't really want it).  Anyhow I had a blast looking through the rails and rails of Dirndls and then I found one to try on and although Fotografieren was Verboten, we managed to sneak in a few.

Mamilein said I always wear dark colours so shouldn't buy this!

Following my joy at trying on Dirndls, I suggested that the only right and proper thing to do would be for GO to try on some Lederhosen.  At first he was reluctant but after I assured him that I wouldn't take any photos unless he looked good, he tried on some fabric ones, but that wasn't good enough for my.  If you are going to try on Lederhosen you may as well make sure they are actually made out of Leder.

In the words of Mamilein; "He looks like an echte Bayrische!"

After having way too much fun dressing up, we took solace first in a hunting and fishing museum, as you do.  Then we went to the Dom and saw the actual Jesus!  Feeling very parched by this experience we headed to a bier garten and topped up our electrolytes with a Radler.  Bier gartens are great except for the fact that now as all indoors are non smoking premises the smokers have taken over.  it wasn't the most pleasant experience, but the bier made up for the smoke, just.  Not enough for a second one though.

Oh My God it's Jesus!

We made our way through the back streets towards the Rathaus.  We were clocking up some serious mileage at this point, as previously mentioned I didn't really have much of a plan other than to hit the main tourist sites as listed on TripAdvisor.  I never tell GO where we are headed, unless I am lost,  then I like the reassurance of making decisions together (so I'm not the only one to blame), so we were wandering.  I am not sure if he likes this way of exploring, but as I have never asked him it is our current Modus Operandi.  I had a vague recollection of something to do with the Rathaus, maybe it was something Mamilein had mentioned, I am not sure but as we were exploring the Rats Keller, scoffing at the prices (tourists must be rolling in it to pay the prices they were asking for a Bratwurst), I heard the bells ring.  It was at the second that I remembered, it was also the exact moment that a group of Oriental tourists literally dropped everything and made a run for the courtyard exit.  "The Bells, the Bells!" I spluttered to GO (The Hunchback of Notre Damm reference is not lost on me)  "They do something every hour, let's go!"  With the I disappeared into the crowd, (as much as GO can lose me in an instant, I blend into most crowds, he sticks out like a sore thumb) to watch a group of little tin men prancing around on a carousel high up in the bell tower, it was a lovely sight coupled with an audible "ahhh!"  From the crowd.  I am not sure whether it was worth sprinting across the own square but it was cute.    GO was not best pleased when 90 seconds after the little show started I leaned into him and whispered "I'm done with this now, we can go whenever you want too!"  WE stayed a bit longer when a second row of mechanical dancers started spinning but even that held my interest for a short time before I was moving on again.

Panorama of the Rathaus

Always harassing statues

Inside the Rastkeller

The front of the Rathaus

En Guarde

Touche

Toy museum

Bridge of Sighs

After the excitement of Marien Platz we decided that we were ready for some sustenance and made our way to Vitualien Markt to find some thing to satiate our hunger.  Now as daft as this sounds, it was full of tourists, I love a market and always make a beeline for them, the North has many I cannot recommend Bury market highly enough, it is not a pretty market but it is huge and full of everything.  The Vitualien Markt was beautiful and while it may have been purely for the locals in its infancy it is now most definitely a tourist market.  While you at come across a few locals it is priced for a tourist visitor and that made what should have been quite an task find a good currywurst almost impossible.  I was getting desperate but I refused to pay 9 Euros for a sausage.

Having no luck in the market, we decided to give the Hof Brauhaus a go, why we thought this would be a cheaper option is beyond me.  I had read somewhere, that after 6pm they only serve beers in the Steins, so I knew what was coming.  We managed to secure ourselves a table in the Stamm Tisch (tables reserved by regulars, paid for years in advance) area.  We had waited patiently to be served then I remembered we were in Germany and just grabbed a seat as soon as it looked like some one moving, we ordered a couple of Steins and some Brezeln (pretzels) that were served with mustard (never had that before).  We were relaxing when a couple of New Zealanders asked if they could share our booth, of course we agreed and chatted to them for a while.  They were a father and son on a weekend away.  The son lived in new Zealand and his parents had come to Europe to get away from the cold winter (seems like they swapped one cold climate for another). 

Finally we made our way back to the hotel to rest our weary heads before doing it all over again the next day.  I loved Muenchen and we had managed to check off a lot of the tourist to do list I had been given, what would we do tomorrow?
What did we eventually eat?  Well after walking the length of Muenchen we finally found a place to eat, it was reasonably priced, tasty, it serves local delicacy's that you can't get in the UK and was giving away souvenir glasses.... We went to McDonald's for a McRib.