Day One (December 23)

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Getting Wacky in the Hofbrauhaus

We arrived in Frankfurt pretty much on time. I was a little disappointed to see so little evidence of the Christmas season as we ran from one side of the terminal to the other. It is a huge airport and supposedly one of the best in the World so why did we have to walk down all those steps (with my sore knee) and take a bus to the terminal? I would have assumed the German flag carrier would get preferential treatment and we’d at least pull up to a jetway. After some confusion about whether we had to go through a huge immigration line, we finally figured out to get to our gate. When we made our way to the departure gate for our flight to Munich we again had to board a bus. Seems rather uncivilized don’t you know?

Stick with me. That’s pretty much the end of my kvetching on this trip. Once we got off the plane in Munich (via a jetway) things couldn’t have been more perfect. Going through immigration was a breeze. We had just finished taking our potty breaks when our luggage came quickly on to the baggage carousel. With nothing to declare, we were outside the airport in less than half an hour after landing. The sky was overcast and a light drizzle was falling but as we stepped outside the terminal and headed toward the S-Bahn to catch a train into Downtown Munich, we could smell pine and burning firewood from a tiny Christmas market on the airport property. The air outside was cold and a light rain was falling. The entrance to the S-Bahn was less than 100 yards from the terminal. After some initial confusion on my part we figured out how to buy a Family Pass Day ticket which entitled 5 of us to travel throughout the day on the entire Munich transport system for only 16€. Our one additional group member had to buy the single Day Ticket for 9€. The entire time we rode the trains, subway and bus system no one ever checked our passes. I take it the inhabitants of Munich are very honest folks.

The S-8 trains running from the airport into the Hauptbahnhof (Main train station) in Munich come by every ten minutes or so. We had no problems getting our bags on to the train and then getting seats together. Perhaps heading from the busy train station out to the airport might be a different story. On the 45 minute ride from the airport I stared out the window excited to be back in my favorite country. As the train rolled on through flat farmland, I was wondering what my son’s girlfriend, Gen, might be thinking of her first few minutes ever in Germany. At first there was really nothing to distinguish these fields from the landscape back in Pennsylvania. Finally we passed an onion-domed church and a German village full of red tiled roofs. I turned to look back for Gen’s reaction. Her head was thrown back against the seat with eyes closed and mouth wide-open. Tyler, Cassie, Gail and Grandma Phoebe were all unconscious too. Welcome to Germany.

I woke everyone as we neared the Hauptbahnhof. Once we de-trained we headed up into the huge station. With typical Teutonic efficiency, signs were posted everywhere directing us to the buses. “This is easy” I thought as we exited the train station. All we had to do was find Bus 58. Once we got to the street however, I saw lots of round green signs with the letter “H” indicating bus stops, but none showed route numbers or where the buses went. It always takes me a little while to get into the flow in a foreign country, especially Germany. I’m not all that comfortable asking directions in English let alone auf Deutsch. This is a guy that had to repeat German 3 in high school and who struggled mightily to get through the mandatory two years of German in college. Eventually I saw an old lady with a kind face. “Geht dieser Bus zum Baldeplatz?” I had no idea whether the preposition or adjective endings were right, but I think this was close. The old lady gave me a weird look and said she didn’t know. I started to get frustrated and went back into the train station looking for help. I couldn’t find the tourist information office. After 10 minutes of desperate searching I went back to where the rest of the group was waiting patiently. They expected the tour guide to know what the hell he was doing. I had no idea and this was less than an hour into our trip. I led us all back to the area where the old lady was waiting. Just then a bus with a big “58” pulled up. I asked the bus driver the same question. He laughed and said something about the bus needing someone to drive it so we got on. In less than ten minutes a big lighted sign inside the bus said “Baldeplatz” was the next stop.

When we got off the bus I tried to get my bearings and asked Gail for a map. I knew the hotel was about a block away but in what direction? A woman sitting at the bus stop overheard us and asked in perfect English where we were trying to go. We navigated our way down the slightly snowy sidewalk and after a block we saw our hotel, Derag Hotel Prinzessin Elisabeth. It’s a tastefully modern hotel with a beautifully decorated lobby full of Christmas wreaths, a tree, candles and lights. I didn’t even have to pull-out a copy of my Priceline receipt at check-in. They were expecting us and check-in was painless.

Our rooms were ultra-modern with a little kitchen area and mini-bar. Color TV, telephone, desk, down comforters, coffee maker and a huge bathroom. It was the least “authentic German” place we stayed on the trip, but it was a very nice luxury. The neighborhood was quiet and felt safe. Although this is against everything I have ever read about fighting jet lag and adjusting to the local time, we all agreed to take a two hour nap. When Gail and I travel on her guided student tours we never rest on Day One. But when we’ve traveled on our own, a little nap helps us get through the rest of the day and into the night.

As tour guide I had planned two “events” for that day in Munich - to see the Christkindlmarkt on its last night and to have dinner at the Augustinerbräu (beer hall). We asked the clerk at the front desk for directions and he provided us with a great map. We took the 58 bus back toward the train station but got off at Goetheplatz then took the U3 subway train to the Marienplatz. With the Day Passes we had we were able to travel on all modes of public transport. Yet the entire night we traveled, no one ever checked our tickets.

As we came up from the subway stop into the Marienplatz, we were immediately dazzled by the crowds of people milling about the festively decorated Christmas stalls. The smell of Glühwein was in the air everywhere. The rain had subsided to a mist, but combined with temperatures in the high 20’s we all felt chilled to the bone. We spent a few minutes waiting in line to access the ATM machines in the square, then I led the group through the rows of stalls displaying all manner of food, drinks, Christmas decorations, wooden toys and handmade clothing. As we walked up the Kaufingerstrasse’s pedestrian avenue we were actually overwhelmed by all the different items for sale. Combined with the fact that this appeared to be the last night for Christmas shopping in Munich we found ourselves in rather crowded conditions. I expected the others to stop when they saw something they liked but everyone kept pace with me. Before we knew it we were past the Frauenkirche and in front of the Hunting Museum. Then I saw the Augustinerbräu. I pointed it out as the place I wanted to eat dinner later but everyone headed for the entrance. I guess they were hungry.

The interior was as typically German as one could ask for. It’s a little hard to explain typical German décor to someone that has never been there before, but if you’ve been to a ski lodge, imagine one with more charm and real wood inside. The Augustinerbräu featured dark wood walls with high vaulted ceilings decorated with strands of evergreens strung across the room. Subdued lighting and a big Christmas tree greeted our entrance. As we wandered about trying to find an available table a waiter took pity on us and found us a table for six. The waiter asked for our drink order before we took off our coats. I ordered a Weizenbier (wheat beer), Gail ordered regular beer (pils), her Mom ordered white wine, and the kids ordered Champagne Américain (Cokes). For dinner Gail and her Mom ordered what would become one of their staples, Gulaschsuppe. Gail also ordered Weisswürst. Tyler got the first of his many Schnitzels with a pile of fries. Gen ordered a würst sampler with 4 sausages, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. Cassie and I had to have Spätzle so we got Gulasch over noodles. Everyone raved over their choices. I never understood the bad rap German cuisine gets from food critics. The ingredients are always fresh, the visual presentation is stunning, the portions are huge, the seasonings are perfect (I’ve never needed to salt or pepper any German meal) and the food complements the great German wines and beers perfectly. I suppose some of the gravies and sauces irritate the Nouveau Cuisine crowd, but I find German food to be just as good as Mexican. There should be chains of German restaurants in the U.S. I’d be quite willing to host “The Best and Würst of Germany” on the Food Network. The only pig that finished their entire meal was yours truly.

For the uninitiated trying to get your bill from a German waiter can seem impossible. The Germans love to linger over their dinners and the waiters make no effort to clear you out of the restaurant. You can sit at your table for hours without your waiter showing up. You need to grab their attention the second you detect even the slightest glance in your direction. As I said before, it takes me a day or two to get into the whole German thing so I was a bit slow in recalling this ritual. After about a half hour of being ignored by the waiter, I worked up the nerve to raise my hand as the waiter passed a few tables away. Later in the trip I felt comfortable enough to move on to the slight head nod, then the Robert Redford’s index finger along the nose move from The Sting, culminating in the raising the right eyebrow summoning. German waiters almost never write anything down when they take your order. Yet they always get things right. When it’s time to settle up they pull out their pad and pencil, point at each person to recall what they drank and ate, then jot things down and add up the bill. When you pay they pull out their cool little leather purse with change and the night’s proceeds. Tonight’s dinner for all 6 of us was just over 60€. Dinner is supposed to include a 15% service charge. In the past we assumed that was it for a tip but based on information gleaned from Fodor’s and Bavaria Ben’s website, it is customary to add another 5% or so. As a budget traveler it pained me to tip 20% but I kind of wondered how much of that 15% service charge went to the waiter anyhow.

The worst possible thing that could happen happened as we left the Augustinerbräu - Cassie spotted an open shoe store!!! Tyler and I had to stand out in the misty cold evening while the ladies dawdled for half an hour in that stupid store. When Gen came out and joined us we watched the last minute Christmas shoppers running from store to store. We saw a pretty young German blonde walk out of a jewelry store with a big smile on her face. We deduced she must’ve been buying things for herself. The store was part of a German chain called “Christ Jewelers”. Tyler suggested the store should use a slogan like “Christ will save you….lots on your jewelry”. Gen asked if this was the German version of Kay’s Jewelers. If so she quipped that their slogan should be “Every kiss begins with Christ”. Hey, it was funny at the time.

Cassie finally came out of the store with new boots and silicone spray for them. Since we were already near the end of the pedestrian zone we headed up to Karlstor. This is the Times Square of Munich. In the summer it’s full of young people hanging out. Tonight the neon lights lit the area but they were augmented by a plethora of white Christmas lights hanging from the old buildings. In the center of the Platz where a big fountain usually acts as the gathering place for the teenage crowd, during the Christmas season it was converted into an ice skating rink. Scores of uncoordinated German adults and accomplished kids were whirling around the rink. As further proof that the Germans are so much more clever than us, we saw that the rink provided 3 foot high metal polar bears for the beginning skaters to hang on to and support them as they honed their skating skills.

Eventually we started to head back toward the Marienplatz. I checked-out a J.A. Henckels knife store but decided I really didn’t need to add to my three drawers of knives at home. As we passed through the Christkindlmarkt stalls again, the aroma of roasted nuts and gingerbread lured us. Since I hadn’t had dessert I convince Gail to buy me a big bag of sugar-coated almonds. The girls bought Lebkuchen. I passed up the sugar coated peanuts, chestnuts, and cashews. We gawked at the fruit stands featuring persimmons, clementines, all kinds of dates, and “Lychees”. When we arrived back in the Marienplatz Gail suggested we take Gen and her Mom to see the famous Hofbräuhaus. It took only 5 minutes to get there but when we stepped into the cloud of smoke inside, we only stayed for about 5 minutes. Like everything else in Munich it was decorated beautifully for Christmas. Lots of red and green ornaments and wreaths. A big Christmas tree. Unlike the summer when you have to crawl over people, this night the place had plenty of empty tables. Had anyone in my group asked to stay I would have, but the smoke really irritated everyone and burned our sleepy eyes. We used the toilets and left.

Back at the Martienplatz we decided that instead of having some beer to warm up, we needed to try some Glühwein. I had tried this hot, spiced wine a few years back and wasn’t crazy about it, but I thought it might taste good on a cold night. The booth below the Heiliggeistkirche advertised Glühwein for 2.50€. Gail ordered two cups but the girl charged her 10€. When Gail asked why it wasn’t 5€, the girl explained that Gail would get the other 5€ back when she returned the mugs. Most likely stupid tourists used to steal or break all their mugs so now a deposit was necessary. At first the wine was much too hot to sip, let alone drink. As the wine cooled in the sub-freezing temperature everyone took a sip. When it was my turn I figured “what the heck” and started to drink. The cinnamon must’ve gone up my nose or the Glühwein went down the wrong pipe but in any case I immediately started coughing and gagging. It seemed like everyone in the Marienplatz was watching the fat old American croak on his Glühwein. A couple slaps on the back cured me, but I passed on having anymore of the wine.

The wine seemed to make everyone sleepier so we headed back to the hotel around 9:30. Suddenly some of my symptoms from my bout with the flu returned and I began to feel tired and achy all over. I went straight to our massive bath tub and filled it with steaming hot water. Once I brought my core temperature back up to normal I climbed under the comforter and slept like a baby.

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Photos

Our room at the Derag Prinzessin Elisabeth
Priceline.com comes through again. It didn't seem very "German" but this businessman's hotel had all the modern amenities and very comfortable beds. It was the perfect accomodation for our first night.

Munich's Christkindlmarkt
We arranged our trip so that we would be able to visit Munich's Christmas Market before it closed on December 24th. It encompassed almost the entire pedestrian-only zone in the Marienplatz area of the city. The smell of cinnamon and almonds pervaded the entire market.

Augustiner Restaurant
One of the few \\\"must-see\\\" attractions I put on our itinerary. It is considered better than the Hofbrauhaus by the locals. I thought the food and beer were great but the Hofbrauhaus is a much better tourist attraction. The Augustiner didn't have music, dancing or carousing drunks. In other words, no Gemutlichkeit.

My Dinner
My delicious order of Gulasch over Spaetzle. And of course my Weissbier.

Tyler working on his Schnitzel
Tyler had no trouble polishing off his dinner. Of course, he passed up the salad so he'd have more room for Pommes Frites.

Ice Skating in Munich
This is the ice skating rink outside the Karlstor. Those big white polar bears are the "skater's aids" that novice skaters can hold on to as they learn to skate.

My favorite booth at the Christkindlmarkt
Here's a shot of my favorite stall at the market: the roasted nut stand. They had roasted peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts and pecans. The best are the sugar-coated almonds. I got a 4 Euro bag of Gebrannte Mandeln. I made the mistake of sharing it with everyone.

Cassie enjoys her first Gluhwein
Even though I couldn't stand it, Cassie and Tyler seemed to enjoy their first taste of Gluhwein.

Grandma has one too
Grandma Phoebe wasn't particularly crazy about the wine itself, but the fact that it was hot mad it all worthwhile. Our Gluhwein's in Munich were so hot it took almost ten minutes for them to cool enough to drink.

Riding the U-Bahn
As Day One ends the totally exhausted travelers look like zombies as they try to make it back to the hotel.