Munich, Germany


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Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Munich
August 18th 2016
Published: September 8th 2016
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Atlanta, GA to Munich, Germany


I am eager to arrive in Munich and get this years European vacation started. As I am quite familiar with Munich, I felt very comfortable once I arrive, and as usual, the first task is to find the train to my hostel. I had already gotten some Euros before I left the states, so I was good there. Before long, I am on the train to my hostel. I follow the directions and arrive at the stop listed in the instructions. Now, in a metro station, you have several exits, with each one putting you on a separate street, or side of a street. The instructions tell you to exit and then go down a certain street. I seem to always pick the wrong exit, and I have to just figure it out. Anyway, I depart the train, make my way to the exit, go up and out onto the street. I immediately start looking for the street listed in the directions. Lucky for me, I actually choose correctly this time, and I was able to follow the instructions as written.

I was early at my hostel, for I could not check in until another four hours or so. I left my bags in a little storage room, and I go back towards the metro. I head towards Marienplatz which is in the center of Munich. Marienplatz or Mary’s Square - is the heart of Munich, and I feel it is the best place to start out. Dating back to the 12th century, Marienplatz used to be home to medieval markets, celebrations, and tournaments, but today, the square is a popular meeting point for locals and tourists alike. I just think it is neat when you walk up the stairs from the metro, and see the New Town Hall or Neues Rathaus. The New Town Hall is 259 ft in height, and is in gothic style which really makes it appealing to the eye. Also, the large column at the center of the square is known as the column of St. Mary. The statue is topped by a gilded statue of Virgin Mary. I tried to zoom in for a photo, but the photo is not as clear as I would have liked for it to have been. I was actually there at a good time, for at eleven, twelve, and five o'clock each day, visitors can watch the famous Glockenspiel or carillon. It chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century to the amusement of mass crowds of tourists and locals. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lorraine. In honor of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white). Of course the Bavarian knight wins every time. This is then followed by the bottom half and second story. The figures perform Cooper's dance, which was originally performed in the Marienplatz to commemorate the end of the plague. Just neat to see this, as the crowd really seems to enjoy. It is really similar to puppets going around performing a routine, but seems to always draw a crowd. At least from the times I have been there. The whole show lasts somewhere between twelve and fifteen minutes long depending on which tune it plays that day. At the very end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps quietly three times, marking the end of the spectacle. I watch this until completion, and then I walk around the area for a while longer, and finally go back towards the hostel to just hang out. When I got there, I chatted up some of the guests just to pass the time. Finally, I was able to check in, get settled, and clean up.

I decide that I would just walk off the beaten path to see if there are any interesting sights. I always seem to stumble onto something. I did this for a while, however there came a pretty big wind storm followed by rain, so I thought I should get back closer to my hostel just in case of a torrential rainstorm. I have been in some of those while travelling, and it is not fun if you have no shelter to get under.

It does start to clear, and seeing there was still plenty of day left I decided that I would like to go to the Olympic village area and just look around. It had been several years since I had been there, and I really wanted to see the area once again. I am not certain of the correct route to take, so I just start to walk in the general direction. Surely there would be signs I thought. After ten or fifteen minutes, I stumble on directions. I have to walk through a park for about a half mile or so, and then I would be there. I knew I would not get to stay real long once there, for it was already into the afternoon, and seeing I was on foot, I did not want to be walking around in the dark or rain if it got stormy again not knowing where I was going.

I make it to the Olympic village, and there is a festival going on with rides and different attractions. I walk through and look at the different exhibits. I see the Olympic swim hall, and I go in to overlook the Olympic pool. I was fortunate to swim in it several years back, and I was even able to jump off of the high platform dive. I thought that was cool, and to see those again just felt amazing.

I walk up to the Olympic stadium, but it was already closed for tourists. I take the best photos I can, and I even did a selfie of me beside the Olympic sign. Pretty neat. Seeing it was starting to get a bit dark, I decided I would make my way back to the hostel, or at least the general area. I walk back, and follow the signs to the nearest U-Bahn station. I take this train back to the general area I was staying, and walk the rest of the way back to my hostel.

I was able to meet my room-mates at this time, and as I was staying in a six-bed dorm, the other five beds were taken by a group of guys that graduated together from the University of Kentucky in the United States. They all just met up to take this trip together. I was able to share with them some of my travel experiences, and talk about what career paths they chose, and where they were in the working world right now. These guys were in there mid twenties, so hopefully I was able to give them some pretty good insights from my professional experiences, as well as my personal travel experiences. As I am no spring chicken, it is time for me to wrap it up for this day. I am not one to go out partying until the wee hours like these whipper snappers, so I just go back to my room and crash.

The next morning I awake knowing exactly what my agenda was for the day. I had planned to go to a spa/waterpark in a town called Erding. The facility was Therme Erding, and I had been here many years ago. It has the different water temperature pools, with saunas and a waterpark. The train ride from Munich was about fifty minutes or so, however it goes pretty fast. I make my stop, and you have to walk a mile or so to get to the location. Once inside, you can choose the timeframe you wish to spend at the facility. I choose four hours, and enter in. These four hours were some of the most relaxed I have spent in quite some time. I certainly wish we had a place like this back home. Fours hours came and went, and I walk back to the train station, and I take the train ride back to the hostel. As this was my last night in Munich, I wanted to go to the Hofbrauhaus to listen to the band play. I did this, and really had a nice time, as the locals really have a good time; especially when the hours get later and later.

I go back to my hostel and pack up for my next adventure. I would be departing on a morning train to Bratislava, Slovakia, and I wanted to assure I was rested up. Once again, Munich was a lovely experience, and I definitely hope to come here again some day.


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