So here it begins, my first big trip in six years! As I mentioned in the teaser introduction post, it was a bumpy landing, not helped by the fact the wife and I were sat on the back row of the plane. After that it was a long hunt for baggage claim but soon we were out of the airport and on our way into the centre of the city with a plan to spend half a day of relaxing and catching up on some sleep. Arriving at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel, a short distance from the Donnersbergerbrücke Station, we checked in and sorted ourselves out before heading out into the local area to find some food – and find it we did at the Red Pepper. A German hamburger for the gentleman and a health dose of schnitzel for the lady and we were quite content with the days activities. Heading back to the hotel and off to bed.
The next day the trip really began with a trip to Dachau on the cards – the details of that trip will be in another post later so keep an eye out for when it drops. As for München, our time there really began on day three. We headed into the centre to Marienplatz, hopped off the train and up the stairs to be greeted by the fantastic square in the centre of the old town. Immediatly the Rathaus-Glockenspiel, the large mechanical clock in Marienplatz, caught our eye as we had timed our visit to perfection with the clock just begining its fantastic chiming routine. If you ever go to Munich, this is an absolute must see! I won’t spoil the surpise but add this to your travel bucket list and make sure you time your arrival well as the full spectacle only occurs at 10.00am and 11.00am and the whole square becomes crowded.
Heading out slightly from the main area we somehow managed to find ourselves an Oxfam bookshop! This was a great spot from the wife and led to me indulging in my other obsession after travel (Tolkien) as a copy of The Hobbit in german (Die Kleine Hobbit) was far too tempting to resist. The wandering continued to a nearby church which was a fantastic example of a cathedral in the centre of München. The Frauenkirche, the ‘Cathedral of Our Dear Lady’, serves the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and is a domineering feature of München’s skyline with its two large domed towers.
Leaving the church we popped to the Augustiner Klosterwirt, just opposite the cathedral, for some food. This proved to be a brilliant choice as we tucked into a platter of local cuisine which left us both full (well, truthfully we were overfull!). A serving of four grilled pork knuckles, two Nuremberg grilled sausages, two wiener veal schnitzel, two potato dumplings, creamed potato and various types of cabbage (sauerkraut) appeared before us topped with gravy. Along with two weissbier, it was a feast to say the least.
Popping out to a few more shops and the obligitory Bayern Munich store we continued into the old town of München and found ourselves in the market. The market itself is mainly food and having stuffing ourselves full of local cuisine just prior we settled for a nice little wander round rather than buying anything from the stalls. At this point we decided to head into another church, St. Peters which you can see below.
Within the market there were other stalls where you could get German and München themed presents and gifts too, though we had agreed to get gifts later in the trip as our bags were already heavy enough! That being said, there was plenty of space for gifts to each other. Conveniently placed next to the Bayern Munich store we found Elbenwald on Neuhauser Street, a store full of geeky delights from Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, Pokemon and many more. Naturally, the purchase of a Snorlax cap for the wife was obligitory. Though problems really started when we discovered the Lego store just a little further down – hats off to parents who can afford to buy sets for their childeren!
Still full of pork knuckle and schitzel, the day came to an end with a quick gander at the outside of the Residenz which we agreed to visit the next day. So keep an eye out for München (Munich) Part Zwei (Two) coming soon to hear more about it!
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