Germany

Frankfurt. Didn’t get to see much of Frankfurt as it was really only a stopover for our flight to Singapore. We were originally planning to spend a night here but we liked Munich so much that we spent it there instead. What we did see appeared modern but really not enough to accurately comment.

Line up. We arrived in Frankfurt about 7 hours before our flight departed. We ate and drank then made our way to the check in counter. We got there 10 minutes before it opened which was three hours before our scheduled departure time but still had to line up for 45 minutes.

What day is it? After finally filtering our way through the queue, we were asked for our passports. “Unfortunately, I can’t find you on the passenger list for tonight’s flight to Singapore. Can I please see your itinerary?” Suddenly a cold chill ran down our spines. We lost track of what day it was about 7 weeks ago. “What day is it?” we asked in the mousiest of voices. As it turns out, we’d arrived in Frankfurt a day early and didn’t feel like the smartest kids on the block. Better than a day late I suppose. We would have easily spent another night in Germany but for anyone who has travelled this long, once you have put yourself in a headspace for departure, it is very difficult to alter. Lucky for us, we were able to squeeze onto the flight leaving that night. They even let us off about 7 kilos of excess luggage. We had 67kg between us at check in and that is not including the abundance of hand luggage we were carrying, which easily would have come to another 30kg. We started with 28kg plus some very light hand luggage. It’s not over yet. We still have to check in our bags from Singapore to Melbourne!

Where are we? Our flight to Singapore was via Dubai. I must say the stopover in Dubai did us some good but visiting 3 continents and 4 cities in the same day certainly took its toll. We dumped our large bags at Changi airport (Singapore) and made our way to the hotel. Let me assure you, there was absolutely no feeling of separation anxiety!

Rush. Well after only a few hours sleep we got our things together and went to pick up our laundry. We had to buy a bag in the morning to complete our reorganisation efforts from the previous night. We’d accumulated so much crap along the way and another bag was needed to be better prepared for our onward journey and to avoid the dreaded excess baggage charge. It all happened without complication which afforded us some time for a meal before making our way to the train station.

Lunch. The food wasn’t much chop but the café was next door to one of the Munchen Filmfest theatres. I was thankfully able to get hold of a Filmfest poster that I desperately craved. Now that all ticks were in boxes, we could commence our departure ceremony (carting our f’ing luggage). I cherish the day that I can freely walk the streets without being consumed by the thought that I will soon have to transform into a luggage mule.

Train. I love German trains. They don’t only look cool but are so comfortable and functional. Our global pass ran out a few days ago so we had to pay for the ride to Frankfurt. Not cheap.

Munchen. Could it be our favourite place? Definitely in our top 3. Munich had all the modern day creature comforts of a big city but maintained its inner charm and regional feel without appearing forced. The people were great. So very friendly and welcoming. The food and beer definitely rated high but weren’t the only attractions. We’ll have to come back for Oktoberfest some year. That’s a promise!

Olympic Park. Home to the 1972 Olympics (when Germany was still divided). The stadiums were modern even by today’s standards, almost 40 years on. The park was filled with life and obviously now used as a site for picnics, festivals and various sporting events. Surrounded by perfectly manicured parklands and lakes, it had the appearance of a scale model from up high. So pristine and well preserved.

BMW HQ. The area was also home to BMW headquarters. Uber modern structures housing manufacturing plants, showrooms and a BMW museum (bummed we didn’t get to visit).

Tollwood Festival. This place was filled with food stalls, beer tents, market stalls, auditoriums and amusements. We smiled at each other as we walked in. A hidden little gem with some 30 odd years of history. As you’d expect, we ate several times. Bratwurst, Palacsinta, Guyash and Hamburgers to name a few. Beer and cocktails made up the rest of our consumption. We’ve got to be thankful to the locals that put us onto it. What a superb day.

Parklands. To walk off the meat and drink, we decided our best recourse was to walk through the park. It went against my end of holiday rule to only walk downhill however we ruled against it and decided to walk to the top of a nearby hill for a birds eye view of the area. No regrets. We even met some furry friends along the way.

Bag packing. Now for the dreaded reorganisation and packing of all our bags. Our aim was to pack our main luggage as if it was going home and leave the beachy stuff in a separate bag for Thailand. We also had to carefully juggle the heavier pieces between hand and check in luggage to balance out the weight. Quite the task. It took us a good part of 5 hours. Feeling better but still shitting ourselves in terms of excess charges. Lucky Emirates increased our allowance to 30kg but even after a few sneaky moves, we might still land ourselves in a little trouble.

Thailand. We still hadn’t booked any accommodation in Thailand let alone the flights from Singapore. In fact, we hadn’t even decided on a destination for our final week of pure relaxation before heading home. Lets just say, we went to bed at about 5am. I hope the tiredness didn’t affect our decisions.

English gardens. We took a casual stroll through the English Gardens, admiring the scenery. All the locals were out doing their normal Sunday thing, mainly picnicking and exercising. It felt good to submerge ourselves in greenery after spending so much time in major cities.

Pong. Outdoor pong championships. Deep in the garden were a few pong tables. The trees offered optimal shade and security from the wind. I don’t speak German but I’m sure they said, “He’s the best player we’ve ever seen!”

Pamper. Vic spent some time on the net and I headed to the fitness centre for a bit of self pampering, starting with a gym session. Once I’d worked up a sweat, it was time to hit the sauna, steam room and pool.

Fraunhofer. Out for a bit of Bavarian grub. Again the beer hall setting but not quite the scale of Hofbraeuhaus. They really don’t have much trouble filling these places. Remarkable how many people enjoy sausages and beer every night of the week!

Locals. We made our way to the cinema to catch one of the Munchen Filmfest screenings. It was a midnight session so we filled time by having a coffee at a nearby café. A group of locals were seated next to us and soon enough, we got talking. Quite a friendly and jovial bunch. They provided a heap of tips including their two favourite Munich restaurants. The other tip they gave us was the Tollwood festival. Not something that was in any of our literature but apparently a local favourite. That made it easy to plan our last full day. We’ll head there tomorrow. It’s based out of Olympic park. Two birds…

Film Fest Munchen. Black Dynamite. As it was the opening screening we were lucky enough to meet the Director. He appeared from the crowd and gave a speech before the movie started. Pretty cool. The movie was a slapstick take on ‘Shaft’. Very funny and worth a viewing.

Shaken not stirred. About 10 minutes into the movie, an old man seated in front turned and started rambling something rather aggressively in German. Not sure what he was saying and before I even came close to understanding, he grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me. I was totally taken by surprise. If he wasn’t an old guy I am sure my response would have differed but I simply leaned back in my chair and enjoyed the rest of the movie. Out the corner of my eye, I caught the guy sitting next to me taking his feet off the chair in front. It suddenly all made sense. He must have been shaking his leg whilst resting it on the seat. It obviously drove the old guy mad. Mad enough to shake a perfect stranger. Crazy Kraut!

Morning. The rain appeared to be following us. Nothing an umbrella won’t fix. The temperature in Munich was much higher than that of Vienna and Prague and the rain clouds appeared to be clearing. Apparently we’d missed the worst of it but at this early stage we weren’t convinced.

Walk. We started our walk from the hotel towards the city centre. After stopping for a coffee we noticed a large electronics store nearby. We were after a portable hard drive to back up all the photos we had taken but were not prepared for the plethora of gadgets inside. An hour went by without flinching. I could have stayed several more but Vic was understandably getting bored. It was more of a haven for boys. German gadgets catering for every childish and adult desire. Remote control heaven, from TVs to WWII tanks.

Maggi. A few doors down from gadget heaven was a Maggi café decorated in the famous red and gold colours. Yep, Maggi noodles. Everything on the menu was a Maggi product. In Munich of all places, in a land where the food is so great and plentiful? Why would you in your right mind go to a café to eat something out of a sachet? I don’t get it.

Toy museum. An old watchtower in the city centre was home to the Toy Museum. Tight windy steps delivered you to each of the many floors housing old to ancient toys. It was kind of cool yet depressing seeing toys, now considered collectables, that we have all either thrown out during spring cleans or sold in garage sales. Not sure if the kids of today have it any better. These toys were beautifully crafted but maybe that is the adult in me speaking. Where are you Peter Pan?

City centre. Just because we made it to the city centre on our first attempt (unlike Prague) doesn’t mean that shopping would play any less of a role during our stay. The shopping here was probably the best we had encountered. Vicki was starting to taste success and it wasn’t difficult to see the excitement building.

Orchestra. We could hear music coming from the main square and a crowd was starting to gather. A modern orchestra was pumping out some fairly unusual sounds. Very unique and rather funky. The conductor stole the show. An oldish man with grey hair put every muscle into his direction and maybe some organs too!

Soak it up. This city has so much on offer. It was effortless to just walk the streets occasionally stopping for some local treats. Not overly big but what it didn’t have in size was made up in character. We liked it so much that we decided to extend our stay. Vicki likened it to a toy town of sorts. I knew what she meant. The buildings here are modelled in a Hansel and Gretel Ginger bread house kind of way. Not difficult to be swept away in the fairytale romance although desperately scavenging through store stock to secure some final purchases in our last week in Europe could hardly be considered romantic.

Hofbraeuhaus. A major beer hall in the heart of the city. Bit touristy but who really cares? When you visit a beer hall that is this big and this busy with waitresses clad in traditional Bavarian dress having the strength to carry 10 steins (5 in each hand) you are nothing short of being suitably impressed. Sausage platter and of course a wiener schnitzel were the perfect accompaniment to the numerous steins consumed. Sensational.

http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/01/hist_anfang_en.html

Aussie Parisians. We met a couple from Melbourne currently living in Paris, Andrew and Kath. They were flying through part of Europe on a short break from work. Good people. We got along well drinking beers and exchanging stories before getting the boot at closing time. We kicked on a bit further in a local pub making it a much later night than originally anticipated. Hope you guys pulled up alright after the limited sleep the night before. We had the luxury of sleeping in a bit but not sure you had the same considering your short time in Munich. Nice meeting you both. Maybe we can catch up for a pot and parma next time your down in Melbourne.

Theft. How the hell do I get a stein this size out of here? There’s definitely no room in my pants! Lucky Vic had a unisex bag big enough. I’m sure the waitress knew what we were up to but she kind of liked me, I was toying with her most of the night. You sort of lose all subtlety after the second stein. I’m not sure if it was inspiration or desperation but Kath followed suit and we all got out unscathed. Nice one, girl!