Monday, April 7, 2008

Monday, 24.03.08, 10:29 p.m., Munich, DE, hostel bar


It has been an excellent first day. Wandered around Munich for most of the time, checked into my hostel, which is in a really good location and across from the train station. They had a free walking tour in the morning that I decided to go on. It was the biggest waste of time and I left within a half hour to do more exploring on my own. I can do without the hand holding and being talked down to, thank you. I have done my homework on European history and don't need the condescending attitude of the American tour guide. I do much better on my own and always have.

I got lost and wandered around old town, Marienplatz, for hours. The imposing glockenspiel is just as glorious as the photos would lead you to believe. Gothic and majestic. I walked inside the tunnel leading inside and took dozens of shots from just about every angle that you can imagine. It is so nuanced and is a bit much for the senses.

On another note, I love the public transport in Germany. It is immaculate! The trams are so soft that you can barely hear them glide through the city streets. No one checks tickets either. I met some lurpy, uninspiring guys from Atlanta at the hostel who I quickly left. They bored me to death and I have no time for dullards on this trip. I have enough of that in Cleveland.

Met a couple of nice women at the hostel who happened to be staying in my room. They are childhood friends taking a spring break trip together through Germany and Austria. Meghan goes to Dartmouth and studies art history and Liz attends Drexel and studies marketing/communications. I gave her my business card. networking is very cool, as is meeting like minds!

We chatted for a while and they invited me to go to the Hofbrauhaus with them, which is one of the most revered Bavarian beer halls in Munich. The walk from our hostel was a bit awkward, as we kept getting turned around, but we didn't mind. When we got there, the place was packed and so full of life. Families, couples, travelers, drunk buddies singing with their 2 liter steins of beer, and an old school oom pah band colored the room. We sat near the back and had a great time talking about random things and drinking Hofbrau beer, which is a lot like a lot of the Belgian white ales but not quite as crisp. I had a traditional wurst/sauerkraut/dumpling with beer and espresso. Hey, you have to have the Bavarian experience at some point! The apple strudel that we all ordered for dessert was divine. I took video of some inebriated dudes at the table in front of us, who became progressively louder in their singing. It was entertaining. After, we caught the tail end of the happy hour at our hostel bar and got pints for about 1 euro (~ $1.45ish). Not bad! Liz and Meghan leave for Salzburg tomorrow night and we are going to Dachau in the afternoon for a history lesson. It should be intense. Prague on Wednesday! I cannot contain myself.

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