For the second free weekend, I (Brandie) went to Munich, Germany with five other people from the program. We had a good time, even though it was a quick trip. We flew Ryan Air because it was the cheapest way to go, even after paying for the cab ride to and from the airport in Brussels, and the bus ride to and from the airport in Munich. One of my travel buddies found an apartment available for weekend rent, which was perfect for the six of us. It wasn't too far from City Center so we were able to walk just about anywhere we wanted to go. We ate lunch on Saturday at the famous Hofbrauhaus. On the second floor of this restaurant is where the Nazi party started. It's famous with locals and tourists alike. You can see the large pretzel and liter of beer (top left) from there. We bought the pretzel from a lady walking around selling them out of a basket hanging from her neck, just like people do with snacks and drinks at ballgames. We also took the opportunity to visit Munich Residence and Gardens. Munich Residence is the former palace of the monarchs of Bavaria. We toured the Residence and the Museum. The gardens are beautiful, complete with fountains and gazebos. Some photographers were shooting pictures of a wedding party while we were there. One of the photographers had two little flower girls in one of the fountains while he took pictures. We saw this as a green light to do the same. So Jess and I got into one of the fountains as well (top right). It was cold, so Jess took a little longer to step in fully. But she did.
The thing that I found so interesting was that Munich wasn't flashy or distinct. I kept waiting for an exotic view to take a picture of and it just didn't come. Everything looks so normal. I don't know whether this is cultural or a direct result of the impact on the region from WWII. But it was homy and pleasant. The City Center contains some older buildings with a distinct look to them. There are several clock towers here. We were able to go up to the top of one of them where we could step outside and take pictures of the city from a bird's-eye view (bottom left). There's a giant glockenspiel in City Center that plays at certain hours. We thought it played every hour on the hour but I was there at 4 "on the hours" and it didn't play at any of them. Clearly I was there at the wrong times for it. But it was beautiful nonetheless. I also liked the market areas on the streets off of City Center (bottom right). They provided such a friendly homely atmosphere. Before we left for Munich, I searched the Web for what to do and/or see. I read that Munich is one of the best places to live. I now know why. There's something about it that makes it feel like a giant neighborhood. I'm so glad we took the opportunity to visit. I'd be happy to return any day :)
The thing that I found so interesting was that Munich wasn't flashy or distinct. I kept waiting for an exotic view to take a picture of and it just didn't come. Everything looks so normal. I don't know whether this is cultural or a direct result of the impact on the region from WWII. But it was homy and pleasant. The City Center contains some older buildings with a distinct look to them. There are several clock towers here. We were able to go up to the top of one of them where we could step outside and take pictures of the city from a bird's-eye view (bottom left). There's a giant glockenspiel in City Center that plays at certain hours. We thought it played every hour on the hour but I was there at 4 "on the hours" and it didn't play at any of them. Clearly I was there at the wrong times for it. But it was beautiful nonetheless. I also liked the market areas on the streets off of City Center (bottom right). They provided such a friendly homely atmosphere. Before we left for Munich, I searched the Web for what to do and/or see. I read that Munich is one of the best places to live. I now know why. There's something about it that makes it feel like a giant neighborhood. I'm so glad we took the opportunity to visit. I'd be happy to return any day :)
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