| Page 1 2 3 GLOBETROTTING: MUNICH, GERMANY by Michele SherrillFor the third consecutive time, the month of October brought not only falling leaves and lower temperatures, but also an invitation for my husband, Joel, to teach a software class in Munich, Germany. Since he’s a total computer nerd, it’s enough that he already gets paid to talk about a field which he loves, but to talk about it in Munich was a real bonus. Joel went alone on the first trip, but last fall and then again just last week, my four children (ages 11 – 16) and I accompanied him. I must say that Munich is a wonderful location to bring kids – fairytale-style buildings, freshly baked pastries on every street corner and delectable chocolate candy that brings even the most stringent dieter to their knees. And for the adults, well, there are the fairytale-style buildings, freshly baked pastries on every street corner, that to-die-for candy, and oh yeah, BEER! It’s All About the Beer. . . . . I hate to be stereotypical and brag on the beer, but these people certainly have mastered the art of beer making. I’ve been trying to “acquire a taste” for beer since college – and trust me, that’s been a while. But it wasn’t until I went to Munich that I wanted to drink beer. It’s so fresh there – they even have purity laws that don’t allow preservatives. After hanging out in Munich a while, I have finally (to my husband’s excitement) learned to enjoy and appreciate a high-quality beer. There are six breweries located in Munich and no doubt you have at least heard of one or more of them: Löwenbräu Hofbräuhaus Paulaner Augustinerbräu Hacker-Pschorr Spaten My personal favorite just for overall atmosphere and beer was Augustiner Großgaststätte, located downtown in the heart of Marienplatz. It’s famous, but probably not as much so as Hofbrauhaus, which seems to cater to tourists. In fact, you can find the Hard Rock Munich located right across the cobblestone street from it. And to soak up the beer. . . . For a country that professes a profound and unashamed love for almost every edible part of a pig, you might be surprised to know that there is an increasing number of vegetarians springing up throughout Germany. While at dinner at the Paulaner Brauhaus, I noticed several options on the menu for dishes with no meat and, although I am not a vegetarian, I decided to order one of these dishes. It was a lovely semmelknodel (bread dumpling) surrounded by fresh spinach, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower in a white cream sauce. It turned out to be an excellent choice and, with a couple of Weissbiers (wheat beers), I hardly even noticed or cared that my four kids were still at the same table with me, much less irritating each other beyond measure.  Not to be missed is Viktualienmarkt. An outdoor farmers market extravaganza with every imaginable fruit and vegetable for sale, handcrafted goods, bottles of wine and champagne, a food court with many foods to choose from, and of course an ample beer garden with lots and lots of beer.  Making Transactions. . . . It’s a bustling city, and although the people are mostly friendly, they are also very much in a hurry. It doesn’t matter what time of the day or night, these people are rushing to wherever they need to go to next. I seldom ever saw anyone just strolling through the streets - unless they were tourists. Just remember this - the Germans are efficient. Don’t walk up to make a purchase unless you have the correct amount of money in your hand ready to immediately complete the transaction. Don’t find yourself at one of the many visually appealing pastry counters just salivating like a child at the precious choices you could pick from. You will be expected to know your selection before you approach the cashier. Transactions are expected to be made quickly and almost flawlessly, although exceptions are made in order to see that tourists properly spend their Euros. I used my best German greetings and my nicest manners – after all, I was in their country and I feel that I should make some effort to use their language. Not that my German was all that bad, but often times I would get a reply in English from someone because they recognized that I was American. They knew much more English than I did German, so they were helpful when I was making transactions. Munich is very accustomed to American travelers and English is taught in schools. Our friends in Munich have two children, one of whom is in the second grade this year, and when playing with my children by finding chestnuts on the ground, showed how he could count to ten in English. Page 1 2 3 |
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