Munich x 3

This was our 3rd time visiting Munich.  Twice to take in their Christmas markets and once at the start of Biergarten season (May). 

Here are some of our observations this time around:

• Increased numbers of people (especially young adults) smoking -- Disturbing considering all we know.
• Road rage from Audi drivers!  Not sure what is going on there.  Normal vehicular experience is quite quiet due to the type of cars on the road (mostly luxury sedans vs scooters and small cylinder vehicles in say, Paris or Rome) so honking really stands out.
• Increased numbers of beggars -- Non German.
• We found it overall to be busier than last year.
• Popular street food trends this year include the crepe and flatbreads with various toppings.  We stuck with the traditional German selections such as Reiberdatschi, lebkuchen, spatzle, knodel, schupfnudeln, leberkase etc. etc.  We were surprised to see a plethora of places offering Currywurst as well.
• Noticed prices have gone up slightly compared to last year.  Each snack/item/alcoholic drink costs in the 4 - 5 Euro range this year.  A plate/entrée (still talking street food portions here) will be in the 8 - 10 Euro range.  Small bottle of water 2 Euro+ depending on where you are.  And you won't find people drinking water either, which is totally opposite from Canada.
• We continued to stand out amongst everyone else because we shared dishes and drinks.  People just don't do that.  I can't imagine eating or drinking one of everything on my own as there is just too much food to choose from and to do so would mean gaining many pounds.  Considering how many hours of walking we did each day, I still managed to gain a pound. 
• It took us a couple of days of visiting and tasting various markets treats to develop a list of favourites (and about 3 days before we were thinking in basic German -- pretty pathetic, I know).  I can't imagine being there for 2 weeks.  Just too much food!  Temptation is everywhere!  I think 4 - 5 days is the ideal length of time to hit all the highlights and to go nuts trying everything. 
• From a food allergy perspective, this was my best trip.  No nasal congestion or itchy eyes post wheat/egg/sugar/dairy exposure as I didn't hold back.  Just noticed a drop in energy.  I will take it as a sign I am healing.  Good thing as we will be spending New Years in France (last minute bonus trip courtesy of sheer luck with finding decent flights and Skymiles).
• Did you know their Ice Tea is sparkling?
• Few things help complete a meal laden with meat (mostly pork) better than a skewer of dark chocolate covered strawberries.  D really took to the chocolate covered grapes (yuck -- not for me).  Tasted so refreshing.  I also enjoyed the dark chocolate covered hazel and macadamia nuts.  Most people walked around snacking on candied nuts of one sort or another.
• If you enjoy looking at and buying beautifully displayed gourmet food, head to Dalmayr -- Simply gorgeous store.  Reminded us of the food floor at KaDeWe in Berlin.
• If you like riding style leather boots, you will find a lot to chose from -- Won't come cheap.
• We loved how if you order a fresh waffle with chocolate, one side is actually dipped in a chocolate that dries/hardens so when the cherries and whipped cream is added on top, it prevents the warm waffle from becoming soggy in a hurry -- So Smart!
• It still hasn't failed to surprise us just how quiet the Munich airport is.  It is literally almost silent.  People are so respectful.  Love it!
• Speaking of airports, AMS and MUC are offering real food for "good" prices.  Airports are notorious for bad quality food at high prices.  I actually had an organic hamburger made fresh with salad and fries for 10 Euro in Amsterdam!  Usually I am paying 17 Euro for about 8 pieces of sorry looking sashimi and a bad green tea or 6 Euro for a small freshly squeezed fruit juice.  That was just earlier this year too.  And in MUC, you can get a plate of leberkase, potato salad and a Weissbier for 10 Euro!
• Another point about European airports -- WiFi has improved in AMS and MUC.  If you do not have a data plan for outside of your home country, be cautious as roaming fees can be exorbitant.  Check with your provider as to how to disable roaming on your phone.  Case at point -- My new android phone uses more data than my old BB.  I was able to email D from Hawaii over the 2 weeks I was there and incurred only about a $4 charge (no package).  In Sept, when I was in Bar Harbor, I noticed a "R" by the bandwidth strength sign up top but not before getting charged for roaming -- $7.03 for 2.34 MB (think I just managed to receive 2 emails and was starting to check the weather)!  My new phone needs to be in flight mode as well as disabling the data while roaming and mobile data settings in order to be able to use WiFi without roaming.  Found this out in AMS after a few minutes of surfing...We'll see if I'm dinged anything shortly.  I had time to burn as we got there 1 hour ahead of schedule (due to high winds).  Add to it our usual 1 hr 40 min layover between flights and 1 hour subsequent delay as the winds were wrecking havoc for other planes. 
• Starbucks is serving up an Orange Mocha coffee this season in Europe...Too sweet for me but I had to try.
• We discovered a really fun store -- Manufactum.  There is this toy horse I wanted for myself --  Video below. (Turn your sound on)
• Should you find yourself with extra stomach room and energy to burn after regular market hours, head to Tollwood as the fun there goes till 1 am daily.
• I'm going to take this opportunity to Wish You All a Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!!! May your lives continue to be better than you imagined.

Munich Facades

 

 

Final Thoughts: Munich Christmas Markets

Remember in May, the big vegetable for sale at all the independent stalls was spargel or white asparagus?  Well this time, it was fruit -- Fresh dates, persimmons, lychees from exotic locales.  I forgot that you are not supposed to touch anything and got appropriately warned.  So it can be hit and miss with the fruit you buy.  My second batch of persimmons didn't ripen enough to eat before our trip was over. 

I read that there are more than 24 Christmas markets in Munich alone.  Many neighbourhoods have their own and some are known for such things as homemade toys, art etc.  So you can spend many hours each day walking around to them and discovering new places to return to.  Can you believe we managed to not find the one that was located on an island (Praterinsel)! 

There were specialty Christmas markets too -- Medieval, Manger, Pink Christmas and Tollwood.  The Tollwood Festival was a very special one.  When you read the link, you'll understand why.  The world can learn from them.  We are planning to spend more time there when the opportunity arises again.

In the past we've always looked forward to our Dec trip to the ski condo.  We felt that with the snow, the lights, the spirit, it gave us a real sense of Christmas.  After spending a week in Munich touring the seemingly endless Christmas markets (and eating many roasted chestnuts), we now have a completely different definition of Christmas spirit whereas being out west gives us the best of winter. 

In Munich we didn't see people all loaded up with purchases.  Nor did we witness long line ups of people waiting to pay.  On our last day we walked along one of the streets that housed very fancy stores (Maxmilianstrasse***) and even they weren't busy.  I've been in Rome at Christmas time and cannot say that was the case along Via Del Corso. 

Instead we saw people outside enjoying hot food and drinks with friends and family.  We saw them strolling through the streets full of joy and being so very present to simple pleasures.  In our opinion, a great reminder of what is really important.

(***Incidentally, we saw the single most expensive (non car) item for purchase at the Chopard window.  A solitaire for 581K Euro!  That window housed 6 rings for sale, all in the six figure range.  Almost even more impressive, there were no security guards that we could see.)   

More Munich Food & Drink

Go to the Christmas market for the food.  Who knew it was going to be an all out street food festival?  I love strolling and eating and being drawn to enticing smells.  We only ate at a restaurant 4 times that week and I had originally thought it would be mostly if not all restaurant meals like it was in May.  No way. 

You can eat all 3 courses easily pretty much everywhere.  There were so many different types of wurst and beef sandwiches but if you go, try the potato pancakes.  They were the best hash browns I've ever had (fyi has egg in it and they serve it with apple sauce(?) or tzatziki).  And the waffles were light as air. 

Didn't take to the gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen).  They were good and soft but I prefer a cookie with more ginger, enough to warm you up inside.   Don't leave without trying a Splitterball -- A giant dark chocolate covered homemade marshmallow with waffle pieces inside.  Quite sweet but addictive!

And don't worry if you didn't like the Gluhwein.   There were at least 5 more colourful alternatives -- Burgundy, orange, clear (looked like a mojito), purple etc.  Don't ask me their names.  The only one I know is "Eierlikoer" or German egg nog.  It is not as thick as what I am used to at home but had far more depth of flavour, likely due to the vodka and brandy in it -- No rum. 

And the best part?  They served it from what looked like a frozen drink dispenser but was medium warm, in a white wine glass topped with whipped cream!  I'm supposed to be off eggs and dairy but I cheated and took 3 gulps.   It tasted wonderful.  Because the dispenser was sealed, the alcohol stayed in and was the most potent drink I had that week.   Ended up getting a hive but was so worth it. 

Glühwein

Originally I thought Christmas Markets were going to be all about small handicrafts and ornaments, gingerbread, roasted chestnuts and this thing called Gluhwein or mulled wine. 

Being not much of a drinker I was curious to try it out but we didn't have great expectations of many more than just one as sweet and wine weren't our favourite combination.  Wrong again!  I think I had about 6!  Not all at once...D was totally surprised with my response and his own too.

So the biergarten culture switches over to gatherings around the numerous gluhwein stands throughout the city.  What fun it was!  After lunch, after work, we saw loads of people just taking their time, talking to others, standing and leaning on the stands, watching the crowds and passing time.  Though our German wasn't so great, we smiled and nodded and raised our mugs with others.  Universal.

At first we drank the stuff too fast (a warm drink outdoors on a cool day is so good!) until we kinda learned to slow down and savour it.  Because the wine isn't boiled, the alcohol stays in and for a lightweight like me, you can get tipsy!

The recipes differed from stand to stand and so did the mugs.  They were often custom to the stand and people could keep them as a yearly memento.  We brought home 2 different ones.  Part of the price included a deposit for the mug so if you turn it in at the end, you get it back.  Costs varied depending upon the style of the mug.  My mug deposit was 5.50 Euro whereas the one D kept was 3 Euro.  The gluhwein itself ranged from 2 Euro - 4 Euro.

The incentive was there to go from stand to stand to try out the different brews.  We quickly learned which flavours of the hot stuff we preferred (the more citrus and spicy ones) and looked forward to our daily dose of enjoyment.  The different stands were so creatively decorated with custom signs, we wished we were able to understand them all.  So we resorted to the simple method of ordering things we didn't recognize and it served us well. 

Münchner Christkindlmarkt

Munich In The Winter

We arrived to find Munich covered in about 3 inches of snow.  The first thing I noticed was that they don't seem to clear snow or use salt on their sidewalks or train platforms.  Instead they used cut gravel the size of pea gravel.  People were sloshing around going about their business.  The only time we saw a sidewalk plow was on a day when it was pouring rain and everything was melting.

Upon further inspection, the gravel made for good traction and when stepped on by many, served to break up the snow.  Made walking noisier than normal though.  Coming from Canada, we are used to public snow removal once accumulation reaches 2 inches and salt/sand mixture applied pretty much everywhere. 

Along the same theme, long boots were worn by most women, understandably to shield from the splashes from walking through slush.  Coats were also longer than what we tend to see in my neck of the woods -- Just above knee length.  Again made sense since most people walked everywhere. 

Wearing a coat that covers one's behind and part legs makes such a difference in heat retention.  Before this trip, I bought myself a longer coat and even though it doesn't have as much down fill (550 vs 700) as my regular jacket, I felt warmer and more comfortable after being outside for hours. 

We stumbled upon the nicest sporting wear and goods store ever -- "Globetrotter".  Ranks right up there with how a luxury goods store is designed and layed out.  Unfortunately their website is pretty utilitarian.  D fell for a line of ski wear sold there-- Bergans of Norway. 

As a fan of most things Norwegian (new coat is by Helly Hansen) I wasn't surprised.  In fact all the sports stores we visited in Munich carried Norwegian gear as its higher end offerings.  When D found a few Dale of Norway sweaters at one shop, he realized what a deal I got on the ones I lugged home this summer.  They were priced at 450 Euro and up.

Despite the snow and slush, people were still riding their bicycles all around.  And they didn't have any special tires or anything.  Most are sporting a granny or a not too technical bike.  When you think about what a prosperous city Munich is, it made no sense. 

But then again, maybe it does.  Perhaps we are too gear conscious here.  We wouldn't consider riding our bikes in the winter without proper tires, proper gear etc.  Whereas seeing well dressed people on commuter bikes that were bought for the express purpose of being exposed to the elements without worry is actually really practical.  Made us feel like we were too fussy or coddled. 

Being that Munich is the headquarters for BMW, it is no surprise that you see a lot of them -- Mostly 5 series sedans and wagons.  D, being a huge fan of the "old man wagon", feels very much at home in Munich.  A few months ago, he test drove a 5 series and I wouldn't be at all shocked if that will be his next vehicle.  Again we didn't end up making it to BMW Welt.  I have a feeling one visit will cement D's decision.

Something I didn't notice when we were here in May were the number of smokers.   A lot of people were smoking, standing outside bars and restaurants, while walking.  How could I have missed that?  No answer for you.  D remembered seeing and smelling a lot of smokers the last time around but I didn't and I have the sensitive nose in the family.   Losing my touch.

Smokers were very aware of the people around them especially when moving as they made a point of making sure their cigarettes did not contact anyone nor blew smoke at anyone as there were crowds pretty much everywhere we went.   That was much appreciated. 

Return to Munich

My usual jet lag has me up much earlier than usual.  After about 20 hr of travel we are home.  We are lucky the storms in the Midwest did not adversely affect our flights home.  There was thick fog in Amsterdam and were delayed because of it. 

It was a real treat to have been back to Munich especially this time of year.  We stayed at the same apartment and the owner greeted us with a big smile.  He went through the improvements on the apartment since our last visit and a funny moment occurred. 

A feature wall was painted in the living room, new shower head, sink etc.  We weren't expecting any changes so they were pleasant surprises.  It was the way he described the renovations that made us stop for a few seconds until we got it -- "I did some pimping in the bathroom". 

Remember those early viral ads that Volkswagen did?   

I'll be back with a review post and some photos.

Final Thoughts AMS & MUC

By all means go to the Red Light District if you want to see it.  During the day, it is pretty unremarkable.  The women working looked tired to us and uninterested.  Their outfits were meant to shine fluorescent under black light so in the day it looks bland.  The age of the women surprised us.  I think we were expecting much younger.  We also had to wonder how many people fall in the canal there at night after a few drinks as it was barrier free.

What about the drugs you ask?  Again, you may get a whiff of weed as you pass a 'coffee shop' but most of the time we didn't.  The people we were able to see inside looked pretty laid back, which is the point.  In the 2 times we were in Amsterdam, we've seen maybe 2 -3 people walk not too straight who smelled like they had partaken.  Stoned people are really quiet unlike some drunk people...

Our temporary neighbourhood had their own daily outdoor market.  You could not only buy fruits and vegetables but also household items as well.  There were some prepared food stalls.  The thing that struck us about the set up was the chaotic feel of it. 

People jostled and you had to be assertive to even pay for your food.  After standing there with money in hand to buy 3 melons, waiting to make eye contact, I had to walk around, wave my money before someone took it.  I didn't notice anyone do this, but it would have been easy to walk off without payment because no one took notice of you.

The presentation of the market was 'rougher'.  We are used to seeing beautifully organized fruits etc in France and Germany.  Here, it was just laid out.  The aesthetic appeal wasn't there.  It was purely functional, which is fine.  Kinda like the food we ate in Munich.

In the Viktualienmarkt (Munich), there were a few places you can buy homemade spicy kosher pickles.  I can only say be careful!  The ones we bought when I bit into it, sent a shock through my teeth!  It felt like I was chewing tin foil on a tooth with a filling! 

D kept laughing because I would say 'Ow' each time I bit into a piece.  Once I swallowed it was fine.  He calls them electro pickles and of course they don't bother him.  My teeth checked out fine at my last dental appointment so I don't know what's going on. 

I'm jumping all around the place here... 

Because the owner of the apartment in Amsterdam was a writer, she provided a good collection of books.   I read two of them:  The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera and Four Souls by Louise Erdrich.  Neither of them were what I would call light or happy reading but if you like delving into the psychology of motivation, give them a go.

Amsterdam does a bang up job with its underground garbage/recycling containers and removal system.  There isn't door to door garbage collection like we have at home.  I'm not going to elaborate on it, it is something to witness in person.

If anyone is thinking of going into the import/export business in Europe, I would suggest they consider importing old bikes into Munich because you'd make a killing.  We saw rusty old granny bikes for sale at 400 Euro! 

Comparatively, we saw very regular (almost Ikea like) furniture for sale in Amsterdam for ridiculous prices ie. put together yourself not real wood chair for 85 Euro!  Yes, this stuff got me all worked up. 

My preferred brand of Slagroom. 

I will not fess up to the total amount consumed...

There was nothing really remarkable about our Munich apartment.

So the only thing I have to offer is a quick sketch of a potted plant

done while D was finishing up his morning coffee.

I am working on a future post about our experiences with apartment rentals in Europe.

Munich Travel Tips

• There are 2 train lines from the airport to the main train station.  Get on either one.  The time difference between the 2 are just a handful of minutes so don't sweat it.  It will take about 45 min each way. 
• Get your ticket at a counter as the automated ticket machines were a pain (very un-German) for us.  It took longer for me to buy 2 tickets than it would have had we just got into the line.  Note the tickets we got out of the machine were too wide for the validation machine so we took a chance and got on the train.  You are Always supposed to validate tickets as checks occur randomly and they will fine on the spot.  We didn't get caught and next time I would try folding it and sticking it in and hope it doesn't get stuck.  Otherwise I have no other ideas for you.
• The ticketing area for the train station in Munich is not intuitive.  It is located on the far right side (if you are facing the station), to the right of the info counter (which won't face you), in its own boxed in area.  You have to take a numbered ticket and wait until your number shows up on the screen which will direct you to a counter.
• This was our second visit to Germany, first was Berlin.  And we are starting to see the same trend.  We don't think Germans cook much in the cities.  It is near impossible to find supermarkets.  We love markets but it is handy to be able to pop into a supermarkets for stuff like water and snacks.  You are probably thinking 'how could she have room for snacks when it looks like she eats like a pig?'  To which I answer, 'there is always room for snacks', especially when they are pepperoni (spicy pepper) potato chips.  The best I've ever eaten.
• It is also near impossible to find chicken or beef in Munich.  Pork rules.  I finally found a stall in the market that sold chicken a week after we arrived.  Duck is found on some menus as well and it was good.
• We found the tap water to taste too much like water softener for our liking.  So we existed on sparkling mineral water.  Best deal in town, at 39 cents for 1.5L.  No way we could buy that at home.  If we were to buy still mineral water, it would have cost 19 cents.  Crazy cheap.

Spargel

So what is the deal with Spargel (white asparagus) found all over the place in markets and little market stalls?  After seeing my 7th stall, I had to know.  So after lunch I decided I would find out more and buy some of this precious produce.  There were signs telling people not to touch/handle/choose/pick.  It was selling for 7 euro/kg.

We lucked out and ended up at a market table looking at apricots.  After I bought said apricots, I asked to buy some spargel.  There were 4 prices.  The newest most beautiful and long fresh crop, the next group which has been harvested a few days ago (still looked great to me...), the somewhat shorter next group as the drying ends have been cut off and the last group of mostly half lengths.

The spargel are handled liked newborn babies.  Their ends are lovingly wrapped in a damp cloth, away from the sun and proudly displayed in boxes partially covered with a light clear plastic wrap.

White asparagus aren't common found in our area.  We have loads of the green type currently in season.  Ironically green asparagus is a novelty in Munich and demands a crazy price because of its rareness -- 12 Euros and up per kilo. 

The lady we spoke with (in English, after our broken German broke down) turned out to be from Chicago originally.  Migrant workers from Romania and Poland mostly do the work of harvesting.  It is quite a skill as the asparagus is buried with troughs on either side.  The spargel is prized for it flawlessness. 

She shared with us her secret cooking method.  After peeling them, bake (not boil) with butter, salt and pepper, cover with tin foil.  We modified by using olive oil, a frying pan and lid.  Our spargel melted in our mouths like butter.  It was delicious.  So much so we went back the next day and the day after and the day after that to tell her so.   Unfortunately we never found her again. 

We are now hooked on the white asparagus.  When our trip moved on to Amsterdam, I can tell you that the native Holland spargel does not come close to the German handling or quality.

The Ins & Outs of the Biergarten

So what are Biergartens and Bier halls?  They are indoor and outdoor spaces full of seating (mostly picnic style tables with movable benches) for people to gather to drink and eat.  There are lots of staff dressed in traditional clothing to welcome you and take your order. 

There is no pressure to eat or drink lots but of course we did it anyways.  Some halls come with their own bavarian band.  Though I have to admit, of the ones we heard, the playing wasn't so good.  It probably sounded better the more you drink.  It was fun to cheer along with everyone. 

The biergartens open from mid May to end of Sept.  The other times of the year, you retreat to the warm atmosphere of the indoor halls which varies dramatically.  Beer halls are an extension of the brewing company. 

People choose their favourite spot based on the beer they like, not necessarily on locale.  Many are located in ancient stone buildings.  As I had said before, they serve good food, even though what shows up on your plate may not look that good.  The tastes continued to surprise us.  Not all the beer halls have english menus.

In the spring, you get to enjoy your beverage under the shade of blooming chestnut trees.  Thus the need for stein lids.  If it is a busy time, you just take an open seat and greet everybody.  It wasn't busy at our first stop.  It is much more fun when it is, like the first picture from yesterday. 

A couple of other pictures I posted were of a tunnel and a brilliant green forest view during our walk to our first biergarten (one of 4) located at the Englischer Garten.  Hard to believe shortly after exiting the uber modern tunnel, you are greeted with such lush surroundings.