Trip miles 1,145
-2 overnight
+7 during the day
We overnighted at Manching
in a busy, free camping stop just off the autobahn. It was a noisy night so an
early start meant we pulled into our Munich base, the car park of FC Bayern
Munchen mid-morning. A 45 minute ride on a wide, clean comfortable train saw us
arrive in the city’s main square Marienplatz in time for the 11am glockenspiel
spectacular on the gothic town hall’s clock tower. The painted figures danced
in and around scenes of jousting, feasting and courting and we joined the
throng in ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ at the sweetly lovely sight.
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| Munich's most famous square in the heart of the Old Town |
‘Trip-nouse’ momentarily
deserted as we paid a hefty bill for two tiny coffees and set off on a walking
tour with the city map in hand. Wandering around the grand and gracious
Altstadt we saw gothic and rococo churches, balconied merchants houses,
turreted civic buildings, the palatial Residenz of Ludwig 1 (and all the little
Ludwigs which followed him) and ended up, inevitably in the Hofbrauhaus,
Munich’s grand dame of beer kellers.
Lunch was in full swing (and
rowdy) and we ambled amongst long tables of drinkers tucking into litre jugs of
foaming beer and tackling the largest pretzels known to mankind. An oompah band
played on the stage in the centre of the hall under painted ceilings showing
traditional festivities. Harassed waiting staff wore national costume, buttoned
up leder hosen and jerkins for the boys and distinctly unbuttoned blouses and
bodices on the girls!
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| Getting ready for a busy night in the ballroom at Hofbrauhaus |
Upstairs we glimpsed the
ballroom, also heavily painted and hung with flags and colourful drapes
depicting the heraldry of Bavaria. In 1920 Hitler’s National Socialist Party
held its first annual meeting there and it was easy to imagine the scenes of
drink-fuelled chanting and singing and chilling to remember what it ultimately
led to…
Opting for the welcoming
aromas of the gourmet Viktualienmarkt we wandered amongst the tempting stalls
of cheese, fruit, meats and deli goodies. Lunch was a hot fish roll and fries
with a beer in the market’s beer garden.
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| Viktualienmarkt developed from an original farmers' market |
Fortified we set off to
find the fairy-tale perfect Cuvilies Theatre, built in the 18th century and
host of Mozart’s first performance of his opera, Idomeneo. The beautiful red
and gold gilt balconies shone in light from mirrored candelabras and the soft
plush seats allowed us time to gaze up at the many cherubs and classical gods
supporting the endless balconies and opera boxes. Ravishing!
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| Cuvilies Theatre |
A stroll along Maximillianstrasse
gave a glimpse into the moneyed life of Munich’s millionaires (it has more per head
after Hamburg) and the high end fashion boutiques were full of clients newly
parked outside in Porches, Bentleys and Aston Martins. The extremely well
groomed middle-aged men and women getting out of the cars were self-possessed
and demure, but utterly distant from the two of us tramping along in walking
boots and jackets. A few small dogs were
being clutched under fur-coated arms and the avenue wafted with heavy perfume and
expensive cigarette smoke. It was fun and fascinating to see!
We admired the Residenz
and Opera House and chortled at the Porsche parked on the pavement getting a
ticket.
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| Nationaltheater München |
Late afternoon found us
wearily headed back to Marienplatz for the U-bahn home when we stopped and
reconsidered. It’s going to be Saturday night in Munich! We headed to a small
intimate back-street bar we had previously spotted and were rewarded with a
seat on its high wooden bench surrounding the central bar presided over by a
lovely landlady. Framed in gold above was a photograph with Freddie Mercury who
had clearly enjoyed a few beers bought from her!
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| The never-to-be-forgotten bar |
A couple of beers and we
were subject to the attention of the locals alongside us. Speaking Bavarian,
not German as they were keen to point out, we pigeon-chatted about our day in
their city. Keen to know more about us the revelation of travelling without
children suddenly started a mass whip-round. It seemed a local tradition was to
offer childless couples a few small pennies ‘for a baby’. Momentarily wavering
between toe-curling embarrassment and genuine delight we both opted for the
latter and shrugged good naturedly at the drinkers being pressed for money for
our cause.
Leaving almost 95 cents
richer and offering ‘dankes zu alles’ we tumbled into the street and headed, of
course, to the Brauhaus. Packed with stag and hen parties jostling for tables
against coach parties of tourists and celebrating FC Bayern Munich fans (the
home team won the league title earlier that day) we were cheerily waved to a
spot by a bevvie of Bavarian beauties! The girls on a ‘bride night’ were
negotiating the attentions of a neighbouring table of stags and glad for some
English good-humoured company.
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| Saturday night at Hofbrauhaus |
A large jug of beer each
later (and a heroic effort to demolish a pretzel between us) and we were ready
to sneak upstairs to witness the ballroom’s party. An oompah band on stage was
drowned out by the 200 or so very drunken boys and girls singing football songs
and student slogans. The national anthem caused them all to stand and salute
the air whilst seemingly singing aggressively, but that may have been the sound
of the Bavarian language to our uneducated ears. A bit eerie though,
considering our reflections of the purpose of the room earlier in the day. Time
to go home to Bertha!
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| Standing for Deutschlandlied - the German National Anthem |
Back on the U-bahn at 9pm
it was hardly an epic night out but we’d had our fill of Bavarian hospitality!
The mile walk back to Bertha from the station was illuminated by the vivid red
lighting of the stunning Allianz Arena celebrating in light the homes team's
triumph earlier in the day.
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| Parked outside the Allianz Arena on the night Bayern Munich won the league championship |
