Hola!!
This is entry is about my 2nd Home Exchange (www.homeexchange.com) trip ...this time to Munich, Germany.
As I mentioned in my first HE (to Madrid) blog entry, it's all about reducing the costs of travel by swapping homes....they come to yours, you go to theirs. No lodging expenses, which can save some big bucks (or Yen or Pounds or Euros) which then opens up more opportunities to travel and experience unique locations.
You can read more about it in my initial blog: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT HOME EXCHANGE
As of this writing, I've been to Madrid and Munich, and I'm booked for Copenhagen, Budapest, Ibiza, Paris, and Madrid (2nd time) between now and mid-August.
One might ask 'Why are you going to Munich, Germany during the WINTER you idiot??'
Well, I received a proposal from Jane, a host in Munich, who had already booked her flight to Mallorca for a 4-day stay. She nabbed a $39 roundtrip promotional airfare on Eurowings. Yes, THIRTY NINE Euros!!! So, why NOT? I was able to get the SAME airfare by acting quickly like she did.
I mean, c'mon...you could spend that much money going out to dinner (or in the case of BriTophAJ, 5 times that much....secret shout out)!!
Unfortunately, the night before I was to depart, I pulled or strained my hip flexor which made it VERY painful to walk. I didn't know what the problem was at first, but my BFF nailed it on the head when I told him about it. It was miserable walking through all the lonnnnnnng corridors in both airports. And, of course, my gates were always at the END of said corridors!
The flight was about 2 hours long. Since it was only a 4-day stay, I took 1 carry-on bag.
The view about 30 minutes prior to landing in Munich.
I walked out of the main terminal and crossed a huge outdoor plaza to the next building to connect with the subway system. This monstrosity is a promotional setup to show off Audi's E-Tron (electric) car. You could ride in a car up and down and around this 'mountain' to be impressed with its capabilities.
On the opposite side from the Audi mountain was this cute 'cafe'. Someone dressed up an Airstream trailer to look like a vintage airplane. It was cccccold outside!
Europe is soooooooo far ahead of the USA when it comes to mass transit. They've had a passenger train system for decades and it's notoriously excellent. In Munich, you can buy ONE all-day use ticket which allows you to use (as much as you want until 6am of the next day) any of the transport modes which include the underground subway, above ground high speed trains, local trollies, and busses.
Unlike Madrid where you have to scan your ticket in order to go through a turnstile to get to your train platform, in Munich there's no such thing. Buy your ticket, walk directly to the platform. No one checks it, but I presume there are personnel who perform random on-train checks.
It's relatively easy to figure out what train you need to get on to get to your destination even though everything is in German. Overhead monitors display how much time remains before your train will arrive.
Each of the station/stops had their own unique architecture. I didn't spot any grafitti on any train and it was next to non-existant in the stations as well. The trains themselves were super clean, smooth, and quiet.
Anyhoo, I hopped on the train from the airport to get to my host's home. Based on how we were whizzing past the cars on the adjacent highway, I'd say we were moving about 80 mph.
The Munich airport is waaaaaaaaaaaaay outside the city, so it was a nice long ride. Per the instructions my host gave me, I got off where I needed to and crossed the street to catch a bus for the next leg. Busses are timed to arrive shortly after the train arrives so people can make easy connections and not have to wait long.
I got off the bus at the final stop and had to walk the remaining distance to the apartment. Remember....my leg. On the MAP, the apt was 3 blocks/streets down, and up 1. No problem.
UMMMMMM....what I didn't realize was the streets were about 200 meters (600 feet) apart! My destination turned out to be almost a 1 kilometer walk.....when tired, leg in pain, and schleping my bag.
Per the instructions, I turned right when I was supposed to and walked one street where I was supposed to be able to turn right again and into her complex where, I was informed, it would be clearly marked 42-44 on the outside of the building. Nope. I saw 8 and 10. That didn't make sense. I walked around in circles, about to collapse at any moment, until I finally gave up and text'd my host (who was now in Mallorca at my apartment) via Whatsapp. After much more confusion between the two of us, I finally figured out what was wrong. Her map had an arrow pointing for me to turn into her complex ONE BLOCK TOO EARLY! GADS!!
After finally locating her 'flat', I got in and threw myself on the bed and didn't move for a few hours. There was no way I was going anywhere for the rest of the day.
The next morning, I woke up to this!
My leg was still hurting a lot so I stayed in the entire 2nd day to ice the area and watch TV. Nothing like flying to Munich to lie on a sofa in pain and watch TV!! I had no desire to hike alllllll the way back to the bus stop to go into the old town and then have to re-hike it again when I would came back. UGH.
The next (my third) day I was feeling a lot better. I had studied maps and did some research online about using the subway system. I discovered there was a subway station MUCH closer to her apartment than the bus stop! It was only about 150 meters away versus 600! My host felt the two were equal distance. NOT!!!
I was very thankful when I trekked through the 6" deep powdered snow over to the much-closer U-bahn (subway) station!
A quick ride on two lines and I arrived in the center of old Munich, just a block away from the famous plaza Marienplatz. It was still snowing.
Just outside the subway station.
In Germany, darn near everything is closed on a Sunday. Walking towards the Marienplatz, the streets were very quiet and only a small number of people were out and about. Probably tourists like me. I walked by this cafe and had to stop and take a photo. BEAUTIFUL works of food art! I told myself I was going to come back there on the way home for a bite to eat.
These are Mango.
Normally, bicycles are a popular mode of transport in Europe. But, not today, not in Munich!
I arrived at the plaza Marienplatz.
The column of Mary, erected in 1638.
At the base of the column of Mary, are 4 statues each depicting fighting a different beast, symbolizing the city's overcoming of adversities such as this one: war represented by the lion.
The 'New Town Hall' complex was built in the late 1800's. It contains approximately 400 rooms. In the tower (see greenish area) is the famous Glockenspiel. Senor Wiki provides the following info:
Every day at 11 am and 12 pm (as well as 5 pm in the summer) it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century to the amusement of mass crowds of tourists and locals. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria.
The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long depending on which tune it plays that day. At the very end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps quietly three times, marking the end of the spectacle.
The New Town Hall suffered damage during the air raids on Munich in 1944 but was rebuilt after the war.
The interior courtyard of the New Town Hall.
The plaza Marienplatz has been the city's central square since 1158. The main tower is 85 meters tall (approx 275 feet) and has an elevator that tourists can take to the top.
This is the Old Town Hall. Hard to believe that it pre-dates the New Town Hall because it looks newer. Its origins date far back before the New Town Hall, but it had been modified several times and substantially rebuilt in the early 1970's after suffering severe damage during World War II.
Walking back to the cafe I mentioned earlier, I heard music coming from the street. I found this 5 member group performing in an alcove next to the sidewalk. I was amazed at the quality of their music not to mention they were doing this in the cccccold and on a Sunday with very little pedestrian activity. With cold fingers and cold lips they played better than I think any other street group I've ever seen.
After listening to a few songs, their next song was one of my all-time favorites...Abba's "Dancing Queen"!!!! That song holds a special place in my heart for the memories it conjures up of special times in San Diego (where I lived at the time).
Of course, I whipped out my camera and videotaped it while singing along! Then I recorded another piece they did after that.
Later, when I reviewed my photos, I couldn't find the Abba video... only the other one. WHERE did it go!!! CRAP....all I had was a PHOTO of them playing Abba, not a VIDEO!!! All the while I was holding my camera, singing along, and THINKING I was recording the performance, I had only taken one stupid photo!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Well, at least I do have this one short video you can watch and hear how nice they sounded. Sighhhhh.
The Frauenkirche, located a few blocks from the Marienplatz, is a church that serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and seat of its Archbishop. It has been around since about 1500!!
A pretty snowy scene in a small park in front of the church.
I made my way back to that cafe I mentioned earlier and ordered myself a nice raspberry tart, hot cappuccino, and sandwich and found a small table upstairs to enjoy it all (and be inside somwhere warm!).
Well, that was my ONE day out of the apartment and in the old town of Munich. The next day was time to fly home. I hopped on the train for the airport and admired the white landscape whizzing by. It had been over 8 years since I've seen snow!
Since it snowed the past 2 days, flying over the mountains outside of Munich was a whole new look.
Looks like whipped meringue, no?
I was glad to be back home where it was a "warm" 62 degrees in Palma. My apartment was left in perfect shape by Jane, my guest from Munich. She, being a dog-lover, left a treat for Gracie. I videotaped Gracie 'working' for her treat and sent it to her. Thought you might enjoy seeing it, too.
Welp....that's all for now!!!
Dano
