Bringing you up to date

Well, I have been out of net connection for a bit, so I have to play some catch up here with my trip. Two days ago: Munich. Yesterday: Rome Today: More Rome!!! Well this post will do a quick recap of the short Munich visit (the rest of the day I was on trains). Here is some of what I wrote in that train:

While trying to purchase tickets for the train in Weiden, it kept on rejecting Jen and my card. Just then a guy and girl asked if I wanted to share fare and travel with them. I was prety skeptical, but Jen explained that it was relatively legit and that there are group passes which makes it cheaper for people who travel together. So I took a chance and went with them. Glad I did. Their names were Marcus and Matilde. It meant, that I had to stay with those guys and we ended up talking the whole way. They were headed to Munich too, but for a U2 concert. They told me their story. How they met on reunion island when he was studying french there and met her. They told me that for travelling they use www.hospitalityclub.org, which is a service where people actually offer up their houses as a place to stay or a tour in the city they live in. I should check it out.

My experience once I got into Munich was far better than Prague, yesterday. Marcus told em about these lockers so I could just drop my stuff off and wander around the town, which was awesome. So I just took my camera and started walking. With no map, no guide, I just walked aroud looking for interesting things and found myself hitting up all the sights that people had recommended. And by people, I mean Jen. It really helps that everything is adjacent to the train station and the buildings that I look for are often the really tall ones ;) I found this beautiful botanical garden, amazing church and I have found that I am not so keen on these clock show things (see glockenspiel below). I also couldn't help the flower pics (see below).

The best thing that Jen recommended, besides that I go to Munich earlier and see it, was the Hofbrauhaus. Left to my own devices, I would have just eaten some doner kebab or McDonalds, but she told me that I had to. Now the food was horrible, but as Jen told me, that is not what you go for. It's the culture. When I entered, I first walked around for a while before finding out that you can just anywhere you like and the waiter will come. Usually you have to even sit and join another group at the same table, because of limited space. I sat down next to a couple who promptly left before ordering, because they didn't like the service. Then this group of 4 came and sat next to me and we ended up talking for over an hour, and it was great.

After all of this, I left to go walk back to the train station. I think I got a tast of the culture.