Things We'll Miss about Munich

We thought to wrap up our two years here with a post about our favorite things about Munich or Germany. Greg wrote most of this and I did the editing.

Our new friends
We made friends from all over the world, thanks to the school, the hausfrauen friends and coworkers. Our last weeks have been filled with goodbyes, but at least with the teachers in the international schools, it hasn't felt like a permanent goodbye. They always say to us that you never know who will show up at your next school.

Efficient and easy trains
Only 5 mintues from our front door was our access to the world. We could buy a ticket to go all around town or for a longer ride that would get to any big city in Europe.

Closeness to a lot of different countries = easy traveling
We had seen a bit of western Europe before arriving, so our focus was on seeing lots of Germany and going east and south. Ayelet had a flexible rule that all train rides had to be under 6 hours in any leg, but we got around that by going far over many days and flying back. That covered some great places like Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and even Berlin (on a fast train).

Delicious breads and cakes
The Germans really do make delicious bread and so many different varieties of it. It's no surprise that almost every main street has at least one bakery for every block, sometimes more. And the cakes are equally great. They tend to be not as sugary-sweet as stuff in the US. We actually had real American-style 'smores at a friends' house the other day and I thought it didn't taste nearly as good as some of the sweets I've had here.

Biking-friendly society
Anyone would be amazed to see a Radl-plan (bike map) of Germany. You can take paved trails to the countryside and into most cities. Many Germans choose this as an affordable and active vacation option. [Editor's note: biking into work was my favorite way to go to work. You see so much more on the way and there are all kinds of people who bike here.]

Everyone is so active
Hiking, biking, walking and skiing are big acitivies in Munich. Back in the U.S. you often need money to undertake these activities in nature. Here in Munich you can get a cheap train ticket for 5 people and explore some of the best areas of the Bavarian Alps.

City is VERY clean.
Sure, Munich has a bit of graffitti like any other city, but children seem to be taught from a young age how to keep a place neat and tidy. The society as a whole does a great job of monitoring itself and even separating waste. When people get a bit messy (big festivals/weekends) the city cleaning crew is very thorough to make up the difference.

Biergartens rock!
Unlike a bar, beer gardens are great ways to enjoy being outside while drinking with your friends. You find these great social gathering points in and around the city. You can bring in your own food and quality beer is served by the liter (think of 3 cans of beer in one-liter mug). People are encouraged to hang out in the shade and talk as the tables are narrow and seat up to 10. You often have to ask strangers if you can share a table on nice days as all tables are full. When you get a new round of drinks, you always "Prost!" to everyone around you. Sometimes even to the strangers at your table!

Being a kid in Germany is awesome.
Most restaurants and biergartens have a child-friendly play area so you are no longer forced to draw with 2 crayons on a place mat. Everyone will help to both watch out for kids and keep them in line. The community really comes together when raising its children. Sports are very organized and common, or can be open and free like pick-up games of soccer or many of the hidden skate parks. Finally there are also tons of festivals with semi-dangerous kid crafts. For example, we once showed up at an event where kids had access to hammers, files, and saws with very little adult presence. No goggles were in sight, and most kids seems to be sharing tools appropriately. All of them walked away uninjured while we were there with a small carving in porous stone.

The dogs are so well-behaved!
From the moment we arrived, it was easy to see that canines are kings in Munich. If you visit, you will most likely see them off leash in public places: on a train, at the mall, running next to a bike, or on a bench in a restaurant.

Comparing Munich and Berlin

Any time we go to another big city, we always compare it to Munich. Berlin was no exception. The two biggest cities in Germany are only 6 hours away by fast train, but feel much farther from each other in their attitudes.

To say Munich is conservative would be a major understatement. It's definitely the wealthiest city in Germany. Comparatively, Berlin had more edge, more funk, more life to the city than Munich does. It was bustling with people even on the second day of Christmas, which is a public holiday here. I’m sure if we had more time in the local neighborhoods to explore unhindered by numb feet and steamed-up glasses, I’d have more examples for you of Berlin's general coolness.

A few other differences:

• Trash situation. Munich is super clean and I love that about the city. Yes, Berlin had trash on its sidewalks. But I should add that saying Berlin has trash on the streets when compared to Munich is like saying an OCD person has a cleaner house than someone who’s simply tidy.

• Snow all over Berlin's sidewalks. Let’s just say the only shoes I wore all week were my snow boots. But again, Munich is obsessive about snow removal among other things. However, the snow on the sidewalks in Berlin allowed some industrious Berlin citizen to create a human-sized igloo we stumbled past one night. Any full-sized igloo in Munich wouldn't last very long against the sidewalk snow plows.

• More graffiti on the buildings in Berlin. If this happened in Munich, it would be a detriment to the buildings. In Berlin, it added to the city’s appeal - it was better than what the buildings would have looked like without the graffiti. Imagine blank grey eight-story communist-style buildings and you’ve got the idea of what some Berlin neighborhoods would look like without the graffiti. The graffiti art in Berlin was quite very artistic and vibrant actually. Berlin does have beautiful buildings (like this one), but we saw a lot of communist era buildings, too.
• Exotic food abounded! We found Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Turkish, Italian and even a few Mexican restaurant choices all over. I wouldn’t call Berlin the ethnic food capital of the world, but for Germany, it was top-notch.

• Differences in mass transit. Berlin’s s-bahns were mostly outside and not as frequent or as useful as the trams or buses. Plus, they were not punctual most of the times we took them and when you’re cold, an on-time train is a lifesaver. Our favorite buses were the # 100 or 200 because their routes covered most of the sights we wanted to see. Plus, they were double-deckers so we got to see the city from above while toasty warm.

I think we both loved aspects of Berlin and wished we could bring a touch of the edginess back to Munich. But there also are parts of Munich and the way of life in Munich we love.

Medieval Chriskindlmarkt

The last Chriskindlmarkt we went to this season in Munich was the Medievel one near Odeonsplatz. It happened to be a beautiful night and I think everyone had the same idea we did because it was packed. We managed to get some fun pictures regardless.

I like looking at all the vendors in their renaissance costumes and the people walking around with their clay drink goblets. It's fun to imagine this was how the market used to be like way back when. The wares the vendors were selling also were more old-fashioned: bows and arrows, wooden swords, furs, gowns, wooden bowls, wax seal, glass cups, soaps and more.

Clay-baked drink goblets in front of the flame

Rows upon rows of initials stampers

Ordering a dough ball covered with chocolate and coconut for Greg and I to share... definitely not my favorite German Christmas-time sweet.

The "oriental" dried fruits stall (must have been exotic during medieval times)

Not sure what they were cooking, but it was in an old barrel!

Why I love Snowy Days in Munich

Walking back home from work tonight, I reflected on the snowy powder coating the ground and realized that I enjoy snowy days in Munich so much more than I did in the U.S. Here's why:

• I'm not driving in it. It's much harder to die while walking in the snow than driving in the snow. I know that sounds melodramatic, but the crazy, horrible drivers in the US really come out on those days. I remember many a snowy day in Denver when I would have to drive to work and would dread it terribly because the roads were not plowed and the drivers could not control their cars well enough. I would grip the steering wheel the whole way to work. And it's not like it would be the normal 20-30 minute drive either - it took extra long because of the snow, too! Here I just have to go 7 minutes to my metro station and then I'm pretty much covered until I get to work. Focusing on my feet instead of the car in front of me is much easier.

• Munich is gorgeous when covered with a layer of glistening snow. Everything seems to shine and twinkle so brightly with the snow. All the houses in our neighborhood look like a classic European town. Granted Munich doesn't have the old-time flare that other cities in Bavaria do (like Garmisch, Regensburg or Nuremberg to name a few), but it does have an understated European vibe regardless. The Christkindlmarkts get that added touch of nostalgic beauty to them when it snows. Everything just feels like how December always should be - warm fireplaces, chestnuts roasting, snowy winter wonderland all around. I'm just waiting for some reindeer to show up here somewhere.

Not quite a reindeer in Schliersee, but close!

• People seem happier. Bavarians are an active bunch so I think when they see snow in their town, they picture themselves cross-country skiing in the city parks, trudging through the snow in their decked out winter boots, and warming up with hot drinks under the stars at the Christkindlmarkts. And it helps to have a variation to the gray skies, too.

• It softens noise. Not that Munich is a particularly noisy place, but everything gets a blanket of quiet, especially at night, when it snows. The peace pervades everywhere.

• We don't have shovel it. We had some back-breaking work in Denver whenever it snowed, but here our hausmeister (building caretaker) is supposed to do it. Apparently, it should be shoveled (sidewalk to the building entrance and sidewalk around the building) by 7 in the morning after it snows. Not that that happened this weekend or this morning, but since I'm not on crutches or using a cane, I could care less when he shovels it. As long as I can still get out my front door, I'm cool.

I, for one, hope the snow continues all winter long, but I guess the suckers people who have to drive or shovel probably would appreciate a few breaks in the weather. Happy snowy day to all!