Day Thirteen: Saturday, May 26

I spent the day today in Munich. While Munich is fun in the daytime, sights (at least in my experience) are not quite as plentiful as in Vienna, or as they were in the Buda side of Budapest. Despite this, there was a beautiful garden, a large tower in which music was played, and a huge market complete with large and very crowded biergartens, various stalls, and unique patrons. Something that I noticed in Munich was a large number of men in groups for bachelor’s parties. I assume that this is due to the draw of beer culture to men – myself included. After visiting Munich, I can understand why these groups chose Munich as the place to binge drink. The beer is fantastic. I also enjoyed the food very much. It is similar to Austrian food with meat, potatoes, and bread as staples; however, I liked the German combinations of these main components slightly better. The best meal I had in Munich was at the famous Hofbrauhaus (where is the umlaut key?). Everything I tried was delicious. Bavarian sauerkraut and au gratin potatoes definitely are something I will wish to have again after coming back home. Oh, and did I mention beer? It is fantastic, and the only option is to drink it in large amounts. Your options are limited in this regard when the standard size of stein is 1 liter. From darks to dunkels to kellers and so on, every beer I had in Munich was great. The nightlife of Munich made up for the lack of sights during the day, by far. Taverns and bars where everywhere, with most everyone looking to have a great time. I was able to make friends with a group of Brits who were in Munich for a bachelor’s party (common theme). Similarly to Austria, the locals and others I met in Munich were quite friendly. They were more than willing to help with directions and easy to talk to. A major difference, though, is that many in Munich are quite loud. Austrians seem more reserved, whereas Bavarians like to whoop and holler and have a good time, especially if there is alcohol involved.

Overall, it was very nice to have a full free day today in Munich. I was able to spend time with friends, both ones I have made on this trip and ones I made tonight. I was also able to try delicious food and drink, see some sights, and expose myself to/learn about the culture of another country.