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Munich, Germany
Munich is the capital of the German state of Bavaria and home to Oktoberfest, which actually begins in late September. Unfortunately, the festivities were well over when we visited in November, but the lively atmosphere of the numerous beer halls lasts year-round. We enjoyed just about every beer and sausage we tried, including weisswurst (little white sausages), which I found out (post-consumption) is made from veal, calf brains and spleen. Munich was almost completely destroyed by Allied bombers during World War II. Germans refer to the city as München.
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| A visit to Munich would not be complete without a stop at the Hofbräuhaus, the most famous beer hall in the world. You simply need to say "Ein bier, bitte" and this is what you get. | The Oompah band kept the place jumping all night. We were surprised that they played only American oldies though. |
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A heavenly view from the center of Marienplatz. The platz, or plaza, is named after the Virgin Mary, whose gilded effigy can be seen on top of the pillar on the left. |
| Marienplatz. The building to the right is the Neues Rathaus, or New Town Hall, which houses the Glockenspiel. For a small fee we took an elevator ride up to the tower behind me and had a great view of the city. |  One of the most famous landmarks in Munich is the
Glockenspiel (green center of tower). Every day at 11 am the dancing
figurines come alive accompanied by music. The show lasts about 15 minutes and concludes with
the bird on the highest tier flapping its wings and softly singing
"cuuu...kooo..." |
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| Cathedral Church of our Lady (Frauenkirche). We viewed this 15th century gothic church from a tower at the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) at Marienplatz. | Munching on a Bavarian pretzel outside of our hotel, the InterCity, which is actually part of the city's central train station, Haupbahnhof. |
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