A Quick Tour of the First, Third, and 38th Largest Cities in Germany

First stop: München (i.e., Munich).

Sarah had decided to spend what little time she had between theater gigs visiting Germany.  She also condescended to let me tag along.  So, on a Friday morning, I hopped on the train and made my way south.  And while Munich is not too far away from where I am staying, the travel still involved three trains and five hours.

While my friend from college was wrapping up her time on Friday exploring the great castle, Neuschwanstein, I jumped off the train and headed immediately to a beer hall.  As it is pertinent to the story, I should note that half of the long, benched tables were reserved (and empty), and spots even for a single imbiber were hard to find.  But, I was pleased to have the hawk-eyed staff immediately proffering beer once settled.

Saturday consisted of the necessary sights in downtown Munich: various churches, the Glockenspiel on city hall, the outdoor market, and various other large, immense buildings.  Throughout the day, we would see a large number of people dressed in traditional lederhosen and dirndls – many more than you would expect from those working in the tourist industry (it seemed all servers and staff were so attired).  I reached out to a local to ask what was happening; I was surprised to find that this weekend was the last weekend for the spring version of Oktoberfest – Frühlingsfest.  The beer tents were pitched and the fair festivities were in full swing on the same meadow used in the fall (i.e., Theresienwiese).

While Sarah headed back to the hotel to fend off jetlag, I made my way to the event.  I excitedly entered my first beer tent (where I had to show ID and dump out my water bottle) and made a beeline to an open seat.  I was stopped and told that that seat was being saved.  Attempts two, three, and four were also unsuccessful.  After six more times asking if “this seat was free” and being turned away, I was frustrated.  I headed back down the aisle, when someone grabbed my arm; it was the twenty-something guy from attempt number nine.  He said that they were waiting for people, but they could make room for one more.  Before I could thank him, the girl next to him profusely disagreed with his spatial estimations – she was adamant that I could not join them.  While I held back my choice words for her, I thanked the guy for his offer and soberly left the tent.  It felt like middle school all over again.

Nonplussed, I now desperately needed a beer.  Having walked by a beer garden the day before, I shuffled my way in that direction.  And although many tables were also reserved for possible guests, space was available.  I imbibed, and enjoyed some local entertainment.

Sarah had researched a local palace, and we made this the destination for Sunday.  Looking to learn more from some locals, I invited my local friend, Franzi, and her boyfriend, Marco.  The four of us explored the Nymphenburg Palace and its grounds on a very rainy Sunday.  The tour only allowed visitors to see a small portion of the palace, but really how much restored and quasi-original rooms can one really appreciate in one visit.

It did give me the chance to take the ultimate selfie panorama.

Franzi then invited us to have an authentic German dinner, where we enjoyed some roasted pig leg.  Afterwards, the locals showed us where Müncheners go surfing in the middle of town.  The city built some underwater structures that create an eternal wave as the water rushed by.  We stayed for about 20 minutes as these folks showed off for the onlookers.

While I am a fan of the German train system, Sarah found a really cheap option to get to Berlin by bus: Flixbus.  So, we spent most of Monday on a bus with Wi-Fi traveling the seven hours from Munich to Berlin.

While Sarah caught up with a friend she knew in Berlin, I participated in a walking tour of Berlin titled: Cold War Berlin.  We visited many of the East German sites in Berlin including the Palace of Tears, the wall (of course), and the Stasi headquarters.  I was comparing my notes from my time in East Germany with what the guide was discussing.  I felt the most potent point was his acknowledgement that people will generally find a way to make things work.  Yes, there were people very against the East German way of life and its politics, but there were also some that were very much in favor of it; the remainder simply lived their lives.  That, too, is my take when I get the locals to tell me stories of their time during the GDR.

The wall

Brandenburg Gate and the old East German American Embassy

Sarah took very little convincing to spend Tuesday night at a nearby wine bar where we met Adrian, an informative, English-speaking, wine connoisseur who was thankfully patient with my complaints about finding good wine in Germany.  In hindsight, the conversation unfortunately came across as typical American: why is “this” not like I am used in the US.  But I do find that the red wine from Italy is too acidic and the reds from France seem to be watery/thin.  Adrian did point out that he, too, believes that good reds are hard to find.  When he poured me one of his favorite reds and I described it as “drinkable”, we simply switched to whites.  Adrian was a good sport, and he gave us free samples of some sheep cheese that paired well with the drinkable red.

Sarah, again, had researched a palace to explore.  On Wednesday while she toured the rooms, I roamed around the grounds.  I stumbled upon an obelisk with the inscription, March 11.  The nearby sign explained that the artist used a date with no significance as a statement to making art for the sake of art.  I was a fan.

Shortly after noon, we walked across the street to a microbrewery, where we enjoyed the beer flight and a cheese tray.

The final night in Berlin was spent at the theater enjoying Disney’s “Glöckner von Notre Dame” (the stage version of “Hunchback of Notre Dame”).  It was all in German, and I think Sarah enjoyed it.  The production value was fantastic – great staging, acting, and voices.

I had convinced Sarah to visit Erfurt – there are a good number of sites like the Cathedral plaza and the Merchants Bridge – and I wanted to make it to my Thursday evening tap class.  As Sarah wandered the town on Friday, I was able to see another apartment (I’m still hopeful for this one) and set up a bank account (they bent some rules and gave me a free one).

Walking around Erfurt, we came across a microbrewery that I had not seen before.  On Thursday night, we stopped by to find that the owner brews batches of about 100 liters (approximately 25 gallons) and serves that fresh, but also offers a large range of other local and international beers.  I pointed out his mash schedule, which impressed him as homebrewing is not too popular in Germany.  I gave him a quick rundown of my purpose in Germany (he was quite fluent in English), and he explained about his prior life as an expert baker.  I believe I found a good resource at Der Bierrufer in Erfurt.  I will be returning.

And to round out the German adventure, I took Sarah to Eisenach in order to visit the Wartburg.  This is an historic castle that is most famous for hosting Martin Luther during the time he translated the New Testament to German.  It is said that he fought with the devil in his room, leaving an ink stain.  His translation work not only provided Germany a standardized language (spelling and structure), but also triggered a new religion.  And it is said that he did this all in a couple months.

Sarah grabbed a bus on Sunday, making her way back to Munich for her Monday flight.  I started packing for a week-stay in Erfurt – my trial run before signing any leases.