My cousin Sharon had to cancel her trip to Switzerland, and also the trip to Munich David and I were going to do together with them. We decided to go anyway- and so glad we did! Sharon had planned to go there without Oktoberfest crowds due to Covid. Little did we know alternative Oktoberfest was going on. Boy was it fun!
Hotel: Hotel Falkenturm https://hotel-falkenturm.de/ Odd boutique hotel but you can’t beat the central location
Tour: Free walking Tour with Jax excellent history and Munich scenes. Highly reco:
Castles visited: Royal Castles- Fast track Neuschweinstein & Linderhoff Palaces, Gray Line Munich
Restaurants: Spatenhaus (traditional beer house) was just ok but better than going to the famous Hofbrauhaus
Dear Pschorr: so much fun!
Wished we had time to try for schnitzel Restaurant Laurin
 |
| Feel the energy? |
Train took 5+ hours- I miscalculated and thought it would take four. Munich is a walking city. We got in a taxi with a taxi driver who was on his second day of the job. Boo. Walking to the hotel would’ve been 1 km, driving through the circular streets was three. Our hotel was on a little side closed off street so the taxi driver struggled to find a way there and we finally said stop let us out. He almost backed into a bike rider on the way.
We got to the restaurant Spartanhaus just in time for our reservation. I ordered roast pork and had an idea in my mind what roast pork should be. Half like Chinese roast pork, half like the delicious juicy crispy skin roast pork I’ve had before in Berlin. This was neither, somewhat dry. We also had the chanterelles, it’s mushroom season. Guess what! The same mushrooms in both Switzerland & Germany.
The next morning David insisted on taking the metro one stop to catch our castle tour. Only one problem, we got on the wrong train and quickly figured it out by the next stop sign. A lady told us to get off here and take the tram. Google maps said it is a seven minute walk to the meeting Place so we walked there in haste. Should have just walk to begin with.
Everyone on the packed bus had to show Proof of vaccination GOOD! Only I did feel claustrophobic and too close in the 100+ people Greyhound bus. Tour was somewhat expensive but very good guide, describing King Ludwig history Worth it for the two hour transportation, if for nothing else. Felt sorry for the guide as she had to break us up & manage groups of 10 for different tour starting times. That was the only good thing about Covid, small groups with the inside tour guide versus normally groups of 30 to 40!
Linderhof Palace
My new favorite palace. Mainly because it is so small. After you have seen one palace, you have seen them all but this one was unique mainly because it was so personable-you could imagine someone living there. It also had a unique instrument called something like pianolino in French. It is half organ and half harmonica and they had sample music playing. There are only five of them in the world. Palace also famous for ivory, there is an ivory chandelier. You can’t get that anymore {elephant tusks}.
 |
| Fountain goes off every half an hour. |
 | |||
| Became my favorite piece in the middle of fountain Neuschweinstein Palace No pictures allowed inside, only groups of 10 at a time, every 15 minutes. Tooke awhile for our group of 100 to cycle through. Guide suggested we take the bus up (2Euros) + walk down (20 minutes). Was wonderful after a full lunch of sausages!  |
 |
Walt Disney used this as inspiration for Cinderella castle |
 |
When you wish upon a star |
 |
See the bridge David is holding up? Unfortunately it was closed but some on the tour managed to walk near |
 |
| After a long day of castles, we sat in Marienhof Square and enjoyed some fattening appetizers |
 |
Visited the BMW museum. Next time we'll tour the factory |
 |
this is the 1st BMW ever made |
 |
Marienhof Square is alive an bustling at night! Even in Covid. |
 |
Der Pschoor during Oktoberfest. |
 |
Pork knuckle a specialty during Okterberfest-how could I resist? |
Highly reco Jax's free walking tour--all the history, sights, humor and fun. He perfectly times the end of the tour for noon so we could see the story come to life on Town Hall bell chimes.
 |
People dressed in these costumes all over town! We were going to buy some too-so festive! |
No comments:
Post a Comment