Munich, 2008!

On Thursday, Lisa and I got our very own tour of Munich by Chaka Khan. There's nothing quite like exploring a new city with the local and it was GREAT.

First things first: Schloss Nympehnburg. Unfortunately, my pictures of this are on my other memory card so I can't show you it. But trust me, it's cool. I'll give you what my Let's Go Europe! book has to say about it:

After a decade spent trying for an heir, Ludwig I celebraetd the birth of his son in 1662 by erecting an elaborate summer playground northwest of the city. Today, the swans of Schloss nympenburg have bome camera fodder for the hundreds of tourists flocking for the perfect shot.

True, I got some good shots of the swans. Too bad you can't see 'em!

After that we went to Marienplatz to check out the Glockenspiel! I'll admit, I was excited to be there just so I could say glockenspiel a bunch of times. Tourists were everywhere (obvi) and we watched jousting knights and dancing coopers up in the tower when the clock struck twelve. (Frak! This is an aerial view of the Marienplatz and the Mariensaule (1683 monument ot the Virgin mary, commemorating hte city's surivval of the Thirty Years' War) Why Frak? Because I don't have my pictures of the Glockenspiel after all because they are on the faulty memory card! Ahhhhh!)

Post jousting knights and toursity pictures Chaka took us to the Viktualian Markt, the giant market that is filled with the beeeeest food. Chaka took us to her italian friend's stand who hooked us up with delicious paninis (in Germany we ate Italian? No prob!) and drank fruit juices and got energized for our...

Climb up the Alter Peter (St. Peter) church. DANG. 306 steps. And because I was going with Chaka the Athlete, I felt like I sprinted up it. Getting up to the top gave us a great view of Munich and the Alps in the distance. It also gave us a hot sec of exercise and a new way to view the city. (Oooh guidbeook says it's the 12-th century Peterskirche which is the city's oldest parish church. fyi.) (check out the Alps in the background!)

I like to put myself in tiny places so I did that.

We continued with our personalized walking tour around Munich, dipping into Dalmyr, Munich's super ritzy AMAZING department store. We also searched the city for a decent pair of jeans for me. The current problem is that my jeans are a little too big, as are my belts, so things just kinda slide off and show a little too much a little too often. Thus the hunt for jeans. Couldn't find any (affordable) jeans so I started wearing to pairs of jeans for the rest of my time in Germany. Turns out that when it's cold, that's a really good thing!

Um after the jeans tour we went back to Chaka's and I got dressed. In leder hosen. YAYYYYYY. I seriously looked like a lil' German boy. So here's a pic or two:

Thank you. Thankyouverymuch.

Post-tour of Munich we went to Hofbrauhaus, aka the full Biergarten experience. As the guidebook says, It's as "jolly, as festive, and as loud as it gets." Yes, yes, and yes. Jolly, yummy food, giant beers, live music (with tubas and everything!) and a great great great atmosphere. It was so touristy but so much fun. We sat next to some Italians and some Brits had a good time.

Ooh! I learned some of a German drinking song! It's written in my lil' book and I'll try to write it down accurately:
"Heil prosit, heil prosit
der germutlichkeit
heil prosit, heil prosit
der gemuuutlichkeit

oins, zwei, drei - gsuffa!"

Ok, I'm pretty sure that NONE of that was right - I forgot that I'm reading the German writing of a doctor! Of course I can't read it! Haha, but you get the point and we sang that a bunch of times throughout our night.

That was Munich! An amazing time! Hopefully I'll get up more pictures soon, y'all!