Tribute to Munich

What is the best and the worst time for travelling? Yes. New Year holidays. The best - because you get to spend holidays in a new place and meet New Year differently, it promises excitement, adventure and full camera of pics that are not "just another party". The worst…. Because in fact you don't get to see that much - everything is closed on 31st, 1st and sometimes even more; tickets are getting expensive as many people are traveling at this time; and because of that fact, the popular destinations are so crowded with tourists.

I already added a note about the very New Year night and our adventurous escape from getting hit by fireworks. And the warm welcoming atmosphere of Hard Rock Café, which I like even more since then. But Munich is much more than that. So lets take a look (from the NY traveler point of view...) at several moments that stuck most in my memory after visiting this city. I will skip the beautiful old town, with a Gothic church-like town hall and historical sights, as well as at least two worth-seeing castles: the former - cause everyone who goes to Munich will see the old-town anyway; and the later - because I didn't have a chance to visit them myself, due to this lucky and unlucky timing.

Beer? Yes! That is definitely one of the main attractions for tourists and the biggest joys of the locals. Places like HB (Hofbrauhaus), Augustiner and other beer restaurants, pubs and bars are full of noise and people and laughter, and of course, beer. Imagine a huge hall with big long tables, local orchestra competing with the singing of Italian tourists, newly-comers mixing around looking for empty places and somehow getting into a common mood of this whole big party - like a small version of Oktoberfest! It is worth to wait for it and fight for your table a little if you have to, to be a part of it. 

After filling an empty stomach one should not forget the higher needs as well, for Munich galleries have quite worthy collections (and audio-guide comes for free). Rubens, Rembrandt, Durer, Rafael, few pieces of Picasso and young Da Vinci; Monet and Van Gogh - and I didn't even visit the modern art building. To learn from others' mistakes, it is advisable to leave at least two hours for each museum, though even that might keep you on tight schedule.

To get to all these places one can use tram, bus or subway. I never particularly liked using a subway in new places, although this time it was the most convenient way. Not because they are fast; or that you can meet all kinds of people there - these are the nice parts. But during this smooth  travel one don't get any sense of a city - neither how big it is, nor what kind of neighbourhoods it has, cause all you can see is the darkness outside the window. So one evening we decided to take the long way and make a tram-tour towards the center. Yupee! that was worth it :) although we started the trip in the evening (long sleeping skills and vacation regime added to that..), it appeared that Munich is not at all that small, and the friendly districts that we were passing looked so calm and safe, cozily covered in snow. That's when it became clear, a word for Munich undoubtedly would be - comfort.