You’d think, what with Oktoberfest season just around the corner in the US, that it would be the perfect time to talk about the most famous Oktoberfest of all, the one in Munich. But, unfortunately, we were there in July. So here’s what we did instead.
We only had one full day in Munich, but since it was our last day in Europe for the foreseeable future, we had to make it count. We began by seeing Marienplatz, the main square, and then walking to the Viktualienmarkt–a massive downtown farmers’ market full of food stalls and beverage options. I didn’t eat anything because we were headed to the Hofbräuhaus next for lunch, but it was amazing to see how far it sprawled out.
The Hofbräuhaus was also notable–familiar and new at the same time. You see, if you’ve ever lived in Northern Kentucky, you’ve probably been the Hofbräuhaus in Newport, which actually does serve the same beer. But we were not quite prepared for the one in Munich’s grand scale. Two floors–indoor and outdoor–boasted long wooden tables for hundreds of people. And the outdoor spaces must have been coveted, because we had a hard time finding one. We did, eventually, though, and got to enjoy the atmosphere created by a place that serves liters of beer at a time (not as rowdy as you might imagine, since the Germans are more accustomed to enjoying the yellow liquid than we are).
Afterward, we went to admire another yellow thing–a yellow church. The Theatine Church looked charming against the backdrop of the blue sky, and the inside reminded me a lot of the cathedral in Salzburg. I would recommend seeing it at least from the outside–you could go on a colored church tour and include the blue church in Bratislava too (pictured here in another blog post from last year).
By the last day of a three-week trip, we were all exhausted. So we ended our adventures at the English gardens, just sitting by the riverside. The gardens are large, too, but they’re well-known for the nude people that sunbathe there (we didn’t spot any, though). It was green and peaceful and the perfect place to cuddle your new fiancé. And to end a year of European adventures.
At that point, I could scarcely believe I was leaving. But the next morning, as we boarded the plane, I remembered that I had managed to see every place on my “Never Have I Ever…Yet” list from last year, and then some. Not too shabby! Still, maybe one day I can go back to Munich during Oktoberfest. And back to Europe to see Amsterdam, and Croatia, and Greece, and…well, you get it.
Gale Goes Global 