Unlike modern Berlin, Munich is old, traditional Germany. You can fly here or take the train from Berlin, which is what I did. It’s very comfortable and only takes six hours. Never be late, because German trains almost always run on time. Once you get here it’s easy to get around. You can take subways, buses or the tram. Get the Munchen City Tour Card which like the Welcome Berlin Card will get you on public transportation and discounts at attractions.
Cafe Culture: The other day I met a couple from New Jersey and they were looking for a Starbucks to go to. Yes there are lots of Starbucks in Europe, but with so many great local cafes here, why in the fuck would you want to go to a Starbucks? The coffee in these local cafes is just as good, if not better and you can order a variety of fresh baked croissants, pastries and sandwiches. Also Starbucks is twice the price of any local cafe. Take your time and enjoy yourself in these cafes. It’s a very European thing to do.
Olympic Park: Michael who? For me the greatest Olympic swimmer of all time was Mark Spitz with his 1970’s style hair, mustache and red, white and blue speedo! You can visit the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics and even swim in the same pool that Spitz won his seven gold medals in. Nearby is the BMW Museum and Plant. If you have the time, you can take a tour of the plant, I didn’t, but I heard it’s quite interesting. BMW is of course the favorite status symbol of the San Gabriel Valley Chinese community.
Beggars: In town and near the Central Train Station, you may see a number of beggars. Some with very severe deformities. I was told many of them work with Eastern European crime syndicates. It is better not to give to them since most of the money goes not to them, but their pimps.
Dining: Instead of eating out in restaurants all the time, I go to the store, pick up a few items to take back to my hotel or have a picnic somewhere. Try the local farmers markets too. The one here in the center of town has an amazing variety of pork products. I wanted to try the goulash at one stand, because I heard it was very good, but they ran out so I had the carrot ginger soup instead. Now it will be a cold day in hell before I become a vegetarian, vegan or worst of all–gluten free! I have to admit though the soup was pretty good–especially on a cold day.
Beer: Munich is the home of October Fest. Bavarians are very proud of the beer they make. Stay away from brands that are popular in America like Becks and Lowenbrau. Mass produced brands like this are of poor quality and like American brands such as Budweiser and Coors taste like piss.
Salzburg: If you have the time, take a day trip to Salzburg, Austria. It’ s the birthplace of Mozart and the town where The Sound Of Music was filmed and the home of the real Von Trapp family. Getting here is easy, it’s only two hours away from Munich by train. Once you get here, you may want to twirl around just like Julie Andrews did. Yes I couldn’t resist doing it and couldn’t stop getting the songs out of my head. The movie did take some liberties with the script though. Captain Von Trapp was not as strict with his kids as Christopher Plummer portrayed him, but he did use a whistle to summon them. The family did not escape but walking over the Alps singing, “Climb Every Mountain.” They took a train to Italy. Also the real Maria never did the twirl high in the mountains. Julie Andrews was lifted up there by a helicopter–that’s Hollywood. You can still come here and do the twirl though.
