Goodbye Munich

After driving back to Munich from Berchtesgaden in the rain, we had another 1/2 day to hang out there before flying to Dusseldorf.  We did a little meandering.

Surfing

We overheard a tour guide say she liked Munich's access to good outdoor activities, including surfing.  Surfing.  Apparently it's possible in the right circumstances.  We ran across some surfers at the south end of the Englischer Garten.

A standing wave is created from the bottom contour of this fast-flowing stream, and surfers can ride it.  They were pretty good.  It's really easy to catch a wave (you just step off the shore and on to your board), but you have to know how to turn quickly.

Surf dog - followed floating surfers as they drifted downstream after their run

Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower)

We walked further up the Englischer Garten, by the river Isar, to the Chinesischer Turm - it's a Hofbrauhaus-owned beer garden in the middle of the Englischer Garten, featuring a pagoda-like tower in the middle.  It wasn't all that warm yet, but there were several people out enjoying a beer and a snack - in particular university students just getting out of class Friday afternoon, and people on bike tours.  Its capacity is probably in the thousands - probably a very busy & enjoyable place in warmer weather.

Hofbrauhaus Revisit

We thought the Hofbrauhaus deserved another visit on Friday night.  It was PACKED - and apparently they don't serve anything smaller than 1L mugs in evenings, though I was barely drinking anything due to my cold.  But it was fun.  We sat beside a couple of young guys from Moscow who knew "Canada - hockey - 1972 - nostrovya!" and who hit on Sarah when I wasn't looking.

Apparently they go through at least 5000 L of beer per day even on the slowest winter days.  They have computer-controlled beer taps that autodispense beer from, I'm assuming, really large tanks somewhere in the bowels of the building.

A slow moment at the pouring station.  Each waiter has a key, allowing them to pour their orders 

There was a mix of tourists, locals, and super-locals (in full lederhosen, with their own steins taken from the exclusive lockers on the walls).  The oompah band played as they do all day every day - and they were much better than I expected.  Real musicians (though the songs are generally pretty simple).

Friday at the Hofbrauhaus.  Hundreds sharing tables, eating and drinking

Band is in the background.  Two traditional vest-wearing guys in foreground have their own steins, from the coveted stein lockers

The oompah-band.  More like mariachi than you might think

If you're a total idiot, or just extremely uninformed, you'll probably think it's a better idea to go to the Hard Rock Cafe directly across the street from the Hofbrauhaus, where everything is worse and more expensive.  Fortunately, there didn't seem to be that many idiots around.  :-)

AirBnB

Our last night in Munich was our first night using AirBnB, a service that matches people with spare rooms/apartments with travellers who need a place to stay.  (www.airbnb.com)  We stayed with Heather, and American tour guide who has lived in Munich for 10 years.  The location was great, we got to stay as if we were normal houseguests, and Heather and her boyfriend Steve gave us advice about the area & transit, etc.  I think it's a brilliant service - the only drawback is that it seems to be best-suited to solo travellers.  As soon as there are two people, hosts usually charge another 25% (or more), and together with the AirBnB booking fee, this usually pushes the price well into guesthouse/B&B/pension price territory, so the advantage is lost.  But I hope we can use it more - I like meeting new people & staying at homes, and it's nice to support such people rather than hotel chains.