Archive for March, 2009

« Older Entries

Paint a pottery by yourself

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

When you are invited to a birthday party and you are over the age of 12 you are normally not very thrilled if your host is telling you that you are going to paint pottery the whole evening.
 That happened to me some weeks ago. Except for on the invitation I found the description “creative factory”.
I did pottery when I was 5 or something. I loved it, seriously, I took part in three courses and produced tons of useless stuff I was very proud of. ;-) Today it is nice to look at all the vases, pots,…I think my mum loved the stuff just because it was me who made it.
Anyway, two days ago the birthday party took place. We were invited to a place called “froh und bunter” (“happy and more colourful”) situated very central close to the Viktualienmarkt  the Synagogue and the Hotel Monaco. As my sister and I entered the shop, the first impression was “cosy”. The floor was laid-out with bright wood and the walls had a creamy colour. Wooden tables and chairs were spread out in the two-roomed shop and the shelves were stuffed with all sorts of raw, unpainted dinnerware. Two ladies were sitting at a table having a cup of coffee and painting bowls, while chatting intimately.
“Is this the new way of having a coffee and meeting friends?”
At first we had some cake and champagne, than we had to wash our hands, because no fat should touch the raw pottery.
After a short intro we started on our things. I’ve chosen a small cereal bowl, cost 14, 95 €. That’s quite an amount of money for a bowl. What would you pay at IKEA?
Those who forgot their muse at home could use moulding tools and copy some illustrations. My piece of art looked like the product of a five year old – I haven’t trained my pottery-skills since that age. Anyway, all of us had a lot of fun this evening, despite or maybe because of this uncommon location.
A piece of pottery painted by yourself is also a nice souvenir. They’ve also got a lot of motives concerning Munich and think when I need one again when visiting friends overseas I definitely know where to get them. The only criticism I have to add is the price, but that is added up by the very friendly staff. So if you want to train your creativity and on the same time produce a nice souvenir, for yourself or beloved ones, this is the address to go to, especially on a rainy, cloudy day as we’ve got lots at the moment.

I wish you a lot of creativity,
Franziska

“froh und bunter”
Sebastiansplatz 11
80331 München
gzender@froh-bunter.de

Tags:, ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

One evening in Munich

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

The flight into Munich was smooth and easy.  Getting to the center of Munich from the airport?  Even easier.  Just a 40 minute ride on the Deutsche Bahn, right from the terminal.  You have to love public transportation in Europe.
Makes you wonder how the U.S. managed to screw up public transportation so badly just about everywhere – especially to airports.

Outside the Hautbahnhof train station at 9:00 p.m., the streets were pretty quiet. We easily found the Hotel Monaco a few minute walk down Schillerhasse, a narrow street lined with hotels, and surprisingly quiet.
We were greeted warmly at reception, dropped off our luggage, and immediately headed off to find something to eat.  Brega (did I spell this right?) at the front desk, recommended the Bohne and Malz (no guarantee on the spelling, here, either), a short walk away.  We had just come in from Dublin, and after a splurge on food of the fish-n-chips variety, we weren’t sure we were ready for a traditional Bavarian menu yet.

But a nice surprise awaited us.  The Bohne and Malz had a great menu and an even better atmosphere.  I recommend the tilapia with “zesty” stir-fried vegetables, and a glass of the Austrian wine that the menu described as “velvety” and truly was velvety.  David (my traveling companion), who was feeling more Bavarian than I, went straight for the weinerschnitzel, which he described as “delicious,” particularly with the wheat beer.  A beer he describes a “lighter and more flavorful” than the beer we had Dublin.

An after-dinner walk down the nearby pedestrian zone was pretty quiet, save for the group of young men loudly singing German songs as the walked down the street holding their giant beer mugs that must have been the gallon size.  We weren’t ready for the beer hall yet, but do they give away those gigantic mugs for free?  Or do you bring your own?

Got a good night sleep at the Hotel.  My room has large windows but faces the back so its nice and quiet.  The best night sleep I’ve had so far on our trip.

I like Munich already.

Dave Fribush

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Expiriences in munich | No Comments »

Brezel in the Hotel Munich

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

Why does the Brezel look like that?

Ther are many stories, sometimes they seem like fairy tales. For example: The first baker who created a Brezel, observed monks, praying with crossed arms. To be honest, the first 100 years Brezels weren´t twisted but formed like a circle. Because it wasn´t easy to connect the two ends neatly, a new form was developed in the the 9th century. It looked like the figure 6 or two connected “sixs”. There were heaps of different ways to form the Brezel.

And why is everyone so crazy about it?

The Brezel, formed like a circle was already “high fashioned” during roman time. It was used as a last supper gift, together with wine, in the second centruy by the Christians. Probably a lot more people would go to church if that tradition would have been held alive.;-) Monks had it as fasting and festival meal. In the Middle Ages the people living in town were crazy about it. The Brezel was eaten at weddings, birthday parties, funerals … . The more popular it became the more it was important at festivals and for customary use – in parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Today it is impossible to imagine everyday life without it. Especially in Munich you have to eat the Weißwurst with a Brezel and swee mustard.

Ther are variations from salty to sweet … and what the hell is a “Laugenbrezel” ?

In former days the bakers dipped it into hot water before putting it into the oven. Through that the exterior stayed soft and the Brezel swelled perfectly. During the 12. century they started to cover them with brine so the paste turned crunchy brown and it tasted a lot better.

As a chemical aid soda lye was used, thinned with water, Normally it is acidic and dangerous. But during baking, soda lye turns into sodium carbonate which is normal soda as used for baking. By the way you can find the “Laugenbrezel” in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and the Pfalz on the menu. There, people prefer eating their bread with the traditional aromatic taste. And even in New York, on Time Squares you can buy it!

Take one and enjoy your meal in your Munich Hotel Monaco during your breakfast!

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Special Bavarian food | No Comments »

Pension in Munich

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

Hotel Monaco is friendly ” bed and breakfast” like pension, which is both affordable and conveniently located ( two blocks away from the Haupt Bahnhof).  The ( Schutz Angel )  theme gives the hotel a motherly and homely feeling, but with just enough touch of cupid to make it romantic.  Although my stay was officially a business trip I felt on vacation here at Monaco.  Breakfast rocked and the light music hit the spot   When I do return for pleasure I’ll be sure to stay where the angels are, Hotel Monaco.  Munich itself was a little wet in Febuary, but warm to the senses.  I took a few walks, had some fine dinning and danced alittle all in the Stadt Mitte.  Munich is easy it seems.  I’ve been here a few times now in winter, spring, sommer, and fall and she always gives herself with open arms.  I’ll be always coming back for more and waiting to see what the next angel brings……….
Got to Fly,
Luis.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Hotel pension munich | No Comments »

Hotel Monaco – our experiences

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

The fog we followed from Frankfurt lifted slightly as our ICE train pulled into the Munich station. We were met with a cold rain but our excitement of being in the city warmed us as we walked the 2 blocks to our hotel. The “Hotel Monaco” sign very prominently displayed on the side of the building, we had no problem at all finding our new home away from home. We ascended to the 5th floor reception and were met by the kindest woman, Rita. She welcomed us to Munich and got us checked in. In addition, she offered us a map of the city and described the sites not to be missed on our short trip here. Everything is such an easy journey from the hotel’s excellent location. Just when we thought it could not get any better, Rita took us to our room. I’d seen the pictures and descriptions online, but words and pictures could not do justice to the room we entered! Light hard wood floors and brightly colored curtains instantly gave warmth and comfort to the cold day that was outside the window. The room was huge by European standards and had very nice amenities including free wi-fi, a large flat-panel TV, and sundries in the bathroom such as packets of shampoo and conditioner. It was such a warm, inviting room that we actually hated to leave it as we began our whirlwind tour of the city. We drug ourselves out into the cold, misty morning and had a wonderful time seeing such sites as the Deutsches Museum and the Marienplatz where we witnessed the awe inspring Glockenspeil of the Neues Rathaus as well as the amazing ambience of the square itself. We ventured by the Haufbrauhaus and had a beer while we took in the fun and wonder of drinking with thousands while the oom-pah band played in the background. We strolled back towards the hotel and found a romantic little Italian place where we dined by the upstairs window, watching Munich go hurriedly by. Nothing could have prepared us for the comfort of the beds that we crawled into after our full day in the city! Waking leisurely, we found it difficult to leave the comfort and warmth of the big, cozy comforters and crisp sheets. We knew a delicious breakfast awaited us in the hotel’s dining room so we reluctantly left the warmth of our bed to move on with another day taking in the city. Knowing that we could not possibly see and do everything there is to do in Munich in our short over-night, we now have a wonderul reason to return–the Hotel Monaco and the beautiful city beyond its walls.

vaness.1963@gmail.com
Vanessa White

Tags:, ,
Posted in Expiriences in munich | No Comments »

Hotel Monaco – our stay in Munich

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Hotel Monaco is charming and conveniently located for budget conscious traveler.  A block from the Hbf and within walking distance to the city centre.  This hotel has very cheerful and personable staff.  The breakfast in the morning may seem light, yet after spending the day walking you will find that you are not hungry until well after lunchtime.  The free internet access was delightful, as well as being able to borrow many things such as hairdryers, and laptop.  We stayed in a room with a shared washroom and found no time, or noise issues during are stay.  The hotel, room, and washroom was always clean which is a pleasant change from hostels which charge an equivalent amount for less features.  We would recommend this hotel to anyone coming to visit Munich.

Heather and David
Canada

Munich, 24.03.09

 

Hotel Monaco Munich, double room with shared bathroom

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Munich hotel room | No Comments »

A visit to the munich Olympic Center

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

I visited Munich and I am ipressed about this city. I love German food – bread dumplings are my favourite. And beer – something you can’t skip when you are here. Bierhalles are everywhere in the city.
I went to the Olympic Center with my boyfriend. I would recommend it to people who like sport activities. We went for a swim at the Olympic pool, and we were suprised how unexpensive it was. We also went for a run all around the Olympic Village – that is a great way to see the whole place. It wasn´t busy at all, we met couple more people running.
You can go there by subway. We also had good German sausages there. Just around the corner there is BMW museum, that we saw too. Cars were really great, especially the newest ones. But what we liked the most was the architecture – bulidings had an interesting design.Great place for taking pictures. We enjoyed spending our day there. We plan to go back there some time in the summer.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Sightseeing in munich | No Comments »

A night in Munich!

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

The Bavarian spirit definitely lives on at the Augustiner Keller.

I decided to go on a quest to find the roots of my favorite beverage – beer. What better place than Bavaria, perhaps the birthplace of beer? And what better brewery than what is reportedly the oldest brewery in existance, the Augustiner Keller?

I was not sure what to expect when I arrived there – a throng of tourists with guidebooks and camaras in hand? Or perhaps groups of locals that would not be accessable to a tourist like me.  While I was hoping for an authentically “Bavarian” experience, I have learned to temper my expectations.

What I found was a few tourists that were far outnumbered by groups of Müncheners that were there to have a good time. To my delight, the locals were more than willing to share whatever they could offer – be it a good joke, a song, or the beer from their glass. Before I knew it, I was singing with Uwe, a local football (soccer) fan, adorned with a traditional scarf (which he proudly displayed to me), and who after a few minutes was asking for my facebook address. I found myself constantly admiring the sketchings or traditional antlers hanging from the walls of this traditional keller (should be hundreds of years old-not sure exactly) while listening to one of the live bands belting out everything from traditional bavarian music to ’60s rock on stage. All the while thinking to myself, what a absolutely delightful experience – a great find!

I happened to go during the annual Stark Bier (Strong Beer) Festival which runs during the three weeks leading up to Easter. I was given a full history by Manny from down the street but after a few stark biers between the two of us, I can’t recite it exactly word for word. According to Manny, it has something to do with Christians not being able to eat as much as perhaps they would like during this period each year (lent). As a result, they added more sugar to the beer and hence arrived at a recipe (7.6 % alc) that brings more than a few of us wanting to celebrate to our knees each year.   

Eventually I walked out at around midnight after reluctantly but gratefully accepting a final beer, compliments of Manny. Arriving back at Hotel Monaco, only a few minutes walk, I reflected back on the night thinking – I couldn’t have asked for more from Munich or its people than what was delivered on this night – Prost!

 

 

 

 

____________________________________________________________
Visit beautiful Vancouver! Click now for great vacation packages!

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Expiriences in munich | No Comments »

Hotel munich, close to the trainstation

Friday, March 20th, 2009

18 March, 2009
My sister and I had a wonderful three days in Munich!  The best decision we made was to stay close to the main Haupt Bahnhof (train station) because fom our hotel, it was exactly 15 minutes walking to the center of Old Town and all the shopping and sites.  The friendly, helpful staff at the Hotel Monaco was great!  Our room was very clean and beautifully decorated.  Great breakfast!! Unlike the Pensions we stayed in in Salzburg and Vienna, our room was a very comfortable temperature and our wake-up call was exactly when we requested each day.  We appreciated the smoke free room, as requested.   We could pop out of our room, walk to a beautiful garden park, and explore very easily with the map provided us by the hotel receptionist. We were also in walking distance to catch our Radius tour to Dachau, (which we also heartily recommend). The neighborhood felt completely safe and was well-lit–we walked everywhere!
D Strait
Washington State, USA

Tags:,
Posted in Munich hotel room | No Comments »

Experiences of my trip to munich

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

My trip has been very good.

My family and I had a long layover in Amsterdam. That was very nice. We went on a river tour, walked through the red light district and flower market, and stopped for a very nice lunch. I think I had the best sandwich I’ve ever had. It had goat cheese, honey, walnuts, and apples all on a nice roll. We spent a few hours in amsterdam. that was cool and weird.

When we arrived in Munich we took the subway to the Hotel Monaco and then went to the Augastina (sp?) beer garten for dinner. Bernie accidently ordered two apple struedels instead of two apple schorle drinks. That was probablz the best apple struedel ive ever had.and it was an accident.

On Monday we had a very nice breakfast at the hotel. I had lots of tea and cheeses. We took a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle and Honschwangaou (sp?) Castle. We had to hike up the mountain, which was very tiresome. There was still snow which was very pretty. Bernie and I came several years ago in the summer and it wasn’t nearly as pretty. We came home from that and went to the Hofbrauhaus (sp?) which is probably the most famous beer garden in Germany. The food there is not as good but it’s kind of a tourist tradition. There apple struedel really couldn’t compare to the Augastina’s.

Yesterday we got a late start. We went to a produce market for brunch. We bought 3 different cheeses, salami, 2 types of bread, and olives. Bernie also got some sausage. We stopped by the Glockenspiel which was a major disappointment. These large figurines danced on the clocktower with bells that sounded really out of tune. We then headed to the Mike’s Bikes tour which was very fun. Bernie and I took the tour last time we were here and it was just as good. Our tour guide Stephen took as all over Munich, filling in history and interesting tid bits about the city. We stopped at a beer garden for lunch. I remember last time it was packed but do to the weather and season, no body was there. Stephen told us it had only just opened back up for the summer.

Today was much the same. We had lasagna for breakfast and saw a couple churches. My parents climbed a church tower while I perused the 6 story book store and got a cup of tea. We went to the Deuches Museum which was very cool in some parts but too big to handle in a few hours. We finished our day off with the Hofbrauhaus and headed back to the hotel early,

I really enjoy the atmosphere of Munich and does really feel like the largest village in the world. Most people are very pleasant, the food is great, and the atmosphere is very welcoming. I have no doubt that I will visit again.

Posted in Expiriences in munich | No Comments »

« Older Entries