Archive for April, 2009

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Munich and the Olympic Swimming Pool

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Thursday 30th April
Munich, Germany

Some years ago now, I was born and bought up in Perth, Western Australia.
For some many years, I have made Scotland, my home.
Along with my passion for all things Celtic CFC, My family, my career, my life, is all in Glasgow.
Today I am in Munchen, capital of Barvaria. Residing at the warmest, sweetest and most friendly little hotel in Munich, The Hotel Monaco.
I have stayed here previous, hence my return. A lovely feel, a genuine warm atmosphere about The Monaco Hotel.
Thanks to Christina, the proprieiter and her wonderful staff.
Great not only for the tourist person, like me, but also the familly, the business person, couples, lovers.
If you ever come and stay, you will see!!

Today the weather  not so bright. Pity, for it has been recorded the sunniest and warmest April in many a year for Munich.
I love Munich, the bars, the shops, the people, thier friendliness and ever so keen to assist you, always prevailing.
I love her culture, her museums and galleries. So, so much history here.
Munich is not a large city, with an excellent public transport infrastructure. Trams, U bhan, S Bhan. And cycles. I have borrowed a friends cycle these past 2 days, and it is really quiet amazing the ground, the places you can get to, at easy reach with very few hills. a flat inner city.

Today I am going back out to the Olympic Centre, the holding of the Olympic Games 1972.
A swim awaits me in the original Olympic swimming pool. Normally I swim like how Schumacher use to drive in the wet, fast! But today, I will swim slowly, casually and savour every moment of just being there in the fmous Olympic Swimming pool and listen out for the roar of champions past.

Anyway, I am on my Holidays. Serious sports begins again on my return to Glasgow!
By then I will be missing Munich and The Monarch, yet looking so very much forward to returning again.
Ken Rolfe
(Serious Celtic, BVB & 1860 fan)

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Stay in Munich

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

I have had a great time on my trip to Munich.  I highly recommend the Hotel Monaco in the city center.  It is incredibly convenient to everything….the train station, shopping and historical sites.   Plus the staff are very helpful and the breakfast is well worth the money.  I went to Salzburg on my first full day.
Easy two hour train ride.  I took the Hop On Hop Off bus which gave me alot of flexibility to see many sites in a brief time.  I hiked the hill to the Fortress.  But you can choose to take the elevator.  I was in need of exercise after all this great food!  Today I rented a bicycle and enjoyed circling the English Garden.  Very flat and tons of trails.  Easy to go in circles….but can’t really get lost.  I also enjoyed the open air market and a little shopping.  That could be overload!  My first night I ate at the famous Hofbräuhaus. But tonight I enjoyed the Hofbraeuhouse just down the street from the Hotel Monaco and highly recommend it (same street and head toward the City Center).  Tomorrow I head back to Frankfurt.  Hope you have a good time here, too.

Marcia
USA

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Glockenspiel at the Marienplatz

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Every day at 11 and 12 o’clock (between March and October also at 17 o’clock) the “Glockenspiel” takes place. During this time the Marienplatz is so crowed that you hardly get from one side to the other. The Marienplatz is only just about 10 walking minutes from the Hotel Monaco. The jutty in which you can find the attraction is attached to the tower of the main hall. From there the “Schäffler” are looking down on the crowds and are wondering why there are still so interesting after having danced for already 100 years. But something still fascinates people about this historic attraction.
On the lower part the “Schäffler” are dancing the “Schäfflerdance”, which was developed during the time of the Black Death in the 14th century. On the upper part you can see the reconstruction of the wedding of the duke Wilhelm V with Renata from Lothringen 1568, which took place on the Marienplatz. There they are still celebrating their “happily ever after”. J Actually, those who think it’s playing the same melody the whole year is deadly wrong.  There is a programme. At the moment it’s playing “Jetzt gang i an’s Brünnele” (Now, I’m going to the fountain),  “Wohlauf Kameraden auf’s Pferd, auf’s Pferd” (Let’s go for a ride my friends),  “Schäfflerdance 2nd part” and “The last rose”.
After almost 100 years of attracting people, the 43 bells were completely cleaned and reconstructed in 2007. So you are lucky to be in Munich now, because the ringing is more beautiful than ever. What I found out as well, when I wrote this Blog, was that the Glockenspiel is completely moved with solar energy, which I think is great.
Best wishes.
Yours Franziska from the Hotel Monaco, Munich

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My love is Munich

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Every time I’m ascending the stairs from the train station up to the Marienplatz I’m marvelling at the magnificent view.
I mean…I grew up here and I saw the town hall, the dome, the column of virgin mary…. already hundreds of times, but I still love the architecture and the atmosphere, especially on a nice summer evening.
When I came back from New Zealand four years ago, where I’ve been for three months, I was completely convinced that I want to move there, that there is no better place on earth. But when I came into the city centre and saw all the old, beautiful buildings and walked past the dome I couldn’t help myself just being happy to live here.
I think we have the perfect mixture of Bavarian traditions and Italian chic. You can go to a traditional restaurant and have a “Schweinshaxe” and some beer. Around the corner there is an ice cream parlour where the fruit sundae with strawberries, cherries and heaps of cream tastes almost the same as in Venice. But if you want to dream of a trip to Mexico then have some Fajitas and a yummy cocktail afterwards.
It is said that Munich is the northernmost Italian city and I think that’s perfectly right. It is a cosmopolitan city, with maybe a bit too much “Schickimicki” (an expression for snobbish, following the latest fashion..) where you can discover the world but go to sleep in your own bed. J And if you don’t have an own bed then go to the Hotel Monaco next to the main railway station. There you’ll have a cosy and nice stay and it will almost feel like home.

Franzi

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Trainstation in Munich

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Munich has one of the biggest train stations in Europe. It is very easy to travel in the area south of the city know as Tirol. My Munich Hotel Monaco is very close to the Munich trainstation, just about a three minute walk.
Although it is easier if you rent a car from the munich airport and start traveling from there, with freedom to stop, where you want and spend as much time as you wish. Train travel can be fun especially for someone like be traveling alone.
By using the Bayerncard obtained from the machine for twenty euros, or from service window for twenty two euros.
You can travel anywhere in Bavaria from nine in the morning until three the next day.
Füssen is a good place to go without a car, to see and is actually the beginning of the romantic road.
Füssen train station is near the tourist information and is the best place to start before starting to explore the area.
I caught the bus to Neuschwanstein and later visited Oberammergau.
Füssen is only two hours by train from munich, this is a fairy tale land, where King Luwig made his home, and three of this castles.

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Beergardens in Munich

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Since munich is the city built on beer. I decided to take a few days to discover some of the beergardens in the area.
Near the Hofbräuhaus is Weisses Bräuhaus, claiming to serve the best Weissbier round.
This is an unfiltered wheat beer, very refreshing on a hot day. It is popular whith tourists and has a food menu in english. There is also a good selection of beers. Some of them stronger, than what we are used, to so be warned. They have a nice veggie platte here for nine fifty euros.
The Spatenhaus is located near the opers and you can sit in the sidewalk cafe while enjoying your meal or eat inside.
The price is a little higher, but the quality is good. I like the pork cutlet served in a pan with veggies.
The name Spaten means spade and is trademark of the brewery.
I finally ended up in the large Augustiner Biergarten, located a few blocks from the hauptbahnhof.
This is the place to be on a fine evening and mostly visited by locals, The beer is said, to be the best.

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Munich and the laundromat

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Hello Everyone!!

Greetings from Munich, Germany!!  My fiance, Jason and I arrived here on Monday, April 20th.  It has been an amazing time so far.  The people here have been so friendly and helpful to us non German speaking Americans.  We went to wash clothes last night and we were having trouble understanding how the machines worked.  Some nice German fellows helped us out so we could get our clothes clean.  I am also very impressed with the train and SBahn system here in Munich and throughout Germany.  It’s very timely and efficient.  We are staying at the Munich Hotel Monaco and it is a wonderful place.  The breakfast is spectacular and the rooms are very comfortable and nice.  We leave on Friday the 24th to go back to the USA.  Munich has  been a wonderful place to visit and we will definitely come back to visit soon.

                                                                 Sarah Dineen (Minnesota, USA)

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Hotel Munich-Octoberfest

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Probably the most fun I have had visiting munich took place during my trip to Germany Oktoberfest:The celebration lasts more than two weeks and originally commorated the marriage of King Ludwig the first:We made reservations well in advance, because this party is like the maritigras only much more popular with not only germans, but people from all over the world.

A hugh parade opens things up with each of munichs six breweried entering a beer wagon pulled by a dozen. Hugh horses all decked out beaufifully and sitting in the wagon are men and women, sampling the fine brew of each.

The parade went for hours; I think the whole city came out.

We walked to the fairgrounds where there are at least six tents holding, thousend of people.We could not even get in, so we walked back to town and went into the Hofbräuhaus up to the third floor.

The band was playing and everybody singing and having a good time.

After a few liters of beer we retiered to our Munich hotel to watch the fun on televison, prost!

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Munich and the Viktualienmarkt

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Today I must talk about eating in munich.  If the weather is fine my favorate place to explore is the viktualienmarket located just off marienplatz in the center of munich.  Since 1807 when this place was a farmers marker the fresh produce and other specialities abount like no place I have seen. I like to walk among the stands and observe the exchange of money for food, drink, and produce.  There is even a hugh bier garden serving different kinds of munich beer right in the middle of it all.  Fish markets, meat stands, kiosks of all kinds with fresh fruit, candy, and sweets.  Something for everyone.  It is also a great place to people watch, relax, and watch the world go bye. Come here after your exploration of munichs shops and stores. Some of my favorate foods to be found here include haxe, grilled pork or veal, breze, a hugh soft pretzel, or weisswurst, boiled white veal sausage.  Something for everyone in a place sometimes overlooked by tourista.  trust me on this one.

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Munich city

Friday, April 17th, 2009

I would suggest spending as much time as possible in the city of Munich. I stayed in the nice Munich Hotel Monaco, just close to the trainstation, in the heart of Munich.
There is so much to do and see here, and for me I must admit it is my favorate city. If the weather is not good, and because of munichs location to the alps this is sometimes the case, one can visit spectular museums and art galleries, all world class. I have been lucky to have visited munich thirteen times since coming here on a ski vacation in 1989. From the first winter day here trying without success to find tughe hofbräuhouse, I can suggest the only way to get around is by learning to use the efficient transport system. the tram subway and bus will take you smoothly and effortlessy anyplace you desire to go.  Just be patient and learn the system.  The local people are very helpfull nad do not hesitiate to voluntier information to the lost tourist. I get the three day ticket for 13.50 euro. remember to stamp the ticket the first time you use it in the machine located on the bus or before entering the subway.happy travels.ne

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