Ten years after taking 4 years of high school German, I’ve finally made it to Germany.  Unfortunately ten years has worn on my memory, and when I first arrived I found my language education not of much use.  Thankfully, the people of Munich were extremely friendly and educated, and I never found myself in a jam without someone to help me out.  Slowly, however, I was starting to remember and being able to occasionally respond in German made the experience that much better.

Staying at the Hotel Monaco, I felt we had a great start to the trip.  The hotel has the amenities and location one expects of a hotel while retaining the feel of a country bed and breakfast.  The staff is extremely friendly, easy to understand, and knowledgeable about the city.  Each night we asked for recommendations on where to eat, where to go, and how to get there, and we were never disappointed.  We ate traditional Bavarian foods each night and each brew house recommended was wonderful.  When reservations were required, the desk assistant was able to call and make a reservation for us.

We had paid for a three day public transit pass but it was, in the end, not necessary.  The hotel, while not directly in the city, was only a few minutes walk from all the central attractions. Further, most of the attractions were within walking distance of each other.  The glockenspiel and the Christmas markets were only a short trip, which, given the amounts of wonderful sausages, potatoes, desserts, and beer I had, was welcomed.

The most difficult part of Munich was getting used to the seat-yourself style of restaurants.  Finding an acceptable place was never comfortable for me, especially given the large tables and the fact that generally we had to sit next to strangers.  Every time we did, however, they were personable locals, or tourists with their own story to tell.  I hope to be back soon.   Marek Krawczyk 05/12/2009 Room 503