[Photos taken 12 – 13 August 2024, posted online 14 November 2024. Weather-whiplash incoming, going from 10C/50F to freezing starting tomorrow.]
Our last full day in Munich was predicted to be yet another excessively warm day (31 C / 88 F) in a city that isn’t really built for it, air conditioning wise.
I was therefore a little apprehensive about having booked a guided bike tour, but with a backpack full of water, a flat city, and the built in air-movement of biking, it went better than expected. In the evening we returned downtown to eat dinner in the town-hall cellar.
The day after that, we finished packing our bags, took the trains to the airport, waited in line for almost an hour to check in our bags (staff shortage still?), and then happily walked to the car park in Iceland in t-shirts in the glorious chilly breeze!
Monday 12 August 2024
At Marienplatz again, to meet our guide at 10:45 in the morning.
Thankfully, the group wasn’t too large.
The question of “where are the bikes?” was answered with “a 5 minute walk away”.
The bikes were kept close remains of the old city wall, that I think was demolished to build new things at some point.
Telling the story of how this became a tourist destination.
Checking out a fancy courtyard of Alte Münze, the old mint.
The Bavarian State Opera. We heard a story about it burning down, and being rebuilt.
Another courtyard, the Brunnenhof, inside the Munich palace/residence. The fancy “brickwork” is painted on the walls!
Apparently one of the rulers was quite the cultural collector.
This tour really brought to light that Munich was bombed during WW2. Only the center portion of this building survived, the wings are recent additions.
Our guide’s favorite art house. It houses modern art, in opposition to the tastes of the Nazi who built it back in the day.
We returned our bikes at 14:20, after a successful tour.
Walking back towards Marienplatz.
Waiting at the Apple store to get service.
Emma got to see the bath-bomb-wall in person.
The big draw for Emma was the shoe-store with the large women’s shoes!
Emma found two pairs that she liked, yay!
We managed to rest up a bit at home, before setting out downtown again.
Hello again big house!
We found the restaurant entrance! A ratskeller is a bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall (Rathaus).
The definition of a tourist trap, but the food was good!
Marveling at the ceiling.
Food arrived!
This is a fun building to photograph!
Traveling up on the magical two-way escalator.
Everything looked so clean!
Free stuff.
Tuesday 13 August 2024
Quiche for breakfast, while Finnur finished packing the bags. He prefers me being far away to get some peace and quiet for the task!
Our street. It was another very warm day!
Our luggage, all ready for departure.
Killing time, and filling more stomachs, at the cafe.
On the underground shortly after 1 in the afternoon.
We just missed the train to the airport, but at least it meant we got seats to wait for 20 minutes.
The barely-moving bag-check line at the airport. For the longest time there was only one person receiving bags, and the priority class people always got first service, meaning the sheep (us) got to wait. Finally a second person arrived to check-in and then the line started moving a bit. I think this took at least an hour!? Than we had to walk the length of the airport, as the gate/terminal of the plane had changed, but the check-in-location had remained the same!?! I expected better of “German efficiency”.
We arrived home to a partially accessible parking lot, as a second fiber optic cable was being laid down in the street! Thus endeth our trip to Munich, Germany!
