Munich for the weekend

I had called Harms, the shipping agent for BMW, to let them know we were returning from Oberwesel and they were happy to hear that as they wanted to close the office early so they could go to the opening of Oktoberfest. That was a surprise. Oktoberfest? Yikes, that would mean Munich would be thronged with even more tourists than usual. Oh, well.

Thanks to the Satellite Navigation I was able to find Harms' office in the outskirts of Munich. Other cars due to be shipped were already there.

I inspected mine from nose to tail to make sure there were no dings or scruffs before handing over the keys.

It looked good and I hoped nothing would have changed before I saw it again back in the USA.

Once the 30 minutes of paperwork was done they called a taxi to come pick us up to drop us back at our hotel- The Admiral once again.

This time we had a room on the 4th floor, overlooking the garden and this would be the room we would book on subsequent visits as it was quiet and we now had a balcony to sit on and enjoy the beautiful weather

Once settled in we unpacked and prepared to hit the streets on a lovely Friday afternoon.
We passed through Victualien Market on our way to Marienplatz for lunch. The market features beers from each of the Munich Breweries-each one gets a week to showcase their beer in a rotation.

The Breweries emblems are displayed

We come to Marienplatz, the tourist and locals' hub of the city

Yes a crowd has gathered-this would be the 5 pm mechanical Jousting Knights show

We had a meal here- bratwurst und pomme frites (French fries) washed down with big glasses of beer. The square is ringed with restaurants offering beer and outdoor dining. Even though the square is swarming with people they are all in a good mood and here to enjoy the experience without bothering anyone or causing trouble. It's all about eating and drinking and talking to friends. I feel very at home among German people-they know how to live and have respect for others. Striking up a conversation with one is easy as they are great talkers and love to practice their English which makes me feel embarrassed by my tourist German- but I try and that's the least anyone can do. I'll get better!!

Tonight would be a special night as we had tickets for the Bavarian State Opera (above) who were performing a work by Richard Strauss- Elektra. If you've never been to the opera I wouldn't suggest Elecktra as a first opera as it's deep and dramatic. Start instead with Puccini's La Boheme or Bizet's Carmen which are full of songs you'll be whistling on your way home and have easy to follow stories.

It was a great night and we loved the opulent theater and the friendly people we met there.

We walked on air back to the Admiral, through dimly lit but safe streets.

Next-a Bird's Eye view of Munich....