Weißwurst

Munich's traditional breakfast of weißwurst sausages (never more than 2), pretzels with sweet mustard, and a weißbier is a great weekend activity. My word of advice is not to ask or know what is in the sausage, because it's a bit less enjoyable. Locals also refuse to eat these after noon, which dates back to the olden days when refrigeration was uncommon.

After dark

Tourists are often disappointed to find Marienplatz and the city center are very quiet after business hours. Even in the middle of the night Munich is quite safe and so very peaceful even if the Rathaus looks slightly spooky.

Destruction

Here's an updated image of the destruction / construction going on along Kaufingerstraße. It will be interesting to see the progress over the coming months and what I'm told will be the new home for Sport Scheck.

Old Man Winter

This fountain sums up my feelings regarding Winter. As soon as it feels as though it might be over it comes back and is impossible to escape.

Coffee Thaw

After a dusting of snow and blistery temperatures Starbucks decided to set up a small van and hand out samples to help people get through what we hope is the final freeze of the season.

Snowgarten

I'm not alone in missing the biergartens and anxiously awaiting their opening. The only somewhat redeeming fact is that starkbier is available at some groceries around the city, although getting friends to crawl out of hibernation to enjoy them with may be another issue.

Local lore

In being such a village of a city it's easy to begin to recognize people on the streets. Some stand out more than others due to distinct clothing choices, while others seem to always be in the same location. On occasion it's a combination of the two, which is the case here. For the record leg and arm warmers increase 'kreislauf' so the German circulation sickness isn't able to take hold even in the middle of winter.

Excavation

In keeping with the notion that the city is really undergoing a revitalization period there is yet another construction / excavation project underway on Westenriederstraße, which will include a new building complete with 14 apartments, 2 offices, 2 store fronts, and a garage with 18 parking spaces. Property in Munich is at a premium and costs nearly double as much as any other German city.

The ruins below must have such interesting stories to tell.

One stop shop

A quiet scene in Viktualienmarkt. Believe it not beer isn't the only beverage of choice around here. Rieslings and Franken Wine are made in Bavaria, too. The sign for the Obazda, as well as the 'obst standl' in the background are also typical for the area. One wonderful aspect of the Bavarian dialect is the ability to add an 'l' to the end of virtually anything and instantly it denotes something small.

Picasso

The Brandhorst Museum has a collection of notebooks from Picasso on display so viewers can get a glimpse at some of the prolific artist's works. If you go to check out the exhibit you can see for yourself how Picasso used artistic license and inspiration from others to gain such a reputation.

Lunch break

Area workers and those traversing through the city center stop for a bite to eat or chat with friends at the Rindermarkt. Having such a mild winter occasionally means blue skies and sunny days, which are happily accepted everywhere.

In need of a change

Walking past many of the city's travel offices and outfitter shops it's difficult not to notice ads for Tunisia and Egypt still decorating the windows. The beat on the street is that Germany could do its small part to ease tensions by having Mubarak come here for his medical treatments. Human rights advocates may not favor this idea, but having peaceful protesters injured is also not ideal, so hopefully there is a resolution soon.

Former Karstadt am Dom

Along the füßgangerzone the old Karstadt building is drawing a lot of attention. There are quite a few interesting projects going on in the city center with cranes and building projects underway all over town. It will be interesting to see how the new building blends with its surrounds. Here's to hoping it's not going to be yet another H&M or run of the mill chain store.

Riegsee

With beautiful blue skies and the shining sun it was the perfect weekend to get out and enjoy the weather. The area South of Munich has considerably more snow than we see in the city. Some of the visitors tempted fate by walking onto the frozen lake.

Sicherheit

All kinds of craziness was going on today in the city center. The 42nd Munich Safety Conference, which Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel, as well as many other global power players attended was held at the Bayerischer Hof. The increased police presence with heavily armored gear stood on virtually every corner as protesters for a myriad of issues gathered in Marienplatz and the fußgängerzone.

As I walked through anti-globalization protesters were chanting reggae style to 'burn Berlin to the ground'.

Bayerische Hypotheken

The façade of the old Bayerische Hypotheken und Wechsel Bank fascinates me, because it's the beautiful remains of the old Central Banking district. HypoVereinsbank, which sponsors the Fünf Höfe art museum, moved locations in 1998 opening this area to be more of a shopping mall. It's a fantastic symbiosis of melding old and new.

Hospital

Visiting and navigating the hospital is always an interesting experience, especially in a different country. Considering that having a baby is one of the only joyful reasons for being there.

Something I'm hearing more and more of is shopping around for delivery rooms that offer a variety of foods, paint colors, and music choices. It should come as no surprise that many new parents want to fool themselves into believing they will deliver exactly as they envisioned.

Stolperstein

Of roughly 10,000 Jewish citizens in Munich when Hitler came to power, only about 200 were left alive at the end of WWII.

Many cities throughout Germany and other affected countries have adapted these golden 'stumbling block' pavers, which can be seen in the lobby of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater on Arcisstraße.

You may wonder why they aren't included on our city streets. More information can be found on the Initiative Stopersteine site.

Pinakothek der Moderne

Munich has a large affinity for art and museums. The Kunstareal 'art district' of the city continues to flourish and several new projects are slated for opening next year. Pictured here is the Pinakothek der Moderne, which was designed by Stephan Braunfels and opened in 2002. The collection is impressive and includes pieces from Warhol, Picasso, Hockney, and many more.