Drizzle

Today we're experiencing a short break in beautiful Autumn weather while the city returns to normalcy and mourns the end of this year's wonderful Oktoberfest. Many people are probably ready for the chilly Winter weather and glühwein to come back, while others are still clinging to the last beautiful days of temperate weather.

Kreisverwaltungsreferat

The Kreisverwaltungsreferat on Poccistraße is affectionately called the KVR and is a place foreigners of the city love to hate. They deal in all things resident, visa, or work permit related. It should be advised to arrive early to avoid waiting in the dreaded queue. If unable to arrive early don't panic... it's quite a fascinating look into Germany's changing society. There are a myriad of languages being spoken and often large groups of people accompanying one another. Information is not consistent across the board, so in addition to bit of documentation bring plenty of patience.

Sleepy Sundays

Well there’s a lovely idea!  Sunday in Bed.  Well it’s actually the name of – no big surprise – a bedding store in the Isarvorstadt neighborhood.  And while spending an entire weekend day in bed may seem far fetched for someone in the US, it’s not out of the question for Europeans.  You see, Sunday’s are different in Europe.  First of all, everything is closed.  Very few stores are open – even in the heart of the city.  So if you want to go grocery shopping, really your only option is a single grocery store at the airport.  I know that because we’ve had times where we didn’t prepare on Saturday, and then we realized we were out of milk or diapers for the kids – those sort of things that just can’t wait til Monday.  Also, you are not allowed to work or make loud noises in many buildings on Sunday.  It’s actually against many building codes.  And finally, Sunday is meant as a day of relaxation, where you will find most people out at a park or beer garden, hanging out with friends.  It may seem strange to Americans, but it happens to be one of those European traditions we hope remains when we return to the US.  Afternoons in the park with friends – wine, bread, cheese and sunshine.

Picture Perfect

Why not take a bit of the fairy tale castle with you?  This upscale card shop in the Isarvorstadt neighborhood sure beats a snow globe. Neuschwanstein, one of the most visited places in Germany, has 1.3 million visitors annually, and during the summer the number of visitors gets as high as 6000 per day.  What you may have not known about this mythical castle is that it was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park.  And why not, it was actually designed by a theatrical set designer, Christian Jank, and not an architect – as King Ludwig’s homage to Richard Wagner.  Over the years, it has taken a prominent place in pop culture, as featured in the movies “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and the Wonderful World of Brothers Grimm.” Regardless, the castle is one of the most photographed places in the world, and has become a global symbol of the era of Romanticism.

Sumo Squeeze

Although I didn’t mean to align with yesterday’s post about plus-sized Germany, I came across this fantastic bike horn and I thought it was worth sharing. 90% of the bikes in Munich seem exactly alike, but it’s the little details that help them stand apart. Some have bright banners and details on the body of the bike, others have bright rims (I saw a bike today that looked completely neon), and others just choose to show their personality by the butt they squeeze, to get other butts out of the way. Actually, the only reason I noticed it was that people passing by couldn’t help squeezing it. I say, let er blow…

Election. What Election?

What if you threw a party and no one showed up? That a bit how locals feel about tomorrow’s European Parliament elections. It’s the biggest trans-national election in history with 375 million European citizens in 27 countries eligible to vote as 736 members of European Parliament are elected for a five-year term. And in Germany, the vote counts most – as the country with the largest population, Germany will elect 99 members. In contrast, Malta, the smallest country, will have only five. Reports from early elections taking place in other countries around Europe is that the turn-out has been very low. At its peak in 1979, approximately 60% of the eligible voters cast a ballot. This year it’s expected to be approximately 40%. There are a variety of reasons – one is the feeling that the EU parliament doesn’t impact local lives. Yet several significant laws passed over the past several years do exactly that – like the regulation limiting the amount cell phone companies can charge for rooming, or the regulation that requires companies to show that the chemicals they use are safe. Is that enough to convince locals to go to the polls? After having an election in what seems every six months in Munich, I don’t think so.

Bavarian School Strike

More than 400 Munich schools, day cares and churches staged a one-day walk out, with additional walk outs planned to support workers health benefits as well as protection for children with special needs. In addition to the 2700 workers throughout Bavaria, more than 15,000 people participated to show their support. It is reported that parents were informed and found alternate options for care as most supported the proposed changes. If a collective agreement for health is not approved nationwide, future strikes could impact the 200,000 members of the Union of Education and sciences – leading to many more scenes like this empty nursery in the Isarvorstadt neighborhood.

Outdoor Study Program

The warm weather has brought everyone out to the parks, including the University students – even those still in class. This park south of the central station makes for a great setting for studies. With two major universities in Munich, there’s an estimated 86,000 students around when term is in, or about 6% of the Munich population. That may not seem like much, but with the schools centered around Maxvorstadt and Schwabing, the entire neighborhood is transformed during the school year – apartments, restaurants, cafes, and parks. It’s almost time for the end of the year, where these parts of town will seem just a little lonely without them.

Munich’s Hells Angels

That’s exactly the image that Body Motorcycle Club (this is their logo) has tried to avoid. Tagged as criminals or trouble makers, the largest biker club in Germany has become very well known with more than 63 chapters in Germany, as well as 42 in Italy, Poland, Canary Islands, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Spain, Venezuela and Thailand. It was founded in Mannheim in 1972, but their linkages to the Hells Angels have apparently given the motorcycle club a bad name. Of course like many things in Germany, there is lots of Irony (Speaking of ironic, when I first saw this sign, I thought it was a union logo. Go Teamsters!). For example, the rebellious days of the Hells Angels in the US is long gone. In fact, the only people who can afford a Harley Davidson motorcycle today are yuppies who like to show their rebellious side on the weekends. But in Germany, travel is a way of life. There are three times the numbers of cars in Germany than when you cross the border into France, Switzerland or Austria. And travel anywhere in the world, you are bound to come across a number of Germans on the road – in mobile homes, fast German cars, or even BMW mortorcycles.

Looking to the Heavens

What does this church have in common with the new Rathaus at Marienplatz? It was designed by the same architect - Georg von Hauberrisser. St. Paul’s Church, next to the grounds of the Octoberfest, is no less stunning with it’s amazing spires & bell tower and its dominant position on Landwehrstrasse. It was constructed from 1896 to 1906, and is the beacon for anyone going to the Octoberfest celebration (as you can climb its bell tower during the annual celebration). But unfortunately, that beacon has not always shined so bright. In WWII, all of its stained glass was destroyed and replaced very sparingly. Then on December 17, 1960, a US Airforce Convair 340 aircraft took off from Munich-Riem airport (east of Munich – home of the Munich Messe today), but lost power to one of its engines. Unable to maintain altitude, the plane hit the steeple of St. Paul’s Church and crashed into a streetcar, crowded with Christmas shoppers. All 13 passengers (University of Maryland students), 7 crew members and 32 people on the ground were killed. Today, you would walk in and not even wonder of its past. It’s a parish church, with all the weddings, christenings, and of course funerals you would expect.

A Vote & A Smoke

Tonight we make history. Regardless of which way you vote, our only hope is for change. We have watched half of the Bush reign from Europe, and have been amazed at how the image, stature, and strength of the US has descended in the world. Take any topic you like – the US dollar is at unimaginable lows (even with the latest surge), the approval rate of Bush is 23% which is the lowest of any president of all time, local costs of gas and food are the highest in memory, and the war in Iraq looks to be worse and worse every day. Yes, change would do some good. So if you are an American, I hope you voted. If you aren’t, grab a smoke here, and for that matter a drink (a few of them), and watch the results while hoping for change throughout the night.

Old Bavarian Ladies

At the West end of town, overlooking the remains of what was Octoberfest, lie some of the most beautiful Art Nouveau buildings in the city, possibly even Germany given Munich’s popularity during the rising of the Art Nouveau movement throughout Europe. The buildings, most of which were built in the late 1800s, are imposing yet find a way to fit into the Munich skyline. Because of their location outside the altstadt, many of these gems escaped bombing during WWII. Over the past 10-15 years, many of these buildings have been split up into apartment buildings and high end legal offices. If you get the chance, now that Octoberfest has moved on, take a walk along these quiet gentle giants.

Border Patrol

With Munich so close to Italy, you see all kinds of these Piaggio scooters, but this is the first I’ve ever seen one with the Italian Flag colors painted across its front side. But then the juxtaposition of the Italian scooter with the very Bavarian Pretzels, was too good to pass up. Talk about a real culture clash. I suppose the way to think about it, is that Bavarians are somewhere between Germans and Italians. For centuries they’ve been crafting their own personality – one that merges laid back Mediterranean lifestyle with true German efficiency.

Gateway to Italy

The Sendlinger Gate, one of the three remaining gates in Munich, once led to the lucrative trade route to Italy. The oldest of the remaining gates, was first mentioned in 1318, and represented the outer city wall. Once, the gate supported a main tower in the middle, which was destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century, but two hexagonal side towers and walls were restored in 1850. Another substantial change was the removal of three arches and creation of one large arch – which was made in 1906. Some around Munich, argue that there is a fourth gate – which is the Siegestor (or Victory) gate, which is at the intersection of Leopod and Ludwig Strasse, and seperates Schwabing with Maxvorstadt. Despite its likeness to the other three (Isartor, Karlstor, and Sendlinger), it is the only one that did not represent the original city walls.

Feed the Lion

Having been to Octoberfest several times, I can attest that the waitresses indeed deliver 4 liter-size beers per hand, but rarely are they this provocative. Lowenbrau (or Lion’s beer), one of the major breweries in Munich, has a popular ad campaign that always shows people having a good time out at the beer gardens. It often leads with a play on words or some hidden connotations, and this one is no exception – as Feed the Lion (or at least that is what my broken German gets me). Regardless, it is now the weekend and a hot one at that in Munich, so be sure to get out to one of these beer gardens and enjoy.

Tulip Town

It seems overnight, the entire city of Munich is filled with Tulips. In every platz, every city square, and in front of every public building – you find tulips. I’m not sure the rhyme or the reason, but it really brings the city to life and ensures everyone knows it’s time to break out of the winter hibernation. This particular scene is taken from what I believe is one of Munich’s more beautiful areas – Gartnerplatz. And the building in the background is the City Theatre, which has been used as an opera house since it was designed in 1865. Since that time, it has been Munich’s second opera house after the National Theatre, and in fact has stayed much truer to its calling of Opera. It’s one of Germany’s most active theatres with more than 200 performances each year.