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.

ZOB

Snow covers the Zentral Omnibus Bahnhof as scattered snow storms and freezing temps sweep through the region. This intergalactic looking building houses one of the bus stations of Munich (the other being way out at the Allianz Arena). Soon it will transform into more of a business park with the next door Skygarden, which had an open house Friday evening.

Social Experiment

Each time I visit the airport I seem to encounter an interesting phenomenon. Being the diligent law abiding citizen I always buy my S-bahn ticket, however a day ticket is a few cents more than a one way. Once I arrive at the airport it never seems to fail that it's next to impossible to give the ticket away. I've tried more than once. I'm not looking for payment, but here it seems the kindness of strangers is looked upon with extreme caution. I guess it goes under the same file as no 'leave a cent, take a cent' container at cash registers. Instead you just receive the 'German stare'.

Paleontology

Getting out in the cold wet weather can take some effort, however there are really impressive things to see indoors. The Paleontology Museum always fascinates me, because they hold classes there for university students and they have interesting little treasures all around the building, like this ancient little marine crab from Verona (Munich's twin / sister city).

Vending

If you've traversed through the Hauptbahnhof lately you may have noticed this small machine tucked in the corner near the Kardstadt S-bahn entrance. Looking more similar to something you'd find in Japan is this vending machine filled with electronic gadgets for those that need instant gratification. Inside are hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, ipods, cameras, and headphones. Maybe it's only time before we get one similar to Nürnberg's that has detergent and kitty litter as well.

Olympic Preparations

While we're not certain if the Winter olympics will come our way we're still doing things the German way - being ultra prepared and having a finesse for detailed engineering. This is an image of the plans near the construction area at the Olympic Park. I'm not entirely certain what they have going on there, but the subterranean shell looks mighty interesting. I'm curious where it will have foot traffic, similar to the Opera House in Oslo. The latest stat is that 60% of the area wants the Olympics. We'll see if the other 40% can be swayed with Katarina Witt's campaign.

Big Top

Tucked away behind the ZOB bus station and the Hackbrücke S-bahn stop is the Zirkus Crone, where faint scents of animals can occasionally be smelled during the warmer months. The arena has everything from Europe's largest circus to intimate concerts and performances. It's interesting to see this venue be used for such varied shows. Now if only I could get a job working as a trapeze artist then I'd be set.

Biblical Naming

Bavarian born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, now known as Pope Benedict XVI hails from Bavaria. He was anointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1977 and later became Cardinal. If a trip to the Vatican isn't in the cards his bronzed bust can be visited at the Frauenkirche. Clearly Munich is always in his prayers.

Lately Pope Benedict been in the news because of his comments on wishing people would return to using Biblical when naming their children. The most popular names for 2010 in Germany were Mia (coming from Maria) and Leon and in Bavaria they included Lena and Maximillian.

Where's Winter?

While much of the world is suffering through the Winter, flooding, and all around bad weather we've been showered with a bit of sun and unseasonably warm days. It's the perfect time get the bikes out of storage and enjoy some outdoor exercise or perhaps stumble upon something new.

So Not Berlin

The city occasionally has thought provoking stickers and graffiti. It's funny to see a sticker stating 'so not Berlin' considering street art is very much Berlin. Is that a slight towards Munich placed by someone from Berlin or rather a sense of pride in not being 'unrefined' Berlin?

While Munich and Berlin are often the antithesis of one another, each city seems to have loads of heimat pride. It's interesting to note the dichotomy between the two. Sometimes they seem like feuding siblings: homogenous vs. diverse, village vs. metropolis, old vs. new... the list goes on.

Staunch supporters can be found on both sides and newcomers to the city will often find themselves being asked by residents the loaded question, 'How do you like it here?'. Proceed with caution.

Streets of Culture

One of the joys of walking through the Fußgängerzone of Kaufingerstraße is stumbling upon street performers and talents from around the world. Here two throat singers give onlookers reason for pause as their interesting sounds reverberate through the air.

Student of Life

Being a perpetual student doesn't always require formally attending a school or university, but being willing to poke around and explore foreign areas of the city. This is the atrium of LMU, which is one of Germany's most prestigious universities. Does anyone know anything about the organ?

Lost Luggage

Hopefully everyone had a well rested holiday and avoided the airport chaos. This was the scene as I was leaving Munich. Seeing as though our fine city fared better than many others I can only imagine the delays and lost baggage people encountered elsewhere.

Frohe Weihnachten

Without being politically incorrect I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season. Whether or not everyone celebrates Christmas is besides the point since Bavaria itself is very Catholic. This time of year it's wonderful for reflection and certainly everyone can appreciate the slower pace of life to enjoy family, friends, foods, and fun. The important things in life.

I will be enjoying those things as well and will spend much of the holidays in foreign lands, so I will resume posting after the New Year. Safe and happy holidays to everyone and thank you for your support!

Frozen Bar

Not much of the city's snow lingers, except where a restaurant has made a snow bar outside. Much of Europe and Germany remains to be struggling with the snow and delayed flights. Here's to hoping you're all safely where you will be celebrating Christmas or any another festive holiday.

Tollwood

The heavily trafficked, but not heavily touristed, Tollwood helps to make use of the Oktoberfest grounds throughout December. It's a very different type of Christmas market centering more around hand made items, green living, and more global outlook. There are many vendors selling foods and wares from different cultures. It's worth checking out, especially since it's interesting to see the dichotomy between conservative Bavaria and it's more liberal corners. Tollwood is open until the end of the year culminating with a New Years Eve bash.

O Tannenbaum

People search for the perfect Christmas tree in the middle of the city. Nordmanns appear to be quite popular, although the trees come in many varieties, shapes, and sizes.

Traditionally the tree is put up on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, and may remain until the 7th of January. Many Christmas traditions date back to Germany, however it seems like a lot of rushing around on Christmas Eve between getting a tree ready, having a visit from Christkind, going to Mass, and figuring out how to have time to cook something for dinner. Many families traditionally have wurst, which seems a bit uneventful.

Horse Drawn Carriage

A young girl greets the horses at the Chinese Tower Christmas market where they take people on a ride through the park. It's certainly worth going for a stroll through our very own Winter Wonderland, which will soon give way to unseasonably warm weather.

Naughty & Nice

The Krampus weren't through with Munich just yet. On lookers appreciated the run through the city, although many children were slightly traumatized. I can only imagine what those who never heard of this tradition thought about these demonic looking creatures wrecking havoc. The tourists seemed to enjoy it nonetheless.

Munich 2018

The 2018 Winter Olympic campaign was in full effect in the Marienhof complete with a hot air balloon today. Somewhat ironic is the area where the balloon is currently standing will be demolished in the coming months to make way for the new S-bahn line that has Haidhausen in an uproar.

While plenty of people would gladly love to host the olympics here, thus making it the first city to host both summer and winter olympics, farmers in Garmisch-Partenkirchen are already stating they won't be giving up their land.

It's a rocky start to the bid and clearly will be interesting to see what happens. The winner will be announced 6 July 2011. Other areas in the running include Annecy, France and Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Simply spent

Kaufingerstraße is blanketed with snow and pedestrians as they scavenge the shops for the perfect gift. It's easy to get wrapped up in the season of giving that quickly turns to consumerism, however time is the most precious gift that can't be bought, but simply spent.

S-bahn freeze

With day after day of snow and freezing temperatures some of the S-bahns have had issues running on schedule. It looks like the coming week will create more sludge and leave us all guessing as to whether or not this will be a white Christmas.

Cirkus Krone

Dedicated fans lined up in the freezing temperatures before entering the Cirkus Krone to watch local band and Munich favorite Sportfreunde Stiller in their last tour performance of the year. This venue traditionally houses Europe's largest circus and provides a very unique concert site.

Costs of Christmas

While recently perusing a German financial magazine I read a small blurb stating many market vendors make 50,000 euros during the Christmas Markets, proving this is certainly a big business. It does make sense considering the glühwein mark up is so steep. Many of the christmas wares are also imported from less expensive countries, like Poland.

Manger Markt

One of Germany's largest Manger markets is located at the Rindermarkt. There people can stock up on the most intricate pieces to add to their sprawling mangers. Those accents don't come cheap. Pictured here a small metal milk jug costs 3 euros.

Shortly before the year 1600 is when the Christmas mangers started to make their appearance in Munich. Some cities around Germany even have living nativities.

Those with an interest in these carefully planned nativities may enjoy the Krippenweg tours around the churches downtown, which goes until early February 2011.

Weihnachtsmann

Santa, Christkind, and Nicholas are characters that don't always bridge cultural boundaries. In Germany, Christkind brings the gifts, Nicholas visits on December 6th, and Santa is only seen on packaging - or occasionally wheeling his blinking tricked out bike through Marienplatz.

Shopping Exodus

Shoppers in the city are out in full force. It's a good thing glühwein stands are only a few steps away from the heavily trafficked stores, because continually bumping into people is slightly more tolerable with a warm mulled wine in your hand provided it doesn't spill, of course.

Winter Fruits

Cherries, clementines, pomegranates, and fresh dates seem to be the fruits of choice through the winter months. Christmas is a time of simple pleasures and an excuse to splurge on luxury ingredients.

Christmas Wishes

The German stuffed toy company Steiff always puts on a show in the downtown store front windows. The scenes include moving animals and adorable children deciding the gifts they hope Christkind brings. Here's to hoping they aren't too disappointed when the toys don't move on their own.

Lebkuchen

While the Christmas markets must be visited to truly be experienced, lebkuchen and glühwein spices are easy gifts to send to loved ones that aren't able to be here. There are an endless variety of Christmas cookies available, although it appears some grocery stories have any already dwindling stock.

Learning to Skate

Getting onto the ice can be tricky, but it's the perfect family evening activity. Even smaller children get a bit of assistance from the pushable polar bears that offer a bit of support.

Christmas glow

The view from the Alte Peter down below is quite beautiful at this time of year. The markets radiate and through the next couple days we'll have nicer weather making it not so cold way up high. It's a great place to go to see the city glow.