Afternoon glow

While the trees are still awakening from the never ending Winter slumber the surfers are not... especially with good weather to enjoy the wave. It's the perfect day to skip out of work a little early and meet some friends at a local biergarten or to take your surfboard over to the Eisbach.

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.

Painting

Munich is always a patron to the arts and right now the entire city resembles a Bob Ross painting. The happy little trees are glowing everywhere and the vibrant colors are an inspiration to artists and nature lovers.

Long Weekend

The city always appreciates an extended weekend with Monday off from work. Fortunately we've also been having a steady warm spell, which means several biergartens have been open. That is certainly an excellent treat during Halloween weekend.

Biking Bar

The biking bar seems to be spotted all over the city these days. It's a jovial way to get some exercise and enjoy some fun with friends. The novelty probably wears off quickly when they discover they could drink beer with less exertion.

The city's drivers are probably not too pleased to have another obstacle to avoid on the streets, but don't worry - the person steering the bike is sober.

Japanfest

This past weekend was the Japanfest at the Japanese Tea House in the English Garden. It is interesting to see how different cultures celebrate and how their culture gets reinterpreted.

Ikebana, Japanese foods, traditional clothing, and the manga subculture were out in full force. There were plenty people partaking in 'cosplay' complete with circle contact lenses in an array of colors, including pink and white. I prefer to see the beautiful kimonos and appreciate the more traditional aspects of the festival.

Kocherl Ball

Munich is certainly a city of traditions. Waking up before the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning might not sound like a lot of fun, however joining over 10,000 of the city's revelers in enjoying a candle light breakfast and merry making at the Chinese Tower is definitely worth losing some sleep.

The annual cooks ball was once a time for the servants, help, and cooks to slip away for a celebration. It has now turned into a chic see and be seen event with some very elaborate costumes and plenty of dancing and drinks to go around.

Happy Fourth of July

A group of American expats celebrate an impromptu independence day event.  Where else?  But at the beer gardens in Munich.  There is an estimated 350,000 Americans expats in Munich, significantly more during Oktoberfest, of course.  So happy 234th birthday to the US, and happy celebration to all those Americans abroad.  Of course, in Munich the US consulate always has an official event, but I think you’re better off choosing your favorite beer garden, where the kids can play and the adults can gather. That’s the beauty of a US celebration in Munich.

Join the Club

It’s Saturday, so it’s time to go with the flow.  Hang 10 on one of the best (actually the only) wave in Munich.  It’s a single wave caused by an outflow in the English Gardens, which happens to be perfect for surfing.  I’ve shown it many times here, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a shirt to celebrate this cult following in land-locked Munich.  It mixes images of beer bottles with the Bavarian lions – holding a surf board.  This is the topic of movies, and is extremely popular in Munich.  Large crowds gather to watch these renegade surfers – especially given that surfing in Munich has always been Illegal.  And with good reason, as there are points where cement blocks lie only inches below the water.  But the locals know exactly how to navigate the local waters, and now have a T-shirt to commemorate it.

Hang 20, Good Buddy!

Who cares if it’s illegal?  Who cares if it’s dangerous?  Who cares if it’s the hottest sight in town?  Nothing is going to keep this pooch off his board, as he hangs out with the renegade cult which is the Eiasbach.  You know, those guys who surf just where downtown meets the English Garden and makes a single perfect surfing wave.  So the buzz on the street is that for the first time in years, this strange sort of Urban surfing has been made legal – just about two weeks ago.  I mean everyone ignored the law anyway, but it’s still an interesting shift by the authorities. Well that explains that everyone and their dog is now coming out to the surf scene.  Can anyone confirm that it is now legal to surf in the English Garden?

Do the Walk of Life

A long trail of locals map out across the frozen plain of the English Garden.  With the sun shining bright, locals took to the parks on Sunday, and with good reason.  The Beer gardens were all open and ready for business.  Even the outdoor beer gardens did a steady business.  The other good news is you are much less likely to see naked men in the park these days.  Something to be thankful for.  The English Garden is one of the places in Munich that successfully blends urban and rural living, with nearly 4 square KM of parkland leading from concrete forest to real forest.

An Intimate Dinner for (Thirty) Two

In the heart of the Bavarian National Museum you can find one of the most important and impressively preserved silver settings of the 18th century. The dinner service of Hildesheim's Prince Bishop, Freidrich Wilhelm of Westphalia is beutifully preserved, and gives insight into the life of royalty at the time. The Bavarian museum is an amazing hodge podge of Bavaria - from 17th and 18th century musical instruments, to impressive models of entire cities, from fine porcelain to Baroque paintings, from armor knights of the middle ages to Renaissance statues.

Overall, the museum collection seemed a bit random, as you couldn't tell how one room connected with the next. With that said, it was the building that was one of the most impressive parts of the museum.

The Colors of Christmas

Christmas in Bavaria is about snow and it's about Chriskindl Markets. This year, we are finally getting both - as snow has been falling for the past week. You can find markets set up all over town, in nearly every neighborhood. If there is an open platz, there is a Chriskindl Market. This past weekend, we actually took the train two hours to Salzburg to see the market there, and while it was big and spectacular, it was also overwhelming with what seemed to be millions of people. I understand Nurenburg (2 hours from Munich) is actually the largest and most well known in Germany. But I think we'll skip that one, because there's no shortage to experience around Munich and surrounding villages. In the end, after you've seen the nice ornaments, creatively built wooden toys, and the decorative arts; the Chriskindl markets are really about bundling up, getting together with friends, and sipping Gluwein. You don't have to travel two hours on a train for that. Just pick your neighborhood gathering.

An Apollo’s auf Wiedersehen

One of the most popular spots in the English Garden is Apollo's Temple or Monopteros, the iconic temple atop a hill overlooking downtown. Last night at sunset, it was crowded as nice weather brought people out from around Munich. Despite the crowds, this couple was able to capture a moment of solace to watch the sunset (I mean aside from me taking the photo). The Greek style temple was designed by Leo Von Klenze, the court architect to Bavarian King Ludwig I, responsible for most of the Greek rivival buildings around Munich - the Ruhmeshalle overlooking the Octoberfest grounds, the Glyptothek and Alte Pinakotethek museums, Ludwigstrasse, and the Residenz. The 15m hill that the temple is built upon was actually man-made in 1832, using leftover building materials from the recent work on the Residenz.

Backpacking Through Europe

This site brings new meaning to this pop-culture term. The view is part of an exhibit at the Haus der Kunst at the base of the English Gardens. You may remember this museum as the one made famous by Adolf Hitler for his showcase of German "approved" art and today is made famous for beinging anything but nationalistic art. Instead, it stays on the cutting edge of showing some of the more innovative modern art travelling through Munich. The current exhibit from Chinese artist, Al Weiwei, is no exception. For the facade of the museum, he collected 9000 backpacks in five different colors to represent the number of children who were killed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The design makes up the sentence in Chinese, "...for seven years she lived happily on this earth." - a sentence in which a mother of one of the earthquake victims commemorated her daughter.

Night Rider

As if surfing on the Eisbad was not crazy enough. If you've read this post before, you know the story. A perfect wave is created as a leg of the Isar River enters the English Garden, making a perfect ampitheatre for the surfers, and onlookers above. The downside is it's incredibly dangerous, as there are rocks only milimeters below the water surface at some points. Add to this the craziness of surfing at night. We walked by to find the surf illumiated by floodlights and a generator last weekend, with no shortage of surfers. Are these guys mad? Maybe. They disregard the "danger of death" signs posted near by and so do the cops. This is a signature of Munich, and I hope it stays this way. Stay safe out there.

Surfs Up…At Least for Now

I’ve posted about the world famous Eisbach in downtown Munich before. Apparently, the concept and sport of river surfing was invented in Munich, back in 1972 on several points along the Isar River. Over the years, the wave at Eisbach has been modified to create a perfect standing wave, which is about 1 meter high and only 12 meters wide. There are constant battles between experienced surfers and beginners, as the Eisbach is quite dangerous and the regulars know that any severe accidents could shut them down for good. The river surfing has always been illegal, but has never been enforced. Apparently there is a better wave for beginners in Flosslande, near Thalkirchen U-Bahn station, and a third wave on the Isar near the bridge Wittlesbacherbruke – but only on flood levels.

Happy Fourth of July

Of course there wasn’t all that much to celebrate on fourth of July in Munich. You had your customary party at the Hard Rock Munich (I actually didn’t know there was a Hard Rock in Munich), and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys gave a big concert. The Democrats abroad also organized an event, most likely at a beer garden – which is more Bavarian than American – but hey…there was beer involved so perhaps we have more in common than we thought. And I suppose if you are an American living in Munich, you likely received a nice message from the American Consulate in Munich (as pictured here). I actually tried to take a more interesting photo of the building, but it’s one of the least attractive buildings in town, with the customary cement pylons surrounding it. With that said, it is the most efficient working American consulate in the world. Think American friendliness with German efficiency. We were told it would take 2 weeks for a new passport, which we then received amazingly in 2 days. Now that everything is done by appointment, it’s even more pleasant. The American consulate in Paris had an average of 200 people in it every time you entered. So I guess there is something for Americans to celebrate after all in Munich. As for the fireworks, you will have to wait til New years.

Oh So Bavarian

When it comes to finding a lust for life, Bavarians certainly have it down when it comes to drinking beer. For an American who is used to largely “dry” states, it actually takes some getting used to (but I’m adjusting quite well – don’t you worry). Everywhere you go you find a beergarden, and when one doesn’t exist you just make one as you go – at picnics, school events, or even church functions. You simply don’t have events in Munich without beer. So I laughed when I saw this party coach. Pulled by a pair of horses, this group of revelers (quite the characters, let me add) rolled through the English Garden with the keg only inches away. Ah…beer fuels life in Bavaria.

King for the Day

May 21st in Germany is not only Ascension Thursday, it’s also Father’s Day. So father’s throughout Deutschland were treated like kings – even if only for the day. In general, Father’s Day is celebrated with family activities, and this one was no different. This father spent his holiday at the Hirschau beergarden in the English Garden. In Germany, and in Munich in particular – they’ve really figured something out, and that is beer gardens. Hirschau (which is a fantastic beer garden with much fewer tourist than the more popular See Haus) for example, has a wonderful play park for the kids that is situated right next to the beer garden with really only one entrance & exit. Much like the French have figured out bread, cheese, and wine; in Munich they’ve figured out fried food, amazing amounts of beer, and the casual dining experience with kids that we’ve come to know and love.