Spring Forward

Today is the dreaded time change. While having an extra hour of day light is nice, it also means waking an hour earlier, which can be difficult to get used to.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mad Scientist

Bright colors aren't often seen in the city. People prefer the city uniform of dark tones and mostly black. It's interesting to see splashes of rebellion on one of my favorite streets.

Street Art

Munich's street art scene isn't as thriving as say, Berlin. There are a few exceptions - under bridges, and on Tumblingerstaße near the Poccistraße subway stop, which holds many fascinating treasures.

Wiesn's end

An event 200 years in the making comes to a completion today. We didn't beat the 1985 record of 7.5 million visitors. This year there were 6.4 million visitors, who consumed 7 million Maß. Only one statistic for beer is available from the olden days... in 1887 more than 71,000 gallons (268,764 Litres) were consumed by 200,000 people or less.

U-Bahn Strikes

Since September 24th the DBB (U-bahns, tram, and bus services) have been striking in Bavaria. It's been most paralyzing here in Munich where visitors have had to find other means of navigating their way to Theresienwiese. Thankfully the strike was discontinued this morning for family day at the Wiesn. It's possible the strike will continue, although the MVG is hoping that doesn't happen until after Oktoberfest is over.

The most recent updates on closures and delays can be found on the MVG site.

Süddeutsche Horses

As one can imagine many area businesses use Oktoberfest as a money making and advertising venture. In this case the Süddeutsche Zeitung had a beautifully decorated horse pulled trolley that went through the Oktoberfest grounds and into the city.

Landsberger Str.

The public transportation hasn't been overrun even with the looming U-Bahn strike. Locals seemed to get off at Hackerbrücke S-bahn stop while tourists exited at the Hauptbahnhof. People dressed in their Oktobefest best still find walking is an easier way to avoid the crowds or perhaps they are trying to get some fresh air while they can.

Honey

Bees are not a very common sight in the city, especially since 20% of the one million colonies didn't survive the winter, which as been blamed on the Varroa mite. Some beekeepers have even gone as far as stealing other keeper's hives.

It looks as though bees are becoming even more valuable in Germany, because some airports have gone as far as using bees to detect local air quality.

Surprisingly there is a very large variety of honey available in Germany in varieties as varied as avocado and lavender, which makes a unique gift to bring someone.

A Bit of Istanbul in Munich

Just blocks South from the Central Train Station is the neighborhood of Ludwigsvorstadt, one known as the international section of the city. And when I say International in Munich, it generally means the Arabic part of town. It is estimated that Munich has a Muslim population of approx. 100,000, representing about 7.5% of the total Munich population of 1.34M (and well above the 5% German average - which is second highest in Western Europe behind France & the Netherlands). Munich's largest ethnic group is Turkish with 43,000 residents, and Albanian with 30,000 residents. I find this neighborhood (pictured here with St. Paul's Church in the background) fascinating because it is something you will not find in most US cities. To contrast this with the US, Muslims represent less than 1% of the total population. While there, you can find all the Middle Eastern foods and craft products, as well as hundreds of other businesses that cater primarily to the Muslim world of Munich.

Thank God is Friday

The weekend couldn't come soon enough, especially as the days get shorter leading into the Christmas season. We already see good friends leaving back home to be with family for the holidays. I came across this tombstone in the Old South Cemetary, which doubles as one of the largest parks in Munich. The cemetary was actually founded in 1563 outside the city walls for victims of the plague, and also became the main burial ground for those killed in the Sendling Uprising of 1705 in which 1100 people were killed after surrending to troops of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor. Hundreds of notable Munich residents are burried here, and now a 3 year project to restore damaged monuments (as you can see in the photo) is recently completed.

Iran on the Isar

More than 500 protesters marched the streets of Munich today hoping to sound their unrest over the recent elections in Iran. I snapped this photo as the protesters passed by Ludwigvorstadt, the self-proclaimed middle-eastern part of town with large populations of Turkish-German residents. Yet the crowd was certainly a mix of people in terms of age, race, political beliefs, etc. I think it’s always interesting to see foreign communities in Munich step up to ensure their voice is heard – especially given that Munich is so structured around conforming. Unfortunately the situation in Iran became worse as the day progressed, with government police using a mix of tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters in Tehran.

The Morning Paper

Given the high percentage of Munich residents who speak English comfortably, I have been surprised at how difficult it is to keep up with Munich News in English. There are fantastic news sources for all of Germany, including Deutsche Welle and Spiegel, as well as less known sources such as Google News and Expatica German News for the American slant. One site that does bill itself as a local source is the Local News, but I find coverage much more focused on sports. I would be very interested in whether you know of any other sources for Munich specific news in English. If all else fails, my best bet is to just punch the local paper into Windows Live Translator. It’s not ideal but does give me 70%+ of the information. I guess this is a reminder to brush up on my German.

Kinder Care

For 200 years the organizations that make up the University of Munich Children’s hospital have been providing care, research and education for children’s health. The clinic provides everything from emergency care, outpatient, as well as specialties around Cardiology, Diabetes and many others. It is one of four Emergency room centers in Munich for children and more than 10 general centers. I just couldn’t resist this photo of the three kinders, which was clearly from a different era. I also couldn’t resist the opportunity to say that if you ever have an emergency, the equivalent of the US’ 911 is dialing 112 in Munich.

Weather Beaten

I caught this glimpse of a worn wooden window cover on Bavariaring, next to the Theresienwiesen. It is where one of Europe’s biggest parties, the Octoberfest, takes place. I was attracted to the great colors, but also by the interesting contrast between the worn thin window, and the amazing mansion it was attached to. The neighborhood of Ludwigvorstadt is no stranger to turn-of-the-century estates, but the ones that line Theresienweisen are some of the finest in Munich. If you're looking for other fantastic buildings, check out the mansions lining the East side of the Isar River in Haidhausen or Bogenhausen. Most of these today are used as foreign embassies or turned into offices.

Germanic Amazon

The Bavaria Statue represents the patron saint of Bavaria, standing more than 60 feet above Theresienwiese where the annual Octoberfest is held. The statue weighs 87 tons, and at times you can climb the 66 stairs within the statue to see the view over Munich. Standing next to Bavaria is a lion, the symbol of Bavaria. Both were commissioned by the mad King Ludwig the II, who had an incredible impact on the Munich we know today. What caught my eye about this picture was how the two men appear to be approaching the statue as if to be crowned with the oak wreath. Today, the Teresienwiese is one of the few wide open (non-park) spaces within Munich.