Munich... april 1-4, 2007

Like Berlin, there's a Free Munich tour and its emphasis was on beer because that is what Munich is all about! The number one tourist attraction, Glockenspiel, has figures of barrel-makers to store beer. Biergartens (beer gardens) everywhere... Dreamy smiles on recollecting Oktoberfest... you get the idea, anyway, below is a pictorial view of this pretty city, restored to its medieaval beauty after the war.

http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/MunichTour

I find Munich a little contradicting. Munich comes from the word meaning monks, because its beginnings came about from the settlements of monks. This is why one symbol of this beer-loving city is a boy-monk, another is the lion. This Catholic city was presided over the bishop who is now the current pope -- Benedict XIV. His church was rumoured to be built by the devil due to its rapid construction.

A look through the new pope's old church.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/NewPopeOldChurch

We had a wonderful dinner in the oldest brewery -- Hofbrauhaus or Royal Brewing House. Breweries are the favourite meeting spots in Munich with regulars having a place to lock up their beer mugs! We had Schweinehaxn (pork knuckles) and of course, beer.

They DO lock up their beer mugs!The guys looking each other in the eye because it is said that if you don't, you'll suffer from bad sex for 7 years! Sauerkraut, Germans' main vegetable dishPork knuckles with potato dumplings... I prefer Chinese roast pork but the dumplings were sepcially tasty!

Neuchwanstein Castle is to rip tourists off. Expensive, no photography, poor guide and limited access. It is enough to photograph outside this castle that inspired Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. Walk around and admire the lovely view around. A visit to King Ludwig's other castle -- Linderhof, would be more rewarding. I been there when I was little and the grotto in the basement still lingers.

Scenic spot...

Castle King Ludwig grew up in...

This is the castle that inspired Sleeping Beauty's!

Waterfall nearby

The trip up to Germany's highest peak, Zugspitze, was once in a lifetime. The view was brilliant and the skiing was unforgettable. The snow and lake was dreamy but the skiing was something else. I enjoyed skiing around little slopes. Then we saw the gadgets bringing people higher up and we had to try it. Whoosh... whee... it was fun being pulled up.

Zugspitze, highest peak in Germany

Me skiing... very slowly and carefully...Lydia finally has enough snow to make snowman!The fun thing that pulls one up... not so fun going down though
Then we don't know how to get down. Skiing was too scary, so we struggled down and were so afraid we had to spend the night up the mountain if we missed the cable and tram. We DID miss it, the cable was out of order but a blessing in disguise as the cafe there gave all free food and drinks during the wait... haha!

Anyway, I made it down all in one piece to meet Yip and Zhang Er on the streets the next day and Ruoling and Lifang in their hostel later that night. It's very warming to meet old friends unexpectedly. Hope they're having as much fun as me!