München
Herzlich Willkommen in München! Endlich habe ich eine Post über München geschrieben. Oft unterhalten wir uns über unseren Urlaub in der Klasse, deshalb will ich hier von München erzählen.
I have finally decided to post about München, after about 5 months since we left that wondrous city, the heart of Germany as some would affectionately call it. In my German Language class, we spend a considerable proportion of our time discussing about our holidays and what we did - 'Was hast du gemacht?' - and therefore I've decided to pay a tribute to this charming place called München. (the paragraph above this one is not a complete translation of this paragraph, in case you are wondering)
I have finally decided to post about München, after about 5 months since we left that wondrous city, the heart of Germany as some would affectionately call it. In my German Language class, we spend a considerable proportion of our time discussing about our holidays and what we did - 'Was hast du gemacht?' - and therefore I've decided to pay a tribute to this charming place called München. (the paragraph above this one is not a complete translation of this paragraph, in case you are wondering)
You know who's big in Europe? Kylie Minogue, that's who - her posters are plastered everywhere across the continent. 'Die Stadt wird heiß' translates into 'the city will be hot' - a reference, obviously, to the new apparel brands.
Marienplatz (pronounced 'ma-e-yearn-plarzt') - the central town square from which most walking tours start. The thing about München is that it's a fusion of both modernity and history, even though it sustained heavy damage in the Second World War - cobblestones stretching across the plaza, beside glass-paned apparel stores.
Still wondering what the crowd was gazing at in amazement in the opening shot? It's the famous Glockenspiel!
The story goes: when the church was in the midst of construction, the Devil himself actually visited it and stood on this exact same spot. He observed that from where he stood, no light could actually be seen. Thus, he promised to fund the construction since he envisioned that this church would be dark, miserable and utterly conducive for the desecration of whatever piousness or religiosity that people would have. However, if he had bothered to step aside and ventured a few paces forward...
...upon returning to the fully constructed church, the Devil was so enraged that the priest who received his funding actually managed to trick the Devil himself - he stamped his foot in anger (leaving the footprint) and left, never to return!
Apparently, that's King Ludwig, whose apparent fascination with a prostitute's bosom led to his abdication. Lola Montez was of lowly status, but was given an honorary title because she married Ludwig. The locals became infuriated with the audacity of the king, inciting protestations that forced Ludwig to concede more and more till he had to abandon Lola (who died in the arms of a priest) and abdicate in the 1848 revolutions.
The holy grail! Das Hofbrauhaus - possibly the most talked-about locale for those crazy, beer-guzzling American backpackers, whose main objective while travelling across Europe is to seek out the cheapest beer and the wildest parties. Apparently, it opens at 11am and Bavarians stream in and out the whole day, consuming beer in great, great quantities. Their beer mugs are huge - one guy we met at Interlaken actually showed 2 of those to us! Did he buy them? He cheekily quipped that his friends snuck those out during one night.Don't assume that all Germans love beer, or the same brew - that's one very serious misconception. Regional identities feature prominently in Germany, and Bavarians are better known for their beer-guzzling capabilities, Oktoberfest and the notorious Lederhosen! To use an analogy, every individual German likes a unique variant of brew. Hence, the reason behind federal parliaments, why North Germans can't fully understand Bavarians - not only the language but prejudices too - and why the nation is such a diverse hodgepodge of cultures, identities and personalities!
Biergarten - the beer gardens under which locals sit, talk and enjoy their daily mug!
Aerial view of the city.
I could luxuriate in the roadside cafes all day long in München - conscientiously scribbling musings, rifling through editorials, relishing literature and prose - all while sipping on coffee or beer, people-watching and just basking in the cool, comforting pace of things.
München - ich liebe dich!
Labels:
Globetrotting
1 spoke up:
you make me want to go back, harrison! :(
thanks for the wonderful stories about munchen... i never stayed long enough in that city to do any story-absorbing... wish i could go back...
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