I'm chomping at the bit for our upcoming vacation - we haven't taken time off in over 6 months. But despite the lack of a real holiday, this past Summer was great. Munich has a lot to offer and it doesn't take extraordinary measures to take advantage of it. The Alps are only 90 minutes away, the Isar river runs right through the city (and lakes are not far either), plus there are a continuous stream of local events and fairs. NOTE: I've exchanged emails with a lot of you recently after you visited this site -- if you come visit I'll really set up some great things to do and see!
Some summer highlights...
Spring Skiing
OK, so it's not actually summertime, but on March 20 we went to Austria for a day of skiing. Our last ski-day of the season, although you can ski on glaciers much later. In the photo you can see an instructor with a student in the foreground, an Alpine hut on the left (ski right up to it and get some schnitzel and mulled wine), and a gorgeous backdrop of Tirolean peaks. A good ramp down to Winter and transition to warmer weather.
Bayern Munich Soccer Games
In the German Bundesliga, Bayern Munich is basically the New York Yankees. They have the highest payroll, most stars, a beautiful stadium, plus long & rich tradition and the most championships in history. And like the Yankees, fans love 'em or hate 'em. This photo is an action-shot of a corner kick at the Allianz Arena... in between sips of beer and bites of bratwurst. Bayern beat Bochum 3-1.
The World Cup
Bayern Munich has its fanatics and haters, but when the German National Team plays, everyone goes bonkers rooting them on. The best option to see the World Cup games is outdoors in the biergartens, where they put up big screens and speakers for every game. The atmosphere is an interesting combination of energy and relaxation. This photo is the large Augustiner Biergarten, not far from the main train station, where we watched the the U.S. and Ghana.
Canoeing on the Isar
When the weather got really hot, we took a canoe down the Isar river. It is so easy here: get on a train for 45 minutes to a town upstream, walk to the launch point, and push off. Some people bring inflatable rafts on the train, others rent a canoe (and owners put it on a trailer to take it back). We stopped for a swim and lunch, and finally "landed" around 4pm.
Hiking in the Alps
Two hikes stood out this summer. The first was through a river-gorge near Garmisch, the Partnachklamm. This is especially nice because you take the train south and avoid traffic, and it's different that a "to-the-top" trail. The second was up to a small peak called Breitenstein. Great weather for both outings, and there are always huts along the way serving food and drink.
Fairs and Street Festivals
It's good practice for Oktoberfest that Munich has summer fairs and street events. Here, you see the devotion to grilled wurst - over real charcoal. The second is in this post for a different reason... it looks like a typical carnival ride, but check out the background graphic. Not exactly NSFW, but shows you the tolerance Germans have for, um, exposure, at a family-oriented activity!
Schnitzelbahn
This summer also marked the start of this web site, and the beginning of our beer tournament. This picture shows the collection of 64 German beers for the tournament. A labor of love. Thanks for visiting!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 9:00 
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;){kind=link}