Hopping onto a sleek, modern train in the early morning, I embark on the final 
leg of my trip to Munich.  Looking through my travel guide, it looks like the 
sites of interest consist mainly of beer gardens.  I'm not much of a drinker, 
but I am interested in the beer culture and the allure of Oktoberfest.

My first stop is the huge Augustinerkeller beer garden.  I've arrived at opening 
time, so I wander the grounds.  The grounds are closed right now as the weather 
is colder, but it is essentially a park made for drinking.  There is a faint 
smell of beer in the air.  Looking at the amount of beer stands, food stands, 
and benches scattered around and nestled amongst the tall chestnut trees, I can 
visualize the festivity that takes place here.  There is even a full playground 
for children to enjoy while adults sit, drink, and talk.  

I take a seat, order a small beer and some pretzels.  Judging by the waitress' 
reaction, I don't think many people order small beers here.  Of course, from my 
point of view, I don't think many people drink beer for breakfast.

I make my way to the center of Munich - Marianplatz, which is a sprawling 
pedestrian shopping district built around historic buildings.  I arrive at the 
right time to see the glockespiel, a clock with mechanical displays.  The time 
actually passes 5 minutes past the hour before anything happens.  It's much 
better than the clock in Prague since the figures are more animated, and rather 
funny as the clock chimes are broken, off tune, and don't follow any coherent 
melody.

I skip past the market (good, but pricey) to Munich's central beer garden, 
Hofbrauhaus.   I'm not in any drinking mood, but seeing this beer garden is 
quite an experience.  Hofbrauhaus is a multi-level building packed with people 
sitting on long rows of tables.  It's a lively atmosphere as waiters hustle back 
and forth filling their orders.  Locals sit dressed in traditional attire in 
their usual places drinking beer in liter-sized mugs.  A band plays loud folk 
music to entertain the tourists.  

Feeling overwhelmed, I go back outside and head to the opera house, where I 
purchase a cheap student ticket for a Tchaikovsky opera.  Just on the outskirts 
of the opera house lies Café Hag, a bakery filled with renowned delicacies.  I 
stop there for a snack.  Sitting down, I feel like a kid amongst the well-
dressed, elderly crowd.  All the other customers are at least 30 years older 
than me, but no one makes me feel out of place.  

My order, an apple strudel, is a delight to the palate.  It's spongy and filled 
with ripe apples.  In fact, I find it difficult to savour so that I can extend 
my warm stay in the cafe.  The price is all right, but my bill become inflated 
because I ordered a hot chocolate.  Tip: don't order any hot drink in Germany or 
Austria.

The sun emerges and everything warms up.  I'm drawn outside again and I stroll 
over to the English Gardens.  It's a huge park, much like Central Park, and 
decorated with waterfalls, ruins, streams, tea houses, and bridges.  People 
gather to engage in recreational activities, and some people even horse back 
ride there.

I spend a considerable amount of time there, but eventually leave as I want to 
visit the newly built contemporary art museum before it closes.  It's located in 
a district filled with other museums, but it really stands out.  The interior 
and the collections within the museum are even more incredible.  Art is diplayed 
in cavernous rooms, large moving vertical conveyor belts, and on the wide 
staircases.  The café extension, which resembles a street patio, is lined with 
trees and enclosed in a glass structure.  Here, I enjoy a fancy packed lunch 
consisting of the food purchased in the past cities I've visited.  I have caviar 
and blue cheese hor d'ouevres, Slovakian Modra wine, and Mozartkugeln to finish 
it off.

I have to admit that this museum was the highlight of Munich for me.  

The time draws near for the opera performance.  Unlike Vienna, the standing room 
tickets are situated on the highest balcony.   However, there are seats.  
Unfortunately for me, the opera is in Russian with German subtitles, and the 
music is not particularly catchy like Italian operas.  Unable to understand the 
opera, my perception of the opera can be summed up as "Lovers in a Communist 
time".  I leave at the first intermission and make my way back to the 
Hofbrauhaus for dinner.


Dinner isn't any better.  I order the house specialty which turns out to be a 
platter of sausages on a bed of mashed potatoes.  It's too meaty for me, and in 
fact, I think the street dogs in Toronto are superior.  However, I am 
entertained by the lively party going on in the hall across from me - lots of 
folk music and the largest buffet table I've seen in my life.

All in all though, Munich is a large city with lots to do making it a good place 
to live.