Munich, Germany

After clearing customs at the Munich airport, we shouldered our (enormous) backpacks and took a commuter train to the Hauptbahnhof, the main train station in downtown Munich. We put our packs in storage and set off on foot to explore the city. Lo and behold, almost the first thing we saw upon leaving the station was a McDonald's. The Golden Arches are everywhere.

We kept on walking, exploring the Marienplatz, a bustling pedestrian area full of shops, restaurants, and the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall). We took in the view from the Frauenkirche; that's the Neues Rathaus in the middle of the picture to the right, and the open area in front of it is Marienplatz. Too bad it was a rather hazy day; it's possible to see the Alps from the tower when the sky is clear.

We also visited the Michaelskirche and the tomb of Mad King Ludwig II (et al.) within before yielding to our hunger and seeking out lunch. We soon came to a sidewalk cafe/beer hall, and after a day and a night on airplanes, Bavarian sausages, pretzels and (most of all) beer were greatly appreciated.

I had been struggling all day with my German, as most of my vocabulary and nearly all my grammar had evaporated from disuse in the ten years since I'd last studied it. Fortunately, the restaurant had English menus (which saved us from ordering such delicacies as "soured calf's lung"), but after we'd already ordered, eaten and paid, Hannah discovered that our waiter spoke flawless Czech! After they had a short conversation, we walked back to the Hauptbahnhof to retrieve our packs and board our train to Vienna.