Munchin in Munchen

Guten tag from Munich!

Michael and I arrived here yesterday, and were instantly satisfied by what has been the cheapest city for us both (so far). Especially after Switzerland, where there was literally no meal below the equivalent of $15.

We both had some things planned for this city, so today we set out to accomplish them. Our day began with a 5 hour trip to the BMW Museum and BMW Welt Factory. They were located right next to where the 1972 summer Olympics were held. The Welt Factory is the most beautiful piece of architectural work I have ever had the pleasure to experience.

The museum held some absolutely exquisite cars, and this comes from a person who is only truly interested in the color of a car. I learned a lot about the cars BMW makes, as well as the history of the company. For one thing, I learned that BMW supplied arms to the Nazis during the war, and had their cars built by slave labor, including concentration camp inmates, who were treated far worse than the other slaves. This was not nice to know, but I did find out that BMW was one of the first German companies to acknowledge the atrocities they committed, and even set up a fund for as a kind of reparations. This would have been more redeeming if the BMW museum had not referred to 1939 as "when war broke out," instead of "when we started the war." But I shouldn't be too picky. It is kind of hard knowing that whatever German museums I go to, there will inevitably be some mention of the Holocaust. Obviously it is not something that should be forgotten, but I sure get sad when I see all those pictures.

In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed the museum and the factory, and I even bought myself a really cool BMW Yachtsports sweater. Hopefully no one will actually ask me about BMWs because I really still just don't understand cars that well. WAIT ALSO we saw this car, one whose outside is entirely made of a really cool fabric:

The headlights look like eyes because the fabric moves back like eyelids when you use them!! SO COOL!!

Tonight we headed over the Hofbrauhaus, a famous Beer garden here in Munich. Man, was it crazy! It was a huuuuge restaurant, and right in the center there was a traditional German band playing loud music. The place was filled with a great mix of tourists and locals, and everyone seemed happy. The whole area had a great feeling of joviality. Michael and I each ordered a beer (a little one for me) and different wursts with sauerkraut. We also got big ol' salty pretzels before the main course! We sat right by the Stammtisch (regulars) section, and those tables were full of old German men wearing traditional little German hats wearing German liederhosen, drinking from their own personal beer steins.

All in all it was a great day. Munich is a fabulous city, one which I could even imagine people living. Some places I've been to this summer (mostly Spain) I just can't imagine people ever living there. They don't seem like legitimate places, more like summer or weekend places. Maybe because they were so hot.

PS We never went paragliding. The two days we had set aside for it greeted us with cloudy, rainy, thundery weather, so it wasn't safe. It's too bad, because I was all revved up to go. I GUESS I will just have to go back ;)