Friday April 17, 2009

Today started out with an amazing complimentary breakfast at our hostel. With a full selection of meats, cheeses, breads, rolls, cereals, yogurts, fruits and more it was by far the best breakfast we’ve had since we’ve been here.

From the hostel our group walked to the center of town where we met the guides for our bike tour that was part of the trip package. Rachael and I hadn’t been on a bike in who knows how long so we were a little weary of maneuvering in a foreign city but it ended up being a blast! The tour took us all over town stopping at the main attractions to listen to our guide. Some highlights included the Marienplatz square with a neo-gothic town hall featuring the Glockenspiel, the Odeonsplatz square, Feldherrnhalle monument, and the Hofgarten.

We made a pit stop for lunch at the Chinese Temple in the English Gardens, the city’s park that’s over twice the size of NYC’s Central Park. Most of the food vendors weren’t open so our only option was paar wieners served with a hard roll, mustard, and of course a stein of Munich’s local beer. Unfortunately, the weather started to get pretty rainy and cold so we ended the tour a little early. It was still a ton of fun and let us see most of the city without exhausting our feet the first day in town.

The tour ended late afternoon at the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in the world. Here we met up with a few of Mel’s friends that are studying in Prague and Cannes. Those who hadn’t eaten lunch yet ordered some food while the rest of us dined on oversized pretzels and, of course, beer. The place was packed with people, both locals and tourists alike, as well as an oompah band keeping the place full of energy.

From the beer hall we headed back to hostel to relax and hang out with some other people from our tour for the rest of the night.