Munich, Germany

This past weekend we took a 3 hour drive north to Munich, Germany.  This time of year Munich is known for its Christmas Market, otherwise known as the "Nicholas Market," or "Christkindl Market."  Christmas Markets are very popular in Europe, but definitely so in Germany.  Munich holds their Christmas Market in the "Marienplatz," which is the central square in the heart of the city center.  Several market stands dot the square in front of the town hall, which towers high overhead.  At night it's a cool sight to see.  So we spent the evening walking around doing some Christmas shopping.  Then  we had dinner in an authentic Munich "Beer Hall."  The next morning we went back to the market for some more Christmas shopping, and we watched the "Glockenspiel" on the town hall tower.  Every day at 11am and 12 noon the Glockenspiel chimes and the figures inside move around.  I also got to try my first "Gluhwein," (pronounced Glue-vine.)  It's a popular drink served this time of year.  It's a blend of red wine and spices served steaming hot.  It was delicious.  We also walked around a bit and took in all the old buildings.  One interesting location was the "Hofbräuhaus." During the war years "beer halls" were often used as public gathering places and political speeches, and the "Hofbräuhaus" is one of Munich's most famous.  Hitler even held a few political events here.  Anyway, we didn't have time to eat there but we did manage to walk in and see the interior.  Another interesting structure we saw was the "Siegestor," which is a large arch that looks similar to the "Arc de Triomphe in Paris."  The "Siegestor" was finished in 1852 and it was built to glorify the Bavarian Army.  Then during the bombings in World War II it was nearly destroyed.  Later it was restored and re-dedicated as a monument of peace.  It's in an area where you drive right around it, so we grabbed a quick picture from the car.  

We didn't have as much time to spend in Munich as we would have liked, but we did enjoy what we saw.  We were delayed in leaving Zurich by a snow storm the night before, and then we got caught in another snow storm on the way back to Zurich.  But all in all we enjoyed the Christmas spirit in Munich.  Hopefully we'll be back someday.

We've now been to a few cities in Germany, and overall I would say most of the people we've met in Germany have been very nice and very outgoing.  In fact, I might say the Germans have been the most friendly of all the cultures we've interacted with.  The Germans are much more like Americans in many ways.  They're easy going, they're usually welcoming and outgoing to strangers, and they like to eat and drink and have a good time.  I've also noticed most Germans really open up to us and are very appreciative when I try to speak German with them (much more so than in Switzerland.)  I'll try to speak in German if I can, and even if I revert back to English they are usually very appreciative and very friendly.  For comparison, in Switzerland the people are nice, but they are very reserved and often keep to themselves around outsiders.  I'd also say they're a little stuffy at times.  They love their rules and order of things.  The people in Germany by contrast are much more relaxed about things.  These are just some of the reasons why the Germans and Swiss usually don't like each other.  The Swiss look down on Germans for being fat, their constant drinking, and their loud abrasiveness.  The Germans look down on the Swiss for being elitist, rich, and stuck up, as well as all their rules and proper order.  They even argue about the language.  In Switzerland you speak "Swiss German."  In Germany you speak the traditional "High German" (which is what we Americans learn in school.)   Anyway, I'm getting way off track here, but its interesting figuring out all the differences between these two cultures.  One German I met put it this way - "the Germans don't like the Swiss and the Swiss don't like the Germans.  But everyone dislikes the Austrians."  I have no idea what that means, but I thought it was hilarious.