(On-going issues with blogger caused this entry not to be posted on time. I'm working to get the issue resolved. Thank you for your patience & understanding)
* * * * *
Picking up from Part 1 ...
My week of business was over and I departed for Munich to begin my vacation!
Germany. Land of my grandmother ... depending on the time period.
It's a wonderful feeling to visit the land of your ancestors. If you're fortunate, as I was while in Ireland, it feels as though you're at a family reunion and you clearly see that you and your family do indeed hail from the amazing people you are meeting.
(Reference series of posts on Ireland beginning on 6/20/10.)
For years I was told that my grandparents were both born in Germany before their families eventually migrated to the United States. Later, I learned my grandmother is from the Imperial territory of Alsace-Lorraine. After winning the Frano-Prussian War, the German Empire annexed most of Alsace and a portion of the Lorraine region creating Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen, National Lands or 'Imperial Territory' of Alsace-Lorraine. The Alsatian area is on the west bank of the Rhine River and east of the Vosges Mountains. The Lorraine portion is in the upper Moselle Valley just north of the Vosges Mountains. At that time, Alsace was about 90% German and 10% French, and Lorraine was about 25% German and 75% French. Post World War I, this territory once again became part of France and is referred to as Alsace-Moselle. I hope to visit this region one day. Regarding my grandfather, it turns out that he was actually born in Romania and his father in Austria -- more on this later.
This was an overdue trip to visit friends who had relocated from NYC back to Germany two years earlier. It had been rescheduled from September 2011 when I was to have visited for Oktoberfest and celebrated birthdays together. Maike, my dear friend, picked me up at the airport. Other than seeing my dear friend, the moment I saw her I will never forget because I had been missing her so much, what I will remember most about my arrival was the drive to her home and passing the amazing Allianza Arena, home to Munich's football teams. I say amazing because the architectural design of the building is ... well, WOW!
 |
| Allianz Arena, Northern Munich, Bavaria, Germany |
The WOW-ness of the arena, however, is not why I'll remember the drive. It was because as we were passing the arena I was able to speak with Carlos, my nephew, and heard his exciting news! We had been playing phone tag and text tag the past two days due to time zone differences. I had been determined to reach Carlos before he started school that day to learn of his news. Carlos shared that he had started to receive notices from the colleges to which he had applied and had been accepted into several ... and ... that he'd received scholarships from most of them! I was, and am, so proud of Carlos and I could hear his excitement in his voice. Carlos is simply brilliant. And he's dedicated to his education having graduated from high school with 11 AP classes completed for college. He has accepted a university and received a four year scholarship including room and board! Years hard work paid off and he deserves to be proud of his accomplishments.
I could say that I've digressed and need to get back to Germany but this blog is about more than the details of an exploration. It's an exploration of life with travel and places at the core. And, to me, exploring life cannot be done without our senses. What we feel, think, see, hear, and smell will forever bring to our memories very specific moments in time and where we were. They're powerful enough to cause us to hold a place we've visited much deeper in our hearts. To me, this is what life is about ...amazing moments.
My friends are very urban and live in the hippest neighborhood in the city center. The streets are narrow and quaint, and everything is within walking distance ... shops, squares, cafes, bars, historical sites, and Viktualienmarkt. Viktualienmarkt evolved from a farmer's market to an open air market of just about everything. Flowers, exotic fruit, fresh fruit juice, game, poultry, spices, cheese, fish, traditional hand-made gifts and decoratives, et al.
 |
| Viktualienmarkt |
 |
Old Town Hall
(reminds me of MainStrasse Village across the river from my hometown) |
Immediately, we went for a Bavarian lunch. Given my Bavarian heritage, it was what I was craving. When my grandparents' families immigrated to the US, both families choose to settle in a city chosen by many other Bavarians as well. So I grew up in a very Bavarian German city where yellow mustard, bratwurst, sauerkraut, and Oktoberfest are essentials of life. So much so that when I moved to NYC I was surprised to learn that sports stadiums and movie theaters did not sell brats, sauerkraut, nor yellow mustard. They're not that easy to find in NYC and it is such a disappointment.
We found a few seats at a picnic table in the Wirtsgarten at Der Pshchorr Munchen Wirtshaus
und Festsaal located at Viktualienmarkt. Without really looking
at the menu, I knew what I wanted...brat with sauerkraut and yellow
mustard. I'd been experiencing terrible headaches whenever I drank
alcohol, so I was thrilled to learn that most places in Munich sell
non-alcoholic beer! Everything was delicious and I was in Bavarian heaven!
 |
| Wirtsgarten at Der Pshchorr Munchen Wirtshaus und Festsaal |
Shopping
Despite my dislike of shopping, I did enjoy moseying through the small shops which are worth a visit. There's an array of designer boutiques, quaint shops of traditional Bavarian wares and fares (as well as trinkets for the tourists), department stores, gourmet food shops, et al.
Here are a few worth visiting ...
- Menu 12 on Reichenbachstraße 12, near Gartnerplatz, is my favorite! Owner Caroline Schuster-Böckler is a not only a brilliant businesswoman but also a terrific person. Menu 12 is an experience blending design, art, and shopping and provides a platform for young designers and artists. The clothing designs are spectacular and unique. The store environment changes to always provide an exclusive experience and is staged in partnership with local interior designers, furniture stores, and antique shops. And the shop is home to a number of events.
- Roeckl-Eck at Theatinerstraße 44 is another favorite of mine. Fashionable hosiery and glove shop for ladies, at reasonable prices. My only regret is that I didn't purchase more.
- Morgantinis on Reichenbachstraße 16 on Gartenerplatz can't be missed. Cool shoes and handbags that you won't find in the US.
- Loden-Frey on Maffeistraße 7 is a must see. It's a traditional Bavarian German department store and has surprising touches of design from the handles on the entry doors to the elevators to the wood slide from the children's department to the women's department. And, check out their large selection of higher-end dirndls!
 |
| Leather wall of elevator. |
 |
| Entrance door handles. |
 |
| Slide from children's to women's depts. |
 |
| Can you believe these cost thousands of dollars? |
- Ludwig Beck is your basic Macy's/Sak's type of store. I'm not a fan of these types of department stores given they aren't unique, but they're good if need something basic.
Coming Next: Things to do and see in Munich!
