The train ride went by extremely quickly, and Marty and I arrived in Munich in no time. I greeted Munich with a 'hello' and a smile, and I was super excited to explore the Bavarian capital of beer, bratwursts, and laderhosen. We locked up our luggage in the train station, jumped on the S Bahn, and then started our Munich adventures in Marienplatz. There were tons of people milling about the square, and Marty and I both joined the crowd - wandering around the winding, cobble-stone streets to see old churches, peer out over the entire city from on top of a tower on the main government building, sample delicious treats at an outdoor market, and of course, enjoy a giant beer at the Hofbrauhaus! We had only been in Munich for a few hours, and I was already having tons of fun!
Looking up to the giant Glockenspiel at the Rathaus
Frauenkirsche
Peterskirsche
Looking out over Munich from on top of the Rathaus
On top of the tower
A Maibaum (to be explained later) in the middle of the market
The Hofbrauhaus - a tourist must!
With my giant beer at the Hofbrauhaus
Marty and his beer
Again it was so big!
Shane picks Marty and me up at the Hofbrauhaus after he gets off of workThe next day, May 1, was an official holiday in Germany - equivalent to America's Labour Day. Shane had the day off from work, so it was the perfect day to explore and enjoy the gorgeous weather outside. We started our day at a Maibaum celebration - the tradition of erecting a giant "tree" that is dressed in blue, white, and traditional symbols of that neighborhood (perhaps a church, pretzel for a bakery, etc.) Shane, Marty, and I were excited to see the festivities in action, but our excitement quickly faded as we approached the second hour mark. There were speeches to be made, a giant crane that lifted the giant metal tree painfully slow, and several pauses in the celebration to let buses pass through. It was great to experience the Bavarian tradition, but I was definitely ready for lunch when the time came.
Firemen directed everyone at the event by holding up crowd-control ropes up to allow buses to pass through
Shane and Marty
Rocking the shades
Glen lifts his girlfriend up so she can watch all the action
The crane hoisting up the Maibaum
Nearly in place and the crowd cheersThe rest of the afternoon was spent laying out around Lake Sturnburg on the outskirts of town. It was perfectly lazy, beautiful, and a lot of fun. We wrapped up our holiday with dinner, strolling around the fair, eating crazy junk food snack selections that can only be found at a fair, rode some crazy rides again (ie Stuttgart's Break Dance' times 3), played a game of hearts (I was the winner!) and then called it a night.
With Marty on the shoreline
We skipped stones most of the afternoon
Looking fly
Just enjoying the sunshine
The boys hanging out
Shane was tempted to jump in for a swim, but it was freezing!
We slowly watched the sun begin to set
This older german had the most amazing homemade inventions to cruise the lake with!My grand tour was slowly winding to an end, and Saturday was my last full day of adventuring. We walked downtown to hit up more sites, and then I really wanted to tour the Residence Palace. Shane, Marty, and I had our audio guides in hand and were ready to submerge ourselves in Bavarian royal history. We were enjoying the rooms and wandering through the palace, until we continued passing through chamber after drawing room after bedroom after fancy dining hall... and there was no end in site. We had long since ditched the rambling audio guide and began searching for the way out. We finally made it to the end... the residence tour was definitely worth the 5€ student price - I am pretty sure we saw just about everything! I always love palace tours...
The Opera house outside the residence palace
The hall of antiquity
Several extravagant chandeliers hung alongside tall windows
The silver place settings
Marty as last nights' huntAfter the Residence Palace, we had an early dinner and then went to play in the English Garden. Shane's friend Glen tagged along, and we kicked around a soccer ball, tried to tight-rope-walk with some other german students in the park, attempted to juggle a bit, and then wandered around the city together for the rest of the evening. The boys made me laugh the entire night, and we had so much fun together!
Sunday was bitter sweet as I packed my bags for Berlin. I was ready to stop living my life out of a suitcase, and I really missed Berlin! It really feels like home here, and I was itching to get back. But I knew this could very well be the last time I saw Shane and Marty this year, and I was reminded of how close I am to the end of my Fulbright. Crazy! I spent the mid-morning exploring the science museum with Shane and Marty, then was on board with a 7 hour journey ahead of me. My southern Germany tour came to an end, and it was back to work in Berlin this week - with so much to do!!! Spring is really heating up with work, and I am looking forward to these last few weeks!
Wandering the streets of Munich
Overlooking the Izar River 
With Marty
Posing with Shane
Standing at the feet of Bismark!
