Munich

After our day in Malta we had another sea day on our way back to Barcelona.  We arrived back in Barcelona on Aug 21, which just happened to be our 15th wedding anniversary.  We got off the ship early in the morning, and caught a cab to the Barcelona airport.  We were wondering if we would have any trouble going through customs in any of these European airports, but we were surprised that everything went smooth and quickly.  We had a fairly long wait in the Barcelona airport, because our flight to Munich was not until about 3:30.  We met a nice English couple who had been on the same cruise as us, and who were flying back to England.   We had an enjoyable conversation that helped to pass the time.  Finally we flew out of Barcelona on an airline called Vulling, which we had never heard of but the flight was smooth and fast, and we arrived in Munich in  under a couple of hours.  Turns out that that the Munich airport is quite a long ways from the city.  We took a taxi, but if we  did it again we found out that there was a train from the airport to the city, which probably would have been better...cheaper and faster.

Our hotel was just inside the gates of the old city of Munich.  One of the entries to the city is shown above and right next to our hotel,  the Torbrau, below.

The Torbrau is the oldest hotel in Munich.  They had a little diorama scene in the hotel that showed  what it may have looked like when it opened in 1490.    We stayed here for three nights, and were pleased with it.  It was within  walking distance to everything in the old city, and the main train station.  All the beds that we slept in in Germany were similar to the ones above.  A big comforter folded neatly on top of the bed, which you unfolded and put over you at night but it was not tucked in.

Outside of our hotel and throughout the old part of Munich is a pedestrian zone, with no cars except delivery trucks in the morning.  It was a great walking town.  The view above is what greeted  us as we left our hotel.  Munich must be in a little micro climate of its own, because it was the only place in Germany that we were in that was cool and cloudy the whole time we were there.  It's very close to the Alps so that may have something to do with it.

A few blocks from our hotel was a large city square called Marienplatz. Behind Marlene in the picture above is the most prominent building in Marienplatz, the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) and yes there is also an Altes Rathaus (Old City hall)

Yes we had to try another selfie in front of the  Neues Rathaus

Another view of the Neues Rathaus.  Actually this building looks older than it actually is.  It was built in 1867 and was deliberately built in an older Gothic style.  Up high in the tower is the famous Glockenspiel clock which has a parade of life size figures at certain times of day.

Some more views of some of the buildings and sights around the old city of Munich and Marienplatz

A beautiful old fountain in the Marienplatz

In the basement of the Neues Rathaus is a restaurant called the Ratskeller (City hall cellar).  This is the original Ratskeller.  There are probably hundreds of Ratskeller restaurants around the world that have taken this name.  The restaurant is known for its traditional Bavarian food and beer and wine.   But they also serve a traditional candle light seven course dinner for special occasions.   Since it was our anniversary on the day we arrived in Munich, we were able to make reservations for this special dinner by email, weeks in advance.

It was a very memorable and special dinner