München in Munich

Fourteen of us ventured to Germany this weekend after an exciting week that included another soccer game with the locals, and a snow day trip back to Bellinzona. It took over eight hours, but we finally arrived in Munich around 11:30 Friday night. We explored the town a bit before calling it a night. In the process we found Finespitz's Fine Quality Hot Dog and Eatery, a small establishment that indeed made fine hot dogs. I ordered a veggie dog topped with guacamole and sprouts. It ranks high on the list of best hot dogs I've ever had, bested only by the veggie dog I had in Sweden a few years back which was covered in mashed potatoes and caramelized onions.

We woke up early Saturday for a walking tour of Munich. Our tour guide noted that it was unusually warm in for this time of year, as the temperature reached the high forties. Regardless, I was still cold. Our guide took us through the city showing us all of the highlights, including government buildings, royal palaces, churches, and lots of beer halls. The architecture of the buildings in Munich makes the city look far older than it is, as the city was almost completely demolished during World War II. Very few structures in the city remained in tact after over three million bombs were dropped on the city during the war. Our tour concluded outside of the royal palace, which completed reconstruction just over a year ago. If you have a chance to visit Munich, I highly recommend making time for one of the free walking tours.

Following the tour we got lunch at Augustiner Bräu Munchen where we tried our first German beer. The beer in Munich is incredible. As I learned on the tour, by law Bavarian beer can only contain the following ingredients: water, hops, barley, and yeast. It was delicious.

We explored the city a bit more, passing a NATO protest outside of the Glockenspiel in Marienplatz, before venturing to the world's most famous beer hall, the Hofbräuhaus. About three thousand drunk people fit in the Hofbräuhaus at a time, making the atmosphere unforgettable (or forgettable depending on how much one has to drink). The lederhosen wearing band played German music and the locals stood and chanted as we got a taste of life in Munich, including giant pretzels and beer. Nick & I made a trip back to Finespitz's Fine Quality Hot Dog and Eatery on our way back to our hostel.

On Sunday we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Nothing I write can explain the atmosphere. Visiting the Memorial Site is an experience that cannot be described. As we took our tour, I couldn't help but think of the poor souls who spent countless days in the same spot being worked to the bone in the frigid cold air. I had read a lot about the camp in school, but being there brought on another level of understanding.

We returned from Dachau with about two hours until our train left. Kyle and I wanted to make the most of our time in Munich, and made a trip across town to another beer hall. We enjoyed a light lunch surrounded by FC Bayern Munich fans who were preparing for the team's 5-0 route of Frankfurt. Everyone in the bar was decked out in checkered red and white.

We caught the train back to Lugano in time for our first ever Super Bowl Monday! At midnight we went to Franklin College down the street to watch the Seahawks and Broncos play for the Lombardi Trophy. Our professor moved our usual Monday morning class to one in the afternoon knowing that we would all be up until around six watching the game. While it wasn't much of a game, it was nice to watch football again.

This week should go by quickly as we prepare for our Italian midterm and Marketing and Consumer Behavior final before getting on a plane to London Thursday night. Next week marks our first spring break during which I'll be traveling in London, Dublin, and Paris.

Ciao!