Munich and pigs knuckles

As we travelled by train toward Munich the meadows widened out
and fields of clover, yellow flowers, and still some lupine are beautifully visible. The little towns are spaced about every thirty miles, and the mountains are becoming less dramatic on either side of the valley. Trees are now mostly deciduous and divide fields where the cattle often lie down quite contentedly. I have seen no feed lots or any signs of giant agricultural operations.

A cerulean blue stream moves swiftly along side the train now and again. The waters clearly come from the glaciers, and I have to wonder what will happen when the glaciers are all gone -- most of the rivers in this region seem to be filled with glacial melt.

We were in 1st class on this trip, a space which we seem to have to ourselves. It is nice and roomy with very comfortable seats and space between them. This trip was non-stop and we arrived in Munich around 2:30. Since the train ended it run here we did not have to race to unload our luggage as we would have if the train had been moving on. Trains run on time in Northern Europe and there is little time for margin of error in arriving to catch one or even in getting your luggage off the train before it begins to move again!

We walked along a long platform to the central station. This is the station I missed when I went on to Garmisch...on my own last Sunday. There are Starbucks, Burger King, McDonalds --- Burger King advertises a meal of hamburger, fires and coke for 2.99 Euro....which is really cheap. A brie sandwich (lettuce cheese and tomato on a really lovely dark bread was 4.95 Euro --- the healthy choice was considerably more expensive.) Beer, water and wine are all pretty much equal in cost.

We arrived at our hotel Alpha Centre on Hirtenstrasse - just two blocks from the train station. At first they told us our reservation was cancelled, but on further investigation it is found, but they have not made provision for me at all....so Kathy winds up paying $55.00 more for the place AND we are in interesting rooms. They are pristine and very modern in some ways --but absolutely tiny --- there are two twins in one room --with a tiny refrigerator well stocked with booze -- a small closet a tiny t.v. --- rather like a small travel trailer might be in America. The bathroom is a step up --again very clean -- VERY small -- and there is a second step up into the shower of about 15 inches... it was also difficult to get up the lift -- to get to it we had to take our stuff up 15 steps --- before you get to the elevator which holds two people with two suitcases..
Our room is 294 but we are on the 5th floor --- of the hotel. After we deposit our stuff we hire a cab to take us to the Hoffbrau Haus (actually two cabs) --- it cost 11.90 plus two euros for each cab -- to get there -- The Hoffbrau Haus is a traditional beergarten -- There are rows and rows of wooden tables with benches and the ceiling is painted in ornate but primitive designs -- There is a bandstand where a German ompah band plays and Germans join in singing old German drinking songs...There are many Germans here dressed in native Bavarian costume -- After asking it appears that they wear these costumes out of pride -- to the Hoffbrau Haus and other places in Munich--as well --- they have not been paid or are part of the local color -- they apparently do it from pride.

I ordered the vegetarian Spetzle --with Swiss cheese (emantaller and a green salad that has a dressing like my grandmother used to make)--- Bunny had the Pork steak with potato gratin --- Kathy had the snitzle and Cindy had the bratwurst and sauerkraut. We shared a cheese plate and three apelfstrussel and we bought bread.....to go with it. None of us had beer....
After we sat listening and watching the kitchen produce vast quantities of food and deliver them on platters to guests -- we saw many tankards of beer leave the place --- and realized that probably beer was a necessary ingredient to the singing that would soon be going on...We stayed to hear the band and singing --- a bit by the tine we left the floor was covered in spilt beer --- and the floor sticks to my feet --- as we walk out of the beergarten.
We arrived back at the hotel and found that this one taxi which held us all and only charged 9.90 Euro -- we sat out on the back steps and visited. It is cool enough to keep my fleece jacket on so it doesn't feel like summer here -- the peonies and early spring flowers bloom --- everywhere. The taxi driver this morning said that they had hail and terrible winds just 15 kilometers from where we were....so I guess it has been unsettled here. I feel disconnected -- without knowing where to look for news or weather.