“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” ― Anonymous

I confess which should come as no big news to anyone that knows me I am geographically challenged. I am grateful to the mapmakers and to google for helping me to find my way.   I am also historically challenged.   I admire those that can tell you the where and when and what and do it with such ease and knowledge.  We’ve had many excellent guides on this cruise and today’s guide, Marcin, who guided us though Munich was one of the best so far.

We departed the ship and some of our group sadly and went on our way to Munich by bus.  We had a bus tour of Munich and saw Nymphenburg Palace, Konigs Platz, BMW headquarters and the Olympic Stadium.

What I have discovered from my travels is, yes it would be better to be more knowledgeable in Geography and History, but that does not seem to limit me from my appreciation of the beauty and the history of wherever I have traveled.

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen”.

~Benjamin Disraeli

We had a delicious lunch at The Spaten Haus in Munich before we head out to the walking portion of our tour.

We saw a Hofbrauhaus, historical sections of Munich where Hitler came to power, a Bier Garten, a Maypole, the Opera House, the Glockenspiel, the Marienplatz and other highlights.   We also learned about the why and how to wear lederhosen though I guarantee we won’t be bringing any home!

I found Munich to be an interesting city, extremely clean and perhaps less crowded than expected as it was a holiday.  None the less there was a keen interest in the history of the city from its wars and kings and invasions, and evidence of the rebuilding of the city after the war which is a work in progress.

The Glockenspiel is a tourist attraction in the heart of Munich.  Every day, three times a day it chimes and re-enacts stories from the 16th century. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures.  The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long.  At the very end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps quietly three times, marking the end of the spectacle.

We ended the day a bit weary and had a delicious dinner and wine and conversation with friends at a Mediterranean Restaurant in the hotel, Geisels Vinothek.

 “Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn.”

~Nyssa P. Chopra, The Cultureur