European Vacation, Stop 1: Munich

Several weeks ago, Bill and I went on a European adventure: first to visit my good friend Milena in Munich. Munich is a lovely city and in the couple of days we were there, we certainly didn't have enough time to enjoy all of it. After a sleepless flight due to a group of German teenagers who were talking for 8 hours straight, we had to wait in Frankfurt for our connecting flight to Munich. By the time we met Milena, we were understandably tired and disoriented. Milena welcomed us with open arms and took us back to her apartment. She let us sleep there while she went to the store and then out to the Cabaret with her friend Susie. 

So the first night, we were on our own to explore the city. Just a quick tram ride away was the city center. It was Museum night so we bought a ticket which allowed us access to numerous museums and events. First, we went to the Stadtmuseum, where the exhibits pertained to the city's, as well as Germany's, history. Everything was in German so we didn't actually learn the history of anything, but we did enjoy looking at everything. We wondered around some and eventually met up with Milena and Susie who took us to a bar to meet up with their friends. It was the most crowded bar I've ever been in. People had to push each other just to move around, plus everyone was dancing on each other. Bill ordered a coffee which arrived in a tiny tea cup with a saucer which he did his best to hold above everyone's heads and it actually didn't spill. My favorite part of the night was when the bartender, extremely intoxicated, accidentally paid me 2 euros for my second mojito. Here are some photos from that night. Unfortunately, there are none from the bar.

Sunday was a new day and we had Milena as our tour guide. First went went to a market/carnival where some of the rides are 75 years old and in perfect condition. 

Then we headed back into the center to go to the Residenz, the former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs, one of which had Milena's last name.

After that, we ran over to the Pinakothek, or the Museum of Modern Art, not long before closing. There we saw:

After a long day of walking around Munich, we were tired so Milena took us to her favorite Italian cafe for a coffee.

Then, we saw the Hofbrauhaus but went to a more authentic German pub across the street for dinner. Bill ate a traditional German meal which Milena said is eaten during the fall to celebrate the end of the harvest season. And we had large drinks.