" Munich at a glance "

My travel begins at the heart of Marienplatz.
We arrived on a busy Thursday afternoon and
took the Metro S-Bahn * S8, *see last post *.

Exhausted and Tired, jet-lagged with terrible eye bags,
we wheeled our luggage along the cobbled streets of Viktualienmarkt,
obviously looking like tourists.



We can't wait for our hotel check-in and have some rest,
but only to find that we still need to wait for another hour or more,
because rooms were not yet ready.
oh brother...

Clearly it leaves us sans choix,
but to circle round the area instead,
we immediately head to the nearest supermarket.





The supermarche was just a few blocks away.
Good 'ol Tengelmann.



order of the day:
Chips, Junk food and more chips.
I've been craving for Chipsfrisch for sometime now. ^0^
I miss this, still do.



random book shop.
cute display. ^-^



events and ads pasted on this pole.



trams come and go,
I have yet to try this next time. ^-^






Bike stops




This was the first thing we ate,
the simplest crunchiest Bretzn we've ever tasted. *note on superlatives* ^-^
freshly baked for just * 50 cent euro *



>

just look at how busy it was on a typical noon.



that's me, heading to our second destination...



The server was friendly enough to smile at our camera.
Looking at their menu,
they even have healthy Bio-wurst and Bio-Leberkäse.



We took our orders outside.



and shared a plate of : 2 Stück mit Brezn un Senf.
That is : * 2 pieces (sausages) with Pretzel and Mustard. *

German white sausages called Weisswurst = Weißwurst

eventually, I am starting to learn Deutsch especially when it comes to food. ^-^



In munich,
you can drop by any meat shop and order some of their ready made meats.
Like this:



we had this yummiest Leberkäse or
Leberkässemmel in town for just 2 euros. ^-^
It's like eating spam only tastier and meatier.
I guarantee you, it's mouthwatering delish. ^-^

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Later that night,
after freshening up and skyping our love ones.
We headed to Marienplatz and was surprised at how beautiful it was.
Despite the cold,
The place was twinkling with lights and you can really feel the Christmas vibe.



We stayed at this Hotel.
Specifically wanted somewhere near this area.
I will share my review next time though.





We walked further.






and found a bookstore again ! ^-^



♥ love Asterix and Tintin. ♥
any favorites?!



Dirndl madness ✿



then we passed by St. Peter's Church



church's exterior



postcard for your thoughts:




More Marienplatz at night:




close up details:



we suddenly heard a few hums and accompaniment,
A team of church choir performing " O come o ye faithful" in German.
Oh, that was very inspiring.







I also wanted to share this LINK
In case you wanted to see the real time and view of the plaza via LUDWIG BECK's website.



So, there's more to Munich than Oktoberfest, Dirndls and Beer gardens.
In winter, every nook and corner is filled with Christmas markets - Christkindlmarkt.
which I will share with you on my next post. ^-^

" A slice of Berlin "

It's official!
i'm slackening with posts and insights to share.
these days, the thought of browsing through photos and in need to sort them is a chore,
it's making me feel lethargic.
My drive seems to be fading and the fuel for words are nothing but a blank stare at my screen.

Thankfully though,
the long weekend last week, had me re-charged and helped unwind my preoccupied mind.

A slice of Berlin was the first stop of our Euro trip last winter.
(still can't believe it's been months already)
To be honest,
I wasn't as ecstatic to visit as I was to see Rome or Madrid.
But boy, was I wrong.




you see, I've already been there (last 2002) and yet have no clear recollection about this trip,
rather than, it was with a bunch of hungry tourists off to see the other side of the world.
I somehow can't picture myself in front of Brandenburg Gate, standing outside of the Reichstag,
or simply walking along Unter den Linden.








In short, everything was a vague.
et alors, I did have doubts as to whether I'd enjoy Berlin pour le deuxième fois.


I have to thank my dear sister Pepperoni, who persuaded me to check it out again.
she said, this time, there would be no pesky tourists,
no need to hurry for the first seat inside the tour bus,
no tour guides waving their hands where to direct us
and no time constraints,
( the thing I detest the most while traveling. )
now we do Berlin at our own pace and in our own time.



so what do we think ?!

Berlin is a city filled with much history and interesting stories both sad and telling.
It used to be divided into two, the west and east side,
although nowadays, you'd hardly notice it.
The weather especially in December is pretty cold, a bit chilly and mostly misty.





Berliners aren't the most friendly or least bit hospitable,
but they're not rude or disobliging either.
It's just the way they are.
Majority of them understands English and would help you in case you're lost and need of directions.
It pays to know a bit or two about their language.
For example, the menu doesn't only consist of Currywurst,



you ought to try something other than that.
Words like ausgang (entrance) and eingang (exit) directs you in and out of the Metro.



and each metro stop surprises you with an unpronounceable name like this one.





read as Haus-Vog-Tei-Platz. (see, I told you it's hard to pronounce. ^0^)
This is the nearest stop to and from our hotel.

The city is divided into areas like the Prenzlauer Berg, Mitte, Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg etc.
We chose the Mitte area, we thought it was more convenient at that time,
since it's close to the Museum Island and to almost everything.



The city is huge!
so to get from here to there.
you need to take the local bus, rent a bike, convenient Taxis or simply take the Metro.
they have one of the most comprehensive and accessible transportation btw.






inside the taxi, which is a posh Mercedes-Benz btw.


and the taxi tariff

If you're a museum aficionado or just plain curious about paintings and artifacts.
Do: check out the days where you can get inside for ~Free. (usually during 6 pm onwards)
If you're traveling for the first time however and time is a battle,
you can buy the Berlin Welcome Card ( which includes unlimited Metro ride + 1 Museum Visit ) or an all Museum Pass Card.
Check out this link here, this is one of the most helpful sites so far...
Berlin. De

Inside the museum, photo taking isn't prohibited except for Flash photos.
so you can take all the pictures you want, and i mean A-L-L.


museum's facade

yeah, feast on it!
No one, not even the security will stop you from doing it.
so better have your batteries charged and your camera(s) ready. ^0^








Night time, as in most European countries isn't as lively and cheerful compared to some Asian countries.
But it does have the best Christmas theme street markets every December.










This is the first time I've been to one of these German Markets and
though, It seems to be a bit generic,
I am still fascinated by it, from the food to the nice handicrafts.

So, there you go, my second impression this time made it more memorable.
I hope this helps the next time you wish to visit the city.

* where was this *
berlin, germany