Greetings from Munich! I arrived at 6 am today and immediately missed the warmth of Italy. Preparing yourself to go exploring is so much easier in non-zero weather. Who'd have thought?
For my last day in Venice, I visited the islands of Burano and Murano. They were very pretty, especially the former. But they are mostly tourist haunts now, with dozens of shops and stalls. And of course, I gavr in and bought jewellery (Murano is famous for its glasswork.) cuz I'm weak like that.
Randomly, I went to the islands with this girl I'd met in line at the Campanile the previous day. We didn't plan it at all; we were both at the vaporetto stop and realised we had a common destination. It's nice to have the occasional companion, and she was very friendly. I also got to practise my French with her!
I then went to the closing of the Carnival, where they raised the St. Mark flag and had a traditional gondoliers' concert. People were dancing in the square and it was just such a cool moment. But I almost missed it - as predicted, I got lost on the way to the square because I tried to do it by foot. I was becoming increasingly frustrated but then I stumbled onto it with minutes to spare.
The night train was not the most comfortable experience, but I'll look on the bright side and be glad I had a bunk instead of just a chair. Upon arrival in Munich, I immediately set out to see the English Gardens, which is apparently the largest park entirely within city limits in the world. There wasn't too much to see because Munich is still recovering from a snowy last few weeks, but I did see some of the highlights. Unfortunately, I did not see anyone surfing, which I'm told that they do.
Next, I did a walking tour of the city centre, which was great for learning some of the history (especially Munich's role in the rise of Hitler) and local legends. As part of the tour, I saw that famous beer hall. It meant nothing to me, since I only drink beer when I have no other option. I also tried and enjoyed this traditional Bavarian pork sandwich, but the name escapes me because it's one of those German words I can't pronounce (which is basically every word in German). And the old churches scattered around the centre are all beautiful in their own ways (But the Glockenspiel is so-so.).
My only regret is that I didn't get a chance to go to the top of the New Town Hall Tower. Apparently it has a great view of the city and you can see the Alps on a good day. Today was not a good day, but I've had a nice little streak going of seeing this type of view in each city I've visited (with the exception of Lyon). Alas, due to Interrail schedule juggling, I leave Munich too early on Friday to see it (Tomorrow I'm taking a day trip to see some of the castles, including the Sleeping Beauty one, so I doubt I'll have time.).
Doesn't really matter though - I feel like I've seen quite a bit here just after today. The architecture is beautifully interesting, although I realise the majority of it was reconstructed after the war. Everyone says that to see Munich is to see Germany at its traditional finest, and I can see what they mean. Also, their metro is great, which is another subtle thing I use to judge cities by. If this is a preview of what the rest of Germany has in store for me, then bring it on.
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