Day 1 - June 7th
After a long journey and a few hours of sleep, we decided to see what Munich had to offer these two weary, jet-lagged Californians.
WHERE WE STAYED:
Sofitel Bayerpost Hotel Munich
I probably wouldn’t have chosen this hotel if it wasn’t literally right next to the train station, but it was great for 1 night!
ALTSTADT
We started our only full day in Munich a little on the late side - after an exhausting travel day, air sickness and some jet-lag, we didn't get out on the town until around noon, but alas getting out at all was a miracle - I was so sick! As we started our walk into the city (we stayed about a 15 minute walk away) it started pouring rain, so we headed for the warm, dry refuge of the Frauenkirche.
We wandered aimlessly around trying to find something light to eat, our stomachs were still not very happy with us and were trying to adjust to a new eating schedule. After a few laps around in the rain, we found Cafe Glockenspiel for some French Toast. We even got to catch the Rathaus-Glockenspiel "show" - it was perfect timing.
The rain started coming down and showed no signs of letting up, so my plans of walking through the English Gardens and Virktualienmarkt were scratched. We opted for a more indoor activity... the BMW Museum and Welt.
BMW MUSEUM & WELT
As we embarked on our journey to the north side of Munich, we had to take the U-Bahn. For our first time navigating public transport in a different country - we didn't do too bad! After a 15 minute subway ride, we popped up literally right across the street from the BMW Welt and Olympic Park.
The BMW Welt is free to enter - they offer a comprehensive overview of the BMW Brand, including Rolls Royce, Mini Cooper, and their Motorcycles. We went on a Saturday afternoon, so it was a little crowded but it was a really great intro into BMW and what awaited us in the Museum.
We walked across to the BMW Museum, bought our tickets (14 Euro Each) and dove right in! Andrew is BIG on anything with a motor, so he was excited to look around each exhibit, soaking in the history and brand highlights.
I was not expecting to love this museum, but it really exceeded my expectations. The various historical and artistic exhibits were fantastic - as a creative, the concept artwork, sketches and color exhibitions really stuck with me.
As we were making our way back to the U-Bahn station, the weather had started to clear up - so we decided to take a stroll through Olympic Park.
OLYMPIC PARK
We took a nice walk through the park, walking through lush grass, sports complexes, and tons of food stands. Everyone was out and about, enjoying their rainy Saturday. We decided to head back to our hotel for an early night, stopping at a local Italian restaurant for some pizza before our exhausted bodies hit the bed.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to maximize our only full day here, between the pouring rain and slow start we didn’t accomplish all we wanted to do here.