Playful Rooted

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that I declared our Christmas trip “EuroChristmas.” We covered a lot of new ground in Europe, and since we’ll probably never do this again, it just seemed appropriate.

EuroChristmas officially started in Munich. We were there for four days, but since a day-by-day account would get pretty boring, I’ll just stick to the highlights. 🙂

Sleeper car

On the overnight train from Paris to Munich, Ben and I had a private sleeper car, which I was pretty excited about. I had never been in a sleeper car before, so in my mind, it would be spacious and comfortable and a real delight.

It was not.

In reality, the sleeper car looks a lot like Jack Dawson’s quarters on the Titanic. (I know you know what I mean.) Although ours was a room built for three, it was incredibly cramped with just Ben and me. I don’t know how another person would have fit in there! There was also no restroom so we had to walk down to the end of the train with the rest of the passengers. So… it wasn’t great.

We boarded at about 8:00 pm and I was so tired already that I fell asleep right away – then I woke up an hour later and stayed awake for most of the night. Something about laying flat while the train rocked away was just not working for me. So it was a pretty restless night.

In the morning, we were served orange juice, tea, rolls, and a little tube of something called “poultry spread.” Disgusted, but curious, Ben opened his, and sure enough, it was chicken-smelling paste. We both promptly threw up our orange juice. Just kidding, but it was really horrible. When we finally got away from that sleeper car, I was very ready.

Language barrier

I do not speak German at all, so I was a little unsure about how this trip would go. Luckily, Munich is pretty rife with tourists in the fall and winter, so quite a few people (most shop owners and waiters) spoke English. I did make sure to know “hello,” “goodbye,” “please,” “thank you,” “yes,” “no,” and a few numbers in German, and that got us by most of the time. I also learned “I’m sorry, I don’t speak German,” which came in handy several times.

Although most young people do speak English, many older people are hesitant to do so, even if they know the language. I think that’s completely fine: I’m in Germany, so I should expect to speak German. Having those few phrases memorized was really helpful in these situations, and I think people appreciate it when you make an effort. And smile!

One thing that was sort of bizarre… Living in France, I hear a steady stream of lyrical French around me all the time, and the roughness of English really stands out. Any time I hear a speck of English, my ears perk up (and I’ll admit it, I get really happy to hear my mother tongue). So being in Germany was a little strange because German sounds so much like English in terms of cadence and intonation. I thought I was hearing English so many times, and it was really frustrating to realize that it was German and that I couldn’t understand any of it.

I actually learned quite a few German words and phrases while there, just from observing people and the written word. I think my German vocabulary increased from around 10 words to around 50. So… not too shabby.

Christmas markets

One of the main draws to Munich at Christmas is the Christkindlmarkt and other area Christmas markets. I was so excited about this part of the trip, and I was not disappointed. I’ve spent a lot of time at the Christkindlmarkt in Chicago over the years, but it does not, in any way, compare!

I had an amazing time browsing all the stands, sipping hot mulled wine, people-watching, and sampling German treats. The Christmas market atmosphere is just so festive, cozy, and magical! I loved it so much.

Food and drink

Or should I just call this part “beer?” When you’re in Germany, you can pretty much drink beer all day and get away with it.

This guy, who “doesn’t even like beer,” sure enjoyed some brewskis in Bavaria.

Beer with breakfast:

Beer with lunch:

Beer with dinner:

Never fear – we ate plenty of food to soak up the beer. There are actually a surprising number of vegan eateries in Munich – many more than in Montpellier!

This is the “American breakfast” at a place called Max Pett. (Ben had the “Bavarian breakfast” here, which is where the beer came in.) 🙂

We also ate at YAM Vegan Deli, where we had the “Mix Tape” – an awesome little tasting plate of everything they serve. So delicious, and they were really friendly and welcoming people.

We got veggie hot dogs at a place called Finespitz’s. I was never really a hot dog person, but oh my gosh these were incredible. They have several different toppings to choose from, and afterward Ben and I both considered going back for more. 🙂

On a recommendation, we went to a teahouse called Tushita. They serve vegan and gluten-free cakes and desserts and some really lovely tea. However, the service was pretty unfriendly. We both really tried hard to speak German and be as polite as we could, but I felt really unwelcome and uncomfortable here. They were also annoyed that we didn’t have a reservation even though it was 11 in the morning, and the place was completely empty. So it was a weird experience. Great tea though.

And of course, we had to try some German standards.

Ben bought me this gigantic pretzel at Hofbrauhaus. It was so big. I don’t think this picture even expresses how big it was. But oh was it wonderful.

Of course, during Christmas, there’s delicious mulled wine called Glühwein (pronounced gloo-vine) everywhere you turn!

And there was no way I could leave Munich without having a potato pancake with applesauce. I actually had my first full conversation in German while ordering this sucker. Success in so many ways.

Glockenspiel

In terms of architecture, I wasn’t wowed in Munich. But there is one cool feature worth checking out, and it’s right in the town square – the Rathaus Glockenspiel.

It’s built into the beautiful Town Hall building, and every day at 11 and 12, it chimes and the figures move, re-enacting two historical events. We saw this on the morning of our last day in Munich, and I’m glad we caught it before we left – it’s pretty fun to witness!

Annnd that pretty much sums up our time in Munich. Christmas markets, shopping, people-watching, and relaxing. Oh, and eating. And drinking. Basically, we had a great time! 🙂