Munich

It's 2a where I am, and I can't seem to get to sleep.  That's probably because it's 7p at home, and my body hasn't adjusted yet.  It's bizarre.  Even though I had anticipated the jet lag, I'm finding it very difficult to acclimate to the 7 hour change from Chicago to Munich.

Back story: my dad has never been to Europe.  I have been twice, one on a study abroad trip on his dime.  So, I decided it was time to take him.  He thought it was a great idea and, when I asked where he wanted to go, he responded, "Europe."  Where specifically?  He shrugged, "Europe."

So, I set an itinerary that has us starting in Munich (that's where I am, sleepless!), traveling south to the Neuschwastein Castle (it's the model for Sleeping Beauty's castle, and probably a huge tourist trap, but it's also beautiful), west through the Black Forest (can't WAIT; even what little we have seen of Germany's forests have been amazing so far), then north along the Rhine River to Cologne.  From there, we will depart Germany for Belgium, hitting both Brussels (one of my very favorite cities) and Bruges (think of how pretty the movie In Bruges was before it got violent...) and then ending our trip in Amsterdam.

Today, we suffered the unavoidable (previously-mentioned) jet lag, but we also did a pretty stellar job of checking the city out.  We strolled from our hotel (located very close to the central train station) in the general direction of the main pedestrian plaza, Marienplatz.  We got side-tracked at a small park and, starving, sat to eat at a restaurant within it.  The waiter took pity on us and asked if we were looking for traditional Bavarian food since their menu had recently changed, and the English versions had not arrived yet.  We told him yes, and he presented us 300 grams (I had no concept of how much this was, but it turns out it's a whole plateful) or schnitzel as well as roasted pork shoulder, which is apparently an area staple.

We didn't get far past the park before we got very tired, so we returned to the hotel for a nap, then braved the S-Bahn (subway system) to take us to Marienplatz.  This was after unsuccessfully hopping on and off at least two different trams.  I have still not successfully mastered a foreign tram system...

Marienplatz, a shopping stronghold, was absolutely packed, but we did get to see the New City Hall, complete with famous Glockenspiel, though it was too late to see it go off.  We strolled around, taking photos of the fascinating churches, nipping into one of them to view a few minutes of an evening mass, and then finally finding a place to eat.

We actually struggled to find a place to eat and walked into several establishments before finding ours.  The first place was right on the main drag, and they sat us in between two couples.  I have heard of table sharing and have even anticipated in it during previous trips, but this was just downright awkward.  We then tried another restaurant with a bar that had been empty when we walked by it previously, but it was jam-packed by the time we came back.  We were forced to keep looking.  I really thought it would be easier to find a beer in Germany.  I think we may be looking in the wrong areas, but our dining location was ultimately fantastic, and we ordered sampler platters and indulged in some of the best local food.

Our plan to hop on a bus tour of the city tomorrow (or later today) was thwarted by the fact that the Munich Marathon takes place in the city tomorrow.  Just our luck... We were also informed that most stores are closed on Sunday, so we may try to pop by some museums instead.

Wish us luck!! (Pictures will be posted when it's not inconvenient for my roommate...)