An Authentic German Night

The train ride into Munich was beautiful! The snow on the ground became more visible and it set the mood for a grand day. Prior, I had a half hour stop in Mannheim to catch the ICE train. I grabbed some lunch and a drink called, "Capri-Sonne" which you would know the English version. The German flavor I had was "Cola-Mix" which is basically Coke and Orange Drink. That combination is pretty popular out here I've found. I tried it and it tastes like....You ever had gummy colas? Yep, if that was a drink. Anyway, arriving in Munich was a little overwhelming! I was amazed at how big the station was. The way the trains drop you off is pretty cool; it's all in a line. What is also cool is all the German guards on their look-out posts holding their automatic rifles!! I felt safe!

I found the tourist office and said, "Hello, this is my first night in Munich where can I find a cheap place to stay?" She said, "Oh, there is a nice hotel nearby that is 3-stars and it's only 35 Euros". I said, "Sounds great! What is it called?" She replies, "Hotel Schweiz" Now, at the time I didn't think that "Schweiz" was a German word and I couldn't quite pinpoint what it meant, but I know I had heard it before. Anyway, I get to the hotel (which is in the Middle Eastern part of town.......not a bad thing, but was just expecting to see more German people) and the hotel has Swiss flags all over it. Then it hit me and it also was later confirmed by the hotel clerk that "Schweiz" is the German word for Swiss. So, here I am in the heart of Bavaria without a German in sight and staying in a Swiss Hotel......not exactly what I expected. The hotel was grand though; small and perfect! I don't need much, I'm just one person.

I decided to take advantage of this quick stop in Munich to do something fun. It was time for dinner at the Hofbrauhaus. I walked the long tourist drag all the way past several sites such as the Marienplatz Square, Justizpalast, and the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady: This Gothic cathedral has two domed towers shaped like onions, but don't be fooled.....it has layers). The bells of the Carillion or the Frauenkirche filled the square and corridors with echoing rings. It was hard to tell where the sounds were coming from.

New Town Hall

When I made it to the Hofbrauhaus I walked inside. It was massive! Tables tables tables FULL of people!! I walked around to checkout the joint. The band was playing German drinking songs and the hall was full of laughter, conversations, clanking of glasses, and people in unison shouting "Prost!"

The Band

I was told that you just find a table and sit wherever......even if people are already sitting there; you share. I tried to find the right group to sit with, but you could tell that many people were with their families. I tried to find a table with the old men who were wearing the lederhosen and the hats, but again there was little room. I found an empty table and figured that others would join me. They did! The first to join me was a grandfather and grandson from Hungary who didn't speak a word of English followed by the three stoned-faced mob bosses from Sicily, who spoke very little English. It was looking to be an authentic German night!

Outside Hofbrauhaus

I ordered a large beer and the sausage platter with sauerkraut. I was almost done with my first beer when the Mob Bosses got their beers.

Note: I call them the "Mob Bosses" because they were very serious, dressed in nice suits, and their antics were something out of a mob movie. However, they were funny in their demeanor.....and they didn't know it. They were just Italian men! Fun to watch!

Sausage Platter with Sauerkraut

The man across from me looked at the huge size of his beer and you could tell it was a little much for him. He was trying to communicate to me in Italian and I couldn't quite understand what he wanted. It was in broken English. He then said, "Beer too much, I a small man....you have". He then pours most of his beer into my glass (which already has another type of beer in it). Thankfully I had drunken most of it. Anyway, the beer starts to foam up and it spills everywhere. Now, I never heard Italians bicker at each other over a "Party Foul", but it was quite amusing. We clanked beer (Me saying "Prost!" and the Mob Boss, who poured his beer in my glass, saying, "Cin Cin!"......and that was that......for a while. While I was eating my strudel I finally ask the guy in front of me. "What part of Italy are you from?" He says, "Sicily! You from .....where?" I say, "California". Then all three Mob Bosses get these huge grins on their faces and yell, "CALIFORNIA!!!!!!" as they raise their beer glasses. Our conversation over the next 20-minutes is hard to describe, but it was most enjoyable. These men were so funny and a pleasure to sit with. As they get up to leave they say, "Good Bye California!" I then wave my arm in one fluid motion and say, "Ciao!" Then in unison they look at each other, smile, and yell "Ciao!!!"

Another group joined the table who were all German. I ordered another large beer and joined them in conversation. It's funny that people say they only speak a little English, but then break-out in nearly fluent speech. The Hofbrauhaus was an amazing experience. It's a treat to sit with people from all parts of the word and enjoy a beer in the heart of Bavaria........Munich!!!

Matt at the Hofbrauhaus