(Motorcycling content tomorrow! I'm going to keep the narrative brief for the next few sections - I'll eventually post the longer versions on my website)
Not sure what happened to my 7am alarm, but I woke up at 11:30 instead. Barely enough time to shower and check out of the hotel. I had found a great deal on a hotel near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), so I needed to move myself over there before exploring more of Munich.
My home for the next 3 nights (or so I thought), the 1st Hotel Creatif Elefant
Oh boy that's a tiny room. With no a/c.
Walked from the hotel down the main pedestrian strip (Neuhauser Strasse) to Marienplatz. Weather was perfect, I was well rested, it was shaping up to be a great day.
Inside the Frauenkirche, my first European cathedral. Yowza these things are big.
Pretty serious organ
The Antiquarium in the 500-year old Residenz, former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs (mostly the Wittelsbach family)
Cool perspective painting on the ceiling, only works if you stand in the exact center of the room
A recurring theme in Munich's buildings was "Here's what it looked like before 1945..."
Nice new brickwork, but not nearly as grand as it once was
The Emperor's Hall, at one time converted into private apartment for King Max I Joseph. Nice digs.
The baroque Ancestral Gallery
This view probably hasn't changed much in the last couple hundred years
Theatinerkirche near Odeansplatz
Statues outside Theatinerkirche
Inside Theatinerkirche
Delicious Augistiner Helles
I was disappointed to find that Munich isn't nearly the car mecca that Zurich is. After 2 days this was the first interesting car I found.
The first Ferrari of the trip
Hey, is that Sean Connery?
This guy was outside the Residenz, just about shouting about the history of the ruling family "if anyone knew the secrets of who killed so-and-so...". I first thought he was a nut like you'd find outside a momument in DC, but turns out he's a really enthusiastic leader of a Mike's Bikes Tour. I would have definitely enjoyed him as a tour guide.
His tour group. Next time around I think I'll give it a try.
Another shot of the Hofbrauhaus
Menu from Hard Rock Cafe opposite the Hofbrauhaus. 14.75 Euro was about $21.50 when I was there. That's a pricey burger.
About 10pm I made my way back to my one-small-step-above-hostel hotel room where I fully expected I would collapse and get a good night's sleep. Unfortunately the lack of a/c and tiny confines of the room conspired against me. The only way to get any air in the room was to open the window, which didn't help much but did let all the noise from the busy street in. I watched some TV, read, listened to music, counted sheep, every trick I could think of, but no use. By 6am I gave up trying to get any sleep and got ready to go out for the day.