Trying to catch the 8:18 train, I didn't think I'd have time for breakfast since it was supposed to be served at 8. Luckily, it was available a little bit early, so I had time to guzzle some juice and cram down a sandwich (only one type of meat and cheese available today). I also grabbed a banana and a chocolate chip cupcake for the road, and in keeping with this morning's theme, I crammed down the cupcake on my way to the station.
Off to Munich! I can't wait, as my first ever German experience was there, and I loved it, though it was way too short (see blog entry entitled "I may steal breakfast foods, but I am not a thief!" http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pwong/europe_2006/1155313680/tpod.html?tweb_UID=pwong ). Once again, I'm not staying for long, but at least I've got an evening and the better part of a day. My train to Salzburg was 10 minutes late, but my connection from there to Munich was also 10 minutes, so everything was OK! Funny - a seat reservation was required for the first train, but it was almost empty. None was required for the second train, but it was completely full - go figure!
I'm staying at the Wombats hostel - I chose this place because they've also got a location in Vienna, and I regretted not staying there two years ago (see blog entry entitled "A perfect day being a Wiener" http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pwong/europe_2006/1156691160/tpod.html?tweb_UID=pwong ), so I'm trying to make up for it in Munich, this time. I dropped off my bag at Wombats and immediately headed to the Viktualiemarkt.
I had also visited this market two years ago and seeing the incredible selection of food, regretted that I had eaten a sausage at the train station beforehand. This time I was on a mission: to assemble a kick-ass picnic! For the price I paid for the picnic, I could have had a nice sit-down meal in a restaurant, but there was no way I could have had a meal with such variety.
A group of backpacker girls sat next to me - two Italians, one from near Rimini, one from Turin, and one from Spain (Valladolid). I had trouble understanding the Spanish girl's accent, but I still tried. Unfortunately, the spidey sense of one of the Italian girls kicked in, and she dragged her Spanish friend off before I could talk to her for too long :(
Despite the heat, the pedestrian zones were packed today - I walked all over town, as there was no plan to do anything else today, since I had covered most of the main sights the first time. I did a bit of shopping, and noticed one of the sales girls talking with a customer in Spanish.
She studied for three years in Madrid, and despite retaining a German accent, speaks it very well. We both agreed that the heat wave here was pretty bad, but definitely not as horrid as Spain's summer heat. I wandered down Maximilianstrasse, Munich's high-end shopping district, then over to the English Garden, to catch the river surfers that I had missed last time.
Interesting piece of history that I learned today - King Ludwig I apparently fell hard for an Irish dancer named Lola Montez, of Spanish descent. She totally had him wrapped around her little finger, and supposedly she inspired the phrase "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets." Their relationship scandalized Munich. Hmmm ... good thing I'm not a king, because I'd surely suffer the same fate as Ludwig I!
Back to the hostel - actually met a fellow Calgarian in the room, Alicia, though she now lives in Edmonton. It's a big room with nice, solid wooden bunk beds. The hostel common areas have A/C but unfortunately, the rooms do not. Hot! I took a brief siesta before going off for food.
After, I went back to the room briefly and chatted with three new French roomies (from Paris, and the South of France), but soon decided to go for a walk to escape the heat. The area south of Marienplatz was hopping tonight - I found a gelato shop there and grabbed a huge scoop of mocha for only 1 Euro. The gelato girl commented that my shirt was cute; it was one that I got at MEC, and it had caricatures of rocks that looked like they had faces. I told her to check out the MEC website.
I remember Solange also commenting about the same shirt that night we met up in Oslo. Hmmm ... women seem to like this shirt. I think I need to buy a dozen of these shirts, and wear them every day the next time I am in Spain. Maybe the senoritas will notice ...
I wandered over to the other side of the Viktualienmarket, where I found a neat row of cafes and bars. In sharp contrast to the well-off and stylish locals chatting, drinking, and eating at some of the upscale spots, I ate my gelato while sitting like a hobo on some steps. A well-off hobo I guess, since I could afford to have a gelato!
Back to the hostel, where the room was still like an oven. I grabbed my free welcome beer and went to the chill room to read some more of Shogun. It's a pretty comfortable spot to relax, with sofas, bean bags, hammocks, and most importantly - A/C!
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