Ben was there waiting for us, as promised, and we rode in his VW van back to their place in Eichenau. We got there late, so did not spend a lot of time catching up, just enough to get a grounding for the next few days. Their place is at the end of a road, a road named for their house, and to get to the train, you walk through a patch of forest and onto the town streets.
A bit of time talking before going off to bed. We were promised an early wake from the two boys in the morning.
And we got it. Although Darlene was up and out of the house for a stroll by six, I of course slept in until later, so didn't get to meet the boys until night time. We had arranged to meet Ben at his Google office for lunch, so that gave us a scheduling starting point at least, and it looked like we would get into Munich and spend the day sort of wandering. But ofcourse it was a slower start for us than we had anticipated, and it was almost eleven by the time we left the house. Off to the train station, tried to figure out how to buy a ticket through their machines, and waited for the S4 train to the centre of town. I was astonished by the number of bicycles there were at the station, and the infrastructure set up to handle them.
The train takes only about fifteen minutes to get to town, and so we arrived at Marienplatz station, eventually found the exit we were looking for, and started our search. Between Darlene's partial memory of what we had discussed with Ben, and mine, we were able to actually find the Google offices at first attempt. Signed ourselves into their computer, and were met by Ben. And what an office it is. Lots of activity, most of it quiet (they are programming, and this does not require a lot of noise), places for work which are airy and bright. And of course the perks: snacks all around; rooms for games; cafeteria with real food; room for massage therapy: all included in their work environment. It is a place in which it would be a joy to work.
Then off exploring the area. We tried to get some information at the Tourist Centre, but it was too crowded with tourists, so we went elsewhere. We walked down the street towards Karlsplatz, from the Neues Rathaus (the new City hall, which was built in 1867), to the large fountain at Karlsplatz, stopping at the Frauenkirche as well. In the middle of this, the skies opened, so we ducked into a wine bar for a short interlude. Back to the Hauptbahnhof (central train station) to check on our leaving location for Monday, then we caught a random tram (really the kind of LRT that Hamilton is balking at) and followed it to the end, then back again. Just to see the city from a different level. And to use our daily pass better. (a word here: they charge about 12 Euros for a pass for five adults for twenty-four hours, rarely check to see that you have it, and it allows use of any train, tram, subway, or bus in the Munich area: a great idea)
Home for a late snack and some talk with Ben and Jutta, then to bed. The morning, as usual, begins with Dylan about 7 AM. He is 2-1/2, bright, joyful, bilingual, and comes down the stairs saying in a loud voice "Darlene...where's Darlene?". So sleeping in is difficult. Darlene is up, but I try to sleep, Dylan and Ben come in to check that I am still there, so I get up.
The next day we went to Dachau, and this was eventful enough I have done a separate entry.
The following day, Saturday, we decided to go together to the Zoo. The kids had been there before, but liked it a lot, and we were all interested as adults as well.
The trip and the zoo was great. We all bundled up (it was cool outside, and cloudy), got on the S4, transferred to the S3, and got off at the Zoo, ready for adventure. The kids were excited (Jason is 4+, Dylan is 2-1/2).
First stop had to be a bathroom, and after that a petting zoo with goats in it. Then off to see the elk, the rhino (a grey-brown one without a horn[it had to be severed due to infection]), the tigers. Then to the bat house, interesting because the bats were allowed to fly anywhere they wished, so they were fluttering about our heads. Also a bird house, where we watched weavers building their nests.
We saw the elephants, complete with a three-month baby, and the giraffes, where there was a one-year infant.
And finally to the primate area, where there were chimps, bonobos, gorillas, oragutangs, all in appropriate areas. And the chimps would get mad at times, and throw themselves agsinst the protective glass, with a loud bang.
Probably the most exciting for us, watching their interactions, and their tempers.
After a tiring time walking around the area, we headed back home. The adults were ready for an afternoon nap, but the kids were wired, so our plan didn't happen. But we did engineer a children's supper, followed by an adult supper.
Our last day in Munich—Sunday— required us to visit a beer hall, which we had not yet done. In Munich, beer halls are open to adults and children. People can, by law, bring their own food if they wish, but have to buy their drinks at the hall. And since this day was a sunny day, there were a lot of people there, outdoors at tables, eating away and drinking their beer in the beer garden. We had fish-on-a-stick (a mackerel rosted over a fire), some chicken, and of course a pretzel, as well as the beer. It was great.
But it was early to bed, since we had to get up at 4:30 to catch our train to Munich for the TGV to Paris.
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Location:Munich
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