Day Twelve
My last day in Munich came, and I went for yet another walk to get a few more pictures and to get a book from the Residenz Museum. I decided to take side streets to get there, trusting that I knew my way around by now.
Amazing what you can find on side streets. I saw a metal grating on the sidewalk, like you'd see any day in any city, but this one wasn't covering a steam vent and it had the shape of a dead man cast into it (like the tape or chalk outlines you see at crime scenes). At the head of the outline was a plaque, and I understood.
In 1918, a man named Kurt Eisner decided to overthrow the Wittelsbach monarchy (revolution was in the air those days) and set up a republic in Bavaria. He was not successful, and was gunned down at that very spot. Very interesting.
Later I hopped onto a subway and headed out of town to ship 11 kilos of souvenirs back home. At a cost of €210. Since the dollar is now $1.25 to 1 Euro, you figure out how much that cost me.
Speaking of costs, I also had a look around and found the German equivalent of a stop&rob gas/convenience store (the place is called Agip). Now, in Europe they sell gasoline by the liter (about a quart, more or less), and Agip's price for regular unleaded was €1.10 a liter. Now, just doing some flying calculations, I figure that works out to about $5.48 a gallon.
No wonder they invented the Smart Car.
Speaking of that, I found out that there are two types of Smart Car, a two-door sedan and a four-door station wagon that's a bit smaller than a Mini. There are also a bewildering array of brands running the roads:
German: Porsche, Mercedes, MAN (trucks), BMW, Audi, Volkswagen
French: Peugeot, Citroen, Renault
Italy: FIAT, Alfa-Romeo
Czech Republic: Skoda
US - affiliated: Opel, Ford (including one lunatic who drove an F250 pickup)
Britain: Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini Cooper
Japan: Honda, Toyota, Kia
You'll also find that, in city driving at least, the staid, sober and disciplined Germans are anything but when they're behind the wheel. That includes bicycles.
After bumming about in my room and getting things packed, I went back to the Augustiner Restaurant on Neuhauser Street for dinner. Now, in an earlier post I said that it's been in the same place since 1897, and that's very true; what I didn't mention was that the restaurant was founded by Augustinian monks in 1328.
I decided to splurge for my last night in Munich, so I ordered Rehschnitzel. What I got was thin cutlets of venison, pan-fried and served in a sauce that included juniper. The meat was served with chopped chanterelle mushrooms in a cream sauce, fresh cranberry relish and a bowl of the egg noodles called spätzel. A half-liter of dark wheat beer to drink, and I was ready to go.
I almost started crying at the first bite.
It. Was. That. DAMNED. Good.
I ate everything and tipped the waiter well.
I shall write about my journey home either late Saturday night or Sunday. Till then, see ya!
Amazing what you can find on side streets. I saw a metal grating on the sidewalk, like you'd see any day in any city, but this one wasn't covering a steam vent and it had the shape of a dead man cast into it (like the tape or chalk outlines you see at crime scenes). At the head of the outline was a plaque, and I understood.
In 1918, a man named Kurt Eisner decided to overthrow the Wittelsbach monarchy (revolution was in the air those days) and set up a republic in Bavaria. He was not successful, and was gunned down at that very spot. Very interesting.
Later I hopped onto a subway and headed out of town to ship 11 kilos of souvenirs back home. At a cost of €210. Since the dollar is now $1.25 to 1 Euro, you figure out how much that cost me.
Speaking of costs, I also had a look around and found the German equivalent of a stop&rob gas/convenience store (the place is called Agip). Now, in Europe they sell gasoline by the liter (about a quart, more or less), and Agip's price for regular unleaded was €1.10 a liter. Now, just doing some flying calculations, I figure that works out to about $5.48 a gallon.
No wonder they invented the Smart Car.
Speaking of that, I found out that there are two types of Smart Car, a two-door sedan and a four-door station wagon that's a bit smaller than a Mini. There are also a bewildering array of brands running the roads:
German: Porsche, Mercedes, MAN (trucks), BMW, Audi, Volkswagen
French: Peugeot, Citroen, Renault
Italy: FIAT, Alfa-Romeo
Czech Republic: Skoda
US - affiliated: Opel, Ford (including one lunatic who drove an F250 pickup)
Britain: Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini Cooper
Japan: Honda, Toyota, Kia
You'll also find that, in city driving at least, the staid, sober and disciplined Germans are anything but when they're behind the wheel. That includes bicycles.
After bumming about in my room and getting things packed, I went back to the Augustiner Restaurant on Neuhauser Street for dinner. Now, in an earlier post I said that it's been in the same place since 1897, and that's very true; what I didn't mention was that the restaurant was founded by Augustinian monks in 1328.
I decided to splurge for my last night in Munich, so I ordered Rehschnitzel. What I got was thin cutlets of venison, pan-fried and served in a sauce that included juniper. The meat was served with chopped chanterelle mushrooms in a cream sauce, fresh cranberry relish and a bowl of the egg noodles called spätzel. A half-liter of dark wheat beer to drink, and I was ready to go.
I almost started crying at the first bite.
It. Was. That. DAMNED. Good.
I ate everything and tipped the waiter well.
I shall write about my journey home either late Saturday night or Sunday. Till then, see ya!
posted by Walt at 2:03 PM
1 Comments:
Hmmm! That last meal sounds deeee-lish, but I'm a sucker for good venison (which needs a good sauce, as venison can be dry).
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