Munchen: more than the beer festival!

germany, day 7

Munchen, or Munich. in search of a castle, we booked ourselves for a one-day trip to munchen. later we realized, that was a wrong move. we should have stayed 3 days in order to really savor the culture, the beauty of the place. it was more than just the home of the Oktoberfest!



we left home at 7am, and arrived in muchen at 1pm via ICE. we met up with Mano's friend mitch who is married to a german, and was carrying a 5-month baby in her womb. since we have to go back to the train station at 5pm, we only covered the major plaza!



we ate in a typical deutch resto specially chosen by mich. mano and mich had a lot of catching up to do. they regaled me with their manila-office stories, and later mitch with her german adventures in between bites of the steak-and-potato (huge helping!) meal!



later, we walked outside the resto and explored the central park of munich. there were a few street acts (see pic). between Koln, Dusseldorf, Bonn and Munich, there seems to be a rather sense of ease and openness in this place. i can't explain it. Koln for me is majestic, Dusseldorf is formal, Bonn is classic, and Munchen seems to be the free-spirited. we just srolled around the place, and i don't think i've been heated up enough, until we realized it's time to walk back to the train station!



we'd have to go back there to munchen and make sure to spend more days... as mitch said it is close to Austria, and of couse to the castle road and the romantic road that we were looking for....

Candid observations

still on germany...

besides the picturesque places in germany, i also noted down some candid observations on my travel notebook.




Recycling : from dusseldorf to munich, to anywhere, they are so much into recycling. we bought, one time, some stuff in a gasoline station mini-grocery. after paying, the cashier just left the items at the check-out panel. mano and i exchanged glances, until tita ching told us to bring the items already! she said that they do not give bags. we need to bring our own, or buy one (which is not cheap honey!). so the after that, we always bring plastic bags, just in case! also, if you bring empty water bottles, they deduct the cost of the used bottle from the total price of the product. cool huh! and yes, almost all the trash sections are divided into 4 (see pic). i do hope dubai will follow suit. we need to give our share to the environment. the environ that our children, grand chirldren, great cgrnadchildren will inherit...


Toilets: while toilets are ubiquitous in the UAE, complete with hose bidet and tissues, i did not see that luxury in germany. you have to pay for the use of public toilets! well, if labor is really expensive, then the government should really charge the upkeep of these public facilities to--- the public!




Vandalism: i do not know if it is an expression of art or expression of repression. whichever, i noticed that almost all the public places--- from buildings, to rail roads, to posts, to bridges, almost everywhere--- you can find these vandalism. but the difference with regular vandal is that this is kinda colorful and artistic, and most of the drawings are names of the persons, and not some political statements.






Canine World. never have i seen so many bred dogs in my life! and they even merit a special place in public transportation. there is a special price for train rides with your canine friend. and if you wish too, to do some sidelines to earn money, it can also be a pleasurable companion. plus, if you'd just like to walk around the plaza, it will willingly accompany you. really a loyal friend ;)







Bus/Train payment system: i'm amazed at the number of trainways that intersect and connect each city-- yet it is centralized! almost everywhere is accessible. they have s-ban (with stops in all corners), the RE (regional express) with stops in major spots only, and of course, the ICE (international city express) with stops in major cities and connecting to other countries!

and being used to to bus conductors, and train station turnstiles, i was amazed when i noticed how lenient the ticket admission system is here. there are payment machines and cashier booths. but when you are at the station already, there are no turnstiles, inspection booth before you enter the train/bus, nor conductors. there are even ticket dispensing machines inside the train already (see pic). they say that there are random inspections, but i've never seen one the whole time we were travelling! i told tita ching that people may abuse this freedom, but she said that people are so used to it that honesty system is a way of transportation life already! and guess what, the ticket that you use for the train, entitles you free bus rides for a period of time! cool!

Jet planes: i've never been in a jet plane, so i don't understand their passion for this here. each time i look up in the sky, i just see either the actual jet or the smoke trail it left behind written all over the sky! maybe taking advantage too of the nice weather when we were there. it was raining before we arrived, and after we left... hmm, we bring sunshine then to germany ;)




Biking and walking: aside from seeing less of heavy traffic, i see more of people biking, and a noticeable volume of people walking everywhere! with good weather, sans pollution and good pathswalks, who wouldn't be enticed to walk? aside from being environment-friendly, it is also healthy! the cobblestone and tree-lined paths makes strolling very conducive... and of course, never forget al fresco dining and coffee-talking too!





No heavy traffic!!! i do not know if i've seen enough to conclude, but really, in my short stay there, i've not seen traffic congestion, considering that most have cars of their own. i do not know if it's only me, but hey, if you've been living in dubai for a long time, this is such a refreshing sight to behold! it is noticeable also that while locals in the UAE buy the biggest, the most expensive, the newest cars, the germans stay simple and classic in their choice of vehicles-- mostly the small european sedans (Peugeot is famous). only a few 4X4's, and big-bodied luxury cars traverse the roads.

Many senior lovers. when i say old, i mean, old, as in 60 years and above. i thought at first that they were a picture of long-and-lasting loves, until i commented that to tita ching. she said, most of them are 'lovers' who just meet up on weekends, but stay in separate houses, just for the purpose of companionship, since their kids have families of their own already. and if the female party is widowed already, there is no more talk of re-marrying as it will nullify the pension she is getting. if in case they get soooo old already, they are then housed in home-for-the-aged, where you assets pay up for the services first (which is quite pricey), and once all is consumed, that's the time that the government pays for it. no wonder many of them spend their money on travelling while they are still able instead of saving up...

No malls. Walking around sans malls is a good respite for me. i've been working for the mall industry for the past decade, and being in a place without the artificial airconditioning, without the flashy advertisements, without the bannering "SALE" signs, without the typical contained mall noise-- was such a welcome breather!




Fashion sense. Maybe it's the season, or the influence of the neighbor city Paris. From kids to adults, it's all about layering, and creative layering that is. I thought germans are kinda classic-followers, but i was wrong. they have some bits of fashionable bones!

Top Running Moments

let me share with you the fun, the laughters and the muscle aches in our top running moments in europe! you should not miss this!!! first you may ask, why 'running'? yes, it is literally running... if you're not used to with punctual bus/train timings, you'd definitely have to run!


Winner

Leaving Amsterdam to Germany, we need to get the ICE (intercity express) train. i checked with mano the timing of the departure. i heard 1:45pm. 'ok, it's 1pm, so it gives us more time to say our goodbyes to our gracious hosts, mary anne, mike and sophia'. so a little play with sophia there, a little more checking of things here, a little putting of make up and last touches here... a few more minutes later, with me having the incurable habit of asking for time, asked mano again what time is the train leaving. and now, i heard 1:35.... 1:35??? 1:35???? did i hear that right? yes, i heard her right, and she was confused where i got the thought of 1:45. hmm, my ears were lying? so we have 20 mins... mary anne was surprised too, and she told us of the other train route that may be faster, and we dashed out of her house...

' if we miss this train, maybe we'd have to buy a new pass (euro 160), and we leave the next day and miss our munich trip (which is another euro 210)-- oh, that is not good!' ok, no place for option B so it's time to------- run!!! so all three of us ran for our dear ICE... when we came out of the back roads and emerged unto the main road, there we saw the tram nearing the waiting area already!!! run, run, run! luggages tumbling right and left... adrenaline rush...

people we passed by were both surprised and amused at the sight of 3 ladies running after the tram--wa poise, in contrast to all the people walking so relaxed and taking their time... and when we arrived at the ICE station and entered the train, a few seconds later, the doors closed! whew! that was very very close!!! i am sure no amount of charm can ever help us in case we were left by the train...

1st runner up

we were leaving Troysdorf plaza going to the relatives of mano... the bus timing said that it will pass by the waiting area at 4:15pm. ok, it's just a stone's throw away from the internet cafe we were in, so no need to hurry up. however, yes you guessed it-- we lost track of the time! with 3 minutes remaining, i dashed out of the cafe to run to the bus station, as mano and tita still needs to settle their bill. i thought 'if i get there first, at least, maybe i can tell the driver to wait for mano and tita'. yes, it would have been easy, if i was not wearing high-heeled shoes!!!! don't ask me now why i am wearing that...

tailing behind me is tita who seemed to be infuriated with this, that she blurted ou "hmmp! i really will not go with you girls anymore! i cannot keep on running like this!" and to that i retorted, "we can make it! go go go!"

and behind tita, is the most funny scenario of all. mano, carrying her lapto---- still open, mind you!--- running so fast that the guys she passed by told her to be very careful. laptop, bag and shopping bag on the other hand! can you imagine how she juggled it? why was the laptop still open? because she has not yet shut it down yet! haha! the thing that made her running more difficult was actually her giigles at seeing the two of us ran comically ahead of her...

and yes, once again, we managed to get on the bus, in the nick of time!


2nd runner up

the last but definitely not the least, was when we first landed in germany. the baptism of fire! with connecting trains having their own times, we had to runa nd run from train to train, station to station, until we arrived home in tita's place--- all the while with 5 luggages on hand!

The City that is Bonn

germany, day 3: Bonn

this used to be the administrative capital before it became berlin... and since it was our 3rd day, we were so used to with cobblestone pathwalk already, and central plaza... it rained when we went there, so we were not able to explore much the place. but we noticed the presence of --- H&M, hmmm, ergo, must be a german brand ;)

Troysdorf, Sieburg and Farm

germany, day 2: Lazy sunday afternoon at Troysdorf



because we had a very full sched the other day, we woke up late and started late. a bus ride away from st. agustine, we went to the small town of troysdorf. imagine a serene afternoon with only the sound of the cool afternoon breeze, some small talks from other diners, laughters from kids running around and playing, tic tacs of the shoes of people walking from all over, and add the metalic sound of the bikes running here and there--- oh, i love the mix! it's so relaxing, so lazy, so unpretencious, so unintimidating.


we had a wonderful al fresco lunch where we opted for their pork meal-- and it was yummy! it was a kinda cheap for german standard.

the whole ambiance is warm, it's like everybody knows everybody. people stopping in mid-track to greet others, families walking their dogs with their kids, lovers (yes, even as old as 70+!!!) parading along the road unmindful of others; and me, doing a mental note of all of these seemingly mundane activities. ahhhh, true essence of lazy afternoon with friends.




germany, day 2: Late afternoon thrift shopping at Siegburg


after a hearty meal at troysdorf, we resolved on burning those calories by walking. and tita brought us to the sunday thrift shop in the next town siegburg. when all the stores are closed (employee rates on a sunday is so high so most shops close on this day), many families take advantage of the plaza to do their own business--- selling merchandize, bazaars, and food! even kids sell items too! and who said that only pinoys are fond of hand-me-downs?

i found it difficult to get any souvenir with 'germany' written on it (maybe they are not that touristic-minded). so i just tried on getting ceramics with deutch language. we got five ceramics for five euro, can you beat that? oh, but the best part was--- when tita suddenly saw this chairs which she said she has been longing for eversince. we thought she was joking when she said she'll buy that. i though, 'ok, they will deliver'. but no, no, no, a bazaar does not have that service. and taxi is sooo expensive. so after tita paid them for fifty euros, mano and i exchanged shocked looks that says "are we seriously bringing this to the bus station?" the next picture will tell you the answer! i had so much fun taking photos---- that we missed the bus by a split second! so after all the walking, we got a cab!









very exhausted from carrying the chairs fashionably, as soon as she lied down on the bed, it's dreamland! haha!





germany, day 2: Early evening at the farm


after the tiring siegburg explorations, we opted for a cool evening walk within the neighborhood. it's 6pm, but it wasn't dark yet. we put on our sneakers and jogging pants, ready for any running needed. i was happy coz i only see these kinds of neigborhoods in the movies-- you know the posh gardens, quiet place, nice houses, NO GATES!, and full of trees stuff.




a few more minute of walking, i was awed at the view of a farmland! i saw horses, cows, farm houses! oh, i cannot take so much amazement in one day! haha! the view was great, with sunset canvassing this whole scene. we sat by a lonely bench, and enjoyed the moment for a while.

The Old Town (Alstadt)

walking in cobblestones was like walking back in time. now i understand why architects in dubai keep on using this feature in most of the property developments. it's the closest to reliving this european touch on the roads! the ticking of my boots on those algae-filled stones, and with the sound of authentic european music floating in the air, and with people talking in a different language -- this is like drifting me off to faraway land.

everywhere, people were just walking, biking, or eating al fresco, or drinking freshly brewed beer, or just simply standing out there in groups and talking endlessly! it's like a festival. there were alleys and bigger roads, but always, walkers will outnumber cars passing by.

then, wouldn't you believe--- there was a pinoy-videoke joint? and yes, the 'kabayan' spirit lives! we were walking past the joint when the guy by the door said 'kabayan!' in an obvious effort to get our attention. and he did! we managed a small talk, and he ushered us inside his videoke bar. and since we badly needed a CR (well, CRs does not come in handy in germany i guess), we took the opportunity to strike up a conversation, and ultimately, use the toilet. hehe. and of course, the guy told us we can't leave without singing a song! (as if i'd hesitate!). so there, in koln, i sang "til they take my heart away"...

that was just one adventure. a little later, in the midst of the crowd, a group of men approached us, wearing white shirt with german words written on it, with one guy wearing a wig. they told as that the guy in wig is already going to get married, and they were helping him to raise funds. how? well, for a kiss to the groom-to-be, we pay them one euro, or to whip him, two euros... hmm, of course we chose the cheaper one! hahah!

later, we walked towards the park and saw a stunt-- a girl walking by a tight rope! whoa, it's really difficult to earn money huh? and then, tired from all the walking and walking, we saw the locals lying lazily there on the grass, and did just like them. the difference was-- they were lying where the sun shines, and we were where the shade was. yeah. there were a lot of couples openly displaying their affection too. oh plz. there, as i lazily stretched my body on the grass, i looked up the sky, thanking God for bringing me to this wonderful place. i closed my eyes for a few minutes... later, mano walked away and came back with --- bradwurst! hmmm, it's impossible to finish this longggg suausage!

and of course, after resting, we walked again... and as we kept walking, we finally landed in the ------ shopping district! hmm, guess my feet really knows where to go! haha! the shopping area is not those huge malls, but just a row of single layer stores along a two-way road (closed to vehicles) which is full of people walking to and fro. we just let ourselves be swayed by the crowd. and here, when some of the stores have closed, the enterprising ones starts doing their street acts to earn money-- one pulled out the piano and started playing a nice music. a few blocks away, a guitarist. they play well, by the way. in the end of this stretch, i ended up empty handed, and mano and tita were the ones who managed to snuggled up some good buys.

and a little more walking, we finally ended back in the cathedral and to the Koln HBF station...

Rhine River Cruise

germany, day 1: rhine river cruise

before we went to germany, i already have this list of must-sees. always, this river cruise comes out on the top list. so, we did not let this opportunity pass by. just a walking distance from the koln cathedral by following the signs, you will see the marvelous rhine river stretching across the koln. it is one of the most important rivers in germany, running from netherlands to switzerland.

of course, we did not cross the whole stretch. we did only the one- hour-tour (which i now regret! i think we should have done the 2 hours so that we could have moved farther away from the city of koln and see castles). as we hopped on the boat, i felt i've been transported back in time... there was an english taped tour voice-over. i was so busy taking video and photos at the same time so i missed on some of the stories (i will just google it). i just saw numerous historical churches, posh houses and old buildings lining the river. there were also natural parks, the Lindt chocolate factory, one Deutch Olympics building, numerus bridges that romatically passes over our heads (im thinking of Before Sunrise here)... and oh, i'm so taken by the sight of people who were just strolling with friends by the river-side, walking the dogs, biking, picnic-ing, boating, and some who just lazily sit by the grass watching the world go by... isn't this just great? a really relaxed, lazy weekend afternoon. even if we were not able to see a lot of castles, these are enough eye feasts for me.

too bad it has to end. i looked at my watch, it was already 7:30pm and the sun was just about the set.

The Koln Cathedral and the Vibrant Plaza

germany, day 1: koln (cologne) cathedral



we went there on a saturday afternoon. it was our first day outside St Agustine. when you step out of the Koln HBF (train station) the grand cathedral greets you in all its majesty! being centuries old, locals said that a part of it is always under repair.








around it is the plaza which serves as rendezvous of people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of things -- meeting friends, drin king beers (oh yes, it's everywhere!), rallying your cause, performing streets acts to earn, people-watching, doing various fun traditional gimmicks for soon-to-be-wed couples which is a real treat to tourists like me, and so much more. i am amazed at the volume of people that we saw that weekend! it's like a festival of some sort!



and yes, having read it in the internet, we aimed to go up the Ascent of Tower to see the awesome view of the whole of Koln. but we were just not forewarned that there was no elevator!!! so we climbed up and up that narrow (maybe even a little claustrophobic, see photo) stairs of the cathedral tower! whew! it was like a neverending trail up, wherein we were ambivalent of continuing our climb up (we do not know how far it is still) or just quit and going down. well, we just kept going and going! haha! up there, unfortunately, the whole viewing place was covered with steel wires which somehow barred the nice view, thouhg i am sure it was done on a purpose. and everywhere, there were colorful vandalisms (yeah, even in this cathedral).


but then if you let the lense go thru the wire mesh, you will have these awesome photos of the whole of koln! the river rhine, the houses, the bridges...







and looking down, mano and i realized how far we have gone up!!! we were both shocked and at the same time laughing at this escapade! on our way down, we've seen people climbing up with the same expression of laughter, tiredness, anticipation and impatience all in the same measure!! i was tempted to tell them how far it is still--- but then, why be a party pooper! let them experience the same adventure anyways! and when we finally landed on the ground floor, i looked back at the "ticket booth" and it says, "509 steps, no lift"!!!! hmmm, not reading eh!

All in a Day!

Early morning, I got a call that one of our company cars was missing…

Lunch time, I received an email from my boss that he did not like the presentation that I did yesterday...

Afternoon, I got an email from our finance head that as of september, our sales was 2% short from YTD budget...

Late afternoon, one of our staff cried to me telling me her sad fight with another staff...

Early evening, I chatted with a friend, and he said that his wife may possibly has a relapse of cancer…

A few minutes more, a friend told me she will not be able to take the board exam and she's so down…

Later, another friend from another side of the globe told me that she was out of work the past two months because of her illness…

Before the day closed, I got a call from a friend who is having an argument with her girlfriend for unwanted pregnancy....

And another call from a girlfriend asking for help so that she can really free herself from a wrong relationship....


I closed my eyes…i prayed... i am so glad that He is our strength at times like this, when all seems to go wrong, all in a day!

Lord, I lift them all up t you…and let me have a restful sleep...

The Serenity of St. Agustine

germany, day 1

the travel from the airport to Tita's house was a mini-adventure for my eyes, though i knew they were already dead tired! the unfamiliar house architectures, to small cars, to blondes and green eyes, to teens dinking beer in the train, to empty roads and our empty bus.... we arrived in Tita's place at St. Agustine at around 10pm... and the whole neigborhood is already quiet and sleeping! it was around 25 minutes away from Koln... all you can hear was the sound of our luggage wheels rolling against the cobblestones. and i did not realize we were already whispering... shhhhh...it was such a quiet and serene neighborhood!

the next day, i woke up at 7am, it was still dark. i woke up again at 830am, and finally said my "Guten morgen!" appropriately ;) the view from the terrace was breathtaking. i just love to stay there while bird come a-chirpin, and the leaves a-swaying following the soft morning breeze... Tita said that we were so blessed today because the past days has been rainy, and today was the first day it was clear and sunny! God answers our prayers ;)


each morning after that, while Mano has to (ironically) do some last minute paper works... i would always sit by the terrace and just stare at all the greeneries, all the blue skies and white clouds that my eyes could reach. nothing comes into mind, except the peace and tranquility which i longed to have, and then blurt out "ang sarap mag bakasyon!"