Hard Rain

We'd fallen so in love with the bucolic charms of Bacharach, that the next stop was always going to have a tough time competing on the aesthetic front. Luckily for Munich, we'd planned to spend most of our time in town drinking beer, eating lard and playing cards. That this compact, funky little city had some beautiful parks and architecture as well was an added bonus.

The weather during our three days in town was singularly foul; so much so, that we looked forward to the moments when the rain was fairly light to hang our washing out. Sunday afternoon actually offered up an afternoon of sun, though, so we took advantage and walked round much of the city, and strolled through the vast Englischer Gardens. German trading laws mean that virtually no shops are open on a Sunday, which while no bad thing in itself does render city centres eerily quiet. When you added in all those pesky church services, which kept picture taking tourists like us out of most places of worship, and our sight-seeing options were a little limited.

We did, however, scale the 36, 000 (give or take a few thousand) steps to the top of the St Peterskirche tower. The vistas of Munich that the circular  balcony at the top afforded us were worth the visit alone; churches dotted residential areas, industrial developments cropped up out of nowhere, rivers and rivulets duelled throughout, the whole view hemmed in by the dark, looming Bavarian ranges in the distance. I only hope that the ample Japanese lady we saw gasping for breath on our way down – she was about a tenth of the way up – lived to tell the tale.

The real gem of our stay, though, was perhaps the most unlikely - “The Tent” campsite and bunk space that we stayed in for three nights. Located a 20 minute tram ride from the centre of town, it somehow managed to be both endearingly bohemian and laid back, while at the same time offering the cleanest facilities, cheapest and best food and warmest of welcomes we've enjoyed thus far. A bit like a mini-Glastonbury, with hanging lights, nightly camp fires and a familial party atmosphere, I kept smiling even though we were camping for three nights in near hurricane. Which is more than I manage most days.

Such was the welcome, that we only tore ourselves away from their bar and into a Bavarian Beer Garden one evening – though what an evening it was. Huge steins of amber, laughing tables of all ages, smoked sausages and fish and the German Foster & Allen trotting through folk songs and hits of the day, including (and I shit you not) Shine A Light by the stones. What more could you ask for?

The honest answer was “not much”, so we duly packed up the tent in a force ten gale, bid farewell to “The Tent” and jumped on a train to Vienna.

Lotsa love

Luke and Louise

(Posted by Luke)