The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

What a change over the past 48 hours.  I am so blessed.  And while blessings don’t normally include a good bourbon on the rocks, tonight they do.  Cheers to you, Bro.

For those of you who know me, you know I love Christmas.  And to say I love Christmas probably doesn’t fully capture my real feelings.  I mean, I LOVE Christmas.  The trees, the lights, the carols, the gift giving, the cards, Santa Claus, candlelight services – I love it all.  So, when I started thinking about spending my year half-way across the world in Tanzania, I immediately began wondering what on earth I would do for Christmas.  Yes.  I am in Tanzania to study the culture and people in the ‘interest of national security.”  Nevertheless, while learning how Tanzanians celebrate the holidays may have been interesting, I just couldn’t bear the thought of a hot, Christmas tree-less Christmas.  I began Googling “best Christmas cities in Europe” and up popped Munich with its plethora of Christmas markets. 

That was all it took.  Here I am:

Me on my balcony in Munich

 Ok, so now that you’ve seen me, let’s get to the good part:  Christmas in Munich!

My first 12 hours in Munich were nothing short of incredible.  The plane landed just after 6 am at Munich International Airport from Doha, Qatar.  On both of my 5+ hour flights I had an empty seat next to me and was fortunate enough to get a bit of rest.  Once I collected my bag (yes, that’s right – I only brought my backpack!), I hit up the ATM (which apparently is not called an ATM here) and found the DB machine where I was able to purchase a train pass.  I studied the map for a few minutes and figured if I could catch the train to the central station and then the 54 bus, I would make it to the Hilton without having to splurge for the taxi fare.  Now, I know, you may be thinking if I can afford the Hilton, I can afford a taxi.  I “Priceline’d” the 5-star Hilton for my first two nights in Munich and, boy, am I glad I did. 

After the train and bus, I arrived at the doorstep of the Hilton without a hitch.  The young woman at the front desk was kind enough to allow me to check in early – really early – and by 11 am I had taken a very hot shower, spent at least 30 minutes applying make-up and doing my hair, and got ready to head out to see the town.  I made a quick stop at the concierge to find out where I could buy a jacket, hat and gloves.  I had already purchased my transit day pass, so I was off again, taking the 54 bus to the U3 train.  (Little tip:  When taking public transit in a new city, sometimes it is best to just act like you know what you’re doing and follow the guy in front of you!)

I emerged from underground into a Christmas wonderland…literally.  Within steps of the underground was a gluhwein stall and steps after that was another one that specialized in bratwurst.  I walked from stall to stall with an unremitting smile on my face.  I clearly remember my first thoughts:  “This place is perfect for me!  Seriously?!?  I went from living on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean for the past three and a half months to vacationing here?  Nice.”  I knew right away that for the next 13 days I would be living in Christmas.  Just what I had hoped for.

After wandering for all of 10 minutes, I decided it was time for some bratwurst and sauerkraut.  For less than 5 euro I got a plate full of this:

First Meal in Germany

 After consuming more meat than I had in the whole of the past 3 months, I was re-energized and ready for a little shopping.  You can imagine I didn’t bring too many winter weather-appropriate clothes to Tanzania.  And yes, I’ll admit, I got a bit sucked in at the H&M sale, but I now have 4, in my opinion, fashionable, winter outfits.  Going to have to get someone to take a few pictures of me so I can prove I am, once again, dressed like a Westerner. 

After heading back to the hotel to change and drop off my purchases, I went back to Marienplatz to explore the rest of the Christkindlmarkt.  I wandered through the streets, taking in the sights.  The glockenspiel and Marienplatz did its song and dance at 4:30 pm.  Night falls early here and shortly after 5 pm, I took a stroll through the Krippelmarkt, where most of the stalls sell nativity scenes. 

Soon, I found myself at another gluhwein stall and found that the chill of the night air gave me the perfect excuse to buy my first mug.

For 4 euro and a 5 euro deposit, I’d like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the gluhwein.  Truth is, I didn’t really like it that much!  However, I am happy to say I had a second mug tonight and it tasted much better.  Either after one mug, I had grown accustomed to the taste or everyone makes it a little differently.  Whichever it is, it is good enough for me!

This post is much longer than I had planned when I set out – and I feel like I haven’t even begun to tell you about my first 2 days back in the 1^st world.  For now, I’ll give you the rest in pictures:

I will be doing a bit of travelling (or should I say, ‘more travelling’) this weekend.  First, Nuremburg, then Salzburg, Austria.  Be back in Munich on Monday.  Merry Christmas, everyone!   I miss you.