My third
home, Munich, was alive with soccer fever when I was there during the 2014
World Cup. Germany had just beaten
Brazil (7-1) and was preparing for its final game against Argentina. People were jubilant and beamed with national
pride. It
is awesome to be in Europe, especially in Germany, during any soccer
championships, but especially so during the World Cup. Wherever I turned, German flags hung from every window,
doorway and street sign in Munich. They
also flew proudly out of car windows as Germany awaited the final and deciding
game of the World Cup. Even the tourists
who were there could not help but get caught up in the excitement of the
atmosphere, as they too donned German flags painted on their faces and wore
soccer jerseys. Europeans
can be fanatical about soccer and Germans were ecstatic about their big when
over Argentina in the World Cup 2014 final game. I was happy to be part of the atmosphere.
Outdoor life is a very big part of German culture. Bicycle riding is a favourite pastime and
good way to get around. Old and young people
ride bikes everywhere. The streets are
also very bike friendly, with bike paths assigned for bicycle riders. I love going on bike rides when I’m in
Germany and my husband always makes sure to find a new scenic path for us
cycle.
The biergartens are an inviting venue for families to gather
for food and fun, and you can easily spend several hours eating, drinking and
talking without realizing. I went to the
Augustine Biergarten, which is one of the oldest biergartens in Munich. It holds over 5,000 seats in an open area
shaded by many chestnut trees. Biergartens
are common all over Bavaria and are a big part of the landscape of the state. I enjoyed the outdoor atmosphere that is also
kid friendly and was very relaxing for adults.
Weiss wursts with pretzels (or brezens) are a favourite
Bavarian food. Most Bavarians eat the
wursts shortly after they are made (this is when they are at their best quality). This is not something that they typically
store for future use although it is available at most Bavaria restaurants. I don’t eat wursts but I tried a miscroscopic
piece once. I usually stick with
pretzels and sweet mustard. So
yummy! I also love the salads in
Germany. The vegetables are always
extremely fresh and the salad dressing, which is not fussy, is some of the best
I’ve tasted anywhere in the world. Schnitzel,
grilled chicken, fries and bier are heavily consumed. This is true of the latter three especially
during Oktoberfest, where they are the most consumed foods. I’ve had the grilled chicken and fries and
they are both very good. The chicken is
always grilled to perfection. It is
normal to drink, at a minimum, one whole stein (about 1 litre) of beer although
some people can easily drink two or three steins. Not being so much of a beer drinker anymore,
I could barely finish one stein, but I did it.
The Danube River flows through Bavaria and is a place where
people gather on its banks to hang out. My
husband took me on a long walk along the Danube (through Ingolstadt) and it was
very serene. The water is therapeutic as
it flows along the banks and listening to the sound the ripples make is very
relaxing. I love Sundays in Germany
because it’s the day that’s most peaceful.
Almost all businesses are closed and people generally attend church and
take it easy on Sundays.
Written by Screenname TriniTravelDiva (a.k.a. NSL-R) on 8/2/14 .
All photos taken by and are property of TriniTravelDiva (a.k.a. NSL-R)
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