We arrived during Oktoberfest in 2017.
It was interesting timing considering, for most outsiders, the first thing that pops to mind when thinking of München is Oktoberfest.
But one doesn’t have to arrive in the middle of the festival to feel enveloped in its mysticism. Its existence on the tapestry of the city is a lot like the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles. You may not always see it when you are living there, but you know it’s looming over the city, casting all the wonder, magic, mania and shadowy elements that comes with the discursive that is Hollywood. München has other seasons, other events (The Christmas Markets also draw crowds of tourists to the city) but the essence of Oktoberfest lingers like the smell of its endless flow of beer.
Speaking of which, 7.5 million litres of beer was served to over 6.2 million visitors in 2017.
Arriving in the midst of the festival was a fun introduction to the city we’d be living in. While all the craic is entered around the festival grounds at Theresienwiese, we saw plenty of lederhosen and dirndl dresses and revellers everywhere. The entire city was so crammed with people that I felt like I was in the heavy current of foot passengers leaving a giant concert or sports event every time I went anywhere.
Typically I try to blend in when I move to a new location and not act like a tourist taking photos, but with so many visitors wielding their cameras around it was easy to point and click and not feel like I was intruding.
After the Oktoberfest ended, the traditional attire went with it, for the most part, and the denizens of München looked no different than people in any other international city; and we were soon in the routine of school and work. However, there were a few snags–the timely pursuit of finding a long term rental and frustration over language barriers among them.
We were coming from the countryside in the West of Ireland where we’d been living right on the Atlantic. Getting used to the city air was hard. All three of us caught colds and had difficulties with allergies. I blame it on the U-bahn. As brilliant as public transportation is, the trains are germ capsules and we were like kindergarteners starting big school, resisting every allergen with sneezes and runny eyes until we had acclimated.
Our first month was spent in a temporary corporate apartment in the leafy area of Gern, a place filled with lovely cafes, coffeeshops and bakeries serving delectable bretzels. Our cats had the roam of the rooftop garden, which was a welcome relief after three days on the road and an unhappy incarceration in hotel rooms. (see: On the Road Again)
We then moved out to Fürstenried West, an area that has a good balance between the cultural and convenient advantages of a major cosmopolitan city and the beauty of an enormous forest. The U3 station was a five minute walk from our house, and from there, the train journey is 15 minutes to Sendlinger Tor–the heart of the city.
The City
There is a vibrant and welcoming vibration in München.
That’s not to say, that it doesn’t allow itself to forget the past and its ugly history with memorials sprinkled throughout the streets and parks, and the stories from tour guides speaking to groups at the many memorials and significant sites also seems to travel across the daily din of folks going about their business.
But there is also a visceral buzz indicative of a community’s dedication for high living standards, tolerance, and a desire for fun.
I accept I was in a political bubble, but I never felt safer anyway else I have lived, and the spirit of generosity was tangible. People were pleasant and helpful with our language difficulties. I did meet a lot of people who didn’t speak English, against the grain of popular perception, but these folks were always patient with me as I tried to get my tongue and mind around Deutsch.
I loved spending time in the city. The ever playing music coming from concert violinists, accordion players and, often, quartets and ensembles made every step delightful.
The public transit system is definitely the best service I’ve ever experienced. It could take you to practically any corner of the city. There was rarely a problem and when there was, the reasons were well-communicated. German efficiency deserves its reputation when it comes to the MVG. I have so much appreciation for it. My car stayed in the garage and I felt good about the opportunity to take an eco-friendly option.
Below are familiar features and little curious details I captured with my camera phone while out and about.
The Parks
Forstenrieder Park
Within ten minutes of my door, I could be immersed in this incredible gift that changed with the seasons in the most spectacular fashion, and sometimes offered the added delight of wild boar and deer. The bike trails are fantastic and the woods are filled with wonderful surprises. We spent most of the summer cycling through, getting lost in spindly trails and having spectacular adventures. I am definitely a disciple of Forest Bathing and these woods made my heart soar. My FaceBook wall was covered in the daily discoveries of incredible tree geometry, bee hives hidden in secret places, wild raspberries, acorns, hazel nuts and apple trees that had been planted by birds or from discarded cores decades even centuries ago.
Olympia Park
Built for the 1972 Summer Olympics, the architecture is amazing and there is always something going on. This was a favourite place to bring visitors. From the top of the Tower (291 m), one can see the whole region and the shape of the Alps in the distance. We spent a lot of time people watching, playing miniature golf of enjoying one of the many events going on. There were zip lines across the ponds, music and sports events and plenty of giant Bretzels to nibble on and, of course, ‘bier’ to wash them down.
Nymphenburg Palace
This Baraque Beauty, located in the Neuhausen-Nymphenburg district on the westside of the city, was another place I loved to take visitors who came to see us. It was built in the mid 1600s as a summer palace and its gardens are as much a treat to experience as its elaborate art and architecture.
The stables are filled with the most intricate buggies and riding regalia I’ve ever seen.
In the summer, the elaborate ‘little houses’ are open around the grounds. While only a few minutes walk from the palace, they were a place where royalty and gentry could escape in the heat in the summer while out for a stroll. They were also hunting lodges.
The Seasons
Growing up in the Ever-Green state of California, I have a special appreciation for seasons, especially when they are completely different.
Autumn
Autumn was definitely my favourite season in München because it had a long run and every day was a spectacular performance with colours changing from green to persimmon orange to yellow, with these hues sang different notes with the changing light of the day. My bike rides took extra time as I was constantly stopping to take pictures and there wasn’t an inch of the city that didn’t display some delightful hint of the season. Because it was the season I arrived in, I will always associate autumn colours with this city and region.
Winter
Winter was a true wonderland. I had never lived anywhere with so much snow and it was a very white January and February in 2018. There were practically glaciers growing in the street from where the ploughs had made mountains when clearing the road.
Spring
After the long, white winters, spring was a welcome sense of renewal and rebirth. I know that’s cliche but it was the greatest contrast between seasons I had experienced to date and also, because it was the most urban area I’d lived in, the amount of fruit trees and blossoms coming from all the gardens, added an extra treat–the smell, the petals flying in the breeze, and the pollen! I left a pair of black shoes outside one morning and they were completely yellow by the end of the day.
Summer
Summer was dry and hot and the long evenings made for a great time to get out on the bike. We spent a lot of time, roaming through the park and swimming in the lake at Starnburg and harvesting cherries, plums, apples, gooseberries, grapes, raspberries and so much more; the bounty made up for all the pollen allergies and mess in the garden.
Also, more pictures of München through my eyes at: Easter Stroll in the City
Whimspherical 