The Monk City

Who knew that "München" actually means "monk" in German? I definitely didn't.

I started feeling a bit apprehensive the morning I was due to leave for Munich. If there's one thing I fear in life, it's loneliness. The thought of traveling alone for the first time was somewhat intimidating, but I figured a city in Germany was as good a place to take the plunge as any other city in Europe.

No regrets.

I met great people and spent most of my time hanging out with these new-found friends in the beer halls that Munich is famous for. I had one of the best meals - roasted veal with Swabian noodles - in Augustiner Bierhalle; Hofbräuhaus is as jolly, as festive and as loud as it gets. Pot-bellied, full-bearded Germans were all decked out in their lederhosen, knocking back litre maß of beers and chowing down on massive brez'n (pretzels), while jamming to traditional Bavarian music.

Brothers Greg and Brett whom I met on the Free Tour and hung out together after

I still cannot get over how tasty European beers are - and I have absolutely no idea how I'd be able to go back to North American crap wen I get back to Canada. But that'll be something to worry about when I head back. For now, prost!

The Glockenspiel - voted the second most over-rated tourist attraction in Europe, after the Astronomical Clock in Prague

The skyline of Munich from Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church)
- Climbing up the 302 narrow steps after our Hofbräuhaus visit was, in Greg's words, "Super-scheißen"-