Prague to Munich: Day 13

On Thursday morning we got up early to make our train to Munich, Germany. As we were trying to figure out the Prague train station, we saw a guy get his passport stolen by a group of people that had been around him. We didn't see the actual incident, but arrived as the older Chinese gentleman was chasing them down the hall and screaming at the top of his lungs. We got to see the police chase them down with him in tow. We stood by his bag because during the chase (the Chinese man had left his suitcase behind) another two guys came up ready to take it, until we said it was ours. Needless to say--an 'exciting' beginning to our trip out of town?

The excitement continued on the train- we were in the wrong seats (glad to find that out as the different cars were going different places) and when we did find the place we were supposed to be sitting, I got to sit next to Mr. Stinkypants. (Seriously so stinky, that I couldn't focus on the book I was reading because I had to keep remembering to only breathe with my mouth, not my nose). After the entire Czech family left our compartment two college kids joined us, when they weren't eating Oreos, the boy was sleeping next to John looking mostly like this:

The six hour train ride left me really sleepy and devoid of any energy. Our hotel was only about 5 blocks from the main train station. It was a relief to get here and realize that it was not a guest house-but rather more like a European Holiday Inn where there is wireless internet access and our room actually has room for me to practice yoga in the mornings. Don't get me wrong- I have actually preferred our local sleeping options up until now, but at this point in the trip, I was ready for a little institutional feel where I didn't have to worry about leaving a water stain on the dresser with my water glass. (Later when I admitted this to Jff, he agreed: We were happy at our hotel).

The only funny realization is that our hotel was in the strip club zone, with lots going on in that area at night. The hotel was a great deal and that is probably why, but I would recommend it to anyone staying in Munich. It was super close to the main train station, the old town of Munich as well as lots of shopping options. Anyways...

So after dropping our stuff off at our hotel, we headed down Munich's main pedestrian street. I was just starting to wake up and get excited about being in a new city. It was a lively afternoon with everyone outside drinking beer or walking around. We sat down to have some beer and some wieners (I really didn't understand the menu and so I just ordered and dealt with what I got) at an outdoor cafe along the main pedestrian street. Afterwards as we wandered down to the main square, the Glokenspiel was chiming that it was 6 pm. We watched the little men inside the clock move around and do a little dance.

Next we walked towards the Hofgarten, a beautiful garden where the natives play bocce ball and socialize together. In the middle of the symmetrical garden there is a small monument, in which someone is always playing classical music on a string instrument. We sat for a while to enjoy the garden and watch some dogs playing together. It is so nice to be in parks that are well used, where people meet others, where there is a clear sense of community. As the sun started to set, we moved on to find a grocery store to buy some fruit for snacks during the day as well as a get a lay of the land.

We decided to eat at a small restaurant tucked on to a quiet street south of the Hofbrau House. We had beer and wood fired pizzas at husband's request and lingered over dinner. It was a good meal and we had a great time making some plans and decisions for when we return to the states. After our late dinner we took the pedestrian street back to our hotel in time to miss the rain that started just moments after we stepped inside. We were both excited for the two days ahead of us that we had to enjoy Germany- a place neither of had ever been.