Spring 2009 - Living in Munich
Golfing in The Algarve - March 2009
A week away from the freezing cold of Munich. It's been 3 1/2 months now with snow on the ground and no end in sight. I need a break from work and a break from the cold and ice. The plan is that this holiday will mark the end of Winter. Hopefully be Spring when I get back to Munich. The weather forecast for Faro where we flew into and Albufeira where we're staying has been great for the last month. But, ... Whilst I was waiting at the airport for the others to arrive it started to rain. Add in the fact that I'm feeling totally crap with a sore throat, upset stomach and a splitting headache and the holiday has not started quite as I'd hoped.
We're staying in a Suite Hotel. It also has double and twin rooms which I thought we would get but no, we've got suites. Amazing, huge bedroom, huge living room, a small kitchen, an en-suite and separate bathroom and huge south facing balcony. Marvellous. Right: Mike and Brian just before they both teed off straight into the water.
We're staying for a week and playing 5 rounds of golf, only taking Wednesday off. Sunday and it's Salagados only 10 minutes from the hotel in the 1.6 Sport Ford Focus estate that we have as a hire car. Definitely drives better than my old Astra, but not really got much else to compare it too. Still feeling terrible, barely up to playing at all, but I'm the only one who can drive the car so I soldier on. Glad I did, the course was OK a flat links type course with lots and lots of water, quite interesting and I played OK considering it was my first round in over months. There were an amazing amount of different birds around the course which I guess is to be expected with so much fresh water around the course and the sand flats running down one side.
After the round we headed back to the hotel, I collapsed into bed and sleep for 15 hours. Really not feeling good. It's as if I have the hangover from hell and I haven't touched a drop ... yet. Left: Mike at the Moorish Fort at the point furthest West in mainland Europe.
The week went on with golf at Alamos and Morgado both up in the hills about half an our away. Alamos is especially good. More than can be said for the weather. Very showery, quite warm though 17 or 18. We have been lucky, yesterday we drove to the course in the rain and drove back in the rain but stayed dry throughout the round. In the evenings we've been heading down to Albufeira. First night we didn't know where we were going and ended up in the touristy (Brit's Abroad) bit and had a terrible meal. Since then we've headed to a different part of town and had great meals. Fish soup and Palatona (a fish and stuff stew) are the specialities of the area. Had some great lamb with a honey, mint sauce one night but my favourite bit is the bread a dips that we have at the start. Bread is sort of half way between a heavy doughy bread and a ciabata and the tuna and the crab dips are great. We even had one that tasted like Shipham's Sardine and Tomato paste a favourite when I as young.
One thing that really surprised me were all the orange and lemon trees were full of fruit. I thought all plants bear fruit in Autumn but apparently oranges are picked in April. You learn something every day. On our day off we headed down to Tavira billed as the the most authentic town on the Algarve. Heading just 20 miles or so East the weather changed completely, as you can see blue skies. What else did Tavira have to offer? The 'Roman' Bridge, a church / castle / Moorish mosque thingy, some Catholic churches and statues. Nice enough place to wander around, not as built up or English as Alberfeira. Brian reckoned Alberfeira was like this 10 years ago ...
Spring comes to Munich - Cycling on the Isar
Spring is here ... at last. On Wednesday at 13:30 to be precise. Munich is a completely different place already. The ice cream parlour is selling ice cream again rather than coffee and cake. And they've taken the blankets off the chairs outside. Restaurants with people eating outside, the tables and chairs have been unpacked in the beer gardens. So I thought time to get out and about myself. Stu planned to go out for a ride up the Isar on Sunday, so Saturday I went out and bought a bike so I could join in. Not owned a bike in a while but I figured the time I spend on the exercise bike would serve me well. I expected a few more people to turn up but in the end there was just the three of us Stu, Jane and me. A marathon runner, an adventure sports enthusiast and me!
I headed across the centre of Munich to the meeting point by the Isar. A very easy ride. Plenty of cycle lanes which in Munich are usually part of the pavement rather than the road. When there isn't a cycle lane the cars seem very respectful of bikes.
Really great day out. 6 hours cycling along the river and up through the forest. With a couple of stops I guess it was at least 4 hours actually on the peddle. And this was my first time out on a bike in years! Glad I bought a half decent bike with 21 gears, up some of the hills I was glad of every single one of them. We cycled down to Kloster Schäftlarn a big Abbey near the river and more importantly near a Beer Garden over looking the river. After 2 1/2 hours my legs definitely needed a rest. It's unfair for every 5 minutes going up hill you're lucky to get 1 minute coming back down.
We'll definitely be going out again, once my bum recovers. Inside 10 minutes you're outside of Munich and enjoying the scenery and fresh air. The cycle paths are good and not at all busy, the scenery is great and there's a beer garden every few miles if you need it ;-)
Frühlingsfest - April 2009
They certainly like their beer festivals in Munich, no sooner is the Starkbierfest and we're on to the next one. It's Frühlingsfest time. Basically the Spring Festival. Held on the Oktoberfest grounds, there's a fair ground, food stalls and two big beer tents. Left: Me and the obligatory Maß and half chicken.
Below: Ian on air guiter. He organises Friday Night Drinks. Below-right is his description of Frühlingsfest, which is far better than anything I could come up with.
Frühlingsfest as described by Ian on Toytown (expat web-site). IF anybody does not know about the Frühlingsfest, it's a bit like the the Oktoberfest, but smaller. But that won't help if you dont know the Oktoberfest either. So it's like this. At the Theresienweise they have set up a fairground with the usual rides and stalls for food, games where you can win a big pink teddy and novelties. There should be 2 huge tents, not as big as the Oktoberfest remember. And one of those tents is full of beer-garden tables and benches. in that tent you will be served in litre masses Helles, Water, Maibock and some other stuff for sure.
The most significant thing about the Frühlingsfest is the clientele. The punters. The people that go along. Unlike the Oktoberfest, where there is a large international tourist contingent, the Frühlingsfest attracts mainly the locals. And, to a large extent, the younger end of the scale. Including teenagers wearing "My first Dirndl" and a whole lot of makeup. This attracts all the young Fritzi's who are out for all sorts of mularky! It makes for good people watching if nothing else. And the tent security are told to stop the underage ones from entering the tent unaccompanied in the evenings. Families still get in.
Dachau - April 2009
The sun is out again so the bike is out again. This time out on my own and I decide to head for Dachau. I've been meaning to go for a while, it's another must do whilst in Munich. Dachau's about 20km north-west of the centre of Munich or 25km if you take the scenic route like me. And of course it is (in)famous for one thing and one thing only the Dachau Concentration Camp. This was the first camp set up by the Nazi's and started up as a camp for political prisoners, mainly Communists. They chose the site of a munitions factory that had lain deserted since The Treaty of Versailles banned the Germans from producing weapons. Of course the Jews have tried to hijack Dachau as a memorial but the camp was predominantly for political prisoners and was not a death camp although many died from disease, malnutrition and 'suicide'. Resistance Fighters, Clergy, Politicians, Communists, Writers, other intellectuals, gypsies, gays and even Royalty.
Definitely worth a visit although it's not easy to find. For some reason there aren't many sign posts I don't think Dachau's all that happy to only be known for one thing. There's a big museum with lots of text in German and English along with thousands of photos. It included some stuff I didn't know, the most surprising thing I found out was that the camp was used for 20 years after the war to house refugees. Talk about sleeping with ghosts!
Cycling to Andechs - May 2009
Weather great again so out on the bike again. Headed down to Ammersee about 40km South West of Munich. Quite a ride but well worth it. Cycled around Wörthsee, up to Inning on the Ammersee. Down to Herrsching and the 4km up, up and up again to Kloster Andechs. I was so knackered I could barely stand and that was before I tried their beer.
Cycling down the River Lech to Augsburg
Weather great again, again so out on the bike again. 25 degrees, Winter seems a long time ago. Took the train West and rode along the river, through the woods off the beaten track, down some paths designed only for horses and through a foot down pool and mud and water which I had the wade out of. There is so much open space over here. Beautiful rivers, lakes, woods and hardly a soul around apart from the naturist beach which seemed to have attracted quite a turn out.
A very 'German' beach, clothes not required. If the sun's out it you're never far away from a German getting his kit off.
Augsburg is nice. Cobbled streets, typical German buildings, outside cafes, trams and very few cars. When the sun is out lovely place to relax after a 4 hour bum numbing cycle. The Rathaus in Augsburg. If nothing else the Germans know how to build an impressive Town Hall.