Munchen

We have internet again…sort of. Just like we sort of have a kitchen and a bed and a shower. Let’s just say that this apartment has a terrific location, but it will be nice to be home.
From what we can tell from the internet there was a terrible earthquake in central Italy this morning. We contacted our friends there and all is well for them. It occupies my thoughts for most of the day. What is God thinking?
My DS11 has discovered that we are living above a library. He’s happy to bring his siblings and they occupy themselves with German comic books for the morning.
We are on our own again and miss the personal touch of a local tour guide. Brett plans a walk to the center of town and to take in the sights along the way. But first, we need another suitcase! This is our launch pad to home and we have to compact our travels to a manageable size. What are we bringing back? A soccer ball, chocolate, wine, lots of maps- many things to clutter our house for years to come.
Munich is another bicycle city. The sidewalk is divided into 2 sections- pedestrians and bikes. Don’t mix them up! The bike lanes are full of busy traffic.
Down town is pedestrian only…lined with shops, street performers and historic sites. It’s sunny, 70 degrees and very, very crowded. April 1st marks the start of the high season. We have been spared the crowds for most of our trip. We finally get a taste of the summer scene: smoky outdoor cafes, crowded shops and higher prices; another temptation towards home.
We go up the rathaus (no kidding- the town hall is always called the RAT house) tower for the high view, then park ourselves in the square in front of the Glockenspiel for the 5:00pm show- 10 minutes of bells and dancing figures.
We are all adequately worn out to be able to sleep on our thin mattresses tonight.