Laying alongside the Münchners

Everyone turned into sun bunnies today. It reminded me of Austin in a lot of ways. After leaving the Chinesierturm, the polka band faded through the forest as we rode closer to the city. The meadow opened into an expanse filled with Münchners, young and old, laying on the grass and lining the small cold streams that pour quickly through the Englischter Garten. We dismounted and walked our bikes to take it all in. Some floated down the shallow river while others cooled themselves with palm-cups of the river. Ryan tested the water and deemed it slightly warmer than Barton Springs back home in Austin. Maybe 70 degrees F. 

Since you probably would ask, yes there were some nude sunbathers but no more than you would see in Austin. I was ready to strip it all off and join them.

Weaving through the north of the city, the Schwabing district, we saw the impressive Siegestor, with the four lions of Bayern (Bavaria) facing east, menacing the Habsburgs in Vienna.

The sun started to lay it on thick around then. The lack of gardens and parks were very apparent as we navigated back toward the Hauptbahnhof. But, we found ourselves back at Augustiner Keller for a late lunch of sausages and pork roast, some sauerkraut and Semmelknödeln. There’s a thing with people wearing matching t-shirts here. It reminds me of Disneyland or Las Vegas, where groups wear a “Smith Family Reunion 2019” shirt, but here it was the group of youths wearing black shirts with white writing: “F.B.I.” And the other group of youths with similar black shirts but white writing saying their names and some clever German saying. 

I needed a shower, some water, and a break from people. I’ve had that now and feel much better.

Our beautiful bikes, Bazi and Lenz, are up in our room with us. Suddenly the wide tiled space just inside the door makes perfect sense. 

Tschüß!!