Deutsches Museum - Olympiapark

Sunday: I visited the Deutsches Museum today. It's basically a huge natural science museum. They have a replica of a mine (not recommended for really tall people or claustrophobics). They also have physics, chemistry, astronomy, as well as marine transport and aviation expositions. I stayed for around 5 hours snd those are about the only sections I had time to visit, among many more. I went to a vietnamese restaurant for supper, which I stumbled upon on my way back.

Monday: I visited the Olypiapark, the spot where the 1972 Olympics were held. This obviously includes the Olypiastadion, which was also used during the 2006 World Cup. When I got to the site, I immediatley saw the mount there, which I decided to go up and have lunch on the small platform. I then came back down and went into the tower installed there, which gives you an amazing view of all of Munich from 180 meters. It was fun finding all the different buildings I have visited from there. On my way back, I saw tge first effects of the public transport strike. The metro just suddenly changed directions at the stop I was waiting for it, though it was going into the city center, which is where I wanted to go.

Dachau - Oktoberfest - Mainz 2 - 1 Bayern

Sorry I haven't been keeping the blog up to date too much recently. Here is what I've done recently.

Thursday: I went to visit the Dachau concentration camp. Not much to say about that visit, quite a personal experience.

Afterwards, I went out to eat some nice pizza at an italian cafe-bar with an american and an italian.

Friday: I went to Oktoberfest with the six australian and one american girl I met at the campsite. Photos are on Facebook. Again, not much to say. I drank some beer, came back to have a nap, then went out to this little restaurant that's about 10 minutes walk to have pizza again (I couldn't do the whole meat is the main part of your meal thing yet).

Saturday: I spend most of the morning and afternoon just walking around downtown Munich. I came back to a sports bar around the Tent to watch the Mainz - Bayern match. Not much to say about the match, they did the same errors as in the previous one, with a different outcome. The amount of defensive errors they are making combined with their lack of form is causing them lots of problems at the moment.

City tour

I met two americans who are travelling alone, so I joined them on the free city tour. We walked around for about two hours and saw all the sights within walking distance of downtown Munich. The Viktualiensmarkt, an old style food market, the old and new city halls, then Marienplatz, Frauenkirche, a huge church and we finished at Odeonsplatz, which has an exact copy of a Venician statue display.

Afterwards, the two americans and I went to see the river surfing on the Isar. Pretty amazing to think it is done so close to downtown Munich. We then walked through the Englischer Garten to the Biergarten and had lunch.

I came back for a nap and after supper decided I would go to Oktoberfest again. We managed to get a table and I started to chat with a local girl, a half english and half german conversation, as both of us tried to practice our weak language, ensued for half an hour.

On the way back on the tram I met a wonderful lady that had worked at the german house during Expo 67.

Bayern 2 - 1 Hoffenheim and the Isar

This after-noon I went to a FC Bayern fanshop to get #10 Robben on my jersey. The employees were quite nice with me. I asked them if there was a chance to buy tickets to the game on Saturday anywhere. They said my best bet was to go to the FCB headquarters next to the Allianz Arena, where the tickets are sold. They explained to me that on the day before the match, some new tickets are available for sale, usually because season ticket holders can't go and so sell them off that way. All currently available tickets are sold out, and I learned yesterday at the tour that it has always been that way for FCB matches (another Munich club, 1860 München, used to be part owner but now only rents it on matchdays in the second division).

I saw someone on my way to the tram who works at the tent and is a friend of Lorna who recommended that on a lovely day like today, I should go to a field that is on edge of the Isar, the river that crosses Munich.

I found a sports bar really close to the camp, so I went out there tonight to watch thr Bayern - Hoffenheim match.

Hoffenheim took the lead early, scoring after only 30 seconds. Bayern played a typical game with lots of ball possession, although the early conceded goal left to a pressure and so nervous passes. Thomas Müller eventually scored the equaliser, through a Ribery pass, who on the same play injured himself (may be out for a few weeks). Daniel van Buyten eventually scored the winner in the 90th minute with a suspicion of offside on the headed pass. Coach van Gaal subbed off Kroos for Olic and Contento for Pranjic at half-time, maybe for poor performance, but more likely since Bayern will be playing four games in two weeks.

Allianz Arena and Englischer Garten

I visited the Allianz Arena today. It was extraordinary. It's just so huge from the outside. Just as big on the inside, it felt amazing being in there even though it was empty. I did the guided tour of the stadium. They take you around the different rooms, although not onto the pitch. You also get to go to the locker rooms, and they play the Champion's League anthem as you walk into the corridor that leads out to the pitch. Just as a visitor you feel moved, I can't even imagine how the players must feel!

Afterwards, I went to the Englischer Garten, which is a really calming place, with a lovely beer garden and a chinese tower. It is one of the biggest parks of it's type in the world (a bit bigger than Central Park).

Prost

My first day of Oktoberfest. I went to the Hacker-Pschorr tent with the three british guys I met at The Tent. Even though we we tried to get there early, we got into the beer tent at about 9:30, which is apparently too late to get a table.

We wandered a bit to see what it was like inside, and eventually a nice waitress told us where to stand so that she could serve us. Lot's of drinking ensued.

They have wonderful food there. I had Schweinshaxen (pork knuckle. As always, lots of greatly cooked meat, some dumplings and sauerkraut. Around mid-day, the Oompa band started and really got the party started.

After about three Maße, I thought I had enough, so I went back to camp to have a nap, as everything is closed on Sundays except restaurants and bars (again because of the fact that most Bavarians are practicing Catholics). After my nap I chatted with an Australian couple and a Norwegian that had been to Afghanistan (military service still being compulsary in Norway). The Norsk and I eventually started the fire, after which I met Lorna, an American who has been WWOOFing (Worldwide Work Opportunities on Organic Farms) for the past three years (since she has dual citizenship, american and italian). She knows a few of the employees from The Tent and mentionned one that could inform me about a day trip at a camp in the south of Bavaria.

Köln 0 - Bayern 0

I got woken up by Aussies this morning at about 6:30. I learned later that they must've been heading out to the Theresienwies'n wher Oktoberfest is held, to wait in line. The first barrel gets tapped at noon on the opening day ("O'Zapft is!" or "It's tapped") and the line-up starts at 7:00. The person at the reception recommended not going today, since I will be here a while, as it will be hard to get a table (which is required to be served). He said that no sporting events are broadcast at Oktoberfest, so as the kick-off of the Köln - Bayern match approaches, there might be some spots available, as fans will leave to go watch the game elsewhere.

It was such a lovely and sunny day that I decided to go to Schloß (or Schloss, which means castle) Nymphenburg to have lunch on a park bench. The castle is quite beautiful and the whole area is extremely calming.

When the Bayern match was about to start, I went into the Zentrum (city center) to find a sports bar. While I was on the tram, I saw the key words I was looking for: "sports café" and "Sky" (the satellite broadcaster of the Bundesliga, the german league). I met two English guys, fans of Arsenal (a London football club) and we chatted during half time and most of the second half. Bayern played their typical game: game, collected and lots of ball possesion. They were unsuccesful for the full 90 minutes, and drew at home on the opening day of Oktoberfest, quite a rarity. One of their main problems is that they are still missing last summers star signing: Arjen Robben, due to injury.

I have finally found a pillow, and it's small enough to pack if I end up doing camping later on my trip.

Afterwards, I headed back to camp to eat supper (great goulash), and chatted with a few people.

First night at The Tent

Today I got up, showered and packed, as I was headed to The Tent, in the northwest of Munich. I took the U-Bahn into town, then the tram to go there. I set my tent up next to a group of three Brits that are here for a few days. We chatted for a couple of hours over beer (even though they had taken a "skinful" last night and were hungover). I was happy to rest my feet, since I've developed blisters. We went into town at about 3:00, where we went to an Ayinger (a brewery) bar. I had an amazing plate of pork roast with dumplings, as well as a Helles (see photo). The Germans, but more specifically the Bavarians, seem to love meat. Afterwards, we went to a typical German bar on a side street. Of about 25, we were the only obvious foreigners. I had a half-liter of Paulaner Salvator (a Doppelbock), which I thought had set me up to sleep. I tried to find a pillow (unsuccesfully), before heading back to the campsite. I hung around the huge campfire to warm up, then eventually went to bed, only to be woken up about an hour later by some rowdy Scots (ironically, my british acquaintaces had said they would be rowdy since they were Scots, more tongue-in-cheek I had thought). Sleep eventually came, only to be woken up by Aussies at a 6:30. More on that later!

Plane and arrival

Servus! (southern german way of saying hello or goodbye).

I decided to leave with only one back-pack, in which I packed a tent, a sleeping bag and camp matress, as well as clothes and the other necessities. I will be staying at "The Tent", about 15 minutes by tram from downtown Munich, for the two weeks of Oktoberfest. My second stop should be Switzerland. I should be there in time to do the "vendages", cutting off bunches of grapes, and all the other steps necessary to get fermentation going. I will also check to see if camping is possible in Greece and Turkey, my other planned destinations afterwards. Of course, even for those southern destinations, it may not be feasible temperature-wise.

Of the long list of things I had to do before my departure, only one wasn't accomplished (kegging two brews) which is a feat considering it's length. Both were brewed in May, which is quite a while. Both are Belgian strong ales and if they had been brewed recently, I would have come back to nicely aged Trippels.

The plane from Montreal to Philedelphia went fine. It was quite a short one, but the wait at the airport was somewhat long, especially considering that I had lunch before leaving from Montreal, and ate supper on the plane from Philedelphia to Munich. Not all that much to do in an airport for three and a half hours. I was only able to sleep about two or three hours on the plane from Philedelphia to Munich.

The Munich airport is very new looking. When I arrived, the first place to eat that I saw was showing a replay of the Roma at Bayern Munich match (Roma 0 - Bayern 2). I sat down and ordered a breakfast combo (no kidding): two veal sausages, a pretzel and a wheat beer (kleines weißbier). I ordered in german, and when the waitress came with my plate, I asked if it had rained yesterday, in english, as the ball seemed to slide really well on the pitch. She didn't understand at first what I was saying, since I guess she thought I was still speaking german. I took a train into the city center, and from there a metro to my hostel, where I will be staying the first night. I found a towel at a sports shop near Marienplatz (where Bayern Munich celebrate their titles). Other good news is that I found a free Wi-Fi network also not far from Marienplatz at a café.

Plane and train

So, last evening I booked my flight and ordered my Eurail train pass. I also reserved my first night at a youth hostel in Munich, just to be sure I have a place to stay when I get there. I will be getting in pretty early (8:50), so if I can just leave my luggage there, maybe rest a bit on a couch, then I can head out and do some sight-seeing before the crazy Oktoberfest crowds arrive. On another note, hostels seem to be completly booked for both week-ends of Oktoberfest. I have been thinking of other possibilities, such as visiting other parts of Germany, say leaving by train around supper time from Munich and staying a night or two in other cities. Another option is taking a night train, that way I could go see some countries that are a bit farther but that I don't want to spend more than a few days visiting.

After having thought about how long I wanted to leave for, since booking a return flight at the same time is much cheaper, I finally decided to go for 3 months, so my return is on December 15th.

I know it seems like a long time now, to be away from family and friends. But it seems like a reasonable amount of time considering my current travel plans.

I guess time will tell, but I'm sure I will find some other place to visit if my current list runs out early.

I also invited a bunch of friends for a farewell party at a bar in Old Longueuil this coming Saturday.

I have quite a few things to get done to be ready to leave, so I will stop this post here.

Explanations

Plans are starting to come together in my head. I woke up yesterday morning (Saturday) thinking I would leave for about a month, visit Munich for Oktoberfest and attend a few Bayern Munich matches, then visit Istanbul, some family friends in Switzerland, then some of my sisters friends she met 4 years ago when she visited Europe herself (where I actually went to meet her and travel for 20 days) in Sweden and Norway. After having thought about it, I realise that the money I had set out for this trip might last longer than I thought since I could very well spend more time with the family friends than I had planned. I also figure that if I really want to take advantage of this opportunity that I have in my life to travel without any big reason to come back, I should go for as long as I can. I also met a customer of where I work that is going to spend 6 weeks in Belgium (where I think he originally comes from) that invited me to go visit him.
The subject of Edel, me and my ex's dog, came up with my sister. Of course, I feel Emma should have a say in who gets to keep her, it is the least that I owe her.
Other than that, I've been thinking about what to do luggage wise. I may go to MEC to see my options when it comes to back-packs, if that is the option I end up choosing.
On a final note for now, I know this kind of a quick decision doesn't seem typical of me, but for some strange reason, this just seems like what I'm supposed to do right now with my life. I think that going back to school (where my ex and I went to the same classes) and seeing the same people, the same classrooms, etc. would be too quick.
It seems there is something calling me to travel right now, which calms me incredibly when faced with the uncertainty that I meet in the near future.

The beginning

Today is the day I decided to live life for real, to travel, to forget about worries, and school, and my part time job. Today is the day I decided to travel.