September 18th - Munich
Breakfast in the hotel was full of options, but the coffee machines were the best!
The weather was a bit rainy for our Munich tour with our guide, Ingrid, but that never stops a RS tour. We started in Marienplatz, the heart of Munich. We were excited to be in Munich for the beginning of Oktoberfest. And today was the Oktoberfest parade. The parade features each region of Germany in their traditional clothing. The hunters with their hunting dogs was our favorite. What a treat. We were so fortunate to be able to see the parade and I doubt we could have planned this any better.
Our tour included the Munich Residenz which is the former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs in the center of Munich. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors for its architecture and room decorations, and displays from the former royal collections.
The afternoon was free so we decided to stop at the Ratskellar for lunch with John and Lucille. The Germans are serious about their beer. I don't think they sell a small glass of beer. So we made the best of a good thing. We did have good food too!
The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is in Marienplatz in the heart of Munich. Every day at 11 am and 5 pm it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V (who also founded the world famous Hofbrauhaus) to Renata of Lorraine. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white). The Bavarian knight wins every time of course.
Keith brought us to Oktoberfest after we watched the Glockenspiel. We had to split up to be able to find a place to squeeze in to join the festivities. We found 2 spots at a table, ordered beers and made friends with the young people who were up dancing, drinking and singing. It was a blast. They were so friendly and welcomed us right in. This was a perfect ending to our visit to Munich.