Pat hasnt had a really big birthday gift or really celebrated his Birthday in quite some time (pretty much since we have been together). He has missed his birthday for many reasons, usually due to work but also he gets lucky enough to have his Birthday fall on Thanksgiving every now as well. Having a Birthday on Thanksgiving or near the Holidays for that matter is never a good thing. Well this year he gets to be home on his actual Birthday. He gets to do whatever he wants and he gets to even have a party since its a 4 day weekend and his birthday is on a Saturday. YAY!!
A few months ago I had asked what he wanted to do for his Birthday and what he would like for his Birthday. His answer "I want to go to a concert". He also hasn't been to any concerts in forever. We immediately started searching for concerts in the area. He came across Motley Crues farewell tour with Alice Cooper. He was so excited that they would be coming to Munich just 2 weeks before his actual Birthday. So we went ahead and purchased the tickets.
We decided that we would go there the Thursday night before the concert (which was on Fri.), we would stay the night and then explore some of Munich the next day before the concert and then spend that night there after the concert. We of course then started searching for hotels near the venue (The Zenith). We wanted something cheap, yet not a hostile nor something gross. Just something cheap and decent since we would be just sleeping and showering there.
We came across B & B Hotels. The hotel was pretty nice, simple but nice. It was small but not tiny, just the right size for our needs. It was also super cheap like 60 something euro a night or something close to that im not 100% sure as my husband paid for it. It was a 5 min drive/taxi ride to the venue. There is a McDonalds and a gas station attached to it. It doesn't get noisy though, our bedroom was facing the gas station and it was still pretty quiet. We also discovered that these hotels are everywhere, as they are a chain. We plan on using them while on other trips away. I only took pictures with my cell phone and they didn't come out to well but if you click on the link above it will take you to the website.
We checked into our hotel and dropped our stuff off and then headed out to have some drinks. We headed to one of few bars we found close enough to walk to and open until 1 am. It was located at theMarriott, Champions Sportsbar It is very Americanized. If you need a taste of home this would be the place to go. We had some beers and some really good cheese fries, then back to our hotel.
After some good, and much needed sleep.. we got up showered and headed to the train station. The Train Station was only about a 5-10 min walk or so from our hotel. Now this is when im glad my husband was with me. I would have been so lost on my own. I cannot figure out how to buy a ticket in english or german when i dont understand "zones", however thanks to my super smart hubby we purchased our tickets and made it just in time to catch our train headed to the Marien Platz.
In the Middle Ages markets and tournaments were held in this city square. Marienplatz was named after the Mariensäule, a Marian column erected in its centre in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation. Today the Marienplatz is dominated by the New City Hall (Neues Rathaus) on the north side. The Glockenspiel in the tower of the new city hall was inspired by these tournaments, and draws millions of tourists a year. At the east side Munich's Old City Hall (Altes Rathaus) is located. It's a gothic council hall and ballroom and tower, which have been reconstructed.
The pedestrian zone between Karlsplatz and Marienplatz is a crowded area with numerous shops and restaurants.
The Marienplatz S-Bahn and U-Bahn station, an important transportation hub, is located below the square.
The Mariensäule is a Marian column located on the Marienplatz in Munich, Germany. It was erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years' War and is topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a crescent moon as the Queen of Heaven, created in 1590. The figure was originally located in theFrauenkirche. Mariensäule in Munich was the first column of this type built north of the Alps and inspired erecting other Marian columns in this part of Europe.
At each corner of the column's pedestal is a statue of a putto, created by Ferdinand Murmann. The four putti are each depicted fighting a different beast, symbolizing the city's overcoming of adversities: war represented by the lion, pestilence by the cockatrice, hunger or famine by the dragon and heresy by the serpent. (Wikipedia)
We came out right at the clock tower. This clock is absolutely Amazing. Heres a little bit about it
Part of the second construction phase of the New Town Hall, it dates from 1908. Every day at 11 a.m. (as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer) it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century to the amusement of mass crowds of tourists and locals. 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 Hofbräuhaus) 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.
This is then followed by the bottom half and second story: Schäfflertanz (the coopers' dance). According to myth, 1517 was a year of plague in Munich. The coopers are said to have danced through the streets to "bring fresh vitality to fearful dispositions." The coopers remained loyal to the duke, and their dance came to symbolize perseverance and loyalty to authority through difficult times. By tradition, the dance is performed in Munich every seven years. This was described in 1700 as "an age-old custom", but the current dance was defined only in 1871. The dance can be seen during Fasching (German Carnival): the next one is in 2019.
The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long depending on which tune it plays that day. At the very end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps quietly three times, marking the end of the spectacle. (Wikipedia)
We missed the clock play :( However i was blown away by its beauty. We were in the middle of everything. There were tons of stores and stands and a farmers market. Pigeons just hanging out on the old cobble stone roads. Everything about it had me in awe. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life, except in the movies maybe, but that doesn't count. We walked all over and visited some new stores. We stopped at the farmers market and picked up a new Christmas decoration (a new moose). We saw entertainers. A clown making balloons while not touching the ground, a guy without a head, musicians and one man by himself playing the accordion (my favorite). There were so many sights and smells to take in. Munich is for sure a must see when in Germany.
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