Arriving in Munich

Travel days are always an adventure

Munich was always the real destination of my April solo trip. I needed to pick up some documents that I had shipped back to me there from the US and I got to see Kellye! We worked together at Microsoft and had last seen each other nearly a year ago in Oslo. (They just happened to be in Norway at the same time as us then.) Now I got to visit their adopted hometown in Germany and meet their ~5-month old baby, who was the cutest. (Sorry, no photo!)

I realized in taking this photo with Kellye that I was wearing the same shirt when we met up in Oslo, LOL. One of the realities of living somewhat nomadically is that I have a limited wardrobe. Oh well!

Anyway, backing up just a bit: The train ride from Salzburg (on the same day as my day trip to Lake Königssee) was pretty straightforward, but I almost got off a stop too soon and then when I did get off at the main Munich station, it took me a beat to get oriented and find the U-Bahn (metro).

Truly, who in the world can read these TINY train tables? They're printed in, like, size 3 font!

There were signs to some U-Bahn lines on one side of the train station and signs to others on the opposite end (amidst a mass of construction). Turns out I needed the opposite end and finally found my way there only to realize that was just the beginning of my U-Bahn navigation adventure. I had to take an escalator down into what felt like a whole subterranean city. There were stores and cafes and signs and I was disoriented, not knowing where exactly I needed to go.

So I just walked and wandered, pretending I knew what I was doing (I had noooooo idea) until I finally saw signs for the specific U-Bahn line I needed. Then I had to figure out how to buy a ticket at the machine. I could toggle to English, no problem, but I had no idea what zone I was buying a ticket for. I picked one (it was totally wrong, oops), before taking another escalator down.

Then I got to play my favorite metro game: Which side of the platform is the correct one to stand on? You know, so you leave the station going in your intended direction. For that, you need to know the end-of-the-line station name, only Google maps doesn’t tell you this; it only gives you the stop you need to exit at. So to figure this out, I had to consult a printed map of the U-Bahn stops. Only then was I equipped to look at the digital monitors and identify which side of the platform my train would be stopping on.

Seriously, navigating a new metro can be a whole stress-inducing experience. But once you’ve done it, you feel like a pro, so long as you don’t need to change to a different line, LOL.

Anyway, I made it to my apartment-hotel (Schwabing location); it was super cute and kind of like the place I had stayed in Brussels* in that I had access to my own private room but also to a large, shared kitchen downstairs and a shared living room area, plus shared laundry facility in the basement. The room itself was small but very well designed and quite functional. I had my own mini-kitchen and it was well equipped.

Of course, it didn’t have any food in it and I was famished. So after dropping my things off, I headed out immediately to grab a bite to eat. Fortunately, there were several restaurants nearby and I opted for a burger and beer. It was one of the best burgers I had eaten in a long time. I ate every bite, along with nearly every sweet potato fry, and drank every sip of my beer. I felt human again after that (travel days really drain my battery), but I was also definitely ready for bed. I needed to be rested for the week ahead!

*Wow, I’m realizing that I never wrote about my solo trip to Belgium last November! How in the world will I ever catch up on all the places and adventures I’ve yet to document?!