Friday, December 7, 2012 continued

Friday was a very busy day!  After breakfast we went shopping to have a look at just some of Munich’s exciting stores.  It was fun window shopping, looking at all the decorations and at the same time stopping at the Christmas stands. 

After walking through the big market, which ends in Marienplatz, we somehow managed to end up there at noon to see and hear the glockenspiel at the town tower.  Throughout this entire trip, we seemed to end up in the right place at the right time.

Then we were off to walk to the medieval markt, known as the Munchner Adventsspecktakel.  On the way, we ran into another small one, the Weihnachtsdorf markt at the Kaiserhof Residenz .   We did a tour of that one and then continued on our way.

At the Medieval Markt, all the people cooking and working the stands were dressed in middle ages costumes.  The stands were entirely different; one had Middle Ages dresses and costumes for men, another handmade bows and arrows, another handmade knives and sharps.   There were skins of all sorts of animals, as well as products made from them.  Best of all, were the food stands!!   All of the foods were being cooked or roasted in old time ways.  Many coal fires were burning under big grates, a pig was being roasted, chestnuts roasted and then I found a stand with a huge bubbling cauldron of oil.  Potato and breads were being fried in the oil.  This is one of the only times I had trouble reading the all-German menu on the board – BUT, I am very good at asking for help and one of the girls working there  knew a couple words of English and we figured out what I wanted.  She said, “flour or potato”  and I said potato and pointed to the oil.  Success!!  My potato pancakes were being fried while I watched them floating in the cauldron of oil.  Wow!   The most fantastic treat I think I ever had since I last ate one cooked at home by mother or aunt.

Jim did not partake of such a delight, so when we left to stroll back to the main Christkindlmarkt, he got another of those wonderful smoked pork sandwiches we had the other day, and we both got a mug of Gluhwein.   Seems a shame to miss a chance at buying stollen, so I bought a slice which is now in a tin in my suitcase!    I had just had some in Nuremberg, made in a shape of a star, so I thought I would save this piece for later!

We then went back to our hotel to shower and pack for our flight the next day.  Suitcases were made totally ready for our early flight, and then we were back out, headed back to the markt to hear the carolers at the town hall at 5:30 pm.  We arrived just as they started and Jim got some of it on video.  They were singing very traditional German songs with horn accompaniment, but after a few we decided to leave and go to eat.

We went to the Hofbrauhaus, where we have been several times before.  The photos will explain it all - but it is the biggest and best beer hall in Munich. 

To walk back to the hotel, we had to walk through the markt, which gave us a nice look at all the pretty stands before we went to bed.  And to end the evening, there were some snow flurries.   Alarm was set for 4:30 am!!