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TRAVEL JOURNAL PHOTOS Trip
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Much to do (and fix) about Munich I am writing from Munich. Munich is a very scenic city--with the nicest city center of any of the large German cities and has huge parks too! Nonetheless, most northern Germans consistantly LOVE to talk shit about Munich. They think Bavarians are a little weird. I was looking forward to seeing how ass-backwards this city really is. I didn't have to wait very long. For starters, this internet cafe has a doorman and (sometimes) a waiting line! To cross the street out front takes three sets of crosswalk lights, which don't always agree. Though in Bavaria, jaywalking is punishable with points on your license. There's an underpass too, but the escalators seem to go down instead of up. Newspapers stands are on the honor system. When I wanted to visit the German office of the top design firm IDEO, the city map on their website showed the subway line but omitted the actual station. However, the biggest and most backwards letdown was Legoland Deutschland. After spending yesterday at Dachau, I was ready for something fun. For 33 euros, Legoland failed to do the trick. It's always heartbreaking to be disappointed by your favorite childhood toy. Part of the problem was that Legoland simply didn't want me to visit them. Despite the promise of free shuttle buses in their brochure, there aren't any for more than half the time the park's open (4.5 hours out of 7)! The shuttle ceases between 11:30am and 4pm. I arrived in the local train station at 1pm and the next bus wouldn't come until an hour before closing! (Oddly enough, the bus sked shows five going to legoland after the park closes!) I called the number on the Legoland brochure and they told me I couldn't walk the distance. They actually called me a cab--there weren't any at the train station and I had no idea where to find one! The fare cost ten euros and the Lego people were apathetic and defensive when I complained. They said that the park was paying for the bus, not cabs, and that people should arrive earlier in the day. The park itself was nice, although a bit small for the 23 euro admission. I got to see Venice, Amsterdam and Luzern plus Germany's major cities depicted in Lego bricks. It's not everyday you get to see a Lego Brandenburg Gate. I was impressed that the 'factory tour' showed actual production equipment. At the end of the line, you pressed a button and got a souvenir brick from a conveyor belt. Angry at the powers that be, I tried to recover part of my admission in bricks. Please tell me if you would like a souvenir brick, I'll gladly mail you one. I have 22 total. On a side note, the city which Legoland borders, Günzburg, is very beautiful. I actually took a later train back to Munich to spend more time exploring the town. All the beerhouses had elegant wrought-iron signs. Prior to Munich, I spent the weekend at my friend Fruzsi's flat in Budapest. In addition to being one of my most cosmopolitan friends within Europe, she is also one of the best educated. During my visit, she was studying for her last exam to complete dual degrees from Hungarian and French universities. While in the city, I got to visit the statue park on the outskirts of town, where they dumped all the old statues of Lenin and his Communist buddies. |
