#completely lost the entire Vivre doc

[chenziee]

Today is a good day to thank AO3 for existing

[themusiciantraveler]

A Munich Must

Tuesday. May 22, 2018.

The hustle and bustle from Heathrow airport followed us on the short little jaunt to Munich, all the way to the crowded passport lines in the “Burbank of Germany”.  Munich airport, which incidentally enough is not even IN Munich, was much more peaceful than London with its busy passageways, numerous royalty-free stores, and never-ending subways to each terminal. All in all, a very welcome relief from the overwhelming noise and size of LHR – in which, if you’re wondering, I did indeed get us lost.

Our seventeen-passenger van sat awaiting our imminent departure into the land of bratwurst, beer, and mountain castles with promises of all sorts of adventures ahead of us. Once on the road through the stunning green German countryside, Michael and Doc Mays – our resident tour guide and favorite piano professor – informed us of the special locale for our first dinner in Europe.  Michael informed us that we would soon be devouring traditional German fare while being entertained by some of the best musicians a meal could buy – certainly, a Munich must.

Downtown Munich is full of narrow roads, endless rows of parked cars, and numerous street signs – all in German.  The busy streets provided an adventurous maze with the promising end our dinner destination. After several circles up, down, and around the heart of the capital of Germany, Michael was able to sweet-talk a garage owner into creating a parking spot for our oversized vehicle.  Now, not much later in the trip, we would learn that Michael was the type that could sell ice to the Eskimos.  Nothing on God’s green earth could have possibly prepared me for the sensory overload that was simply walking through the doors of our dinner location – but first a little history on the establishment that holds the heart of Germany in its halls.

Hofbräuhaus München is the most famous Biergarten in all of Germany.  Built in 1589 by Bavarian Duke Maximilian I as an extension of the Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in the München brewery, the tavern hall was where Hitler gave his first public speech in 1920.  The brewery turned restaurant boasts four seating zones where patrons gather across three expansive floors and a beautiful outside patio area.  Each of the floors except for the historic beer hall – the "Schwemme" – were destroyed during the World War II bombings.  The Festival Hall reopened in 1958, marking the end of post-war restoration.  Located down the Hochbrückenstraße in the heart of the Marienplatz, the Hofbräuhaus is just north of the Bier and Oktoberfest Museum.  Their own beer used to be brewed in-house but roughly 100 years ago was moved to the outskirts of Munich.  The cradle of Bavarian hospitality and culture, Hofbräuhaus boasts a vibrant scene full of patrons that have been gathering together for years just to have dinner and a drink.  With more than 100 groups of passionate regulars, the Biergarten has been the stomping grounds for as long as 70 years for some patrons.  These regulars can keep a personal stein tucked away in one of the many Schwemme located throughout the halls of the Hofbräuhaus.

Two large glass doors, emblazoned with the bright blue HB logo of the Hofbräuhaus, welcomed us into our bustling yet cozy home for dinner.  A full Lieder band played constantly on the stage in the heart of the first main floor as couples danced, Fraulines sold baskets full of pretzels that were the size of a basketball, and men walked around carrying anywhere from five to ten steins of beer the size of a grown man’s thigh muscle!  The raucous was utterly overwhelming after spending fifteen hours traveling in quiet planes and vans.  The music called to us on another level entirely as each of our senses went into overload at the sight before us.  Michael began to dance and march through the ground floor, and we followed in stride bouncing to the invigorating beat of the band.  Hordes of people filled the halls and caused to lose sight of Michael at least 3 times as we marched and danced our way around the Biergarten in search of our remaining traveling companions that were to meet us at dinner.

After dancing through each floor, up and down flights of stairs, and out through the courtyard and patio, we had seen the entirety of the Hofbräuhaus but had yet to locate our friends.  After fifteen minutes of traversing through the Bavarian landmark, we finally received a phone call from Doc that the remainder of our companions were at the front door — we had completely walked past them in our awe and wonderment! Once reunited, we began our search to find enough table space to seat fourteen weary travelers.

Now, something you need to know before you travel to Germany is that German restaurants have reserved tables for loyal regulars.  It is an unspoken law that you NEVER take one of these tables marked “Stammtisch Wuide Rund’n”.  Somehow, in our hunger-driven distraction, we ended up seated at two separate tables, both marked with the designated reserved sign and lived to tell the tale.  Another thing to be aware of is that dining is a family event in Germany.  It is relaxed, lengthy, and never interrupted unless you have a very rude waiter.  Whether your tablemates are dear friends or complete strangers, come prepared to spend your entire evening in their well-fed company.

Once finally seated we were challenged with deciphering a German menu in order to avoid receiving an unexpected and potentially in-edible meals.  Bits and pieces of entrees and appetizers came together until we had all decided on dinner and drinks.  My recommendation is that you locate a few of the English translated menus that are scattered around the tavern halls and avoid any ordering mishaps.  Hands down, that sausage and sauerkraut was one of the best meals I have ever had and came to be one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip. The snap of the meat was audible as we struggled to contain our hunger and tried to enjoy our meal, rather than just quickly scarfing it all down.  The mustard and kraut had underlying sweet notes instead of the typical vinegar-based bitterness that you often encounter when consuming these in the States.  We honestly couldn’t help but keep shoveling bit after bite into our mouths until the plate, was at last, unfortunately empty.

Looking up from my incredible meal, I caught another glimpse of Michael dancing around the Hofbräuhaus with several different patrons and couldn’t help thinking that he must embody the definition of “joie de vivre” (or whatever the joy of life is in German). No matter how full you are, deciding to order a streusel for dessert is always a good idea.  This flaky, gooey, buttery concoction can only be described as “heaven on earth” covered in a divine, warm vanilla bean sauce and topped with the fluffiest whipped cream that you’d think you were eating a cloud. When we just couldn’t eat anymore, Doc reached down the table and innocently asked if we were finished before he happily (and quickly) consumed the remainder of our delightful dessert.

After one more longing stroll around the unforgettable Hofbräuhaus, attempting to capture the sights, smells, and sounds that engulfed us, we headed to the van to make our way through the sleepy Bavarian countryside to our home in Oberaudorf, Germany for the night.  Jet-lagged and incredibly well-fed, I couldn’t help but nod off as a gentle rain cloaked our exit from a still lively Munich.  Dirt roads and the smell of cattle greeted our sleepy band of travelers as the starlight led the way to the Ochsenwirt Gastof; falling contently into bed, dreams of the Hofbräuhaus and our many adventures to come lulled me into a peaceful slumber.