That bloom’n Glockenspiel (famous clock in Munich’s Marieplatz town square). Got there for the hour strike at 1pm only to be told it only does it’s little dance and special movements at 12 noon each day. What a gip! Had the girls lined up to see with heads forcibly raised and sunglasses on, and then nothing to show for it. They were’nt impressed and quickly moved onto “where’s the icecream shop mummy?”. We ended up having lunch in tourist central opposite the clock. Had our first schnitzel which was huge, crispy and divine, with sauerkraut (not as good as yours mum!). Miki and Sienna had spag bolonnaise which is their restaurant meal of choice at the moment. An old Italian man fell in love with Miki who was feeding herself by hand, noodle by noodle with eyes nearly closed in ecstacy, with orange all over her face from the sauce. He was saying she must be Italian enjoying her pasta so much and took a few photos to take home to Mama! Sienna ate with her fork and serviette wiping mouth after each mouthful as per usual. They are so different and funny! Sufficiently fed and rested we then did the church climb up to the bell tower to look at the view of Munich. It’s about 12 stories of stairs to climb with no room really to pass on the way up or down. The kids and Brendan were up in a flash leaving the rest of us behind with puffing and panting. The minute I reached the top I was greeted by Mikaela holding her crutch and saying wee wee! I made Brendan go back down with them as I hadn’t even seen any of the view yet. Poor bugger. We have to remember to toilet them before any long stretches.
We had a lovely walk around the market in town and bought some beautiful fresh raspberries the size of huge strawberries, apricots and grapes. Then it was home on the underground to rest for an hour. The girls see the underground as wonderful playsites when they’re moving. They dance around the poles and climb them and try balancing without holding etc..
Once our poor working hosts got home from work they collected us all and it was back on the underground to a historical Biergarten called Augustus. It was founded by the Augustus Monks and their invention of a type of beer many moons ago (must have had too many beers when being told the story cause I can’t remember the year????). It was a mind blowing place. There must have been about a thousand tables and benches to sit on and about 2000 people there all outside under the trees. It was probably about an acre big and had a huge playground at one end. Needless to say we got a table near there and the girls played from 7.30 – 10.30 without hardly stopping. The favourite as the round, sit on spinner. They enticed the german children to push them around fast constantly, without using any understandable language. They made friends with a german girl and her brother about aged 12 who couldn’t speak any English and played with them all night cuddling and picking them up totally entraced by the twins. The girl gave them both a beautiful butterfly jeweled hair clip upon leaving. It was definitely the girl’s night – they had sooooo much fun.
They also had their stein of lemonade (could hardly pick it up) and we all ate bbq fish, roast pork leg covered in the crispiest crackling ever, kartoffle salad and bretzels. The boys were quite animated and silly on the way home on the underground. We had to take Tina’s (our hostess) bike with us, so the girls played princesses and were transported on the bike all over the place, back to home. Talk about having people wrapped around their finger. When we got home about 11.20pm we decided to wait up and ring Birttany for her 6th birthday so the girls both had a huge bubble bath with hostess Tina in her huge 3rd floor bath under the stars upstairs. You may imagine by now that Tina adores kids and is clucky as all hell. They loved it! The girls are getting used to very late nights and late mornings so they are not too grumpy or tired, yet anyway.
Next day. We drove to the most amazing wildlife park full of bambis, goats, wolves (yes wolves my favourite), peacocks, bunnies, guinea pigs, boars (ooooh), pigs (yummy swines) and goodness knows what else. The first packets of feeding food were gone immediately on the bambis and the refilling was endless. It was in a forest and soooo beautiful. There has not been a breath of wind in Munich at all and it’s so warm and lovely. They had the hugest array of wonderful playground equipment there with huge picnic ground and the girls played for ages. So many things to play on and flying foxes, climbing stuff etc etc. Was fantastic and would love to take them again but time is running out. Brendan spent the morning at BMW museum (yawn) and we all met for lunch at the Chinese Tower in the English Gardens. Beautiful botanical garden 3km square park in central Munich. Yet again, another biergarten and playground. Another lot of thousands of tables, steins of beer, fish on a stick bbq, roast swine leg with crackle – need I go on. Have nothing left to wear and will be doing a shop at “Fabulous Fashion for Larger Ladies” . After stuffing ourselves silly, watching the kids going round the carousel eating fairy floss and getting tendonitis in the right elbow from stein slopping, we went to Avis to rent a lovely Porsche Carrera S 997. Well. I drove it all the way back (20km) through peak hour traffic in my element. There goes my good intentions of leaving no carbon footprint – I have to have one! And I’ll be happy to lay rubber all the way to the carbon trading office – woooohoooo I love it!. Anyway, it’s now off being thrashed by the husband on the autobahn. He’s taken poor Tim as the sucker to get the speedo photos. As you can see I’m not worried. Worry doesn’t get you anywhere. Just be thankful our next travel story is a happy one!
