Munich

We arrived in Munich (München) around 1 pm after a six-hour train from Berlin. After checking in to our hotel, we went to the city center to meet up with our friend Dan at Munich's Google office. Dan's wife Leslie, one of our Berkeley Law classmates, also joined us there, and after getting a tour and verifying that it was another colorful, cool, quirky Google office, we set off to see some of the city center, take pictures with the Champions League trophy, and grab a late lunch.

Munich is not huge, and the city is pretty relaxed and charming. It really feels like a place with no pretense--just relax, enjoy the city, and have fun. It is pretty easy to see why so many people have a special affection for the city.

One of the sites I wanted to see in Munich was Hofbrauhaus, a nearly 400-year-old brewery and restaurant located in the city center. It is on almost every list of "must-do" things in Munich. Hofbrauhaus might be the most famous beer hall in the world. [Beer Hall Putsch?] The place is really cool--it holds 2,000 people, a Bavarian folk band is playing, a crowd of locals and not-so-locals is yelling and clinking their massive steins, beer is served by the liter, and the dishes are hearty Bavarian plates of sausage and roasted pork. It makes for a pretty fun experience. I had read about one of their signature dishes, roast suckling pig, and that was absolutely delicious.

After that, we walked over by the English Gardens, which is Munich's great city park, covering more area than NYC's vast Central Park. We spent a few minutes watching local surfers ride the river's standing wave. If you go to Munich, try to find the wave. It's really fun to watch this landlocked surf community jump in and shred it up.

I'm not a fan of going to clubs, but I did let Leslie and Dan drag me to one for about an hour, and in the case the club itself does merit some discussion. The club, P1 ("P-ein") is actually one of Germany's most elite, and it sits in a large museum. The museum was built under Hitler's orders to be a site for Nazi propaganda, and because of that history, the site is taboo to all museum committees and conventional businesses--only club managers will touch it. The place still didn't sell me on the club experience, but I found the story to be interesting.

The next day, it was September 18, i.e. Day 1 of the 200th anniversary of the first Oktoberfest. This year's festival is not actually Oktoberfest 200 because about two dozen have been canceled due to war or famine, but it was still touted as the 200th anniversary. We arrived at about 10:30am, which is cutting it close if you want to sit down and don't have a reservation. Luckily, a table of German kids that were generally a couple years our juniors had just enough space for the four of us and let us sit down with them in the Spaten tent. Then, everyone sat and waited for the next 90 minutes. The festival officially begins at noon when the mayor enters the Schottenhamel tent and taps the first barrel--until then, none of the special "Oktoberfest:" beer can be served.

Soon enough, the traditional Bavarian band came marching in, the mayor tapped the first barrel, and then the servers started coming out with arms full of as many steins as they could carry. After that, everyone was singing with the band, standing on their benches, and clinking steins with every table in their general vicinity. It was pretty cool to be in a tent of 6,000 people where everyone is relaxed and having fun, and I think the atmosphere that creates is what makes Munich's Oktoberfest so special to those who attend.

After leaving the festival, I met up with Harry, a Berkeley Law classmate that served with me on my year's Executive Committee for the California Law Review and will also be joining me at Orrick as an associate (I'll be in Silicon Valley, he will be in SF). Harry will be living in Munich for the next year, and I had the pleasure of meeting his girlfriend, Mirjam, and their beautiful new daughter, Oriana. It was great to see Harry in what will be his hometown for the next year, and I look forward to working with him at Orrick down the road.

My time in Munich was short, and I would definitely like to return. It is a very nice, relaxed, fun city, and it has a distinct charm. I can see why world travelers and Oktoberfest patrons often become repeat visitors when it comes to this great Bavarian city. You can view my photos here. Thanks for reading! Cheers!

- R