The Couples’ Trip – München

This is The Bamberg Staff Trip conceived over a year ago for four Colleagues of a certain Institution and their Spouses, or whatever. This is the Primary Reason why there is no Hector’s Horrible Holiday this year with The Chaps. Suffice to say, only four of eight made any bookings. Our Ladies did not fly in the end, Steve and Hector had seats 13E and 13F and 14E and 14F, respectively. The easyJet flight to München left at 18.10 meaning a late  check-in at the Hotel Royal (Schiller Str.) around 22.30. No need to go daft on the First Night, is there?

The First Stop was the Augustiner Grossgastätte. En route one could not help notice that a certain building was now revealed once more having been screened off whilst renovations were conducted.  As it wasn’t a Bier Haus, no need to dwell on this any longer.

The ever dependable Edelstof (Augustiner, München) did taste a bit Sweet on the first tasting as Dr. Stan always says it does. However, once supped the Dryness comes through. A lot of FC Bayern Tops were on display, they had beaten Barcelona, whose fans had travelled all the way from The South of Spain, for this Friendly.

Behind the Dom lies Andechs am Dom. They still don’t sell the Spezial Hell, despite us creating a demand by asking for it on every visit. The normal Andechs Helles was followed quickly by the always wonderful Andechs Weizen. We are not creatures of habit and do not take the same photos on every trip, unless there is a candle on the table, then one must.

Hector might have last out of Andechs am Dom, he wasn’t caring. A visit to The Sports Ba,r along from our Hotel, was not the sensible thing to be doing in the Small Hours but in we went. I have not had Franziskaner Weizen (Spaten, München) since mid November when last here with Marg. Franky is an Old Friend. Almost Nine Months, the longest gap between Trips to Deutschland since the days before the Budget Airlines changed everything a decade ago.

There was a Curry-Heute

In fact two were planned from the outset. Steve enjoys a Good Curry as much as Hector but it was too close to Breakfast, too soon for Curry and too early for Bier.

Entering Marienplatz moments after the Glockenspiel had competed its 11.00 Performance, what Now? The Ratskeller! Directly under the Rathaus lies a somewhat Upmarket Restaurant, it is a Keller as an English Speaking person would translate. €10.80 later we had polished off a half litre of Sparkling Water and Still Water.

We went for a walk.

The existence of the Hofbräu Keller was only revealed to Hector earlier this year. It looks as if it should be accessible from the Englischer Garten Sud, but we had to retrace our steps and found the street entry. It was Hot, we found the Shade. We managed both a Bier and a Pfand. Hofbräu Helles kick-started the day, one would have to pace oneself. It could be a long day. The First Visit of the day to the Indian Mango was now called for – Indian Mango, München #1, this took a while. Steve did sneak in another Bier, the Maximilian Helles, but the Sparkling Water felt appropriate as ever for The Hector.

The Kellers

MVV opened a new S Bahn Stop called Hirschgarten at some time since my last visit, no need to hike from Laim any longer. Finding the Periphery of the Park with relative ease we had a choice of Right or Left. Hector chose Right. Left was the better choice. Twenty minutes later have walked around the perimeter of the Park we arrived at The Keller.  From Laim one cannot miss it.

A choice of Tegernsee or Augustiner. We knew the Plans for later and so Tegernsee Spezial Hell (Hofbräu, Tegernsee, Bayern) was next up. I know people who love this Bier, it is still not rated that highly by Hector who considers Andechs Spezial Hell to be be superior. However, a Trip to Tegernsee is always fitted in whenever there is time, a Special Place to visit and send the odd half dozen postcards, to the same person.  For the first time I tried the Tegernsee Dunkles, it was remarkably similar to the Helles, same Dry aftertaste, with only a slight addition of Maltiness.

These aren’t Dear, they’re Goats. – remarked Steve. Maybe they are Dear. Had Marg been with us we would have known for definite.

It was hot, The Chaps were melting. It even dared to rain.  Time to go back to The Hotel Royal and reboot.

After a decent Time-out it was back up to Hackerbrucke and the short walk to the Augustiner Keller. It was now early evening. The Locals were finishing work, the place was stowed, thousands of People cooling off with a Bier, many were eating. How can People eat that Stuff?

First one has to procure a Bier. The Queue was long, but deducing that they wished Food, we skipped to the Business End and had Edelstof vom Holzfass in moments. A table at the entrance was occupied by Two Chaps, we took up the opposite end. The difference between the Pumped/Gassy version and this, the Direct from the Wooden Barrel is astonishing. The latter is Smoother, the former has the Bite. Both are excellent.

Thousands of People were enjoying Bier on a very warm München evening. The Chaps with the Guns appeared and led one person out. Steve spotted a Chap who had been the Victim. One arrest in all this Throng, just like a night out n Glasgow, not.

Two Young Chaps had filled the gap between us and the now Cigar Smoking Chaps at the end of the table. Other than acknowledging their arrival by confirming the seats were free, we had said nothing.

Breaking Bad

The Chap on my right, Christoph, started up a conversation whilst Steve was off re-loading. The Heisenberg t-shirt was too much for him.

Where did you get the T-shirt? Was his opening line.

Steve returned and we were introduced to Max, opposite. That was it, an hour discussing what they regard as the Finest Television Drama, ever. They could not believe that only the first two seasons were ever shown on British Television. They also remarked that in Deutschland it is the more Highbrow Channel – ARTE – that has shown it, and without dubbing.

Save Walter White

We studied all the T-shirts available on a well known Online Retail Website, Christoph told me about the Save Walter White website. Thanks to the Trusty Samsung and the still rip-off Vodafone Contract, we were able to employ current technology to see everything rather than just make references.

As the conversation widened, it became apparent that Christoph and Max were unaware of the what lies on their doorstep. Pronouncing Augustiner to be the best Bier produced in München meant disagreement. This honour still lies with the Forschungs Bräuhaus at Perlach as long as they maintain the Blonde. And as for Bamberg, that was an Undiscovered Country.

Time for The Chaps to go for Curry-Heute #2, Bamberg in the morning. A couple of Thousand People stayed on. But then there is the distraction of Andechs am Dom and Café Schiller afterwards, surely not? Watch Andy Murray at Wimbledon, again?

The Breweries, Brewery Taps, Kellers and Bier Houses visited:

Augustiner Grossgastätte (Zum Augustiner)  – Neuhauserstr. 27,  80331, München

Andechs am Dom – Weinstraße 7, 80333, München

Sport-Café Schiller – Schillerstrasse 3, D-80336, München

Ratskeller – Marienplatz 8, 80331, München

Hofbräu Keller  –  Innere Wiener Straße 19,  81667, München

Hirschgarten  –  Hirschgarten 1,  80639, München

Augustiner Keller – Arnulfstraße 52, 80335, München

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