Day 1: Munich

Dad, John, Peggy, and I arrived in the morning and rode a van to our hotel. On the autobahn we drove past the Allianz-Bayern football arena which looks like a giant tire on its side, but made of huge white teardrop-shaped acrylic tiles that glow in various colors. After learning how to use the U-Bahn (subway) we went downtown to Marienplatz, the big central square with the picturesque buildings and the big Christmas market.

We had a wonderful pub lunch here, if you can believe that.

These people trooped by in wacky (but warm-looking) goat costumes. Turns out the "Krampus" is kind of an inverse Santa Claus who torments bad children. Later they paraded all through the markets.

Ceiling of the Frauenkirche (St. Mary's by any other name), the iconic double tower in the drawing Dad has on the wall. I've always loved this vaulting geometry.

Peg on a side street looking back toward the Marienplatz. Advanced photo analysis indicates that there just might be a glühwein mug in her hand; she's probably just holding mine for me while I take the picture.

John brilliantly said we should climb the church tower a block away from the main event instead of trying to go up inside the Rathaus (the city hall) that has the Glockenspiel (the fancy mechanized figures that come out whenever a sensor determines that the tourist density is high enough). It was a fun stairclimb and a fabulous view!

View looking west with our hotel in the distance.

Frauenkirche!