Last stop, Munich!

We arrived in Munich, tired and grumpy after a less than comfortable overnight train ride, to be met at the station by the lovely Karen - an ex-flatmate of mine from Rotorua who now lives just outside Munich. After a relaxing morning, we set off to explore Munich. Well, at least that's what we told Matt. Actually, we had other plans afoot - a surprise visit to a football game at Allianz Arena. Matt didn't cotton on until we were in the line for the tickets - let's put it down to him being so tired! It was a great game though - the stadium holds 90 000 people and even though it was only half full, the crowd were very entertaining.
After the game, we actually did go and have a look around Munich, and our first beers of the week!
The next day, after another well needed relaxing morning, we visited Schloss Schleissheim, a palace near Karen's house, and then headed to Munich to the Deutsches Museum (which is brilliant!) and then more beer.
Do you think Matt was sick of castles and palaces by then?
The Deutsches Museum was fabulous - full of all sorts of displays from aeronautics to musical instruments. I could have spent weeks there, but alas, there was beer to be drunk!

And pretzels the size of my head to be eaten....
Lots of sausages in Germany, yummy sausages - don't think I've eaten so many sausages in my whole life as I did that week...
That night, after a beer at an outdoor market, we went to the Hofbrauhaus for dinner, some oompah music and the making of new and exciting friends.
Me with my first ever mass
Karen wearing Matt's Oktoberfest hat
The schweinhaxe and dumplings that got Matt through the night...mmmm. Strangely enough I had sausages.
The band
Beers finished
The next day, we took a road trip down within a few hundred meters of the Austrian border to visit the fairtale castle Neuschwanstein. It was really pretty, although a real tourist spot.
It was a day of adventures and on the way home, Karen's muffler parted company with the car...
And the adventures weren't over yet! That night, it was my turn to be surprised with tickets Matt bought to see a production of Romeo and Juliet in Munich. Although at the time, we didn't realise is was going to be in German, it turned out to be the most brilliant Shakespeare I've ever seen and a fabulous evening full of enthusiastic German spittle, fake blood, wonderful modern sets, nudity (lots), great music and wonderful acting!