weekend in munich
a short flight and a world away
The other weekend we were supposed to go to Norway, but due to diversions and cancelled flights we ended up in Munich. Wow! What culture shock we had! Napoli and Munich couldn’t be more different:
Traffic
In Napoli, it’s hard to walk from point A to point B due to the crazy motorcycles, lack of respect for any crosswalk, and questionable sidewalks. It is also therefore not a bike friendly town.
In Munich, we rented bikes and had nice, wide, bike lanes, which were separate from the walking lanes. The vehicle traffic was minimal and there was no honking. I think I was most impressed by the baby buggies in Munich. Moms and Dads have the best looking contraptions for biking around with their babies. Even the postal workers use a big yellow bike to deliver mail!
Access to Nature
Napoli has very few parks. You see kids kicking around soccer balls in the piazza, without any grass or trees.
Munich was full of lush, green, parks. We saw people playing cricket, spike ball, soccer, frisbee, running, etc. We even saw some people surfing in the river at the park! I had a little taste of San Diego.
People
In Napoli I am normally the tallest woman anywhere I go. Neapolitan women dress very fancy, dresses, makeup, hair dyed, etc. This nonna on my street is so put together! This is how most Neapolitan women look, despite the insane heat, on a daily basis.
In Munich, I noticed there were very tall people everywhere, and I also noticed that the women looked more like me: sporty and athletic builds, more casual and comfortable clothing.
It’s amazing how much a city can represent a culture. I feel even in a short visit to Munich, we got a taste of how wonderful Germany is!
Here were our favorite spots in Munich:
📍 @mamma.bao our favorite meal - yummy hand drawn noodles 🍜
📍 @unsoeldsfactoryhotel loved our gorgeous boutique hotel with reasonable bike rentals and a delicious breakfast 🚲
📍 @thedanishgirlinterior lovely home goods store 🕯️
📍 @nsdoku FREE museum about Munich and Bavarian involvement in the rise of the Nazi party
Have you been to Munich? What did you think?