Under the Bavarian Snow: More Travels in the Bitter Cold

As of yesterday, this blogger has become sick.

The cause? Absolutely atrocious weather conditions in Munich – temperatures hit 0 degrees (that’s 32 for my dear American readers), which made me question whether I was in Chicago and merely dreamt that I was in Munich…With an aching throat and killer headache, I headed to the nearest pharmacy, and when the stoic man behind the counter handed me nothing but a box of Strepsils, I desperately asked: “Could I have something that cures the problem? Not just numbing it?”

“No, this is an anesthetic,” he said, “will that be all?”

Ok then, Strepsils will have to do. Although I’ve been engulfing them with unsightly fervour all day, nothing is happening, but despite the cold, I find myself reluctant to leave Munich (and not just because our next destination, Freiburg, is even colder).  The city is clean, the people polite, the trains are always on time, and I’ve never drunk this much beer in my life.

We spent three consecutive nights in beer halls, and for every single meal we eat…..sausages and sauerkraut. I may be unintentionally endorsing a stereotype with my food choices, but sausages and sauerkraut are oh-s0-mouthwatering-good. Sauerkraut, especially, is a lovely reminder of the pickled vegetables in Chinese food.

A walking city tour of Munich proved insightful. My false belief that the War is a taboo topic was proven wrong when I realised, with surprise, that we were effectively on a tour of Third Reich history. In fact, this is the very beer hall where Hitler’s 1923 Putsch took place.

The people were in red because a major football game was happening later that night – Bayern Munich vs. Mainz! I had to restrain myself from wailing out this question – “Why am I not there?!” Of course, just as I was feeling sorry for myself, this comes into view, which further aggravates the pain. I guess the dream of seeing Thomas Mueller in action will have to wait…:(

A two and half hour train ride later, we were at Neuschwanstein – a castle built by Bavaria’s King Ludwig II, and allegedly the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. We climbed up (yet another) mountain as our faces were pelted by a slew of cold rain and flurries. I literally ran up the mountain in order to generate warmth.

The castle was a majestic sight – the King had dedicated it to the operas of Richard Wagner. From the mountain top, a panorama of lush Bavarian countryside greeted me. So serene. So calm. So idyllic.