Around Munich

or a few words about the forgotten journey…

Finally I’ve reached it! Not during Oktoberfest and not as a central point of my journey, but I’ve reached it. By train from Vienna, where I had finally received my MA diploma, just after a weekend in Poland, where we came from Holland for 2 days…

It was late evening in October when we arrived to Glonn, nearby Munich, where Yassine’s friends hosted us for a few days. And that’s where a story full of beautiful nature, hospitality and unique attractions begins.

Glonn is an unusual place, especially its forest which is a home to a small lake with wooden bridge ideal for photo sessions. It’s calm, empty, sometimes visited by enthusiastic joggers or dog owners. After a few minute walk through the forest you can arrive to another astonishing place, called Hermannsdorf. It’s a huge ecological farm, where everyone can enter for free, watch animals living in huge green areas and ecological fields, walk around wooden farm buildings, taste fresh cheese, meat, beer. You can also organise a wedding in here… Actually, we came cross some wedding guests, when we were on the way to visit a group of dirty pigs. Ladies wearing high-heels and long dresses were absolutely fine with their squeaking and smelling company. Everyone felt good in here.

The farm caters for a lot of attractions for children that can watch many different animals, as long as they want to. That’s exactly what Lea’s and Youness’ son did, who was strongly attached to the sheep, then to the horses and cows and then to all other peculiarities met on the way.

Glonn hosts also an old monastery with a school and kindergarten towering on the hill. This peaceful place is administered by active nuns that constantly realise their new ideas for exploitation of the monastery buildings.

And all this is enriched with unrivalled taste of the local cheese, fresh ecological juice and the surprise birthday feast for Yassine prepared by our friends. On the very first day in the morning we were welcomed with an overwhelming colourful table filled with fresh croissants, handmade cake, cheese and other delicacies. Yum-yum!

Compared to all these attractions the glamour of Munich seems to fade away a bit, but it still remains in the centre of attention with its monumental buildings, castles, universities, sculptures and fountains. We spent most of our time in the English Garden from the 18^th century which hosts a Chinese tower and a very cosy beer garden. Our tour through Munich somehow led form one warm place to another (metro, cafe, garden), as it got cold. Unless according to my two lovely Moroccans, because for me it was still bearable. That’s how we survived till the evening, when the night life began. As it was Yassine’s birthday we decided to take part in it and entered a huge club with 4 dancing floors with different kinds of music. I must admit it was not something we fully enjoyed, but it was interesting in a way to watch different kinds of behaviour on the dance floor and around after we had enough of dancing and moving around.     

And after two days we had no choice but to say our goodbyes to Lea, Youness and their son and get on another train. This time heading to Rotterdam, where we finished our 7-day-tour through 4 countriesJ