Autofrei Leben!
Last night we went out with friends to the Streetlife Festival, a huge street festival that is going on here in Munich all weekend. It starts about two blocks south of our apartment and continues all through the city. The Streetlife Festival is a celebration of "Car Free Day," so the streets are blocked to cars and pedestrians roam freely, watching bands and other performances while drinking beer and socializing.
I was surprised to discover that there are a bunch of German (Bavarian?) Afrobeat percussion bands performing during this festival. Just last night we saw three different ones, and on the way to the subway station this morning I heard another one. I can't imagine how this trend got started here, except that it's such great music that everyone just wants to join in. I know if we had the opportunity, Marel and I would both do it, too.
So the big issue of the day is Autofrei Leben (living car-free), for which I am something of a poster-child these days. Well, okay, I cheat a little since my husband drives a car, but I haven't been behind the wheel myself since I left the US. In Munich, I haven't missed it. Not yet, anyway. The public transportation system is very thorough, and so much is within walking distance that I really don't even need a car most of the time. On Friday afternoon it took me all of thirty minutes to do the grocery shopping (from the time I left home to when I got back), and that included going to the grocery store and the fruit and vegetable market.
After walking around the festival for a few hours last night, we ended up at Mama's Kebap Haus for a Turkish kebap. It's a kind of Turkish fast food meat sandwich that is very popular here. Our German friends (who we were out with last night) told us that kebaps are more popular in Germany than McDonald's and Burger King combined.
We're having a fun and productive weekend, starting with a trip to IKEA yesterday morning for a medicine cabinet for the bathroom and a TV stand. We also ordered our sleeper sofa, to be delivered Tuesday! So we should be set up for visitors soon!
If all goes according to plan, I will most likely be taking a German class at the Goethe Institut starting next Monday (September 23). I registered online for the last spot in the class. The two-week course coincides with Oktoberfest.
Still don't have the Internet hooked up at home, so Marty and I are out at the Internet cafe today. Once I am online again, expect more regular updates (and more regular e-mail, too).
Last night we went out with friends to the Streetlife Festival, a huge street festival that is going on here in Munich all weekend. It starts about two blocks south of our apartment and continues all through the city. The Streetlife Festival is a celebration of "Car Free Day," so the streets are blocked to cars and pedestrians roam freely, watching bands and other performances while drinking beer and socializing.
I was surprised to discover that there are a bunch of German (Bavarian?) Afrobeat percussion bands performing during this festival. Just last night we saw three different ones, and on the way to the subway station this morning I heard another one. I can't imagine how this trend got started here, except that it's such great music that everyone just wants to join in. I know if we had the opportunity, Marel and I would both do it, too.
So the big issue of the day is Autofrei Leben (living car-free), for which I am something of a poster-child these days. Well, okay, I cheat a little since my husband drives a car, but I haven't been behind the wheel myself since I left the US. In Munich, I haven't missed it. Not yet, anyway. The public transportation system is very thorough, and so much is within walking distance that I really don't even need a car most of the time. On Friday afternoon it took me all of thirty minutes to do the grocery shopping (from the time I left home to when I got back), and that included going to the grocery store and the fruit and vegetable market.
After walking around the festival for a few hours last night, we ended up at Mama's Kebap Haus for a Turkish kebap. It's a kind of Turkish fast food meat sandwich that is very popular here. Our German friends (who we were out with last night) told us that kebaps are more popular in Germany than McDonald's and Burger King combined.
We're having a fun and productive weekend, starting with a trip to IKEA yesterday morning for a medicine cabinet for the bathroom and a TV stand. We also ordered our sleeper sofa, to be delivered Tuesday! So we should be set up for visitors soon!
If all goes according to plan, I will most likely be taking a German class at the Goethe Institut starting next Monday (September 23). I registered online for the last spot in the class. The two-week course coincides with Oktoberfest.
Still don't have the Internet hooked up at home, so Marty and I are out at the Internet cafe today. Once I am online again, expect more regular updates (and more regular e-mail, too).
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