Biergarten victuals

I’ve been here two weeks now, and today was my first trip to a Bavarian Biergarten. I don’t actually like beer, but I hiked three miles uphill to get to the Andechs Monastery and I was quite famished. So I decided to brave the line and have one of everything, even a beer. The food consisted of fries, bratwurst, bread, and grilled corn. Upon the recommendation of the young barkeep, I ordered a Weißbier which is wheat beer.

The beer is in the tall glass in the photo, and the mug contains Apfelschorle, a concoction of apple juice and sparkling water which I have come to appreciate. Later I also got a Johannisbeerschorle, which is the same thing, only made from currants instead of apples. All of the potions are locally brewed at the monastery.

I had low expectations for the beer, but it was actually not terrible. I probably wouldn’t drink it again.

The grounds at the Andechs Monastery

The monastery I visited on this gorgeous day is located in a small town called Andechs, and sits atop a hill several miles from the neighboring town of Herrsching. Herrsching is the south-western terminus on the S8 suburban train line from Munich. Here is another view of the church:

Andechs church exterior

The interior was magnificently ornate:

Andechs church altar

For 1€, one can climb the church tower, which I did at a relaxed pace, having just hiked up the hill to the town itself. The tower does not have large windows, but there was a cool breeze at just the right interval, and the views at the top were worth the climb.

Ammersee from the top of the church tower

Ammersee is one of the numerous lakes in the region. This was the view of the lake from the tower. After eating, I hiked down toward the lake. I meandered along the shore back to Herrsching, where I barely missed the train to Munich. Good thing there are three per hour.

Monday is another public holiday, my second one so far. However, I will be working, along with part of the team. We want to finish an important part of our project before William, the other developer, leaves for vacation to China on Friday. We will receive an extra day of leave in exchange for working on the holiday.

I have set up my mobile phone with a German prepaid plan. The data part isn’t working yet, but I am working on getting that to work as well. I am also working on getting a local bank account, though this depends on some government bureaucracy, so it may take another week or two. I also need to start obtaining materials for the driver’s license test, and study them so I can get my German license. I’ve heard I need to do that within three months.

Right now, though, my priority is finding a place to live. Last week I had my first apartment viewing, for a potential place to live. I did not end up liking it, so at this point, I am still looking for a place. Lauren is helping me with that, so I am optimistic.

Church next to the office

My new job is quite demanding. I never would have imagined that I’d be productive on day two, but I was already getting stuff done on even the first day. Our CEO Helmut wants to get stuff done quickly, so I’m thrown in the deep end and expected to sink or swim. That leaves me with no downtime during work, and my evenings are spent fending for myself, trying to get all my affairs settled.

Without a car or bicycle, I’m left with walking around the city, searching for essentials like grocery stores, house goods, and other such mundane necessities which no one needs to think about when one is settled. The area around my office is a joy to stroll around. With temperatures in the 60s and 70s, and plenty of sunshine, I am fortunate that I don’t have to contend with the freezing temperatures and copious snowfall Munich receives in winter, during this time of transition.

There is a lovely path next to a river which flows parallel to the main road leading to the Pasing train station:

Walk between train station and office

The tracks coming from the station, which is roughly 200m to the left, pass above the river on the bridge in the photograph above. Most of the architecture I have seen around Munich so far is bland, other than the major buildings and churches. The homes and apartments look quite plain from the outside, compared to cities such as Vienna and Budapest. However, there are some pleasant surprises, such as this one, also from Pasing, the area where I work:

Stately home in Pasing

After work today, I scouted a laundromat in the area. It is 1.6km away on foot, which may explain why my predecessor in the office guest room just did his laundry in the sink here at the office. Or maybe he just wanted to save money.

Every day I try to get one essential settlement task done. Today, my goal is to research banking options and hopefully open an account on Friday, or early next week. Not tomorrow, because tomorrow is my first public holiday, and everything will be closed. I work three days, and I already have a day off.

Park and ride

I am looking forward to getting a bicycle. Munich is relatively flat, and it will make grocery shopping a lot easier. There are cyclists everywhere you look, on paths as well as on the roads, where drivers are courteous and pay attention to them.

Today, I depart my home in St Louis, Missouri, United States, to settle in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The last fortnight has been been a hustle of packing, moving, and goodbyes with friends and family.

My cubicle at my former job is cleaned out and ready to welcome its next vassal. No personal traces remain, other than the two portrait-oriented monitors I let stay turned.

I will arrive in Munich on Sunday morning, to be welcomed by the wife of one of my future coworkers, and I will be taken to my temporary guest room to get settled in. I start work the next day.

There are countless final, irrevocable crossroads. Even though I plan to visit the US at least yearly, I can scarcely imagine when I will see all of my wonderful friends again. Their lives will continue, just as mine, only now we will be separated by an ocean. I will miss my dear parents, brother, sisters-in-law, and mother- and father-in-law.

Most precious to me are the last days, hours, moments with my wife, until we see each other again in July. She will travel to Madrid, Spain in June, to do research for two weeks, then spend a month in Munich with me. I can’t wait!