On the third day of Christmas markets...

...my true love gave to me, three guys named Sven...

Ok, I really didn't meet three guys named Sven but everyone has been extremely helpful. Last night I forgot to mention we hopped on a train and a really nice guy and his dog (we'll say his name was Sven) told us we were on a train that had ended. Well, when we went back to look at the train board again it was pretty clear what the German words meant now "zug endet hier". Good thing he told us to get off because as it pulled away empty, at least in my mind, I had a brief vision of a night spent in a cold dark train yard somewhere - with German hobos all sipping gluhwien.  :)

Guy fell asleep before me last night, but apparently he was up long before I was. Finally at 9 he told me he was starving so he got up to get ready. He scouted out the restaurant downstairs and we went down to eat about 10:30. Buffet or order off the menu.....it apparently didn't matter....it was 22 euros each.  Breakfast at the Sheraton is a one and done. It was good, but I can't eat $25+ in breakfast food. At least our bellies were completely full for our big adventure to the Christmas Market (Christkindlmarkt) at Marienplatz aka St. Mary's Plaza.

This market (according to the Internet...so we know it is true) is the "Original" and oldest Christmas market in the city. The origins date back to the so-called "Nicholaus Markets" of the 14th century. So excited about our day we bundled up and headed down to the train. (We are still working on getting the trains down, but we got there with no issues or wrong trains. Even if we did hop a wrong train, it wouldn't be a problem to hop off and go back the other way.  They run every few minutes and seems to be an incredibly efficient way to travel about the city even tho I am not a fan of subways). As we surfaced, it already smelled of gluhwein. Seems like there was someone selling gluhwein about every 5th shop and it looked like they were in competition for who had the best mug (which you can keep if you'd like...or return it for a refund of your deposit). For me today...just smelling it was all that was necessary, but it did smell quite lovely.

I separated from Guy and we used a gold monument in the middle of the Plaza as our meeting spot. I needed time to shop at my leisure and check out what I thought I might like to purchase later. Something this exciting takes time, even for the professional shopper, to soak it all in. I made it around the shops, and though the crowds were big, it was NOTHING like last night. I'm still recuperating from that one. The shops were all decorated a bit different and they were selling anything from ornaments and Christmas trinkets to homemade goodies and beverages of all kinds. (So far the only Christmas song I've heard was Bing Crosby in the nearby Starbucks). As I met back up with Guy he pointed me to a neat little glass shop that had beautiful ornaments. Can I get them home without breaking?  hmm.....gonna think on it.

We chatted briefly with the Hop on Hop off bus gal and got the low-down on the city tours on the bus. We actually enjoy them as they are informative and it gives us a chance to see more things around the city than we would see on foot. Since we are only here a few days it seemed like a good option and we are planning on it tomorrow or Tuesday depending on weather. We thanked her for the info and asked her for directions to the Hofbrauhaus, the enormous beer hall that is famous for being the location of Hitler's first big speech. The Hofbrauhaus was originally built in 1587 and the public was not admitted until 1828. In the bombings of WWII, everything but the ground floor was destroyed. Although considered to be "commercialized" it is popular to both locals and tourists. They have all kinds of Bavarian dishes and during regular hours they play traditional Bavarian music. (thanks wiki) We started to eat lunch there, but just weren't quite hungry enough. We did take lots of pictures and recorded the music being played. It was beautiful inside and a really interesting experience.

We headed back to the markets and Guy found a spot to warm up while I made a few purchases. When I met up with him he was standing at the bottom of the stairs of this huge gorgeous restaurant called Ratskeller. No restaurant that starts with "rat" is probably a good idea, but in this case we opted to check it out. I can't really explain it except it reminded me of Patti's restaurant where there were all these little nooks and spaces that were all part of the same building but looked completely different. I almost got lost going to the ladies room but did find my way back. As we sat at our fabulously unique table we were given English menus that had photos. Those always look cheezy, but are really helpful. I took a picture of the menu and of my food and it was pretty much on the money. The food was traditional and delicious and it was a good opportunity for a break. There are several photos of the restaurant in the blog today. It was pretty spectacular. I went to the website to get some information on its history but the English translated site was just the menu. I'll have to check it out further as it seemed like it used to be part of a cathedral.

So feeling a bit tired from lack sleep, Guy opted for a quick nap and I thought I'd get started on the blog. It is just after 6pm and we are not sure of the plans for tonight. I'd like to go back to the market from last night, but I'm wondering if Monday night would be our best bet for fewer people as I can't do a repeat of last night. :) I must be a Christmas market sissy, but I can't do another evening of being a sardine - Germ invasion #60,000.... Have I mentioned yet the booths at the markets do not take credit cards? Oy. Hate to let go of our cash as we assumed they'd take plastic...note to self...never assume.

So stay tuned for more market blogging tonight...or it might be movie night in the room. The jury is still out. :)

Yep, we decided to brave the same market we tackled last night just outside the Theresienwiese station. Sunday night was much better!! We could actually see stuff this time. We bought some rosemary potatoes with sour cream sauce, deep fried apple slices and perused the shops. There were a few fun items we may go back for and since it is so close to our hotel we can go back anytime.  Still the no credit card thing is a bummer. :) We were only there for about 1 1/2 hours but got what we went for and a good time.  Again today it is a misty fog and no sun at all. Tomorrow looks to be foggy but no mist. :) We will probably do the hop on hop off bus to see the highlights tomorrow just in case there is something we want to go back to on Tuesday. Apparently there is a Christmas market at the English Garden, so I'm ready to take in another opportunity to smell gluhwein all day in GLORIOUS Munich!  On a side note before I forget, for anyone wanting to visit the Christmas markets in Munich, the Sheraton we are staying at is perfectly located over a subway stop. So traveling around the city is a snap! Especially on cold wet days! Highly recommened - and the staff is really nice!