Evening of December 22nd

Well after walking all over and admiring Munich's Christmas extravaganza, we were tired and headed back to our hostel to rest for a bit. Slept for a couple hours and woke around 7pm to get some dinner and maybe a beer or two. We are in Germany after all....

I had set my heart on the famous Hofbrauhaus, so we set off looking for it.

Ya know, for as large a place it is supposed to be (occupancy 2000-persons I believe), we had a hell of a time finding the wretched place. It brought me back to the days of old when Ben and I made a habit of getting lost everywhere we went in Europe. I'm sorry Ben, I now have a new "getting lost" companion. Although, she isn't quite the navigator that you are.

We eventually found the gigantic beerhall and settled in to a picnic-table with another couple. Lisa got confused and ordered some strange wheat-beer and lemonade concoction, it was foul and she was sad. I ordered a traditional helles and enjoyed it thoroughly. An order of Regensburg sausage for Lisa and a bread assortment for me, we were pretty full by the time we were finished. Drinking an entire litre of any kind of beer can become a chore once you eat an entire dinner, it really is A LOT of liquid..
Lisa had given upon her weird beer concoction and ordered a normal Hefeweissen by then, she enjoyed that a lot more and guzzled most of it down pretty quickly. She can certainly be a boozer at times..

The atmosphere of beer halls is something that I think was designed with my Father in mind. It is a social setting where one is SUPPOSED to sit at tables with complete strangers and strike up conversations. You meet people from everywhere, and the upbeat tunes of the band definitely adds to it. People sing whilst swaying their beers back and forth, they chant, they clap, and they pound on the tables. Those with a few too many in their bellies messily toaste their glasses together and laugh. Beer halls are a place to forget one's troubles and meet new friends, as well as enjoy the friends and family you already have. It is certainly something that the USA should get on board with. It's fun. My papa would love it.

We paid our tab and left the monstrous Hofbrauhaus. The city streets were quieting down a bit, and the weather was still beautiful. Made our way back to our hostel and decided to write about our evening.

It isn't too incredibly late at the moment, but we are tired. Tomorrow we head into the land and city where I think I left a piece of my heart 3 years ago. Salzburg, Austria.
The other half of my heart that I didn't leave there, I believe I would like to bury it there when I die.

It is a beautiful city where the Alps stare down at you and remind you of how small you are, and what a beautiful creative imagination our God has. Endless fields, trees, and history.

It wont have the grass-covered fields that I saw once before, but I still can't wait for Lisa to see it and know where we will retire one day. Might as well start warming her up to the idea now.


Will write more tomorrow or the next day.


- P