Oct 15 -- Train to Munich

That open space next to the silver train
is where our train eventually appeared.

We got to try out two new subway systems with luggage today -- Vienna and Munich -- and survived, though the main Munich train station was more than a bit confusing. The Vienna and Munich hotels are both 5-10 minutes from a subway stop, so it didn't make much sense to spend 3 times as much (or more) on a taxi. We were so paranoid about the subway ride to the Vienna station that we actually arrived more than an hour early. The train station is attached to a huge mall, so Jim waited with the luggage for me to get him a hot chocolate, but I digressed and started to worry him. The hot chocolate, however, when it finally arrived 30 minutes later, had whipped cream on top with chocolate syrup for good measure. He forgave me.


The 4 hour train ride to Munich was uneventful, and we saw the same sort of Austrian landscape we had seen driving thru the middle of Austria (but further west) on our trip 12 years ago.

This part had no hills -- lots of agricultural land between the two cities.

Our Munich hotel also is a small apartment, only this one is on two levels and we have a private patio too. Too bad it started raining a couple hours after we got here! The one in Vienna was probably fewer square feet, but the single level had its advantages. We are in the middle of a predominantly residential community and fortunate to have a small grocery store right at the hotel. Breakfast at the hotel is ridiculously expensive -- nearly $20 per person -- so we bought supplies for 2 days of breakfast plus some snacks and two bottles of wine for the cost of 1 day of breakfast. Probably will have enough ham, cheese, and bread left over for sandwiches. Too bad we didn't bring along the butter and green pepper we left behind in Vienna.

The rain started coming down in earnest at dinner time, and after our Vienna rain experience, we decided to stay dry and ate at the Italian restaurant attached to the hotel. Very reasonably priced, tasty, and no sign at all of schnitzel! We are located about 3km from the car pickup location and had planned on walking across the Olympia Park in the morning instead of taking a cab, but rain is in the forecast and arriving like drowned rats is probably not such a hot idea. Let's hope it clears up!