Der Deutschland-Blog
7.23.09 – First Few Days in Germany
Well, we made it over the ocean finally. Going from St. Louis to Detroit, then Detroit to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Munich, Germany. It took about 17 hours from St. Louis to Munich all together. The flight over the ocean was very smooth and only took 8 hours.
After arriving to the hotel in Munich, we settled down and I went exploring around the town a bit. I did spend a little time enjoying the view from the hotel room though.
That night, we went to a place called the “Hofbrauhaus.” It is like a huge tavern were they serve huge mugs of beer and assorted german foods. I didnt eat anything but I managed to finish 3 mugs. I think 1 mug was 1 Litre?
After a long night of drinking at the Hofbrauhaus, I went to the hotel to find out more about the city and drink a little more. I ended up getting lost in the bathroom. You may ask how does on do this.. well, the hotel room used the keycard to turn on the lights, i forgot and started yelling “I hate this place!” I found the lights and fell asleep, luckily I did not have any kind of hangover the next morning. I guess thats what a lot of good beer will do to you.
The next day we went to BMW Welt in Munich to pick up our brand new 535i in Graphite Silver. The Building is massive, with multiple stories to accommodate not only guests, but VIP and people picking up their new vehicles. The facility is paired with the “Four Cylinder” building which is BMW’s Corporate office and the Munich plant which specializes in 3 series and 5 series models. We were also able to take a factory tour to see how our 5 series was made. After seeing one of BMW’s facilities, I am not surprised to see why BMW is considered one of the best companies in the world. The cars are made by about 95% machines while the workers are there to maintain them. The first room we entered at the beginning of the day was a lounge only accessible by new vehicle owners who were picking up their car (So you must spend at least $30,000 to be in this room). Food and drinks were on display accommodated by computers with internet and lounge chairs overlooking the inside of the BMW Welt. Food and drinks were immediately replenished as people ate and drank. It was a long day but well worth it. BMW has successfully created a once in a lifetime experience for not only new car buyers but the general public as well.
Later that night, we visited an area which is called the “Marienplatz.” This is a large shopping district with malls and restaurants. We go here during the day also in which I see more people on a tuesday shopping, than I do in USA during christmas. The economy is supposedly good right now as our dollar is about 60 – 70% of theirs. within the Marienplatz, the Glockenspiel towers over the main courtyard. The building itself almost looks fake due to the size and detail put into the architecture.
8.06.09 – Catching Up Over the Last Few Weeks
The last few weeks in Germany have been jam packed full of things. After doing some exploring through Munich, we left to our first destination of our journey. It is a small country-side area named Butzbach, the place where my Grandfather’s Sister lives with my Aunt and their family. One thing I was worried about after talking to the man sitting next to me on the plane was that I would not be able to find nice scenery. Gladly, after five minutes of being out of the Munich area, I was greeted by wildly green rolling hills, random villages and the inviting speed-less Autobahn. This is truly a beautiful country. My first experience on the Autobahn was good, I drove about 130mph for 20 minute increments at a time, only slowing for construction and nearby towns.