Munich World Championships: Gummy Bears, Bratwurst and the Humility of the Half-Liter
We arrived in Munich on Sunday. The flight was okay; except for the 4-hour layover in Heathrow, which is a disaster area for some reason right now. Plus, there were protests about airport expansion going on and they were disrupting traffic on the tarmac. We had to wait in several lines and buses were slow and hot. Fortunately, I think most of us were able to find places to sleep in the Duty Free area. I did get to eat a full English breakfast, which is always good when traveling, or after a long night out.
We’re staying just north of the City Center and the hotel is nice. The beds are a bit small, but that is to be expected in Europe. The pillows here are enormous. There is only one and it is as wide as the bed and when properly fluffed is over a foot thick. The cleaning service is like a swat team. They show up three, sometimes four strong and within minutes of knocking, the room is spotless and they have disappeared down the hall. The food is great. I actually have to watch how much I eat. This is always a problem at worlds. The volume of work goes down and at the same time the amount of available, prepared food goes through the roof. It’s very hard not to eat too much. You have to be careful or else the system gets a little sluggish.
Anyway, one of the best things about coming to Europe, especially Germany or Switzerland, is the gummy candy. They have aisle after aisle with overwhelming options. Within hours of moving into the rooms and getting settled, someone has already found the local grocery store and returned with a bag full of candy. All the rooms here have bags, boxes, cartons and wrappers, full of licorice, gummies, candy bars, cookies, and wafers. Everyone has his or her own preference. Mine is licorice. They stuff you get over here is so much stronger than in the states and it’s not as sweet. Another good one is the Bueno bar by Kinder.
After going to culinary school, I have a much deeper appreciation of food culture. I think it’s the best way to enjoy a foreign place. Walk around any city looking for markets, specialty food shops, street vendors, and restaurants and you’re bound to meet interesting, lovely people who are very willing to talk to you about where they live. Munich is a perfect example and could be my new favorite place. Yesterday we had the afternoon off and so we headed downtown. We went to Marianplatz, which is the main square in the old city. As we came out of the subway, it was like any other European city: old buildings, and lots of tourists, souvenir shops and tons of pigeons. But, as we walked just around the corner we found exactly what I was looking for. There was a smaller, less open square, with produce stands, cheese shops, charcuterie shops, pickle stands, mushroom carts, a shop dedicated to wild game, and a few shops selling handmade crafts. It had a very local feel (I’ll forget to mention the Starbucks on the far side. I did go in, however, and it was filled with locals, and that made me feel better).
The heart of the whole square was the large beer garden in the center. Filled with all kinds of people - but mostly elderly Germans - sitting at communal tables and drinking liter mugs of beer pulled from a wooden barrel and eating bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard. We went directly there. The line was kind of long so I decided to wander around for a bit and check out the food. By the time I got back my teammates had their beers and found a table and were talking an older German couple and their friend. I got in line for my beer. I decided that because we are getting ready for a race in five days, I should go for the half liter, a decision that would test my manhood. I grab the mug and move a step forward. I’m standing between two locals, the guy in front of me is about 5’5” and he’s buying three liters and carrying them with one hand and counting his change with the other. The guy behind me is towering over me and standing very close. He’s holding six half liters. I put my one half liter mug on the counter and dig through my pocket for some Euros. The guy behind the counter gives me a strange look and the guy pouring the beer looks me up and down. I swear he was shaking his head. I pay and by this point I feel so small I have to carry my beer with two hands so I don’t spill it. I felt like a little kid with his sippy cup. I made my way back to our table and I realized that it’s a Wednesday afternoon at a Bavarian beer garden and even if I have to drink this beer with a lid and straw, it will still be one of the best I’ll ever have. So, I went and got a bratwurst with mustard.
Check out the World Rowing Championships, LIVE on WCSN.com. Coverage starts August 30 at 3:40 AM EST.