Monday 17 May - Munich

I'm not sure whether to cry because it's coming to an end and I've had so may good times and have so many treasured memories of new friends and re-found family and friends - or to be happily anticipating seeing Zeb, Pete and Chel and my Shai again, and to talk to Brigit at length as well as Kim, Em and Kiara. I miss riding my scooter too - I hope it's all started and ready for me when I get home.

Arrived in Munich on a rainy and cold day to be met at the train station by Pants - one of the 3 times this trip that someone has met me at the end of a journey (the other 2 times was when Av and Ken met me in Colchester), and I'm surprised at how much it's appreciated. I'm also surprised at how much I really need a good hug and someone to lean on for a short time - so maybe it is good that I'm going home.

I've no regrets about having travelled alone again on this trip as there are possibly more advantages to it that the disadvantages previous shared trips have bought. But there have been times when I'd have loved to have had someone at the end of the day to sit quietly with and go back over the day. To share memories and impressions - and a meal. Eating alone is always the most unappealing part of these things.

Nice medium sized hotel in the area that has a lovely multicultural feel about it with all the Lebanese, Turkish and Vietnamese restaurants around. The hotel itself is a lovely piece of art deco and the room's lovely, with a normal sized bathroom and it's as clean as a whistle. The internet is dodgy as the routers aren't working other than on the ground floor. But that's ok, i've actually met a few nice people and chatted with a few.

Pants and I found a cafe and sat drinking coffee and chatting for a couple of hours (well I did a lot of the talking I think - sure sign it's been a while since I sat and talked to anyone) before heading back to the hotel for me to check in and for him to head home to do the regular Sunday thing for him. All the people I've met up with from my virtual worlds have been wonderful and a real life extension of the friendship I always felt in the virtual world.

This morning I decided I'd explore the city on foot, and if I found a hop-on hop-off I'd catch it. Also wanted to find the Hard Rock cafe that's here somewhere.

I've had enough of churches, but Munich has a fascinating diversity of architecture. Another city that had the crap bombed out of it in WW2 (bloody stupid men again who don't care how much of the human cultural heritage they trample on in their blind squabbling).

There's a central square here called Mariensplatz - and in the middle of it is the Rathaus - the local government seat. It's the most over-the top piece of pseudo-gothic froth you could imagine. It's really awful. Anyway - there's this glockenspiel in the front of it that plays music on the hour and the clockwork figures do a bit of a dance. When I first heard this early in the day, the cafe tables were full and people packed the square to watch. To my utter amazement, when it stopped a bunch of them clapped. They actually clapped a piece of machinery for doing its function. Must admit I had a chuckle.

Anyway, at one side of this square is a beautiful piece of Romanesque architecture in a small but fairy-tale like church. Completely outshines the Rathaus edifice.

Oh yeah. I finally managed to get my seat done and flight confirmed - what a drama that was. The airline office was closed regardless of the sign saying it was open hours. And the stupid phone card I have couldn't get the numbers sorted so I couldn't call - there's not an internet cafe in sight - and I walked for miles looking for one. So I headed back to the hotel and finally go it sorted. Sigh. Seat booked and even though the ash cloud is looming and not looking good, it seems the airport is flying tomorrow so long as you don't want to go to the UK or Ireland.

Headed back out to find the Hard Rock and after a long walk managed to do just that. In the process I wandered back to Odeonsplatz - the first place I went to on my first day in Munich at the start of the holiday. So it's a nice way to completely round off the trip. The pic here shows the banner on the gallery for the Maharajah Exhibition - the one Pants and I went to when I first arrived.

Did have to pick up a small bag on the way back to the hotel to put my overflow in for tomorrow and as I stepped out of the shop the most incredibly beautiful facade was in front of me across the street.

One thing I've noticed in particular on this trip in Europe particularly, is the light and colour that surrounds you in the towns and cities. The buildings aren't all that tall and are often either light shaded stone or wonderfully coloured plaster. As with every city I've ever visited whether it's in the US, the middle east, Asia or Australia each has it's own feel about it, and i can generally associate it with a colour or a texture. In Europe it's not been possible to do this association as there's a lovely natural quality about them.

I'm sure I'll have more impressions to pass on as I spend time going back over this blog and reliving memories and thinking about things, and going over the 700 or so pictures I've taken.

So it's packing the bag for the last time, and preparing to leave all this behind me - while taking so much with me.

The sun came out here in Munich this morning - first time I'd seen it in weeks. Lovely way to say farewell.