Munich, Germany
48° 9' N 11° 34' E
Jul 30, 2009 23:59
Distance 503km

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A week with the Heilmanns

It's been 12 years since I left Munich in the summer of 1997, after a year of study and work experience.  At that time, my host family consisted of Elke and Joerg Heilmann and their two daughters, Sybille and Nadia.  The family has grown considerably with six new family members... all male!  Both girls are married now and have two sons each, Lucas (6), Dominic (4), Timo (3) and Ingo (1).  I spent most of the week catching up with all of them, as so much has happened in the time we've been apart.  Still feels like hardly any time has passed though... Strange how that works.

Since the Heilmanns live in Pasing, a suburb of Munich, I mostly hung out there. Spent the days shopping with Elke, sun bathing, reading and enjoying meals either out in their lovely back yard or at the local Biergarten (with beer and Brezen aplenty!)  The weather was hot and sunny most days and Nadia came over a couple times with the older boys to play in the little kiddy pool they had set up, especially for grandkid visits.  Once we had the whole clan over for a Sunday afternoon grill party (loads of good food and beer and a hilarious time with all the boys). Another afternoon, Elke and I drove to Sybille's, about an hour away in Fürstenfeldbruck, for afternoon cake and coffee, stopping on the way to check out the gorgeous Baroque church there. (see info on it below)

Busy as I was in the 'burbs, I only went into the city twice... once to watch a German indy film called "Alle Anderen" (which I highly recommend) and then again the next day to meet my friend, Maxie (who I got to know while on a camping tour of Fraser Island, Australia nine years ago!) and get in a good walk around the city center.  Maxie only had a couple hours to spend before heading to an afternoon recording session (her band, Mexican Elvis, is cutting an album), so we hung out at a cafe for about an hour then walked alongside the Isar River for a bit. 

It was great to be back in Munich, which is as hopping as ever.  Marienplatz with its gorgeous Rathaus (city hall) building, the Viktualienmarkt open-air market selling everything edible you could imagine, the Englischer Garten with its mass of sun worshipping Bavarians (both clothed and non), strolling along its paths and splashing in its streams and the massive Biergarten at the base of the Chinesches Turm (Chinese Tower) - where I just had to stop and enjoy a beer and Brezen (big, doughy pretzel) and soak up the sounds of the brass band.  And, of course, the famous Hofbräuhaus with its many, colorfully painted halls filled with laughter and flowing beer... Yes, I reaquainted myself with this wonderful city, saw a ton and walked a few miles.  Had a splendid time, but it was definitely nice to head back to Heilmanns' at the end of the day.

Joerg was gone for work most of the week, but returned Thursday evening on my last night there and the three of us enjoyed after dinner cocktails (Joerg's secret mix - but I do know it had cranberry juice and a bunch of alcohol!) and a game of darts in their cellar bar downstairs.  What a great way to end a perfect week in Munich!

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Fürstenfeldbruck

  Pipedreams Euro-Tour 2006

West of Munich, the city of Fürstenfeldbruck (with a present-day population of 35,494) originated as the old bridge village, Bruck, which served as a mid-12th century customs station on the so-called “salt street” from Munich to Augsburg. In medieval times the region was a clerical state ruled by the Cistercian abbey of Fürstenfeld, which was founded in 1263. When the clerical states of Germany were dissolved in 1803, the territory was annexed by Bavaria. On October 1, 1935, Fürstenfeldbruck became a city and today is the European management center for the American firm National Semiconductor, also home to a Coca-Cola bottling plant and an air force base (site of the tragic ‘Munich Massacre’ during the 1972 Summer Olympics). The monastery of Fürstenfeld, a masterpiece of Bavarian baroque architecture and one of Bavaria’s most magnificent churches, achieved it’s present form in the 18th century. Under the patronage of the House of Wittelsbach, architect Antonio Viscardi and the Asam brothers (painters) oversaw a total transformation of the older monastery structures. The interior decoration, with ornate paintings covering nearly every square inch, is truly remarkable.

The Fürstenfeldbruck organ is considered the best preserved Baroque organ in the Altbayern region. Built in 1736 by Johann Georg Fux (1670-1738) from Donauworth, this instrument was restored in 1977/78 by Hubert Sandtner from Dillingen/Donau.

  Pipedreams Euro-Tour 2006

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