Munich Faschingsdienstag Walkabout 2009
OK. In the UK we have Pancake Day. It's something to do with religion, but to most people it's about pancakes. Over here, it's still something to do with religion, but it's also about Krapfen (doughnuts), oh, and gay men marching through the city centre.
I should mention that Munich is to Bavaria, what Brighton is to the Home Counties. The Glockenbachviertel (GBV) is an area of Munich where all the 'artistic' types live and congregate. It stretches for quite a few blocks around Sendlinger Tor and can be quite an experience to find yourself there, not knowing where you are... some of the shop windows are quite an eye-opener, let me tell you!)
Anyhoo, Faschingsdienstag. First off, we spent the morning eating our body weights in Krapfen, had lunch, then got the afternoon off to go see all the gay men dressed as women, parading through the town. Nobody actually warned me about all of this. Some of them look quite convincing until you notice the Adam's Apples...
What I didn't realise at the time was that, whatever the cause for celebration here, it results in people going out into the centre of town, eating loads of food and drinking as much beer as is inhumanly possible. Now, I don't say that like it's a bad thing. Munich is the beer capital of the world, after all, and I think it's only right that I do my bit...
I should mention that Munich is to Bavaria, what Brighton is to the Home Counties. The Glockenbachviertel (GBV) is an area of Munich where all the 'artistic' types live and congregate. It stretches for quite a few blocks around Sendlinger Tor and can be quite an experience to find yourself there, not knowing where you are... some of the shop windows are quite an eye-opener, let me tell you!)
Anyhoo, Faschingsdienstag. First off, we spent the morning eating our body weights in Krapfen, had lunch, then got the afternoon off to go see all the gay men dressed as women, parading through the town. Nobody actually warned me about all of this. Some of them look quite convincing until you notice the Adam's Apples...
What I didn't realise at the time was that, whatever the cause for celebration here, it results in people going out into the centre of town, eating loads of food and drinking as much beer as is inhumanly possible. Now, I don't say that like it's a bad thing. Munich is the beer capital of the world, after all, and I think it's only right that I do my bit...