Munich can also boast the largest city park in the world: Englischer Garten. I don’t know where they got the English thing from, because it doesn’t look like an English garden in the least. Instead, it is a lush park with forestlike areas alternated with big open lawns and smaller, cozy openings. And the beer gardens, of course.
Through all of this flows the Eisbach. At the spot where the underground river enters the park and flows into the open air, the constant wave that is created has turned out to be perfect for surfing. So there I was, walking through this city park in Munich, and was suddenly met on the path by a guy in a wet suit and a surf board under his arm. Such a wierd sight. I had to check it out. And sure, people were actually surfing. And it even seemed to be a pretty good place to practice. Not as exhilirating as the waves at the Robertsport beach in Liberia, but decent. The surfers in Munich, the city without an ocean coast, have been resourceful, indeed.
In another part of the park, the sun shining through the red leaves on the trees by the Japanese tea house made for a more romantic setting.
The big center lawn, with the Monopteros monument in the background. A perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon in the sun. Unfortunately for me, the sun was already about to drop behind the tree tops, which meant I had to start heading back to Max’ couch.
Max had lended me a bike, and through the Friday happy Munich night, with Verdi sounding from Ludwig strasse, I slowly rolled back toward the west. With the wind in my face and the movement in my body, I felt perfectly content. Munich had welcomed me with open arms.
Katja Malmborg 