Munich: New Years Eve, and New Years

December 31, 2012 cont.:
Once we arrived back in Munich, we had dinner (at KFC, again, I believe!) and prepared ourselves to celebrate New Years Eve. We didn't really want to go out, because the idea of spending the night in an overcrowded bar or something didn't really appeal. We ended up hanging out together in the hostel and going out a bit later to Burger King to get a milkshake. By that time (around 10:30, maybe?), the whole city was in full celebration mode, what with drunk people playing with fireworks and what not. Over milkshakes we discussed New Year's Resolutions, and even though I think they are kind of stupid, at Tristan's insistence I resolved to be able to run a half marathon by June (lol, that's not going to happen. The whole running in the freezing cold didn't really stick) and also to finish the 100 push up program by the end of year (and let's be honest, this isn't going great either, but I'm working on it). Tristan resolved to be able to read All Quiet on the Western Front in German by the end of year.
We initially planned to walk around the town a bit after our milkshakes -- but the fireworks were kind of freaking one of us out (*cough* me *cough*) so we just went back to the hostel where we shared a beer (which we refrigerated by putting it on the windowsill!). Then we went down for the last count down before New Years which was televised in the hostel common room. If I thought there were too many drunk people playing with fireworks BEFORE it struck midnight, I certainly thought that something was going to catch on fire or someone would get hurt afterwards. It seemed like everyone had fireworks, and they were being set off all of the city. We poked our head's outside the door (which is pretty much as far as I was willing to go) and the streets were total anarchy. Tristan thought it was fun, so I let him go frolic in the street. And I may have been overreacting, but I DID see a firework blow up in a girl's face because it was the type that was supposed to launch and she didn't let go of it. Honestly, I was thrilled when it was all over. Thank God for Southern California's dry, flammable climate. I prefer fireworks to be in the hands of sober professionals.

January 1, 2013

The next day, we set out to explore Munich. For some reason, we started in the outskirts. Our first stop was the Olympic Stadium and BMW museum thing which ended up being a bit a failure because both were closed -- but it was still nice to see the buildings.

Next, we took the sBahn over to the soccer stadium: 

It also had a rather pretty view of the mountains in the distance, which this picture does not capture at all. 

We went back into the city and decided to go to the aforementioned Hofbrauhaus which is probably the most famous beer hall in Munich and probably the world (and everyone knows, Munich is all about beer). It's now a chain with restaurants in places as far flung as Las Vegas and we'd already been twice? in Berlin but that doesn't mean it isn't cool to go the original.It was opened there in 1569 and originally brewed it's beer for the Royal Residence.

One thing that is cool about this beer hall, is that they have women who carry around baskets of HUGE pretzels that you can buy to have with your beer. Nomnomnom. After spending quite sometime there, we walked across the plaza to go to Augstiener am Platzel, which is another beer hall where we shared yummy sausage with yummy mashed potatoes and I had a Radler (which is half beer, half lemon-lime soda, which sounds weird and possibly disgusting -- but is actually really yummy). 

This is where we ended our night because apparently drinking beer in the evening makes you really sleepy. It was a lot of fun. I guess you could say that we celebrated New Year's on New Year's Day.