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After Javid left for home, I was on my own again. From Berlin, I ended up heading south through eastern Germany, ending up in Munich. Although winter was fast approaching, I enjoyed Germany’s sights and cuisine, especially all the variations of bratwurst. Next time, I want to return to check out the western parts of Germany (when the weather’s warmer).
Places
Berlin
October 7, 2010 – October 13, 2010
After Javid left Berlin, I mostly rested from the whirlwind touring we had just done. I also researched potential places to visit (in Germany and in neighboring countries), and made some tentative plans. I ate a lot of currywurst and got my first real exposure to that ubiquitous meal, the Turkish döner kebabı.
Potsdam
October 10, 2010
Potsdam was an easy day trip from Berlin by train. I mainly visited Sanssouci Park, site of several palaces from back in the day. I went through Neues Palais, my first real exposure to the rococo style. The park grounds were beautiful with autumn colors, and it was large enough that I decided to skip Schloss Sanssouci and the Orangerie, although I did visit the Bildergalerie and the Chinesisches Haus (Chinese teahouse).
Erfurt
October 13, 2010 – October 14, 2010
I arrived in Erfurt without having secured lodging, so I was a bit nervous. Luckily, the second place I checked had a dorm bed available. That out of the way, I took the rest of the day and wandered around town, visiting the main sights, like Mariendom (the cathedral), the neighboring Severikirche, and the nearby Citadel. A quick walk through Old Town took me to Fischmarkt, the Rathaus, Krämerbrücke, and the Anger. Germany has really interesting place names! 
Eisenach
October 14, 2010
I visited Eisenach as a day trip, ultimately on the way to Weimar. (At the time, I hadn’t known if I was going to end up in Weimar, back in Erfurt, or even in Eisenach.) I left my backpack in a coin locker at the train station, and walked through the hilly mansion district up to the Wartburg, a medieval hill-top castle. After self-exploring the public parts of the grounds, I joined a German tour to see the main castle’s interior, which was astonishing in some parts. I made it back into the Old Town in the late afternoon, visiting St. George’s church and stopping off at the Bach House museum, which was about to close for the evening. I looked for lodging in town, but the options were more expensive than I liked, so I moved on to Weimar.
Weimar
October 14, 2010 – October 17, 2010
Although Weimar was a last-minute choice, I ended up thoroughly enjoying my visit. I spent a few leisurely days exploring the town, seeing the sights, and snacking on the local Thüringer röstbrastwurst. Although the Listzhaus museum was closed for renovation, I visited many other attractions, including the Schiller museum, the Bauhaus museum, the Schloss museum, the Anna Amalia/Widow house, the Neue Museum, the Goethe summer house (in a pleasant park), and an underground network of tunnels. Many of these were covered by a single 24-hour, discounted combination ticket (rare for me to purchase and use). I also visited the Goethe Nationalmuseum, and the Bauhaus Weimar university campus. All in all, a pleasant stay.
Bamberg
October 17, 2010 – October 19, 2010
Bamberg was a bit of an eye-opener, but in an unexpected way. I kept running into hostels full of young Germans – they were university students looking/waiting for a flat. Sometimes, the search might take months.
The skin on my feet cracked when I insisted on wearing sandals in the cold, dry air. That wasn’t fun. I continued my recent practice of walking through town on the night I arrived, taking in the Dom and other architectural sights. I enjoyed the local rauchbier (smoked beer).
The next day, I repeated my walk, this time visiting the interiors of exteriors I had passed. I visited Martinskirche, Grünermarkt, Jakobskirche, Michaelskirche, Domkirche, Neue Residenz Rose Garden and the Neue Residenz interior group tour (which was in German, though I was given a laminated guide to follow along in English), and the Alte Rathaus. That’s four churches, one market, a palace, and the old city hall.
Nuremberg / Nürnberg
October 19, 2010
I stopped off at Nuremberg on the way to Munich. I’d bought a regional Bayern (Bavarian) ticket that let me hop off at Nuremberg and then hop back on later. The weather was poor, but I still enjoyed my visits to Lorenzkirche and the Kaiserburg. I also made sure to gorge on the famous Nuremberger sausages (tiny compared to their würstl cousins), and also bought a pack of tasty Lebkuchen (like gingerbread) cookies.
Munich / München
October 19, 2010 – October 31, 2010
I did a lot of resting, research, and waiting in Munich. I kept putting off doing things due to weather (waiting for the pending “good weather”). I often ate at the local Augustiner Braü, a rowdy place with Bavarian heartiness, trying the different dishes on offer. I started drinking the Radler (half beer, half lemonade) to cut down on the amount of beer I was drinking, but also because I liked the taste. However, I got a German tax attorney (in town for a conference) drunk at Donisl (we were seated at the same table) when we engaged in several bouts of drinking. I myself was hung over the next day.
I visited Marianplatz and its Glockenspiel a few times, the Residenz and its garden, the city park, Frauenkirche, Viktualienmarkt (a standing farmer’s market, with lots of good würstl and pork products), the vast Schloss Nymphenburg on the outskirts, the Olympic grounds, the BMW center (I skipped the factory tour and museum, feeling sad about the weak dollar), St. Paul’s church, the Schatzkammer (treasury). I also wandered around the university area and the arch. I also watched sunset, with the Bavarian Alps visible in the distance (it was a remarkably clear day), from atop a church tower. On the Sunday I left, some museums were only €1 each, so I visited both the Alte Pinothek and Neue Pinothek.
I stayed at a couple of hostels. A crazy German guy who had run away from his caretaker latched onto me at the second hostel. I helped him out, but decided I’d had enough of helping him shop for clothes, buy food, and listening to his ramblings. I finally shook him when I made a day trip to the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein castle. That day-trip to Füssen was fun, though I hiked off the trail a bit while up in the hills, which was pretty foolish. I skipped Dachau, expecting I would be depressed by the concentration camp.
Next, Austria!
