The Munich Years

In 1969 I moved to Munich, Germany, with my parents and younger brother for the first time. We lived in two different apartments before we moved to a house in the suburbs. A few years later we moved back to Long Island, New York, where we stayed less than a year (I was in 5th grade at the time) and then moved back to Munich again. In total we were there nearly 10 years.

I attended a U.S. Department of Defense school (elementary, junior high and high school) in an area of Munich known as Perlacher Forst. School was a configuration of buildings set in the middle of the housing complex for those serving in the Armed Forces. It was its own village with a movie theater, a post-exchange (PX) shopping center and a hospital.

Public transportation (notably the S-bahn) was a quick walk from school which enabled me when I was in high school to cut school when necessary or in most cases get to work quickly.

By the time I was 16, I was already working weekends at a Baskin-Robbins across from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. I remember mainly dealing with drunk Americans who bizarrely wanted something sweet (that would be ice cream I guess) after they had consumed massive amounts of beer. Isn’t that a cute picture of me looking so focused when scooping ice cream? I love the fact that my “blouse” matches the signage!

After that job, I landed a job at McDonald’s right near the Karlstor. After a brief stint on the french fry machine, it was decided for me that I would be better as a cashier. I worked there every single weekend for nearly 2 years. If you look at the tower on the right side of the photograph, McDonald’s was originally on the other side of the “Tor.”

And yes, the rainy gray day pictured here was typical of Munich weather! It was nearly always cloudy with a 99% percent chance of rain and 100% gray skies guaranteed. My fondest memories of Munich though was all the walking I did daily (before counting steps on an app was the thing!). Plus, I loved the fact that I was surrounded by amazing art and architecture.

I know this is the famous “tourist” shot of Munich’s Rathaus (City Hall) but look it’s sunny and it is in fact a pretty building.

On Saturday mornings, I loved to walk through the center of town, do some shopping, and visit the Viktualienmarkt. I think to this day that’s the reason I love farmer’s markets so much! Look at these gorgeous vegetables and flowers!

Here’s a picture of the last two houses we lived in (we literally moved around the corner) before I left Munich to attend Syracuse University in 1979.

I have been back to Munich a few times since then, the last time for my 35th high school reunion. When I visited the last house we lived in (pictured above), it looked kind of run down. Each time I visit Munich is bittersweet and filled with too many memories.

The tennis courts where I had a few lessons and played with some of my Dad’s co-workers (he worked across the street at Radio Free Europe) are still there.

And the surf boarders are still “surfing” the waves on the the Isar River in the center of Munich. I think this didn’t come about though until after I left Munich since I spent a lot of time at the Haus Der Kunst (right next to where this “surfing” is happening) and I would have remembered that.

When visiting Munich, there’s always the desire to grab a bite to eat at the places we always ate in but the “foodie” in me always wants to try something new. Here’s a surprise: I don’t particularly like German food that much. Yes, schnitzel is okay (ditto for beer and a pretzel) and you could give me a bowl of “Leberknödel suppe” (liver dumpling soup) anytime. I know that probably sounds really disgusting but trust me, it’s really good!

But truthfully, I’d rather have a nice piece of fish with an “apfel strudel” chaser.

Speaking of dessert, specifically pastries, even though I’m not a big sweets person (and my Instagram followers know that while I can bake, I find it tedious), I will always stop and take a picture of a bakery counter in any country. Look at these delicious yummy treats!

A few times growing up my mother Irene and I would go to the ballet or the opera, the Opera House in Munich being an exceptionally grand building in which to see such performances. We would dress up and during intermission walk the mirror-lined hallways that always reminded me of Versailles. When I was younger, my preferred intermission “refreshment” was a bowl of vanilla ice cream that had warm berries spooned on top. Once I got older I would have a glass of champagne AND the same warm berry and cold ice cream treat.

Recently at the cheese festival in Little Falls, NY, I ran into Lynne who runs farmerstreetpantry.com . I met her last year and was intrigued by what she was selling – homemade mincemeat! Since my parents are the only ones I know who would make a traditional mincemeat pie for Thanksgiving in addition to the usual apple and pumpkin, I thought her product would hit the spot. (It did.)

This year in addition to the mincemeat, she had added some salad dressings, apple sauce and spiced cherries to her product line. Spiced cherries! Made with maple syrup and red wine? YUMMY.

I was impressed but I also had to tell her my berries on ice cream opera story. Ironically she said she remembered me from last year because I had told her a similar (unrelated to cherries) food memory. (She probably thinks I’m a nut, but whatever.)

I’m always happy when traveling to see this simple dessert appear on a menu and to this day it remains one of my favorite after dinner treats.

These days my visits to Munich are every five years (if I’m lucky) but more often a decade will go by before I return “home.” Travel has always been the “magic pill” that truly excites me. For that I’m extremely thankful. It’s probably also the reason why I love to write about food and travel so much. So for now that’s a little bit of history about my life in Munich.

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.