To begin exploring medieval Munich, head to the Altstadt, or “old city.” Here, three gates of the original town borders still stand: the Sendlinger Tor in the south, Isartor to the east, and Karlstor in the west. At the town center you’ll find Marienplatz, the Altstadt’s main square and home to the town hall, Rathaus. During the Middle Ages, this square hosted the town’s jousts, games, tournaments and executions. Today, you’ll enjoy live musicians, beer and street performers aplenty.
After hitting Marienplatz, head north to the Nationaltheater and former royal palace off Max-Joseph-Platz, where gothic churches and colorful architecture line the cobblestoned streets, eventually unfolding to the Platzl quarter. Known for its nightlife, consider eating dinner at the famous brewery/beer hall and restaurant, Hofbrauhaus. The Hofbrauhaus also hosts a music hall, with musicians and dancers performing in lederhosen. Be sure to enjoy some beer, brats and turkey legs, and definitely don’t skip out on dessert. You’ve got a long evening of walking and weaving in and out of nightclubs and street performers ahead of you. Remember, Munich is a great place for the single traveler.
If you can make it out of bed the next morning, head to the city’s busiest destinations and main streets, Maximilianstrasse, Kaufingerstrasse and Neuhauserstrasse, where high-end hotels and upscale shopping lead you to 19th century avenues, Ludwigstrasse and Brienner Strasse. Admire both neoclassical and neo-Romanesque architecture, and stroll over to Ludwigstrasse, an elegant avenue originally designed for King Ludwig I.
While other areas of interest include Lehel, Gasteig, Nympehburg, Schwabing, and Bogenhausen, we recommend making time to visit Olympiapark. Home to the 1972 Olympics, the stadium represents Germany’s second chance to host the Olympic Games. The country first hosted the Games in Berlin in 1936, under Hitler’s rule. The Germans were so eager to change their reputation from the 1936 games that they banned weapons from the Olympiapark in an effort to demonstrate their modern, democratic nation, leaving security vulnerable and open.
Tragically, in 1972, the Olympiapark (and Munich as well as Germany in general) became known for the terrorist attacks against Israeli Olympians, which killed 11 people. Americans are familiar with the historic events because of the movie Munich. But walking into the stadium highlighted the highest ideals of teamwork, unity and peace, so I still had to ask, how could something like this happen?
For more history and touring of the region, join us again on Friday as we head through the Bavarian Alps. We’ll learn more about King Ludwig II while visiting Lake Koenigsee and make a stop at the Eagle’s Nest, a chalet style retreat built for Adolph Hitler for his 50th birthday.
I debated whether to give in-the-middle-of-the-night plane crashes the time of day. Especially on Gal about the Globe, an informative online travel magazine that tries to stay upbeat and positive, despite the disastrous journeys that may arise out of our adventures. But however fantastical being a Gal about the Globe sounds, it occurred to me that safety is always an issue while traveling. So what’s the harm in addressing the Airbus’s recent catastrophic crashes? And more importantly, who and what is Airbus anyway?
Before answering that question, let me preface with a personal experience, a flashback. I flew on Lufthansa‘s fabulous first-class on one of the newest Airbuses during my April to May 2008 trip to Munich and Bavaria. But while enamored with the extra floor allocated to bathrooms alone, the horizontal capabilities of my sleeper-chair and Wolfgang Puck’s menu, I thought about the Titanic. Everyone said God himself couldn’t destruct such an intelligent piece of machinery. And, after landing back in the states, my cab driver, an immigrant with a jet obsession, mentioned that he not only saw my plane touch down, but since viewing the Airbus’s maiden voyage on the news, he’s stayed abreast of the jet’s technology. “If that plane goes down -- if something goes wrong -- you better have a Bible,” he said. “Those things fly themselves and ain’t no pilot gonna tell it what to do.”
Is this possible? I wondered, thinking of Terminator. Can these planes fly themselves and will they turn on us? Fast forward to June 2009. Air France regrets to announce that flight 447 (an A330-200), carrying 228 passengers from Rio de Janeiro to Paris was lost in the middle of the night. Just like that, the plane fell off the radar. As news sources announced the plane reported electrical problems, it now appears that “airspeed sensors were faulty … and the autopilot and auto-thrust system had disengaged,” an icing over of equipment likely caused by a tumultuous thunderstorm. Just one month later, on July 1, a Yemeni airliner, an Airbus 310-300 en route from Paris, crashed over the Indian Ocean during its final leg of the journey from Sana, Yemen to Moroni, Comoros—just 9 miles from the island.
This, among a string of smaller, similar Airbus wrecks has prompted me to ask, just who and what is Airbus anyway?
The company, based in Toulouse, France is owned by a European consortium, and calls itself a “leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line.” From a glance at the company’s web site, it has a few decades of innovation, a couple of “green-friendly” trend campaigns on the horizon and a nod to a sexy Paris Air Show. With a closer look we learn that it’s a company competing with Boeing, earning billions in commitments for new planes for more than 200 airline carriers.
However, the most important piece of information is that Airbus is known for innovating and heavily relying on the fly-by- wire technology; a technology that is not only computerized but also allows computers to take control of the aircraft when the aircraft is in trouble, as opposed to allowing a trained pilot to try to amend the trouble instead. And, while Airbus’s competitor, Boeing, only owns this technology on their newest aircrafts, they allow their pilots to take over and amend any trouble, if necessary.
But what is fly-by-wire technology?
According to my brother, Evan, an aircraft mechanic for L-3 Vertex Aerospace, the fly-by- wire technology is electronic. “Instead of a bunch of heavy cables mechanically sending signals to the rest of the plane (like on most Boeings), lighter wires send electronic signals instead, making the flight computerized, and saving weight on the plane.” While newer Boeing planes are beginning to utilize the fly-by-wire technology, many of its planes still use hydraulic and mechanical devices to send signals through the cables, eventually carrying out commands to the rest of the plane.
Evan also explains that the fly-by-wire technology is not only lighter and innovative, but it is very safe, as it uses multiple channels that can send signals throughout the plane, in the event that something does go wrong, and one channel is dysfunctional. Additionally, when the plane experiences turbulence, the fly-by-wire typically measures the turbulence and tells the plane how to straighten out, perhaps speeding up, slowing down, etc.
However, since Airbuses are electronic and computerized, if one piece of equipment experiences difficulties — like the speedometer icing over on the Air France flight mentioned above — it’s possible for the rest of the electronic equipment to receive inaccurate information, leading to a domino effect, creating endless possible issues. Perhaps it is also noteworthy to mention that the fly-by-wire technology has only been used on commercial planes since 1988.
I'll try to simplify: What happens when your BlackBerry is in an area where it has to search for the Internet or a signal too much? The battery dies, right? Or, even simpler, what happens when you can’t get an internet signal? Suddenly you can’t get e-mails, phone calls, or even the GPS system you downloaded to get to your next destination.
While ultimately, our BlackBerries do not fly planes, the Airbus and its fly-by-wire technology gives us something to think about. Should we be worried the next time we fly over the Atlantic or the Pacific? Should we make sure our plane is a Boeing instead of an Airbus as we learned that at least pilots can disengage the fly-by-wire during crisis? Or would you trust the computers to fly the plane instead?
Regardless of what we decide, perhaps we should accept that in the end, if it comes down to it, my cab driver’s advice is probably more accurate than my pilot’s training or a computer’s advanced technology. “If that plane goes down -- if something goes wrong -- you better have a Bible.”
Located in southeastern Germany, Munich is the capital of Bavaria, and one of Germany’s cultural treasures. Nestled just above the Bavarian Alps, Munich’s folklore, historic center, art and city-savvy lifestyle attract Germans nationwide, as well as ex-patriots. So don’t be surprised when you find a great mix of people, as opposed to just the average Bavarian living in the city. In fact, when heading to Munich, you’ll want to leave the kids at home, as Munich’s nightlife accommodates the single working-professional.
To get a good idea of Munich, you’ll need a bit of a history lesson first. The city stands after two world wars, with an Italian influence, as Italy and Germany were once allies. Italian restaurants, language and cars may fool you into believing you’re in Italy. But alas, once you notice how clean the streets are and see the locals working for a living; you’ll remember where you are. Especially since Germans are just as proud of their own products and cars. BMW –that’s Bavarian Motorwerks—(or Bayern in Bavarian), as well as Mercedes-Benz and Rolls Royce are based in Munich, with other manufacturers like Volkswagen located just to the north.
When Munich’s citizens aren’t busy buying or building cars, they’re at a Biergarten or a soccer stadium, cheering on Germany’s best team at the new Allianz Stadium, FC Bayern Munchen. It is important to note that the team also follows suit with Munich’s mix of culture, as players have included Danes, Belgians, Swedes and Prussians—perhaps conceding with Munich’s tradition to keep Bavarians in Munich a minority.
Join us on Wednesday as we stroll through medieval Munich, eat some bratwurst at a favorite Biergarten, and tour Olympiapark Munchen— where the 1972 Olympic games where held. Friday, we’ll head to the Bavarian Alps, with a tour through Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, Lake Koenigsee and more!
By Jamie Smith In Spain, all roads lead to Madrid. Well, at least all the major rail lines do. If you plan to be in Madrid for several days, consider taking advantage of its centrality and plan a day trip to one of Spain’s other beautiful cities. Several cities, including Barcelona and Seville, are served by a high-speed train which cuts travel time nearly in half. Moreover, even the trains which aren’t technically high-speed run at an accelerated rate because they travel on the same super efficient rails.
It’s easy to get to Madrid’s train stations, as all are served by the Metro system. You can buy your tickets at the train station and several dealers throughout the city, though it’s most convenient to purchase them online and print them yourself. You can not only see timetables and maps in English, but purchase tickets through an English language interface as well.
One final tip: there are often great last minute deals, but unfortunately that portion of the site is only in Spanish. Seats can be discounted by as much as 50% in the last 24 hours before the trip, so be sure to check there if you’re traveling on a whim.
For more of Jamie's adventures, follow her blog, Shame on Seamus.
