Day 12, Saturday, September 22, 2018

Itinerary: Vienna to Melk to Berg to Munich to Berg

Time awake: 8:10

Odometer (in kilometers/miles) at start: 12092/7514 (= 9/21 + 242km from Budapest to Vienna)

Weather: Warm & sunny

Steps: 11006

Asleep: 2:00 AM

Map Link(s):

Video Link(s): The scene inside Hofbrauhaus

It had rained long and hard the night before, but by the time we awoke it was just gray outside. I went out on the balcony to look around. There wasn’t much to see since it stood over the courtyard, and not a particularly nice courtyard, but the room did come with balcony. It didn’t, however, come with breakfast. So after showering, we checked out and moved on.

I had given some thought while planning the trip to stopping at Schönbrunn Palace on the outskirts of Vienna, but in the end we didn’t visit what by all accounts is a grand and stunning place. Maybe next time if there ever is one. So our first stop was the town of Melk a little over an hour from Vienna. Melk is famous for being the home of Melk Abbey, but as we would soon find out, it’s a darling town unto itself with some excellent shopping, of which we would avail ourselves.

The first order of business, as always, was to ditch the car. We found a remote parking lot between a canal and Pionierstraße in the shadow of the abbey’s high walls, but for whatever reason, we chose not to park there. Instead we drove the short distance into town and found an ideal spot on the street. We put a euro in the meter for a couple of hours, and found that it allowed us a couple of days (apparently there was no charge to park on the weekend). We were now ready to get a bite to eat and then explore the town. We passed by a few shops, one displaying a snazzy, light mauve, woman’s jacket. Up the street we spotted the Madar Café, which looked to be an enticing place to dine, despite the fact that there were no other diners inside. We had coffee, soup, and dumplings. Everything was delightful. And as is wont to happen once we settle into a deserted bar or restaurant, the place soon began filling up.

After we finished our meal about noontime, Sharon decided to buy the light mauve jacket. At the next to it, I spotted and bought a baseball cap emblazoned with “Austria” and a heraldic type design. (Ultimately, Travis selected this one from my collection, so it became his, while Eric opted for the one from Budapest.) Then we headed up toward the abbey. At the time, I knew nothing about Melk Abbey other than it was highly recommended as something to see in Austria. A little research reveals that continually since 1089 it’s been the home and business address for Benedictine monks, who apparently in addition to praying and working in pastoral care and education, also partake in a lively tourist trade. Not that the place was mobbed, but there were many people on hand. And it was easy to see why—the grounds and abbey are stunning, with lush gardens and landscapes, a view of the Danube down below, and a notable art collection. It cost to see the art, so we passed up the chance, but had fun hiking around the grounds and seeing those parts of the abbey open to the non-paying public.

Now it was time for a beer. So we strode back to town and right across the street from our car found the perfect establishment to fulfill that end—the Hotel Restaurant Zur Post. We bought a couple of cold drafts inside and drank them on the front patio outside. It was a beautiful day, and our Austrian brews tasted great.

At about 2:15 PM we got in the car and resumed the drive to the Hotel Schloss Berg, where we had reservations for the next two nights. The ride was uneventful most of the way—we stopped briefly for gas outside of Salzburg and one latte outside Bergen. Things got livelier navigating around Munich and then took a scenic turn as we neared the Hotel Schloss Berg outside the tiny town of Berg on the eastern shore of Starnberger See. We checked into the hotel about 6:30 PM, and after finally managing to open the door to our suite with a key that had a mind of its own. (Or was it the door lock that had a mind of its own? In any event it took a safe-cracker to get it.) Once inside, we were overwhelmed by how splendid our accommodations were and how breathtaking the view—windows ran along most of far wall and looked out upon Starnberger See just 25 feet or so away. Amazing.

We briefly wallowed in the comfort of our room, sitting on the sofa looking out at the lake, and then briefly toured the hotel, which was one of two on the grounds, the other being set back and more of a typical hotel. Ours was like a chalet, and included a restaurant, bar, outdoor decking, all on the ground floor. As I’ve tried to convey, everything about the place, most of all our room, was incredibly nice. But as nice as it was, we had come for Oktoberfest, so about an hour after our arrival, we set off to find it. If possible, we would have preferred to get there by train. So we drove to the town of Starnberg, about ten minutes away along the northern point of the lake, and tried to figure out the train schedule and parking. We probably could have figured out the trains, but we never did get a clear sense of where we could park. So after looking around the town for a few minutes, a town in which I had considered booking our lodging, we decided to drive into Munich and look for the festival.

After arriving in downtown Munich, our bearings got all mixed up. I seem to recall that we switched drivers at some point, although I’m not sure of that. Sharon recalls driving all the way, and she’s probably right. At any rate, we never did find Oktoberfest, at least not on this night. What we did find, however, was the famed Hofbrauhaus, where it’s almost like Oktoberfest every day. I believe we visited the establishment during our 1989 stay in Munich, although our go-to beerhall then was the now defunct Mathäser Bierstadt. We parked in the underground garage next door and proceeded to the Hofbrauhaus. The joint was jumping. We found an empty table and ordered sauerbraten and a liter of Hofbrau beer. So good. Then we walked around the hall a bit (did I mention it was jumping?) before heading across the street to the Augustiner am Platzl. The Austustiner is more of bar than a beer hall. It had a cozy feel, and it too was packed, but we found a table and ordered a couple of drafts. After the Augustiner, we walked around the area, trying to see if we recognized any of the sites from our visit 29 years ago. Strangely, it all seemed unfamiliar. At 11 PM we returned to the Hofbrauhaus Parkgarage, fed the meter our credit card, which was charged $7.08, and then we located our car and exited.

After leaving the garage and getting our bearings, we had an uneventful and speedy drive back to the Hotel Schloss Berg. Back in our lovely room, we enjoyed a few cold ones, watched some German TV, and discussed how best to visit Oktoberfest tomorrow.