Munich by train. 6 days in bavaria. Places to visit and things to do.

I last visited Munich in 2016, this trip I revisited a couple of the same places, but saw different parts of them. I only spent one day in Munich on this trip compared to 3 days the last visit. I discovered visit a city app, that allowed me to plan my itinerary and download the maps so they were available off line.

On arriving in Munich, getting off 2 stops early, I entered Starbucks into Google maps knowing it would lead me to the city centre and sat having coffee by accident over the road from the Asamkirche, a baroque and Rococo creation by the Asam Brothers in the 1700's

a skeletal image of death with scissors about to cut through the life-thread of a poor soul

Peterkirche or St Peter's Tower This visit I don't go up the tower, but if you click on the link you'll see the marvellous views. Inside the church is wonderfully decorated.

Patron Saint of Spinsters

Marienplatz is the Central Square and is surrounded by historical buildings. The queues for the tower were too long so I skipped that it gives me another excuse to go back.

Astronomical Clock

The Toy Museum, I visited last year.

Frauenkirche - Munich's Cathedral. constructed in 1468. Legend has it that this is the Devil's footprint. He struck a deal with the builder to finance the construction as long as it contained no windows. He stamped his foot in temper after discovering the church had windows cleverly hidden behind pillars and there was originally a high alter that obscured the end window, that was destroyed along with most of the interior during World War II.

At this point I finished my visit a city tour and went off in search of some of the lesser known historical sites to visit.

Museum of hunting and fishing, Neuhauser Street.

Munich is full of churches and open freely to the public, I did leave a donation for each one I visited and many places also requested no commercial photography or to pay a donation to take pictures.

The architecture is stunning, so many fountains and statues to discover, you could almost walk past quite a lot without realising.

No idea why this Michael Jackson memorial is located here.

Viscardigasse - golden cobblestones mark the place and time when this alley was used to avoid having to give a Nazi salute.

Markets

Maypole

Pubs

The Hofbrauhaus House I didn't venture inside this time, but I did manage to sample quite a few of their beers during my stay.

Restaurants.

I didn't get time on this trip but it's also worth planning in a visit to the English Gardens for a spot of surfing and naked sunbathing.

The Wedding series - tips

This year we've had 2 weddings, child 2 and 2a in June, best friends in July and our niece is getting married in October. I've also been helping with the planning of child 4 and 4a's wedding next September.

L-R Mother in Law, Child 4 & 4a, Peter, Child 2a & 2, Me, Child 1, Child 5, Mum.

Child 3 & 3a were unable to make it over from Australia.

Weddings are BLOODY expensive. There are ways though to keep the costs down. As a guest the cost mounts up, especially for Peter and I, before we even buy our outfit and a gift we have to book flights from where we live in Dubai. However, we had a very small wedding at a registry office, I wore a prom dress to get married in, bought in the sales in Vegas, Peter needed a new suit for work anyway, we had a 3 night for the price of 2 hotel deal in Chester, no reception, no photographer and no cake, although 3 sets of friends turned up to surprise us and we had a meal afterwards in an Italian restaurant on the way back to the car park.

There are so many new things to think about these days that we never had to worry about and the main one for me is that guests don't share photos online during the day and that they leave the Bride and Groom to post first a few days afterwards. It also makes for a nicer day if the wedding is social media free, the wedding photographer will certainly appreciate being able to take photo's freely without mobile phones blocking their view. There are so many new ways to share photo's in high resolution with the guests and I found an app that would allow photo's to be shared on app so family and friends who can't make the day can still share in the event. Child 3 and 3a were unable to travel over from Australia for Child 2 and 2a's wedding.

So after the initial shock of 2 of the children announcing they were getting married and a bank transfer made, it was time to find out if and what input we were to have. We're now someone's in laws and so far I think it's going reasonably well.

Both Peter and I are step parents to each others children. We needed to establish our roles as step parents at our children weddings. At child 2's wedding his mother wasn't invited so no worries about the top table, but child 4's father will be at his wedding but it is Peter who will sit at the top table with me. These are all issues that have to be resolved before the big day when it comes to family and the modern day dynamics.

Then of course there was the outfits. I can hardly wear the same dress at all 4 weddings? Well technically I could but as 3 of them are family do's, I really didn't want to appear in all the photos dressed the same. Living in Dubai there are some fantastic sales and I bought the outfit for the first 2 weddings in Debenhams. There isn't a lot of stuff available for the Mother of the Groom, everywhere focuses on the Mother of the Bride and I fall into 'occasional wear'

There's also the wedding gift to account for. When I asked the internet about what was a reasonable gift amount, it varied greatly.

Something I've noticed quite a lot is there often isn't a 'plus 1' on invites anymore. Usually the invitation is addressed to a couple, whether married or not. There have been quite a few single guests at both the weddings and at wedding number 2, I spent most of the day on my own as Peter was the Best Man, I searched to find out what my role as Wife of the Best Man was, but only came across the partners moaning about how they felt it unfair they sat on their own all day and in some cases turned the invite down, so I wrote about how single guests can feel more involved and not so isolated.

We've got one more wedding this year, the reception is being held in a barn in a field. I've selected my outfit based on the potential weather and it will look great with my bright yellow hunter wellies should it rain.

Next year's wedding is taking place under one roof and I can certainly see the advantages of doing this.

A couple of these posts contain sponsored content, but as I was already writing posts about the wedding and like I said with mounting costs, every penny helps, especially when there are 3 in 1 year.

I'm NOT the British Ambassador to Dubai

I live in Dubai, I'm an expat, my husband works abroad and I trail behind him, willingly. It's boring, it's too hot and I don't like it, but that doesn't mean I'm unhappy with my lot in life.

After 5 years as an expat, 4 in South Africa, I've just about finished reinventing myself as a SAH, who, for a hobby blogs, surfs the internet, explores the neighbourhood, attends coffee mornings, has adjusted to the kids leaving home, is making new friends and maintaining relationships with those in the UK and South Africa and visiting new friends in Canada and in Dubai that I've met online.

I get asked often what I do for a living to which I reply 'I don't work, I just travel and I represent Dubai in informing the world what it's really like to live here'.

Only joking, well the last part anyway, but it sure feels like it sometimes and I have actually googled 'advisors for Dubai' employment.

I wrote before about the myths and realities of living in Dubai when we first arrived, but it doesn't matter how many times I tell people this isn't Saudi Arabia, I still get questioned about my life here in regards to my freedom.

Here I am yesterday evening. I'm lying in bed under the air con as it's just too hot and I've been working outside in the garden. I went out to the shops on my own this morning, I drove the car by myself and I was wearing this top with bare arms and not wearing a head cover. I'm also drinking a bottle of Smirnoff Ice that I purchased at the off licence over the road, next door to the coffee shop and tonight for dinner we are having pork sausages that were purchased in the supermarket.

Dubai is boring because I don't have a job nor am I interested in group hobbies, I spend all day on my own with the dog and cat while hubby is at work and it's starting to grow on me, my time alone. I have numerous projects on the go, travel planned and visitors booked.

Dubai is too hot.....fact. It's great for a holiday and no matter how much you tell me you'd love the sun, let me equate to you what it's like just sitting still, then tell me how you'd cope walking the dog, doing the food shop, cleaning the house.

Go sit in front of the oven with the door open and ask someone to hold a hair dryer on hot to the back of your neck. now boil the kettle let it cool to 46c and then take a cool shower or have a cold refreshing drink in that temperature water.

Dubai is a city, I'm not a city girl, I like to visit but I prefer the countryside or seaside to live at. I like open space and peace and quiet, it is full of tourists all year round and when I want to pop out for a carton of milk, I don't want to have to fight for a parking space or get swept along with the masses and bashed on the head with a selfie stick.

I'm looking forward to winter so I can get out on the beach, explore the souks more, walk the dog during daylight hours, spend more time in the garden and drive further afield to explore the other Emirates.

We've been in Dubai now since December 2014. We've had Christmas, Easter and now the shops are full of Halloween decorations and costumes.

There are Christian Churches in Dubai, in fact all religions are welcome in Dubai and are represented, you're just not allowed to preach in public or advertise religious events, but that rule coves EVERY religion

We've taken part in Ramadan joining in with Iftar and Eid ul Fitr the day marking the end and Eid al Adha the festival of sacrifice.

There are lots of myths about the way foreigners are treated and rumours that if you're involved in a car crash with another Emirate that you will automatically get the blame, but then in South Africa they said if you got stopped by the police over there you just bribed them, but I never met a South African who had actually done that either.

Dubai is fair and equal, the same rules and laws apply to everyone, with the only difference being that if you are a foreigner and commit a crime, you will be deported after conviction and serving your time.

The media in Dubai report on all crimes and outcomes regardless of your nationality and crime, whether it is rape, murder, theft, drink driving, smuggling drugs, you'll see no one from any nationality is excluded from prosecution or from the reporting.