A group of humans is sitting on beer benches in the evening sun with traditional food and beer in a beer garden in Munich.

A rundown of post-coronavirus highlights

Munich: 99 things we’re looking forward to after COVID

The past years of the pandemic were not easy ones - all the more reason for us to look forward to everything that will be possible again! And to these 99 things that we have been especially missing in recent months.

1. Going into a pub, looking around and sitting wherever you like.
2. WhatsApping your friends to join you at the pub without needing to do a head count first.
3. When strangers ask, “Can we squeeze in here?”, being able to answer with a carefree “Yes, of course!”.
4. Not having to laboriously fiddle with your mask when you go outside for a smoke.
5. Letting kids play together (on the terrace of a Bavarian pub, for example).
6. Hugging your friends goodbye as you leave the bar after your third beer of the evening.
7. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on beer garden benches and clinking glasses with your tablemates in a toast to brotherhood.
8. Moving to another bench to chat with a different group of people.
9. Heading to the Alte Pinakothek to wonder at Peter Paul Rubens’ “The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippis” and other masterpieces without having to think about whether the museum is even open at the moment.
10. Standing in front of Henri Matisse’s “Still Life with Geraniums” in the Pinakothek der Moderne and chatting about it – even with strangers!

„Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on beer garden benches and clinking glasses with your tablemates in a toast to brotherhood.“

11. Relaxing and laughing at the cinema, even with people sitting right beside you.
12. Queuing at the till to buy popcorn before the film starts.
13. Hearing thunderous applause of a full house on the opening night at the opera house!
14. Queuing for raspberries and cream or a glass of champagne during the interval.
15. Exchanging the sign of peace in church without having to sanitise your hands immediately after.
16. Belting out hymns of praise in full voice with the rest of the congregation in the Church of St. Ursula.
17. Standing side-by-side in a choir and singing from shared song sheets.
18. Being inspired and uplifted by the Italian High Baroque style in the Church of St. Cajetan (Theatinerkirche) as you receive Holy Communion.
19. Clambering up to the diving platform one after the other with not a thought about social distancing – and then: splash!
20. Sweating side by side in the sauna at the Deutsche Eiche.

21. Sunbathing in the Englischer Garten without wondering if you’re lying far enough apart.
22. Impulsively stopping on the street to natter with some total strangers – without maintaining a distance of a metre and a half.
23. Sitting down on a park bench without attracting any strange looks.
24. Spreading out a blanket for a picnic with friends, inspired by Monaco Franze.
25. Having a barbecue beside the Isar river, and grabbing a cool beer from the kiosk to wash it all down.
26. Sitting in a hotel lobby – the Bayerischer Hof or the Mandarin Oriental, perhaps – to treat yourself to a drink or a piece of cheesecake on a week night.
27. Enjoying breakfast or a sundowner on one of Munich’s legendary roof terraces – Alps vista included when a foehn wind is blowing!
28. Telling Australian visitors how to find the Hofbräuhaus and taking the opportunity to tell them about your own trip through the Australian outback.
29. Giving Japanese tourists directions to the Town Hall and delighting in their English.
30. Explaining the battle scenes and celebratory dances to visitors in front of the Glockenspiel (“...any minute now, the Bavarian knight will use his lance to knock his opponent from Lorraine off his horse!”).

„Sunbathing in the Englischer Garten without wondering if you’re lying far enough apart.“

31. Never again discreetly sniggering at Asian visitors wearing masks.
32. Staying home because you want to.
33. Kissing friends on both cheeks when you meet them in the street.
34. Holding the door open for people coming in after you.
35. Gallantly helping an older lady or gentleman into their coat in the cloakroom.
36. Grabbing a quick hug when you spot an acquaintance in a street café as you’re walking past.
37. Your glasses fogging up as you walk into a bar – not because you’re wearing a face mask, but because the room is so hot and humid.
38. Dancing till dawn in a club.
39. Asking that age-old question: “Your place or mine?”
40. Helping someone find shampoo at the supermarket.

41. No longer having to zig-zag your way through the pedestrianised streets.
42. Relaxing with a good book on the reading island at Hugendubel (book shop), alongside the other bookworms.
43. No longer needing to keep your distance from people on the bus, tram, U-Bahn or S-Bahn.
44. Getting prettified at a beauty salon and philosophising about the meaning of life with the cosmetician.
45. No longer agonising over whether to bother getting artificial nails given that they’re nigh on impossible to remove by yourself.
46. Going to a tattoo parlour if you must (immediate reason, urgent need) and getting a tattoo of a flower-entwined heart, a few Chinese characters or simply the name of your new flame (who you can also get to know all over again).
47. Using Tinder, and even aiming for some live meetings!
48. No longer needing to count by household when inviting people over.
49. Tucking into the legendary Rostbratwürstl at the Bratwurstglöckl or a spot of Schweinsbraten at the Fuchsentub’n (rather than wolfing them down as a takeaway in the car or on the pavement).
50. Sharing some snacks from the stalls at the Viktualienmarkt (food market) – and using just your hands to eat it. Both hands!

„Sharing some snacks from the stalls at the Viktualienmarkt (food market) – and using just your hands to eat it. Both hands!“

51. Being among the crowd browsing clothes or offering treasures for sale at Munich’s legendary street and backyard flea markets.
52. Talking to people living in your building and on your street, who you would otherwise never meet in your everyday life.
53. Taking an old person’s elbow to help them across the road without giving them a fright.
54. Experiencing one of those endless, spontaneous summer days that send you stumbling from one activity to another, and at some point bring you to a terrace somewhere enjoying your third aperitif.
55. Grabbing an after-work beer with your colleagues.
56. Enjoying the afternoon sun in the square in front of the opera house, without needing to socially distance.
57. Lighting up a cigar in a good Munich cigar store such as Zechbauer, as you talk shop with the experts.
58. No longer having to queue in vain for toilet paper and flour.
59. Reviving the wonderful Munich tradition of organising corridor or stairwell parties with your neighbours.
60. Enjoying a hearty handshake or a bear hug instead of bumping elbows.

61. Lighting someone else’s cigarette at a street café, or having them light yours.
62. Letting others take the lift with you without breaking distancing rules.
63. Attending the City of Munich’s colleges and universities in person.
64. Continuing your French course at the adult education centre.
65. Spending time at one of the city’s libraries, foraging for and browsing some good books.
66. Not working from home.
67. Taking a day trip to neighbouring Austria without having to quarantine at home upon your return.
68. Being able to completely forget that you are crossing a national order when you take a day trip to Austria.
69. Skiing.
70. Tutoring your neighbour’s kid again.

„Lighting someone else’s cigarette at a street café, or having them light yours.“

71. Heading back to driving school and finally finishing what you started so you can get your license.
72. Arranging to meet some friends on the Oktoberfest fairground for a kickabout.
73. Playing streetball against total strangers to see who gets the most baskets.
74. Clambering around one of Munich’s amazing climbing and bouldering facilities.
75. La la laaaah – going back to singing school.
76. Clickety clickety clack – taking a tap, salsa or tango class at one of Munich’s dance schools.
77. Booking a fun sushi-making course with a couple of friends.
78. Practising études with your no-nonsense piano teacher.
79. Continuing your yoga energy workout.
80. Watching your teenage sons and daughters dance the Münchner Française folk dance at their end-of-school ball.

81. Travelling from Munich to romantic Bohemia for a day or a weekend away.
82. Travelling from Munich to Salzburg and heading to the airport there to marvel at the gleaming DC-6 in Hangar Seven.
83. Booking a sightseeing flight over Munich on the historic Antonov An-2 biplane with a group of friends.
84. Going for a walk around the BMW Welt and luxuriating in old and new worlds of technology and design.
85. Goooaaaal! Sitting with thousands of other fans in the Allianz Arena (football stadium) to watch a match and shouting your head off in the process.
86. Lining up side-by-side on the bridge to watch the cool surfers on the Eisbachwelle (river wave).
87. Dreaming of royal Bavaria at Schloss Nymphenburg (palace) and its four park castles.
88. Taking a guided tour of the Munich Residence, the largest city palace in Germany.
89. Admiring scientific and technological masterpieces in the Deutsches Museum, the largest technology museum in the world.
90. Taking a stroll around the magnificent Schloss Schleissheim (palace).

„Lining up side-by-side on the bridge to watch the cool surfers on the Eisbachwelle river wave.“

91. Feeling like a real gangster at the "Kriminal-Dinner" murder mystery dining experience.
92. Being ready to be surprised at "Dinner in the Dark".
93. Getting goose pimples as you sample the roast goose at the "Gruseldinner" horror-themed gastronomic experience.
94. Gifting your (grand)parents a Segway tour of Munich with no worries.
95. Experiencing weightlessness at "Bodyflying München’s" indoor skydiving.
96. Watching how the pros get fit at the Bayern football club training grounds in Säbener Strasse.
97. Counting down to concerts in the Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium).
98. Enjoying some good beer and Bavarian delicacies at the Auer Dult traditional fair – with an interesting and unusual market thrown into the bargain.
99. Taking a guided tour of Munich’s most beautiful and mysterious wonders, and rediscovering the metropolis with other people.

 

 

Text: Nansen & Piccard; Photos: Christian Kasper, Dominik Morbitzer 
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