“Travels to a Different Time ” : 16June2007: Passau Germany: Bavarian Beer Obsession

Left the house at 17:30 for limo ride to Toronto Pearson Airport. Sent to the wrong line for check in. The new system of checking in online then again checking in again at the airport is idiotic. What time does it save? After waiting in a massive line in the wrong check-in counter as directed by Air Canada personnel I complained and Air Canada sent us to priority check in. Seated differently as usual on Air Canada. A vile dinner of rice and chicken and gross soggy carrot salad. Breakfast was a Del Monte fruit cup. Canned fruit salad. You must be kidding. A unhealthy cake style muffin with at least some edible yogurt. Arrived in Munich at 10:00 and off in our B Class Mercedes with GPS. Two hours later in Passau at our hotel the Weiser Haus which is right in town. Parking the car was a nightmare. Inches on either side! A pathetic view from the hotel room looking at some garbage cans below but I was just too tired to fight. Germans, Mexicans and all hotels give you the worst rooms possible. Part of their creed. Up at 17:30 for a walk in the neighbourhood and a dark donkel beer. Bavaria is beer obsessed with the average consumption per person being 240 litres. Even the women drink beer here. At our dinner in the Hotel Konig we were the only patrons drinking wine (Muller Thurgau) as everyone else was drinking all different types of beer in huge mugs. We had a great view of the Donau River with steep cliffs on its banks all very steep and covered in greenery. Andrew and Fotini had schnitzel with cranberry jam and potatoes. I had a pork cutlet topped with melted cheese and pasta. Home to bed and slept like a rock until 08:00.