Munich
May 19, 2011 

Took a very nice walk along the Isar River after work.  They’ve been doing a lot of work on the river, tons of landscaping, beaches, floating walking paths, tunnels, recreation areas, etc.  It’s wildly pleasant.  Everyone’s on their bikes and walking with their families or sweethearts.  The weather was fantastic.

Speaking of bikes, I wish I could take urban planners from all over the States, jam them into a plane, and take them to Munich to see the enormous benefits a large city receives when it becomes truly friendly to bicycle traffic. 

It’s really a revelation to walk around a city that embraces the bicycle to the degree that Munich does.  Any other city this size in the states would be much more choked with cars than Munich is.  When you get such a high percentage of your population on public transportation and two-wheeled transportation, your automobile traffic simply isn’t as bad. 

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I think I found a great public meeting place in Munich.  There’s a large fountain in front of one of the old city gates in an area called Karlsplatz (or Stachus).  I was there last night after saying so long to my pal Tex at City Segway Tours, and it seems that every attractive young Municher was there waiting for his/her date.  It would be a great place to snap candids or just people watch.  Incidentally, adjacent to this fountain is the largest-business-volume McDonalds in the world.

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I stopped by City Segway tours to say so long to my tour guide Tex.  I had forgotten to write on his floor (it’s a thing), so I composed something nice and suggestive.  “This’ll give your customers something to ask you about, ” I said.

Segway Tours I’ve Done

• Berlin
• Minneapolis (Old Mill area)
• Munich