It’s 4am but my body thinks it’s 1pm and time for the first beer. I’m settling for coffee ‘American style’ since I’m operating in a few hours. Anyhow, another awesome ED adventure concluded yesterday in Cologne with the drop-off of my ‘05 competition package M3.
The vital stats...
1191 miles in 13 days
4 countries (DE, Italy, CH, Belgium)
22.7 avg. mpg.
130mph highest speed attained (2times)
E1.38 avg price of 1 liter of ‘Super’

Landed on time in Munich 30 August around 8pm. Caught the airport Ubahn down to Hauptbahnhof and it seems like it was 9 Euros pp. The ticket machine wouldn’t take our Euros, so the ticket counter sold fare to us. The Ubahn ride is about 30 minutes, no one sketchy to worry about on the train reall, I was probably as grimey as anyone. Had LeMeridien for about $100/night from Priceline and it’s right across the street from the Hauptbahnhof (just follow the exit sign to ‘Bayerstrasse’).
At check in we were told that Katrina had forced some Americans to stay an extra night and LeMeridien was full-up. Arrangements were made for us to stay at the Sofitel Dorint (across the street (NEXT TO) the Hauptbahnhof), our breakfast would be included and we would have breakfast provided and a suite at LeMeridien the next night . No problem, the Dorint is at least as nice as LeMeridien-there was a 360spider parked in front. Dinner at the Augustiner pub 5 mins. walk down the street. Had the famous Edelstoff and some Augustiner Hefe.

Up early on day 1, went for a walk down to Marienplatz (1 mile East) then had a phat European breakfast. I highly recommend what we did next...Mike’s Bike Tour of Munich www.mikesbiketours.com.
24 Euros/person, tour takes 4 hours, is an easy flat ride and a fantastic way of seeing A LOT of Munich and getting some light exercise. Departure is down by Hofbrauhaus/Marienplatz/Altes Rathaus. Your guide will speak perfect English and you get to stop for about an hour in the Englischer Garten for Bavarian food and HB beer. It was pretty hot (85 or so). After the tour, checked into LeMeridien, got a Franziskaner weiss beer and chilled for a few hours. Went to the Paulaner Brauhaus http://www.paulanerbraeuhaus.de/
for dinner this night. It is 15-20 mins. walk South of LeMeridien just past Theresenwiese fairgrounds (where Oktoberfest is happening right about now). This place rocked! An awesome beer garden, great food and the beer...absolutely sublime. I am a huge fan of Paulaner’s Hefe and Pils, but the waitress suggested that I have their Bavarian Helles since it was brewed on the premesis. Their Helles tops the Edelstoff, IMO. I had to have 2 of them.
Got a solid 6 hours of sleep before another obscenely large breakfast. Took the Sbahn from Marienplatz up to the Freimann stop (for Euro delivery center). An elderly German man saw us looking at our BMW map and offered to walk us to the delivery center gate which was about 5 minutes away. 5 very humid sweaty minutes because we were schlepping our bags and it was at least as hot and more humid than the previous day. Gerhard came to greet us and opened the gate. Had a Franziskaner upstairs, but didn’t see the Bimmerfest book and the counter guy was kind of a douche so I didn’t ask him. Gunther delivered the ///M after 45mins or so and we were off to Milan.
More to follow from Milan(MonzaF1), Lugano, Lucerne and Cologne(SpaF1).