Even though the tennis over the last few weeks has been amazing and everyone has been having a great time, I don’t think anyone was particularly sad to be hanging up their tennis racquets for a little while. All the players are walking around now with sore muscles, pulled whatevers, fatigued arms and general discomforts that ibuprofen is no longer curing. Jason is not exempt.

As our finale celebration we head to another traditional Bavarian restaurant. The menu is huge; spaetzle, duck, pork, more pork, salads, liver soups, veal and more all cooked in the Bavarian style. It was delicious, but so hearty! Jason and I shared a meal and even then it was too much food!! It was here that the scores were revealed. Let’s just say it is a good thing there are participation trophies. LOL. Jason scored big with a sweet lederhosen apron.

We signed up for a bike tour of Munich and we loved it! Our guide did a great job of mixing history with stories, education with humour, activity with breaks and beer. Munich is filled with a colourful history, dating back to the 10th Century. Their Bavarian culture still runs deep and is a huge source of pride here. Their first king was appointed when Napoleon figured he couldn’t have a friend that was merely a duke, so Napoleon crowned him a king. Sure, there were strings attached, but the monarchy was created like that! Friends in high places, am I right?

We passed by many interesting and historically significant buildings, learning about German customs, education systems and more. However, the most surprising thing we saw was in the English Gardens, which incidentally, is one of the largest urban parks in the world, bigger than Central Park and Hyde Park! Did you know you could surf in the stream? Yep! Die hard surfers will surf there year round. Considering the water is freezing cold (14°C) on a hot day, it is downright glacial (5°C) in the winter. Brrrr.

Of course we went to the Beer Garden in the middle of the park to sample even more traditional Bavarian cuisine. I may actually reach my lifetime quota for sausages on this trip.