Monday 16 July 2012

More Munich

Football. There's a game on tonight. The quarter final between England and Italy. I can't face the torment of watching England play without anaesthetic. What better place to find it than Augustinerkeller?

Did I mention how much I like Augustiner? It's lovely stuff served Bayerischer Anstich. Both the Helles and Edelstoff. I can't understand the hate some have for Edelstoff. Subtly delicious is how I find it. Doubtless if you've been abusing your tastebuds with clumsy hop bombs, you'll find it bland. But that's your porblem, not mine.

Despite the slightly iffy weather there's a good crowd. I fetch myself a litre from the beer shed and set about demolishing it. At least I would do if my first long draught didn't reveal my terrible mistake: I've picked up a Radler. No way I'm drinking that. I pour it into the gravel at my feet and fecth a proper beer. That's better. Don't want to drink any of that sugary poison. No knowing what it might do to my delicate system.

I'm halfway down my second litre when the game starts. Luckily there's a giant screen close to where I'm sitting. To be honest, I could do with some smack. Something to mellow me out and dull the inevitable pain. But I'm going to have to make do with beer.

Pretty much all of the EU is represented in the group watching the game. It's easy to spot the English. They're the ones swearing and shouting and holding their heads in their hands. The Italians are much more restrained. It's our fiery English temperament, you know. That and the fact we all turn into frothing maniacs as soon as someone starts kicking a footbal.

The crowd is distracting my attention from the game. Which is no bad thing. Following it attently would only make the agony more acute. When the inevitable penalties come around, I'm dying for a leak. I'm in the bog for the first two England penalties. Just as well. I do make it back in time to catch the downcast looks of the England players as they head out on penalties yet again.

I don't feel like any more beer. Less might be a better idea. But I don't feel like vomitting. More like crying. I can't be arsed to work out which tram to take and walk back to my hotel. I'm feeling a bit peckish when I get to Hauptbahnhof and nip inside for a bratwurst. Very nice. Why aren't there sausage stands in Dutch stations?

It's about midnight when I get back. Time to kick out some z's.






Augustinerkeller
Arnulfstr.52, Ecke Zirkus-Krone-Str.
80335 München-Neuhausen.
Tel. 089 - 594393
Fax 089 - 5504415
Email: arnulfstrasse@augustinerkeller.de
http://www.augustinerkeller.de/










2 comments:

Frodo said...

Love the Augustinerkeller. Best biergarten in Munich IMHO...

Paul Bailey said...

Our paths must have nearly crossed, Ron. We too were in Munich the night of the England v Italy quarter final, but headed out to the sticks, (to Kugler Alm Biergarten in fact), just to get away from the football. They were showing the match there, but in a covered shed-like building, quite some way from where we were sitting. (Not many people seemed to be watching it!)

Didn't manage Augustiner Keller this time, but had some excellent Edelstoff, served Bayerischer Anstich, at Hirschgarten three evenings previously.