Sunday, January 29, 2017

MUC: Munich Airport Hilton Again

We've been upgraded to a beautiful suite at the end of a hall on the top (fourth) floor.

Too bad we're leaving fairly early in the morning...




At the entry...


Note the Keurig coffee machine...


The separate bedroom...


The spacious bathroom with separate tub and shower...



Complimentary snacks and beer in the minibar for Diamonds in lieu of a lounge...


This is one airport Hilton that tries hard.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Back at the Hofbräuhaus

Our third visit in about 18 months but unique in that we didn't have a granddaughter with us.

We shared a table with a nice young couple, he an Italian and she an Iranian. They communicate in English. You never know who you'll meet at the Hofbräuhaus.




Kathy chose Roasted Schweine  Haxe - pork hocks.


Brian picked Wienerschnitzel.


Good and filling, especially when washed down with a beer.



Munich's English Garden in Winter

It's a great place to stroll and a lot of Münchners were out taking advantage of a sunny day.



We noticed a crowd sitting at the Chinese Tower.

Lo and behold, there was a Glüwein stand.



We'd have been fools to pass up that opportunity.


Friday, January 27, 2017

Sunny Munich

The view from our window at the Airport Holiday Inn Express looked a little bleak this morning.


We shuttled to the airport and caught the S Bahn to the Rosenheimer Platz stop, sitting below the Munich City Hilton.

They had a room ready for us, so we dropped off our luggage and used our day ticket to take an S Bahn a few stops over to Karlsplatz.



The temperature was just above freezing without any wind, but the sun was already behind the buildings. We kept strolling, although we had to stop for a moment to admire a frozen statue squirting out one tiny stream of water.


We stopped in St Michael's Church for a look.


It was restored after WW 2, when it looked like this.


We earned ourselves up with hot almonds, evoking memories of her year in Vienna for Kathy.



And now we're back at the Hilton and ready for Happy Hour.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

MLA-MUC: Lucking Out on Lufthansa

A cool (I.e. not boiling hot) plane, fabulous exit row to ourselves, and particularly friendly flight attendants for this two-hour flight...




It's all our space...






At the Malta Airport: La Valette Lounge

A friendly taxi driver gave us a ride to the airport less exciting than our arrival but quick and smooth with little traffic.

We checked our bags, went through reasonable metal-detector security, and settled ourselves in La Valette Lounge, thanks to our Star Alliance Gold status.

It's pleasant enough but busy, and we'll hang out here until LH 1977 MLA-MUC boards in 90 minutes or so.





Hilton Malta Farewell Breakfast

We were so full from last night that all we ate this morning was yogurt and fruit. We enjoyed the view, said our goodbyes to the employees, and checked out with Miryam, the lovely young woman who checked us in last Thursday.




Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Last Dinner in Malta: Ir-Rokna

We chose Ir-Rokna because it's well reviewed and very close to the Hilton.



The friendly waiter advised us not to order a starter when we told him we weren't too hungry.

Good idea - the quantities were very large.

We shared cannelloni, which was delicious.


The other dish was Bragioli, a Maltese specialty consisting of minced beef wrapped in a thin steak and covered with a rich tomato (almost barbecue) sauce. 

It's translated as Beef Rolls. 



Add a half-bottle of wine and the total was about €33, not a bad deal in this family-run operation.

Last Evening in Malta

We'll be sorry to leave Malta and the Hilton but tomorrow is the day we fly back up to Munich.

We're paying one last evening visit to the Hilton's lovely Executive Lounge and its friendly employees.

We finally get around to tasting Cisk,  a popular Maltese lager beer, and find it quite good. With only 4.2% alcohol, we shouldn't have any problems navigating from here to the restaurant.





Tuesday, January 24, 2017

KuYa: Another Fine Eatery Near the Malta Hilton

Well reviewed and located literally in a cellar about two blocks from the Hilton, KuYa's only few complaints in Trip Advisor reviews involve seating delays even for those with a reservation. It's tiny.

Hint number one: Go for a late lunch or early dinner about 2:30 p.m. By the time we were finishing lunch, we were the only diners in the joint.

Hint number two: Bring cash (you won't need much) as they don't accept credit cards - one Tom Yum soup, one beef salad, one Bam Bam Chicken, one Crispy Beef, two glasses of wine @ 40€.

Good spot!