Organizer of annual English Book Sale to benefit Calcutta Rescue (Email petra@no-wak.de to donate for the sale on November 23.)
Riemer Park: This former grounds of the German Flower Show is now a popular park for the citizens of Eastern Munich. Its long, straight paths are ideal for inline skating. There is also a skaters’ park, several playgrounds, and—best of all—a beautiful, sparkling clean lake for swimming, sunbathing, and beach volleyball. (S-Bahn: S4 Gronsdorf, U-Bahn: U2 Messestadt Ost)
Maredo Steak House: The unbeatable variety and quality of these restaurants’ salad bars make them my favorite places to enjoy a meal in Munich. The Frauenplatz location is completely non-smoking, and at Rindermarkt there is a lovely terrace out back, where it’s easy to forget that you’re a stone’s throw from the city center. (Rindermarkt 5, Frauenplatz 7, and Tal 8; Tel. 260 74 10, 23 54 49 44, and 29 46 61)
The Bayern Ticket: For just € 19 for a single passenger, and only € 27 for up to five, you can use all regional trains in Bavaria for a whole day (excepting Intercity and Express trains). Why not take a daytrip to Salzburg, Garmisch, Nuremburg, Würzburg or Passau? The ticket is available from all ticket machines at S-Bahn stations, and are also valid on S-Bahns themselves. (www.bahn.de/regional/view/bayern/ bahnregional/freizeit/bayernticket.shtml)
Kino, Mond und Sterne: Bring your own picnic and sit on the steps of the stone theater for a great night of “Movies, Moon, and Stars.” The program contains classics and new releases, like Life of Brian, Shrek, or the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. Most films are in German, but some original English versions are shown. (U-Bahn: U6 Westpark, www.kino-mond-sterne.de)
The Eisbach (English Garden): Watching surfers on the Eisbach next to the Haus der Kunst is a great hot-day diversion, but beware: They like to drench unknowing spectators and post the resulting snapshots on their own websites...If you fancy a bit of a splash yourself, hop into the river at the slow bit 100 meters downstream and shoot the icy waters for 10 to 15 minutes. It’s very refreshing, and not as scary as it looks. However, it pays to deposit a towel and sandals or friend on the other end, or you’ll end up walking back up river dripping wet and barefoot. (Bus: 53 Haus der Kunst, Tram: 17 Haus der Kunst)
