München Bowl

You may recall Xavier and I have tried to bowl wherever we go. It may seem like a silly thing to do when travelling abroad, but it's a fun activity and the subtle and not so subtle differences regionally is pretty interesting.

Not too many opportunities within the city limits of München, but just west of the hooker and casino district is a charming transitional neighborhood. A bit run down, but containing hipster elements. You know the sort of neighborhood...perfect for boutique graphic design and architecture firms.

Here was the pub Zur Schwalbe, with its lone bowling alley, reminiscent of the Sheep's Heid in Edinburgh.

The balls were larger than candlepin balls, but smaller than standard 10 pin ones, with 2 finger holes.

There were but 9 pins, forming a diamond pattern. They were connected by cord, so when it was time to reset, the cords pulled the pins up. Sometimes they struggled, giving the fun imagery of dancing pins.

The rule book, containing like 35 different games one could play, was all in German, so we made up our own rules. We each won one game, and we tied one, thus preserving our friendship.

The next day, we trained to Füssen, to see the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. It was a lovely day trip, as the Bavarianside is lovely. The castle is situated beautifully, with stunning views of the structure and the mountains. But the house was largely unoccupied, so it didn't have many "stories" to tell. Long lines, hurried tour, little information. I stress, it was a nice day trip.