Out and about in Munich

Well we were out and about in Munich City center yesterday (Friday) evening - and a magical time we had of it too.

For those of you who don’t know it Munich Town center is largely pedestrianised. It has a beautiful medieval Town Hall (Rathaus) and Cathedral and is lined with modern shops.

What is more important right now, are the Christmas Markets. Everything is decorated like a wonderland. There is a huge Christmas tree outside the Rathaus lit with more lights than you could shake a stick at and there are stalls everywhere selling sweets, roast chestnuts, decorations, mulled wine, all manner of things - and some of the tastiest fast food it is possible to get.

There was a band playing from the town hall balcony and a choir singing and the market was literally thronging with the citizens of Munich, salted with the odd tourist, good naturedly enjoying the season. If you have never been I can heartily recommend it.

Off on our travels

Posting may be light for a few days, as I shall be in Germany.

Rostock & two smoking barrels

Anti Globalisation Stormtroopers clashed with German police in the city of Rostock protesting against next week's G8 summit of leading industrial nations in Heiligendamm, about 16 miles away.

A spokesperson for police described it as a "massive assault".

The BBC reported that it only involved a small portion of the estimated 30,000 people who had joined the rally, failing to follow the logic that if only 5% of the crowd had been involved that would still be 1,500 violent protestors, even half that would be pretty massive if they were bearing down on you armed with lumps of wood and rocks, as they were.

The BBC is interested if you have attended the protest and breathlessly ask for your feedback and pictures.

One gets the impression they would have been there themselves if only they could have got their hand on some designer rocks…