If you’re keeping track of time, you may realize that I’ve spent somewhat more than a week in Munich. But there’s so much to do in Munich that a week will slip by before you know it.

A typical day in Munich begins with commuting from our guesthouse in the southwest of the city to our host school, Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences (HM). We could not be as close to the center of the city as we like, but it gives us a lot of time to get familiar with the transit. Once we get to HM, we grab a coffee or pastry across the street and go to our designated classroom. You can find industrial engineering lectures and labs as well as lessons about German business and language. After lunch also across the street, we either have a second class or we take a trip to a factory. I wish I could show you some pictures of the factories, but a lot of them have patented technology they wouldn’t like to show. After, we go out to dinner, sometimes covered by HM; there seems to be quite a lot of money left over.

The weather in Munich seems quite consistent with Pittsburgh. At least while I’m here, the day starts off sunny before getting cloudier. By the afternoon, a pop-up shower or storm appears before clearing out again by evening. The temperature swings are also quite substantial, more than I expected from northern Europe. The highs are around the mid-seventies (I’m referring to Fahrenheit), but the lows can hit the upper forties.

However, Munich’s transit is what really stands out. You can find regional lines all over Bavaria (and further) every thirty to sixty minutes. You can also catch a train over to Salzburg (pictured below). In the Munich metro area, you can find the S-Bahn, a series of train cars that come in from suburbia and merge into a line through downtown. You can also take the U-Bahn, a subway-like system that runs all over the city of Munich. You also have access to buses and trams. All of the train and subway stops and the bigger bus stops have electronic screens listing the next buses and arrival times. The stations get a lot of use, and it’s not uncommon to find them packed.

To an extent, Munich’s traditional culture does align with the American perception. You can get your weißwurst and sweet mustard if you wake up early enough, every bakery has pretzels, and I have seen at least one pair of lederhosen every day. FC Bayern München gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so; their fans are more passionate than those anywhere in the United States. But you’re more likely to see someone eat döner or pizza than weißwurst, and you’re more likely to see a pair of jeans than lederhosen, which is typically reserved only for celebrations.

You won’t find that stereotypically cold German behavior either. Our “German buddies”, the HM graduate students assigned to help with the study abroad, have been delighted to join us on adventures at all hours of the day. Our professors have also been warm and friendly. Even the language is softer down here, the “r” more trilled than guttural, the “ch” mellower and less hoarse. People still keep to themselves like Pittsburgh, but when they do speak up, they’re more likely to ask a friendly question than a rude remark.

Overall, I’ve breezed through this first week in Munich, and I can’t wait to see how the second turns out.