Arriving in Munich after an overnight flight, with two children who spent too much time watching seatback TV and not enough sleeping, and then we find out a bag has been left by the airline in Toronto. So perhaps not the best frame of mind, but it’s amazing how much easier it was all made by being greeted by friendly family at the airport, in the person of Cousin Heike, with a car big enough to carry what was still a stunning volume of luggage. A short drive around Munich took us to Aunt Margret and Uncle Bernd’s lovely home, where we were based for our stay.

We had a comforting mix of family dinners, trips to local playgrounds, and afternoon cake sessions (many more of those were to come). We also ventured by train (big feature for the boys) into central Munich to wander the streets and market, see the glockenspiel tower at city hall, and spend a wonderful few hours at the majestic Deutsches Museum (including its endlessly entertaining kids’ floor)..

One perfect, crisp and sunny day, we also drove out to the nearby Starnberger See to visit the Buchheim Museum of Imagination. A madcap collection of art put together by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim (the writer of Das Boot and wartime propagandist for the German military), it is housed in a stunning building in a glorious location on the shores of the lake, with the Alps poking up on the horizon. While the boys weren’t quite so enamoured of the expressionist pieces, the graffiti-covered helicopter and Indonesian puppet carvings were a hit.

Always a joy to visit, Munich was a super spot to catch up with family, get over our jet lag, and gear up for the next leg of the adventure – the castles and mountains beckon!