Interview with Emily Rasch (Munich Spotter)

Today an interview with Emily Rasch, Spotter for our Munich cityblog.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m someone that loves simplicity, handwritten letters, art, snorkeling, subways, nature, vintage photography, architecture, and street art to name a few. For me life is truly about living, experiencing, and helping others. I aim to be an explorer, whether it’s within my own neighborhood or somewhere on the other side of the world. It brings me so much happiness to surprise people or to set out to find the best foods and shops.

For my husband’s birthday I organized a scavenger hunt around Paris and gave him little polaroid clues along the way. We had an incredible time. Life can become so everyday very quickly, so it’s always great to do a bit of the unexpected for strangers and loved ones. It’s amazing how far a bit of thoughtfulness and happiness can go.

How do you like being a Spotter?
Being a Spotter has been a really fun experience. It’s been an incredible resource for me for such a long time and I always check out places fellow spotters recommend when visiting their cities, so I love being able to do that for those that are coming to Munich. This city grows on me each and every day. Sometimes I even feel as if it’s a mirror of myself, because it’s constantly evolving and loves the community. It’s a glorified village that always finds something to celebrate and the quality of life certainly exemplifies that.

I don’t tend to tell shops or restaurants that I write about that I’ve written about them or will be writing about them. There was one exception. I went to Stancsics, one of my favorite chocolate shops, and the owner was working. I told her how much I adored her store and thanked her for inspiring my husband to propose to me with her chocolates. We had a small circle journal that we would send back and forth during our Trans-Atlantic long distance. When he came to visit me for New Years he brought it along with a note in it saying to ask him about the chocolate. We had seen her beautiful shop during one of my visits and I loved it. When I asked about the chocolate he pulled out a beautiful bar that he had scratched into the back ‘Will you marry me?’ She was so excited when I shared that with her.

The tourists that I interact with also tell me they are impressed, because we list places they would definitely never have found on their own. It’s great to help others see the fantastic aspects of the city. The Spotters I’ve met are all extremely passionate about doing this.

Which prejudices about Munich are true?
– It’s orderly and honest. Things here are efficient and our phenomenal subway system is honor based, although if checked and not having a ticket it will set you back 40€!
– People love to celebrate with the community. We are very proud of our beer (here it’s technically considered a food!) and love spending a summer afternoon at a biergarten.
-There’s a great balance of outdoorsy activities in and around the city. Few people realize the English Garden is the largest public park in Europe – even bigger than New York City’s Central Park!

Which are not?
– Hofbräuhaus is as popular with the locals as it is with tourists.
– We don’t all eat sausage, potatoes, and pretzels every single day. You can find fresh and delicious salads if you know where to look.
– Oktoberfest isn’t the only reason people come to Munich. It’s a beautiful city at all times of year.

Can you describe a perfect day in your city?
A perfect day the city for me would include a low key morning walking from neighborhood across the Isar and the Prater Insel followed by a stop for lunch at Nero or Daylesford Organic. I would then take walk to Fünf Höfe for some window shopping before making my way to Balla Beni for gelato, if it is open for the season. Even if it’s not I would still walk in that direction and stop at the Brandhorst Museum to appreciate the art. Before making my way back into the city center I would walk through the English Garden to see the surfers and hope to catch the legendary surfing dog. I haven’t seen him myself just yet! I would go up to the Alter Peter view point at dusk, because it’s a spectacular place to watch the sunset. On crisp Autumn days the Alps are visible and the city lights sparkle. It’s magical. If I had company I’d probably go to the biergarten or restaurant at Paulaner am Nockherberg before calling it a night.

What do you know about Munich that no tourist will know?
If you purchase a day ticket you can use it on the trams, buses, and subways (both S-bahn + U-bahn) throughout the day. It just needs validated in one of the blue ticket stamping boxes before you set out for the day. Many tickets that are marketed to tourists aren’t economically the best options unless they are visiting tons of museums. An unlimited weekly ticket for the inner two rings costs less than 12€ and a day ticket for up to 5 people costs less than 10€. It can be confusing for German speakers and locals, so you can always visit the MVV website to plan your journey or one of their offices (like the one at the Marienplatz underground). Also, if you stop by they have tons of free maps including new ones that feature the most interesting subway stops, seeing the city by tram, and a self styled tour of the Museum area.

Is there something else you want to share?
Sometimes cities remind me of a certain type of person or color. Munich would be an interesting mix. It’s affluent and impeccably dressed, although tending towards conservative with a love for picnics and outdoor activities. As for the color I would say there are two: brick red and a shade of teal that matches oxidized copper. The brick red is seen all around the city and is very traditional, while the green color matches both the domes of Peter + Paul at the cathedral and the tint of the Isar river, which is attributed to limestone in the area.

Check out all Emily Rasch’s articles and the other interviews with our Spotters.