Our much-anticipated return to Germany did not go quite as we had expected. In Berlin, we were forced to bundle up in whatever warm clothes we had due to the grey and rainy conditions, despite the fact that summer was (supposedly) in full-swing. Munich, however, greeted us with scorching heat, and we were later told that our visit landed on the hottest consecutive days that the city had experienced all year.

Munich has always been famous for its beer, and what better way to beat the heat than with a liter-sized goblet of golden goodenss? Following the herds, we headed to Augustiner Keller, where we spent our first night trading stories with an array of travelers as we floated from table-to-unclothed table.

In Munich, however, beer drinking is not just a leisure activity or a way to cool off from a hot day. On the contrary, it is an economic and cultural centerpiece with middle-aged roots. Thanks to Duke Albert IV of Bavaria, quality control has been assured in this industry since the 15th century, when he signed the world’s oldest food law – the Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1487. The tradition of good quality beer and has long-outlasted the days of Dukes and Duchesses; Munich simply would not be Munich without its unending supply of beer halls and biergartens, which alternate between serving a few of the city’s seven different brews on a given day.

We spent the entire next day battling the heat while visiting the city’s historic sites, from Marienplatz to Hofgarten. The long walk, which included breathtaking views of Neo-Gothic structures, peacefully scenic urban gardens, and tantalizing modern shops and eateries, was broken up by visits to the Hofbrauhaus and Viktualienmarkt. By the end of the day, all of our cravings had been satisfied: our hearts had been entertained by German oompah music, taste buds awakened by fresh produce and fish, and understanding of Bavaria enriched by our new knowledge of the region’s history.

The English Garden is to Munich as Central Park is to New York City. It is a massive urban expanse of lush trees providing much-needed relief from the sun, with speedo- and bikini-clad Germans wandering among locals who prefer to float naked down the garden’s turbulent network of rivers. We spent an entire day of our visit enjoying the garden, only taking breaks from tanning to discuss our respective books, people-watch, and float down the freezing river when no longer able to withstand the scalding heat. We watched as the garden went from busy to virtually overflowing. By the time we left the park around 6pm, there were hardly any places to stand among the crowds of people and piles of sideways bicycles, let alone their flying soccer balls, footballs, frisbees, and rackets.

Sunburned and river-soaked, we headed back to our hotel. Our last minutes in Germany were spent attempting to clean up before embarking on an excruciatingly long bus ride to Croatia that would consume the entire night.