Leaving Munich--Sadly

Gruss Gott!
This was my last full day in Munich, and tomorrow I enclose myself in a steel tube and jet back home.  As much as I love my job, my wonderful colleagues, and my marvelous friends--well, I feel reluctant to leave.  I have had a splendid trip full of beauty and history.  Good food and drink, too. The only thing that would make it perfection is having some of you here with me.
But it's not Real Life is it.  I don't really live or work here.  So here I am in my "apartment" sipping at my Austrian wine and nibbling Spanish almonds.  It is in fact a genuine European experience.
I spent some of the day shopping.  I like squirting myself with expensive perfume I can't afford to buy or rather I can't afford it if I want to continue to travel.  I wandered the streets of the historic center of Munich turning down ways I had not explored before.  I recalled my first full day here and my explorations, smiling at the memories and feeling happy and relaxed.  I have been here three weeks and have gotten to know the place--at least a bit.
Here are a few things I have noticed.  People are always eating.  Food is everywhere.  What is it that you want?  One ubiquitous snack I have not tried is Giant Pretzl.  Or sandwiches, or ice cream.  Or anything really.  People eat constantly and not just tourists.  You will have no opportunity to starve anywhere in Bavaria.
Bikes.  Munich is flattish, and while it is not as cycling mad as Amsterdam or Copenhagen, lots and lots of people, and not all of them are young, get around by bicycle.  The city makes a point of providing bike paths, not just on major streets, but pretty much everywhere.
After my shopping chores, I had some trips left on my strip of tickets, so I dumped my stuff off at my room and trammed off once more to Schloss Nymphenburg for some rapturous wanderings in the park. I always want--NEED--to spend time in leafy greenness, with freely flowing clear water, and the hum of insects and birds chirping.  These are things I will not find at home where cars are king.
Dear Readers, if you are in a place where the automobile does not yet rule your life, RESIST.  I speak from experience.
But let's have some Q and A.  As usual I will provide both.
What happened to the Wittelsbachs you keep going on and on about?
When Germany became a republic in 1918 after World War I, they retired into private life, but they are still around.  The family maintains private apartments in Schloss Nymphenburg, and at least one other residence is not open to the public at all, although I must say they are most generous with the parkland.
Beer?  And have you been to a beer garden?
The beer is excellent.  Munich is not as "drinky" as Copenhagen, but beer is the drink of choice for many, and some start early.  The beer is not as strong as some of the brews in Belgium, and I have never seen a drunk.  Bavarians, and I guess Germans generally, regard beer as a food.  I have walked through many beer gardens, but I prefer to drink as long as I am by myself, in my room with my contact lenses out and my feet up.
So no really no Oktober Fest for real?
For one thing my job precludes it.  For another that theory of mine about the calendars?  Nope.  The "fest" began in the very early nineteenth century to celebrate a Wittelsbach wedding--the bride was a Theresa, so the site of the part is called Theresa's Meadows--and was so popular it became an annual event. But the calendar had changed long before, so the next best theory is weather.  Still don't know why they had to call it Oktober Fest though.
How much saturated fat have you eaten this trip?
Lots.  Other than that I have no idea.  The sausage is truly wonderful.  Sauerkraut is good and so are potatoes.  The markets are full of the most beautiful-looking vegetables and fruits.
I don't speak German.  How can I manage?
Look, once I have said "Guten Tag, Ich spreche wenig Deutsch" I have pretty much shot my bolt. Many Germans, especially in tourist areas have a bit of English.  All are kindly and patient.  Please don't be afraid!
I'm a vegetarian/vegan.
Uh oh.  You can survive as a vegetarian--barely.  Europeans largely do not grasp or respect being a vegan.  Sorry.  Many of my fellow guests at Citadines are Muslims, and I guess they keep Halal, i.e. no pork, in a very porkish country.  Getting your own place and shopping and cooking are your best alternatives.  Or stay home--especially if you are vocally hostile to other people's habits.
What else have you enjoyed?
On train, or S Bahn, or bus trips, I gaze out the windows raptly at the green and gold countryside. Many farms proclaim the fertility of the region.  I recall the alternate fields of hops and vines in Franconia for instance.  I love the numerous patches of forest land.  Some is coppiced and obviously for timber crops.  Some is old growth forest.
What do you like most about Munich and Bavaria?
Great question and very hard to answer.  I always love the sense of deep historical roots anchoring a culture.  And part of the culture of this region is a strong sense that life is to Be Enjoyed.  I don't mean folks are frivolous or lazy, but they do live life in balance and realize that pleasure is one thing that gives meaning to life.
I have noticed significant traffic on this blog day-to-day.  Thank you for dropping by, and I hope most of you have stayed to read my posts even if you have not commented.  I hope that those of you who are interested will drop by again for my next trip. Munich has been a wonderful journey.
Vielen Danke and auf wiedersehen!

The Original Wittelsbach Castle!

Gruss Gott!
The train to Landshut was packed!  Even though I boarded the train some ten minutes early, I had a hard time finding a seat. People who got on later were out of luck.  Every seat was taken and people filled the aisles as well.
Where were you all going Pil?
I went to Landshut to see the old town and the castle.  My fellow passengers wanted to participate in the Hochzeist--Landshut's Medieval Festival.
The odd thing is, I think Landshut is in Swabia, but the town distinguishes itself by being the original seat of the Wittesbachs way, way back.
I enjoyed another beautiful day.  It's a fair step--some two kilometers--from the train station to the historic part of town, but it's an easy stroll.  The old town is very pretty with wide pedestrianized streets and interesting buildings.  Those wide streets were packed with folks there to celebrate the festival.  I walked around the place for quite a while trying to find the way up to the castle looming on the hill above.
I did, and I climbed.  The path up is a very steep ramp that seems to go on forever, but the castle is worth the climb.  It's a true fortress for one thing, and a lot of period rooms are open.  During the fifteenth and sixteenth century the Wittelsbachs remodeled the place using the Renaissance style from across the Alps.  Many of the wall frescos have survived, and they are gorgeous.
Then down I went back to the town, the ramp being so steep it was just as slow going down as up.  I mingled with the crowd.  Bands played, dancers twirled and leapt.  People performed and gave demonstrations.  A genuine mood of celebration filled the air as people had fun honoring their heritage.
Many of the townsfolk were in Early Modern dress and looked startlingly and--to me--disconcertingly authentic. Some portrayed aristocrats, others merchants or peasants.  Or soldiers or pages.  The effect was truly remarkable.  I do not know if it was the setting or their faces or their bearing that made them look--so very historic.
Anyway I had fun.
Glad to hear it.  Anything good for dinner?
Well, my favorite imbiss or sausage stand was out of most of their stuff by the time I got back, so I had to settle for bratwurst.  To add interest to the feast, I am going to compare a bite with yellow mustard with another with sweet mustard.  The Germans love their mustard--their word is senf and have many different kinds, but I just stick to these two common ones.  This is a very good sausage and milder than I expected.  With the yellow mustard there's almost a floral taste.  That taste must come from the sausage because it also exists along with the sweet mustard.  The mustards are both good with the sausage, but according to Bavarians the real deal is the beer.
The beer of the day is Helles from the Augustiner brewery.  Bavarians say that food is just the garnish for the beer, and I must say that the beer/sausage combo of whatever sort is a superlative combination.
Chocolates for dessert!  Here's one from Dallmayer that looks kinda like a piece of cheese--if cheese had raspberry filling.   The next bite is a combo white and dark chocolate number from Switzerland.   Walnut filling, and very nice it is, too.  These chocolates taste very good indeed.

Hitting a Snag

Gruss Gott!
The truth is this trip has gone too smoothly.  Disappointment was bound to occur, and today was the day.  I meant to go to Salzburg in Austria, a place I really looked forward to visiting.  Well, I can continue to look forward.  I'll get there some day.  Just not this trip.
Usually it's a straight shot on the train, but this morning the nice train lady told me it would take three and a half hours and three changes to get there--something about construction on the line or the station or something.
Well.  Phooey.
I had no Plan B, so I just walked into the historic center of Munich to contemplate how to spend my day.  The photo is of the Theatine Church, a magnificent Late Baroque production.  I like strolling around European cities because they are so very walkable unlike where I live.  Even among grand buildings, clearly cities were designed for human beings and not for cars.  Inevitably I fetched up at the Viktualienmarkt.  There I obtained a nice slice of Leberkase for my dinner and came upon some Austrian wine to console myself for my thwarted plans.  It's Gruner Veltiner, a pleasant, slightly fizzy white wine I am drinking as an aperitif.
What's it like, Pil?
I am no wine expert and don't have the vocabulary.  It tastes a bit tartish like apples.
Sometime later . . . I am having another German meal.  This time it's Leberkase and Sauerkraut with the Beer of the Day.  This brew is from the Andechs Monastery and is a Helles Weissbier or white beer, so it's made from wheat and is light on the hops.  Here's a sip.
It's got a definite spicy taste--somewhat like nutmeg or cloves, and very nice it is.  I have a pile of sauerkraut to eat, and I intend to slather my leberkase with that sweet, red mustard I like.
But there's dessert, too!
But first I must tell you about yet another encounter with the transport police.  In Munich no one checks your ticket if you are on the tram, bus or S Bahn--or not usually.  So after my day out and laden with goodies, I hopped the tram for home, making sure I validated my ticket--I was using a ten-ticket strip today.  There was a guy on my part of the tram.  I didn't pay much attention until he addressed me.  I was very surprised at his preemptory tone and explained (auf Deutsch) that I did not speak much German.  I had to repeat myself.
He demanded my ticket, which I handed over feeling very puzzled.  He examined it very closely and then informed me that it was good only for another hour.  He sounded annoyed.
But didn't he see me punch my ticket when I got on?  Now this guy looked kinda like a bum--most adult Germans dress more formally, but I can see where he'd make a great undercover cop to catch freeloaders.  The fine is forty euro by the way, so just don't get caught without your ticket, however easy it may look to you to cheat.
But now . . .
Yes, meine Freunden, it's the Fourth Annual International Chocolate Taste Off!
Yay!  But how did you manage this if you could not get next door to Austria?
On my wanderings about Munich I chanced upon a Swiss chocolate shop, and let me tell you, the place smelled just like Heaven.  The rules are as usual.  I got the highest end and most comparable chocs I could find.
In this corner Germany.  I got my chocs from the famed food shop Dallmayr.  I have chosen a dark chocolate square.  Lovely scent.  Thinned shell and a sort of mazipan or marsipan, i.e. almond paste filling.  Very nice, but not sublime.
Now for Switzerland--same thing, dark chocolate square.  And indeed it is the same thing.  Same thin shell and same filling, but this one is better.  The filling has richer flavor.
Now let's try milk chocolate.
This so-called contest is just an excuse for you to eat chocolates.
What's your point?  Here goes.  The German chocolate has a slightly thicker shell, and a smooth nutty sort of filling.  I like this a lot.
For the Swiss, once again the shell is thicker.  The filling is smooth and coffee flavored.  Although I don't care that much for coffee, I like this, and declare Switzerland the winner with apologies to my host country.

Nurn/Nuremberg

Gruss Gott!
Today I took a day trip to Nuremburg--and if you say it fast and often enough you will understand why the German name is Nurnberg--umlaut over the u both ways.  It is very easy to get from Munich to Nurnberg because it's about an hours straight shot on the train.  It is however a Very EXPENSIVE ride because those trains are ICE or Intercity Express.  You can get to Nurnberg more cheaply on a tour.
So why didn't you do that, Pil?
Well, several reasons.  I don't like being part of a herd, and I figured I done my share, and also on the tour they take you to Nazi sites I don't care about and don't take you to places I do.  So I shelled out, and I must say I spent a very pleasurable day in a wonderful city that I hope to return to sometime.
Nurnberg is very easy.  One emerges from the Hauptbahnhof--take the underground passage--it took me a few minutes to figure this out--and parade down Konigstrasse.  The street will take you into the heart of this handsome and historical city, past the market, and up hill to the castle.
That uphill is steep.  Be warned.  The castle is well worth visiting, and you can enter the grounds and prowl around for free.  I got a ticket for the exhibition.  Nurnberg is the second largest city in Bavaria, although they will tell you it's Franconia or Franken and was a major center during the hey day of the Holy Roman Empire. The castle is called the Kaiserburg or Emperor's castle, as he often visited here to hold imperial councils.
My next target was Albrecht Durer's house.  Now I enjoyed seeing where one of my favorite painters lived and worked, but if you are not familiar with Durer, I'd say skip it and go have some Silvaner or the local beer.  It's a beautifully preserved sixteenth century house with some nice period rooms, but the visitor will leave none the wiser about Durer's significance to Art History.  The audio guide comes with admission and is "narrated" by Durer's wife, Agnes, who complains of her bad reputation but has nothing to say about Durer's innovative artistic techniques, or his awesome skills as an engraver.  Agnes does allow that Albrecht was successful and an international celebrity during his life time. She won't tell you why.
There are some copies of his works on display, but if you have seen the originals . . .  Ok.  I can't resist.  Durer brought the artistic ideals of the Italian Renaissance north of the Alps but used the techniques to express the culture and sensibilities of the Germans.  He also observed the natural world very keenly and supported the Protestant Movement.  Except for that last, his well-rounded and humanistic approach to life and learning earned him the title Leonardo of the North.
Then I made my way though the town, snooting around at the market and admiring the city and its churches--more Roman Catholic now.  Sorry Albrecht.  But it was growing hot and humid as it tends to do, so I bought some water and sought the train home.  On the way back, we passed a deer farm. There was a herd of tiny and tawny deer resting in the shade of a tree, and very silly looking they were.
The beer of the day is--wine!  I am having some Franconian Silvaner with my very German meal. Silvaner is white and very fresh tasting.  I got the normal dry, and I would say it's not as dry as most white wines.  It actually tastes rather flowery in a very pleasant, refreshing way.
And this German meal of yours, Pil?
Sausage and sauerkraut.  Can get much more German than that.  The sausages are Nurnberger Wurst, and they are quite small--about the diameter and length of my forefinger.  The sauerkraut is--well--sour cured cabbage, but it does not interfere with the wine.  Let's have a bite of sausage.  Mmm.  Sehr gut. Lecker.  The spicing is somewhat different from any I have had before, but these were worth bringing home.  It's good with both sweet and yellow mustard.  Do not pretend that I stint on my research on your behalf!

Off the Tourist Trail

Gruss Gott!
I need to alternate big, long touristing days with easier, shorter ones.  When I was on my day tour yesterday the guide mentioned yet another Wittelsbach castle that I'd never heard of.  Naturally my ears pricked, and I wrote the name down.  As we passed nearby I looked around for tram tracks or the S Bahn.  Nope.
I googled the name and found enough information to make me think it was a worthwhile trip. Obviously if it's not on tourist radar, it's not going to be a major sight.  In fact the place, Blutenburg was a hunting lodge built on the outskirts of Munich in the early seventeenth century.  After building Nymphenburg, the Wittelsbach ceded Blutenburg to another family.  The castle has been much altered and most of it is not open to the public.  There is some kind of international student library there.  But the Real Attraction was the prospect of Parkland.
So I got myself a transport day pass and took the S Bahn to Pasing, my googlish researches telling me that this was the stop.  I have to admit I was skeptical as I had seen no signs of S Bahn previously, but I hopped out and began walking in what I fondly hoped was the right direction.  I had a nice stroll through a pretty neighborhood with some old houses, but could see no indication of any schloss or parkland.  Also I needed a toilet.
So I tramped back to the train station.  I ended up wandering around a fancy shopping mall for a while until I found some facilities and some stores to poke around in.  This turned out to be a Good Thing.  I came out the other side of the train station and saw numerous bus stops.  I dislike taking buses but did recall seeing a bus stop when Blutenburg was mentioned.  After a search I found Bus 56 and its end point was--wait for it--Schloss Blutenburg.  After a brief wait, I hopped aboard.
As it happens my original instincts were correct, and I had headed in the right direction, but I don't think I would have found the place on my own.
I crossed the road from the stop and walked over a bridge, and I was there!  The schloss is fairly small and built around a courtyard.  There's a beer cafe, which I ignored.
I walked around the building and around the pond and said hello to the Swan Family and many ducks and geese.  I made a Big Loop of the park.  I had to cross a couple of streets, and even so did not make it all the way to the end.  So I had a nice woodland walk, but most of the park is a huge meadow, and while it is nice, it's not as wonderful as Nymphenburg.
Only one part of the schloss is still open to the public.  There's a gothic chapel that looked thirteenth century to me although the decorations were more fifteenth.  Anyway it was gorgeous, and I had it all to myself.
I took the bus back to the station and the S Bahn back to the center, got cash, and walked around a bit and then came home via the grocery store.  I have worked out a short cut that's not much shorter but a more pleasant walk.  That's one thing about settling into a place for a while.  You get to know the area.
The beer of the day is from Hof Brau and is called Munich Summer Beer--I have provided an English translation.  Ok.  Let's just forget about Oktober Fest and just enjoy summer and its delicious beer.  Hof Brau makes some mighty rich tasting brews all right.  I really like this--although I have to admit I can't taste the summer.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Gruss Gott!
I got home very late--the result of a minor adventure.  I was out on a tour today, and as the bus entered central Munich we came upon an accident where a car decided to dispute the right of way with a tram.  The bus driver managed to squirm us past the knotted up traffic, and we arrived a bit late but none the worse for wear at our stop.  I hopped off, tipped the driver as my fellow passengers did and grabbed some dinner to take home.  Ah how lucky.  There's the tram that will drop me off right at the front door.
Uh.  No.  That accident disrupted just the tram lines I needed, but I did not grasp this essential fact until the tram I'd boarded went in an odd direction--still showing the old stops, but not being anywhere near them.  I got off, crossed the road and went back to the train station.  That's when I realized finally what the deal was.  I grabbed the S Bahn to the nearest stop to my place and walked the rest ten minutes home tired and ravenous.
The moral here, O Potential Travelers, is that sometimes these things happen, and there's no need to panic and always a solution is to be found.
The previous part of the day was lovely.  I took a tour because although it is possible to get to Rothenburg from Munich by train, it involves three changes. The bus rides going and coming were long, but we drove through fertile fields and lush forests.  Following the Romantic Road we also crossed the Danube as well as other historically significant rivers.  Our first stop was Schloss Harburg, which is still owned by the Family.  Unlike Neuschwanstein, this is the real deal as a fortress meant for defense. Interestingly--and this was true in Rothenburg as well--the battlements were enclosed with a roof affair.
Then we drove through a seriously historic countryside.  We skirted Donauworth, and Nordlingen--the latter the sight of a major battle of the Thirty Years War.  We even drove through a gigantic meteor crater, although I would not have realized this given the fifteen million years worth of time and several Ice Ages worth of weathering had not the guide explained.
By the time we fetched up at Rothenburg it was mid afternoon, hot and humid, but the city's charm gave us a good experience.  The place is a tourist trap, but the Germans seem to do them well.  It's a beautifully preserved late Medieval walled city.  I walked the wall circuit, visited churches, licked windows, and ate ice cream.  The town is compact, lovely, and very well worth visiting.  A band concert in the market square just added to the enjoyment of the day.  To add to the charms of a very charming town are some public toilets conveniently located and--best of all--FREE!
Our guide pushed the merit of the local pastry speciality--die Schneeballen or snowballs.  They are everywhere!
So of course you tried them.  Eh Pil?
Or not.  If you want one take ribbons of dough and moosh them into a ball.  Fry same. Once out of the fryer dump powdered sugar on it.  Or for a less traditional take slather them with frosting.  These treats are everywhere, and I have to admit I did not find them in the least appealing.
Rothenburg is in Franconia, a distinct region although officially part of Bavaria.  Franconia is wine country, and I came home with a small bottle of Silvaner.  I'll save it to accompany any goodies I bring home from Nuremburg when I visit there.
The beer of the day is Urtyp.  I have no idea what that means beyond Really Good Beer.  It reminds me of the Hofbrau I had yesterday.

Neuschwanstein

Gruss Gott,
I poked around town today, visited a couple of churches, and mostly shopped.  I do not know how to make that interesting.  The only odd thing is that I had a credit card refused--one that I have used for years in Europe.  Fortunately I had a back up--one with a chip--and that evidently made a difference, so that's news you visitors from the USA can use.
Instead experiencing a boring day shopping, let us visit Neuschwanstein, one of the most popular--with both Germans and foreign tourists--destinations in Germany.  The castle was Ludwig II's last and most cherished project.  Our tour bus arrived at the foot of the hill where one can find many shops, cafes, snack bars, and hotels.  In other words it's another very well organized tourist trap, and the visitor might as well enjoy it.
To get to the castle one can take a shuttle bus up, or if deep-pocketed a horse-drawn carriage, or my choice--a trudge uphill.  This I did for some twenty-five minutes stopping to pant and take the occasional photo.  I had lots of company.  I continued on (uphill) to the Marienbrucke for a spectacular view of the castle and the surrounding countryside.  This is a land of lakes, and updrafts, too, apparently, because hang gliders swooped around high above us.
Down I went again to hang around the castle courtyard until our group gathered for its tour.  See, this is the issue with trying to see Linderhof and Neuschwanstein as a lone traveler.  It's possible, but one must reserve a timed tour, and this is a prime target for coach tours which have priority.
Far off the castle looks wonderful, magical.  Close up it's clear that this is a copy.  Once inside it's even clearer that it's a fantasy of what a rich young man of Romantic sensibilities imagined the Middle Ages were like.
We saw the finished rooms on the tour.  Ludwig lived here just a month or so before they took him into custody.  He wanted to recreate a world of chivalry, heroism, and nobility set to music by Richard Wagner.  Most of the rooms in the castle are tributes to Wagner's operas retelling the ancient mythology of the Germans.  You can find Tanhauser in one room, Lohengrin in another.  Ludwig hoped desperately that Wagner would come and stay with him to provide musical accompaniment for his dreams.  What the king did not want was to share his personal visions with anyone else.
The rooms are beautiful, with wonderful decoration and exquisite paintings.  All the colors and figures are truly lovely, and yet my historian's mind kept whispering "Fake. Fake."  And as beautiful as it all was, I could not help but think it was also pathetic.  Historians know better than anyone that past is past and will never come again.  Better far to find something about the present to embrace or shape.
So on the way back down the hill--getting in a woodland walk shared by a zillion other tourists, I decided to take another path down.  I lost track of my group, couldn't find our meeting place, and was late to the bus--fortunately not the only one, but I was embarrassed.
On the way home our guide related a seriously garbled account of German History, while I watched the Alps and valleys fade away, and we returned to the fertile fields around Munich.
The beer of the day is Hofbrau, which you will see advertised all over Munich and widely featured in beer gardens.  The name translates to Court Brew meaning that this is the sort of beer created for royal courts.  Let's have a sip.  Mmm!  I like this!  It tastes almost Belgian in its richness.  This one is my favorite so far.

Ludwig II of Bavaria--Not Mad at All

Gruss Gott!
I had a long heavy-duty day of touristing, and I think I am going to break up the topic over two days because I saw so much, and there is so much to say.
I set out earlier than usual to catch the tour bus.  Yes.  I took a day tour, which I do now and then. Naturally I prefer to be in charge of my own time and not be herded about, but there was no way I was going to be able to get to the places I wanted to see without assistance.  So we set off, cruising the autobahn, driving through the beautiful, green Bavarian countryside towards the alps, viewing villages clustered around the church, contented cows cropping grass, and the occasional ugly industrial building splatted down amongst the fields.
Our guide was a real Bavarian patriot willing to tolerate Franconians and Swabians because some of them were now part of Bavaria but roundly rejecting any "Prussian" culture, etc.
The main business of the day was to visit two of Ludwig II's palaces, and so I think I need to introduce him.  His other nickname is the "Fairy Tale" King, which is more accurate than implying he was nuts.  So we have this sensitive, artistic boy, crowned king at seventeen and utterly incapable of accepting or dealing with the modern world.  His idol was Louis XIV of France, whose egotistic extraversion was completely opposed to Ludwig's character.  He seems to have pathologically shy and was probably gay to boot.  His dependents adored him for both his courtesy and his habit of paying fairly and on time.  And he spent!  He single-handedly whittled down the Wittelsbach fortunes with his building projects.
Our first stop is Schloss Linderhof, an elegant Neo Classical gem set in a long narrow, Alpine Valley. 
Alas! One of the features of a tour is that time is not one's own.  We had time for a guided tour around the house and a quick look-see around the formal gardens.  There is much more here that we had no chance to experience, but the place is comparatively remote, so I took what I could get.  The decoration is profuse, but harmonious and tasteful.  The house is a tribute to Ludwig's admiration of French Absolutism.  And we know how that turned out!
One characteristic feature is the dining room table of his own design.  It could be raised and lowered, so the servants could set it and serve the food without having to enter the king's presence, which apparently just how Ludwig liked it.
This could not end happily.  After Germany's unification in 1871, Ludwig had no real role as king--not that he was doing much anyway, but his family became alarmed by his oddities and refusal to make public appearances.  A doctor was persuaded to issue a diagnoses of insanity, and Ludwig was taken into "protective" custody.  Two days later he--and the doctor--were dead, found drowned in shallow water.  The official verdict was suicide.  Yeah, right.
Our next stop was Oberammergau, best known for the Passion Play it puts on every ten years.  It's a very pretty town and quite frankly, a tourist trap, and none the worse for that.  I like a good touristy town with lots of fun things to eat and drink and plenty of shops to poke around in.  The town is Germany's center of fine wood carving, and I have to say I was impressed by the offerings.  One feature of the town is that the houses and businesses have paintings on them.  Most of the them illustrate Bible stories, but there are also folk tales.
More to come tomorrow when we visit Schloss Neuschwanstein!
The beer of the day is dunkle or dark.  It's dark brown in the glass and on the taste buds.  The beer has an agreeable toasty quality, I find pleasing.

Adventuring to Augsburg

Gruss Gott!
Ok.  Not much adventure--just a nice, smooth, pleasant day trip to Bavaria's third largest city and one of the oldest cities in Germany.  Although truth to tell, I am not at all sure how Bavarian Augsburg feels.  The city only joined the kingdom in 1806.  Before that it was a free Imperial city-state, and before that it was a Roman foundation.  It's name comes from Augusta Vindelicorum, named in honor of Augustus by his step children.  Ruled by a Prince-Archbishop through much of the Early Middle Ages, Augsburg became a truly independent city in the thirteenth century.
Then look out!  The city enjoyed a strategic position between Italy and Northern Europe and became fantastically prosperous.  The Fugger Family in particular accumulated so much capital they rivaled the Medici in becoming bankers to the cash strapped crowned heads.
The Fuggers were major benefactors of their native city, and you will see monuments to them in all the churches as well as here and there in the historic center.  Augsburg also gained prominence during the Protestant Reformation as the site of interfaith debate and the bitter and reluctant agreement Holy Roman Emperor Charles V made with his doctrinal opponents.  So the Protestants were around then, but now Augsburg is firmly and fervently Roman Catholic.  The Thirty Years War put paid to any Protestant activity in the region.
I am getting pretty good at using the ticket machines.  That's how I got my round trip ticket.  The trip takes about thirty-five to forty minutes.  A lot of the route is enclosed by walls.  Now I can sympathize with those living those to rail lines wishing to avoid train noise and the prying eyes (mine, for instance) of travelers, but it makes for a dull trip.  The few glimpses I caught of the countryside looked idyllic--although interestingly enough there were many sun farms along the route with solar panels filling the fields.
I did not feel rushed once I got there.  I made my way--largely by instinct--to the historic center and strolled around, visiting the Roman foundations, and poking around churches.  The city is handsome with a lot of very pretty buildings and squares.  One of the most interesting sites is called the Fuggeri.
One of the banking Fuggers founded alms houses for the city's poor.  Although they were destroyed in the Second World War, they have been rebuilt, and are occupied.  Rent was set way back in the sixteenth century, so centuries of inflation have passed these apartments by, so rent is less than one euro per year!  Two model apartments are open to view, one modern, and one with an Early Modern set up.  One has to pay to get in, and I thought it overpriced at four euro, but I guess they have to make up for the rent being so low.  Yes.  There's a beer garden, although they are not so prominent in Augsburg as in Munich.
The amusing thing is that people kept asking me for information.  Ha!  I was only there for the day. The best I could do was let them look at the map I got from Tourist Information.
The beer of the day is something called Premium Pils--appropriate yes?  And a very pretty golden color.  Let's have a sip.  Well.  The taste is ok but does not live up to the color or the premium label.

The Other Side of Dachau

Gruss Gott!
On the way to the concentration camp, I caught a few glimpses of the town.  I knew there was some kind of castle there with a garden, and it just seemed to me so sad that the town and its people labored under that heavy burden of dire history.  I decided to go back and do the town itself.
So when I alighted from the S Bahn, I turned away from the bus stop and followed the signs to the Altstadt or old city.  I had a pleasant stroll through a pretty town on a pleasant Saturday afternoon, licking windows at some interesting shops and crossing bridges.  Dachau is on the River Amper, but there are plenty more streams flowing through the town.
One has to climb to the old part of the city up a steep ramp.  I was glad that I was in training from all the walking I have been doing even though most of it has been on the flat.  Clearly this was a strategic point.  The hill has been fortified for a long time.  The Wittelsbachs showed up and built a castle and then transformed it into their summer palace in the Renaissance style, but that structure has long since been replaced with the usual Rococo.
I used my castle pass to get in, but not much of the building was open--just a large reception room with a decorated wooden ceiling and classical frescoes along the walls.  I adjourned to the garden.
If you want to make a day of it in Dachau, the Hofgarten is the place to come to help soothe away the pain caused by the camp.  The garden is fragrant, filled with brilliant color, and lovingly maintained.  I strolled down a walkway shaded by interlocking branches of linden trees.  I paused by the walls to enjoy the views back to Munich.  On really clear days--this wasn't one--visitors can see all the way to the Bavarian Alps.
I strolled around the paths under the trees and then returned to the formal garden.  Mostly it's an orchard of apple trees, but the beds held rose varieties in abundance and many strange, exotic-looking yet lovely flowers I had never seen before.
A short walk downhill took me to the heart of the old town.  Ha!  A market day, and as old time readers of this blog know--I simply can't resist. But there was more than a market going on.  I could not help but notice the benches being put up that looked like the people planned to eat and drink.  I saw acoustical equipment being set up.  Song, too?  Then I came upon a sign that told the tale.  They were having an Alte Stadt Fest.  For non German-speaking folk this means a celebration of the old town.
But it was time for me to go back down hill and make my way back to the train station.
I returned to the center of Munich to do some errands.  I also had plans to check out some shops, but these were foiled.  Munich was having its own fest of some sort.  A lot of booths had been set up around the Rathaus, and I found my way elsewhere blocked by a parade of some sort.  Gay Pride?  There was a lot of loud music, and young people tossing candy to the crowd.  Big crowds of tourists mostly taking videos of the whole thing.
As the afternoon heat and humidity had set in, I decided to go back to the grocery store and lay in supplies for the rest of the weekend.
More German food, Pil?
No.  I like to alternate to be nice to my arteries, especially since I consume so much ham, sausage and butter at breakfast.  But I did buy a nice bottle of French wine to go with my pasta.  It's a light, refreshing rose from the Loire Valley.  And I can use the rest as an aperitif when I go back to beer tomorrow.

Return to Nymphenburg

Gruss Gott!
One of the gifts I try to give myself on these trips is time.  I'm here three weeks--or close to it, so if I find a place I really love, I can afford to go back.  So far I have had brilliant weather.  I think on my second day here my umbrella was up for about five minutes because of drizzle, but otherwise it's been sunny and warm.  It was cooler today.  Good walking weather.  I took advantage of it.
I trammed back to Schloss Nymphenburg mostly for the parkland, but also I realized I had not seen everything historical the place had to offer.  I strolled about until things began to open and saw a tiny black squirrel that quickly scurried away.  I have that Bavarian Castles Pass, and today it officially paid for itself.  That's three days, as I did not use it yesterday.  A Good Deal--don't miss it.
My first tourist stop was Magdalenenklause.  This is a small chapel cum house/hermitage apparently built to give any needy Wittelsbachs a retreat for spiritual renewal.  The entrance way and chapel are done up as a grotto like I have seen in Italy.  Shells and rocks encrust every surface with intriguing decorations.  The rest of the place--and it is small is paneled in dark wood.  My plan is this.  After a wintery ride through the snowy grounds in the royal sleighs (see below) we will retire to Magdalenenklause with fires in the fire places and a hearty winter tea laid on.  How about that?
Speaking of the sleighs, my next stop, after rescouting the gift shop in the Schoss was the Marstallmuseum.  Make sure you go.  The exhibit is largely given over to the Wittelsbachs' coaches and sleighs.  Whoa!
In Art History we have a concept called horror vacui, the fear of empty spaces.  Clearly the Wittelsbachs shared this.  The word ornate does not even begin to describe these productions.  Every available surface is ornamented with something, and unfortunately much of the decoration involves putti. Ugh.  The coaches must weigh tons with all that gilt statuary on it.  The mock up had twelve horses drawing one.  They have my sympathy.  Even the postillions seat was all done up with Rococo curly-cues and embroidery.  The coaches may even have been comfortable.  I checked.  They were well hung, so the suspension would have eliminated most of the jolts.  One marvelous and very telling exhibit was the merry-go-round affair set up to help young nobles practice jousting.  The guard in the room made sure I noticed the model "noses" that could be placed on the targets for the express purpose of being knocked off.
The Wittelsbachs prepared themselves for winter as well.  The sleighs were just as ornate as the coaches.  One on exhibit belonged to young Elizabeth of Bavaria, known to us as Sissi.
My last tourist stop was a little gem called Pagodaburg although it's not in the form of a pagoda, and there's really no reasonable explanation for the name.  The downstairs features a ceiling fresco and walls covered in Deft blue and white tiles.  The upstairs is all over lacquer and Chinoiserie.   I am seriously considering transferring my summer tea from Amalienburg to here.  Maybe you folks can google the places and help me decide.
I spent most of the day wandering the wooded parkland.  I think it's hard for those of you who live in cool, green places, to realize what a miracle these woodlands are to me.  I live in a semi desert full of noise, traffic, polluted air, and faded colors.  Walking through a forest puts me in a state of rapturous relaxation.  I breathe deeply and try to let the quiet and the green seep into my heart and soul.  I wore myself out with walking, but I do not think I am quite done with Nymphenburg.
I made a trip back into town to pick up sausage for dinner.  I chose something I enjoyed in Austria called Kasekrainer or cheese-sausage.  The cheese is inside the sausage and with plenty of mustard it makes for good eating.
The beer of the day is weiss beer or white beer made from wheat.  Most beer making regions have a version, and I have liked them.  Let's try Germany's.  Mmmm.  I like this, too.  Wheat beers have a distinct flavor that I find pleasing and refreshing.

Centuries--of Bavarian Stuff

Gruss Gott!
Today I walked around the city and visited the Bavarian State Museum--like the Rezidence a major project.  I began the day with a stroll up to the Hauptbahnhof where I got the underground line that I fondly thought would take me to the Bavarian State Musuem.  And it would have, too, had I not miscalculated the stop.  I ended up some ways away from the target--across the River Iser.  Munich, like all significant European cities has its river.  Indeed I think the water table here must be especially high as at almost every turn there is some kind of fountain.
Well, I realized I'd gone astray, but as I had my city map, I did not feel lost.  I simply walked down the street--and through the park--and across the river--and down more street until I reached my target just after it opened.
The building is well worth seeing on its own.  It seemed to be a nineteenth century recreation of Bavarian Renaissance, and it's packed to the brim with goodies--some of them belonging to the Wittelsbachs and some to other aristocratic families.  Plenty of ecclesiastical and monastic art is on offer as well.
I began with a special exhibit on purses.  Don't scoff.  It was fascinating.  Exhibits began with various pouches carried by both men and women in the sixteenth century.  Clear commentary explained the form and function of each type--going on through the centuries.  I could care less about designer bags, but I enjoyed looking at the lovingly created little embroidered or netted pouches carried by women who aspired to elegance and the stout utilitarian, but still carefully crafted, bags carried by men.  We ended up in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.  The purses looked interesting, but I had no desire to carry any of them.
The museum is rather like the Victoria and Albert in London with something for every taste and nearly every period of history on offer.  I rather liked the jewelry and the Art Nouveau vases.  I have a strong taste for Late Medieval and Renaissance Religious Art.  Altarpieces and statues from churches, monasteries, and private devotions are of very high quality.
But I have a complaint.  St. George is very popular in Bavaria, but I end up feeling bad for Mr. Dragon.  Dragons should be serpentine, not canine. When dragons have ears they look dog-like and silly, and I don't want George to hurt them.  He should put the lance down.
After several hours of this, I left and walked through the city again, stopping at Dallmayr to scout out the chocolates and other goodies, but I still have not yet purchased.  I took the S Bahn back and went to the good grocery store.
The beer of the day is from the famous monastery at Andechs, a place of pilgrimage since the nine hundreds, previously for religious reasons, now for brewing--although I don't suppose those things need to be mutually exclusive.  The monks have a beer hall on site, but I got mine at the grocery store.  Shall we sip?  This is very nice indeed!  It has a rich flavor, not too hoppy, and I can feel the refreshment already.

Splendor in the Country

Gruss Gott!
So, Pil, don't you ever get tired of castles and palaces?
The Wittelsbachs didn't so why should I?  I am feeling fairly aristocratic myself sitting here watching the individual time trial on the Tour de France, and nibbling marcona almonds and sipping Prosecco as an aperitif.
Sounds awfully Mediterranean, Pil.  Having pasta for dinner are we?
As it happens we are.  Remember Monaco is Italy's northernmost city!
Today I visited the Wittelsbachs' country place near Munich.  It's a complex called Schleissheim, and I have to say the buildings and their interiors here are more impressive than Nymphenburg, and there's more to see inside. The grounds are less extensive and are far more formal.  I like fountains and flower beds just fine, but I missed the woodland walks.
I got a day pass and took the S Bahn out to Ober Schliessheim, a stop I remembered from my jet lagged journey into town.  I followed the crowd out of the station and ended up on the road to the "Schloss."  It's an easy ten to twelve minute walk.  I imagine that on summer weekends the place tends to fill up, but on a weekday, it remained refreshingly uncrowded.  I am guessing few casual tourists make their way out here.  Their loss!
Three palaces make up the complex, and I could use my castles pass to get into all of them.  One first comes upon the Altes Schloss, which was built during the Renaissance around a courtyard.  Then the eye is smitten by the Late Baroque glory of the Neues Schloss, about which more later.  I walked around it to the garden facade to see a long axial garden and canal leading to Schloss Lustheim, which was at least a kilometer away.  I decided to walk up there and work my way back.
I had a pleasant stroll under the trees by canal, stopping occasionally to explain to the swans what lovely birds they are.  Visitors feed them, so they come up hopefully, but alas I having no goodies with me, was a disappointment.
I must comment on one feature of all the woodsy gardens I have wandered in Germany.  Other forest land I have walked in has a sour planty smell,  German woods are fragrant.  It's a faint flowery smell, but I cannot figure out the source.  The trees are the usual varieties of oak, chestnut, beech.  The only flowers are the timid blooms growing on the verges where they can get reliable sunlight.  But the scent is lovely and relaxing.
Schloss Lustheim is comparatively small--on a human scale.  While his real palace was under construction Elector Max-Emanuel, Prince of Bavaria lived here.  Currently it houses an exhibition of porcelain from the Meissen works.  I strolled around choosing various services I intend to use when I give my tea back at Amalienburg.
Then I strolled back to the main event--the new palace built to show the world that Max-Emanuel was wasted as a mere Elector and should be Holy Roman Emperor.  If it only depended on the building, I'd say he'd have been a shoo in, but instead he got mixed up the War of the Spanish Succession and ended up in exile.  The existing building--overwhelmingly grand as it is--is apparently a mere shadow of the original conception.
All the elements are there--grand staircases, huge reception rooms with ceiling frescos done up with mythological allegories, profusion of gilt decoration, Venetian windows, tapestries, silk hangings--the works!  And somehow it does work.  The impression is of grandeur and luxury, but also of exquisite beauty and harmony.  The rooms I loved best were the rooms on the ground floor giving out into the garden.  The decoration in them was no less extravagant but it was also more subtle and elegant.
One more to go, and the old castle is comparatively plain inside and out, but it houses a fascinating exhibition of folk art--mostly Christian--from around the world.
So if you are in Munich--seriously--come out here.  Make a day of it.  Inevitably there's a beer garden as well, so you will never be far from refreshment.

Schloss Nymphenburg

Gruss Gott!
What a wonderful day out--the best so far!
The day came to inaugurate my castles pass.  I looked at the map and thought I could walk to Schloss Nymphenberg, but then I thought of the parkland I wanted to wander and decided to take the tram.  I got a day pass and just missed the tram that would have taken me straight to the palace.  I got the next one that would take me within a short walk.
I like taking trams.  For one thing there is much less guess work about the stops.  Indeed I found the stop and the palace with no problem.  If you want to find Nymphenberg on google, go in the opposite direction down Arnulfstrasse from the old city.
Schloss Nymphenburg reminded me of Schoenbrunn in Vienna--not the buildings so much as these are Rococo rather than Late Baroque.  But the grounds are free and open to the public daily, and they are extensive.  Seeing the buildings in the castle complex is fun, but if the euros run short, come anyway.  You can see the outsides of the buildings for free, and then there's that marvelous parkland.
I'm just going to forget about going back to the English Garden.  The park lands at Nymphenburg are more heavily wooded and less crowded, not to mention more extensive.  Also there are no nude sunbathers.
The trees of various varieties are thickly planted, but open up here and there to glades or even broad meadows.  Traffic noise fades away, and bird song takes over.  From time to time the whirring of bike wheels or to rhymic footfalls of joggers sounded, but mostly I had the paths to myself.  I walked beside canals and freely flowing streams.
Numerous varieties of ducks appear.  I saw geese and swans as well.  One parent swan had a cygnet tucked into its back feathers as it ferried its baby around.
I visited the Amalienburg--the charming Rococo "hunting lodge" designed by Francois Cuvillies, the Belgian architect who also decorated much of the Rezidence in town.  The Schloss itself is worth seeing--and also there's a (free) toilet and handsome giftshop--but it's dim and small compared to the Rezidence.  I walked around the lake near the Badenburg--that's a bathhouse done up in Rococo splendor.  I told the attendant I wanted to move into Amalienburg.  The rooms are on a charmingly human scale.  I imagined long strolls through the parkland with my friends and then returning to find a wonderful tea laid out for us.  Sound good?
I'd walked a lot, so I felt ok about tramming back to town for some ice cream.  I also tried out a new grocery store closer to Citadines.  Yeah well.  The selection was not as good, so I am going to stick to the market and the other grocery store near Donnersbergerbrucke.  But let's try the beer.
It's ok.  I was concerned because it comes in a plastic bottle, but no beer in Germany is going to be bad.  The standards are strict!  This one is less complex than the Helles.  But listen to me writing as if I knew anything.

A Walk in the Park

Guten Tag--although Munichers are like the Viennese and say Gruss Gott, so I guess I will, too.
Mondays on these trips are problematical.  Most museums are closed tight, and it's also a Tour de France rest day.  But I needed to do something with myself.
First I enjoyed a long and luxurious breakfast.  I just love breakfast buffets because I could not provide such variety and profusion just for me.  I had two different kinds of dark bread loaded with seeds and thickly spread with creamy cheese and butter from pastured cows.  And that does not take into account the ham.
Then as usual I strolled into the old town.  I fetched up at the Bavarian Castles Information Center just as it opened.  The first order of business was to buy a castles pass.
Oh, there she goes.  Pil, you are going to lecture us about these cards again, aren't you.
Uh.  Yeah.  But seriously they are a wonderful deal.  I got one for two weeks, and it cost me twenty-four euro.  An active and dedicated traveler could make it pay for itself in two days, so even if you are just in the region for a week, it's worth getting. You can get them at the office as I did or at any participating site.  Just google it.
Is the commercial over yet?
My next stop was the post office where I did not make a complete idiot of myself buying stamps in broken German from a kind and patient postal worker.
Then on to the English Garden, which is the main public part in Munich.  It's called the English Garden because it's carefully maintained parkland.  I loved it!  If you want pretty flower beds stroll through the Hofgarten and sit and watch the fountains play.  I did, and it was very pleasant indeed.
But if you want to stroll among the chestnuts and oak trees, view the sun-lit glades, and walk beside free flowing water to hobnob with ducks, the English Garden is for you.  It's huge and one could wander for hours as I did and not cover the whole space.  It is by no means isolated.  It has major bike routes, and many pedestrians--also evidence of horses having passed by.
This would be a wonderful place for a picnic, but if you don't want to tote food or drink--inevitably you will come upon a beer garden.  I may have to go back.
What about the nude sunbathers and the surfers, huh?
Both true.  The English Garden is well provided with water courses, and one of them accommodates surfers who accept observation.  I saw nude sunbathers as well, who do not expect or accept observation.  They disport themselves on the grassy lawns well away from paths.  It's legal, but that doesn't mean I have to approve.  Just so you know, I am indifferent to public nudity.  What horrifies me is the exposure of Northern European skin to the sun!
Feeling refreshed and renewed by my experience walking in this green world, I returned to the city to comparison shop for postcards.  Depending on one's desire to save money or simply avoid being ripped off this is worth doing.  Some stands had the cards at one euro per card.  Others displayed no price at all.  Rather worrying that.  I finally came upon a stand that offered cards for fifty euro cents each--still exorbitant, but the best I could do.
Then I licked windows and poked around stores for a while.  I returned to the market for more honey wine, which I have saved up for tomorrow's aperitif.  For dinner I got some fish and chips from a German outfit called Nordsee.  I came across it in Vienna, so I know the fish and chips are good. Then footsore and worn out by that time I made my way home.
Tomorrow the serious tourist action will start again!

Some Art Ancient and Modern

Guten Tag!
Three people asked me for help today.  I actually did help the elderly man struggling with the locker at the art museum.  The lady and I puzzled over my map, but we couldn't find the place she wanted. For your laugh of the day, you can contemplate me giving advice on beer to the Chinese girl in the grocery store.
And it's true--on weekends quite a few Munichers dress in lederhosen (if male) or dirndl (if female).  If you want to make the scene a lot of stores in the central city sell traditional dress--much of it gorgeous--all of it expensive.
On Sundays some of Munich's museums have a token entrance fee of one euro. I decided to take advantage of this.  After a huge and satisfying breakfast, I set off for the Neue Pinakotheck, which exhibits late nineteenth and early twentieth century paintings--once again largely from the personal collection of the Wittelsbachs.
I like starting early, and I prefer to walk if I can, and central Munich is easily walkable.  Also my first day out I got a map at the Tourist Information Office, so I can find things.  I feared that the museum would be as crowded as the Old Pinakotheck, but I arrived just after opening and while there were plenty of us there, no one was being obnoxious.
Boy I was impressed.  This is an outstanding collection!  Sure, you'll find works by local artists you've never heard of, but the paintings are lovely nonetheless.  And I am not above enjoying genre or historical paintings.  Those Wittelsbachs--they had taste!
But if you want artists you recognize you can find their works on the walls as well.  Highlights include a distinguished selection of Van Gogh, and all the other Impressionists and Post Impressionists are there as well.  I also especially liked the works of the German Romantic painter, Caspar David Friedrich, who specialized in mysterious landscapes.
Then I strolled over to the two museums of Antiquity that face each other like Neo Classical twins across Konigsplaz.  I chose one that turned out to be the sculpture museum of Greek and Roman Art.  The one across the way has vase paintings.  Now I happen to enjoy ancient art, but most of the works in the collection are in poor condition and I guess would be of little interest to the causal observer. The exception is the Barbarini Faun--you can google him--a splendid and rather naughty Hellenistic masterpiece.  I think he's meant to be a garden ornament.  Picture strolling among the flowers, turning a corner, and coming upon that.
I was museumed out, so I strolled up to the Hofburg Garten or palace garden, which is exquisite.  The busker playing violin in the Temple of Diana only added to the atmosphere.
I made my way back to the Hauptbahnhof.  That's the main train station to you non-Germans. Generally stores are closed up tight in Catholic countries on Sunday, but one can usually find something open if there's a large train station in town.  The one in Munich has lots of food stands, restaurants, and--this is worth knowing--a small grocery store open Sunday.
Here we go.  Tell us about the food.
I supplied myself with food previously, but I managed to burn the microwave pasta, so I needed supplies.  I used this as an excuse to buy more beer, and go to a sausage stand for some currywurst, which may be the national dish of Germany these days.  Let's have a bite.
Well?
Lecker!  It doesn't taste like any curry I'm familiar with, but it is mighty tasty.  I can taste sweet mustard--senf in German.  There is a spicy undertone to the sausage, but it's not hot--just rich tasting.  Yep.  I could get used to eating this very easily.  And the Helles style of beer goes along with it just fine.

I Made Myself Go

Guten Tag!
My destination?  Set in lush countryside during the Middle Ages, the town boasted a fine ecclesiastical establishment and a stalwart castle.  Later on the Wittelsbachs liked it so much they built their summer palace there.  The town enjoyed modest fame during the Renaissance for a humanist circle and for its support of progressive ideas during the Enlightenment.  Currently the town has a charming historic center complete with the castle, and the inhabitants wish desperately that that was the extent of their home's fame.
The name of the place is Dachau.

Getting there is easy.  I bought a day pass for two zones from the machine at the train station.  I alighted with the rest of the tourists at Dachau Bahnhof or train station.  The bus to the camp was waiting for us.  Because I had a day pass I did not have to pay the bus fare as the public transportation system is unified.  It is possible to walk to the site, but it's several kilometers from the town, so it's better to take the bus.
Entrance to the site is free, but I rented the audio guide for 3.50E, and I would strongly urge any visitor to do this.  Or you can take a guided tour.  The experience felt surreal.  I was there on a brilliantly sunny day along with many other tourists.  As the site is large it did not feel crowded, but some people picnicked, others walked dogs, people chatted of this and that.
And yet the remains of the camp are bleak and evocative.  I tried to picture it in winter with gray skies and frost, the prisoners forced to labor wearing only their prisoners stripped pajamas and the unheated barracks and inadequate food.  The visitor can enter both a reconstructed barrack and the crematoria.  Dachau was not a death camp.  Weak or otherwise undesirable prisoners were shipped across the Austrian border to the gas chambers, but nonetheless, cruelty both casual and deliberate had a prominent place at Dachau.
One thing I found enlightening.  Factories all over Bavaria and Franconia begged for slave labor. The sight of the prisoners was very common as so many men were in the army, only the prisoners kept German industry going near the end of the war.  Claims of ignorance by German civilians holds no water.
For a few minutes I strolled away from the clumps of tourists, following a quiet wood-lined path. There amid dappled sunlight and bird song, I found the mass graves of those who died and the memorials to them nameless as they were.  Simple.  Moving.
The photos and films are harrowing as are the accounts of those who survived or witnessed the atrocity.  I had to make myself go.  I cannot say I had fun.  I am glad I went.
Munich in particular and Bavaria in general was a center of NAZI activity.  Adolph Hitler settled in Munich after he emigrated from Austria-Hungary.  People who are interested in pursuing NAZI sites and history can find many in the city and region.  This generation is not inclined to sweep anything under the rug.
But I am going back to more frivolous tourist fun.  When I got back to town as it was hot I treated myself to gelato--my favorite flavors, chocolate, hazelnut, and cherry-vanilla.

A Collection Worthy of Royalty

Guten Tag!
I am still not over the jet lag.  I slept well but not nearly enough last night, so needing some stimulation to keep me alert, I determined to visit the Alte Pinakotek--that's the Old Museum of Paintings to you.  So I had a pleasant longish stroll to arrive early.
The problem was that every other tourist in Munich seemed to have had the same idea.  The place was a zoo.  My heart sank because on top of the tourist crowds, I saw several school groups of various ages.  I know these school groups.  They park in front of the most important works while the docent explains at great length, so there's no getting near what one wants to see.
And my visit did not begin well. After climbing the stairs I opened the door to one of a salons and barged in on an adult tour group.  One of them kindly moved aside to let me pass and set off an alarm.  Whoops.  Then the museum guard said I couldn't have my bag with me, so I had to go all way back down and check it.
Well, phooey, I thought.  I'm not going up there to share paintings with tour groups and kids.  I began in another part of the museum.  Then I began to be very glad I came.  The collection is superb!  You would have to go to Vienna to find one as good and to Paris or London to find better.  And I managed mostly to dodge the kids and tour groups.
I saw many of my "old friends" and as always the works are even more wonderful in person.  I gazed raptly on Altdorfer's amazingly detailed Battle of Issus and then moved on to Durer.  I was just about to immerse myself when a loud, penetrating, and seriously ugly American accent smote my ears and the owner swooped by in between me and the painting saying (loudly) that she was just looking for names she recognized.
The woman appeared to be an Art History teacher in charge of a small group of students, but if she was in fact an Art History teacher, she was terrible.  She ignored Durer and dragged her group around for quick looks with no analysis or interpretation.  I could feel my blood pressure rising, so I quickly went on to the next room.  Fortunately when I came back they were gone, and I did not encounter them again.
Back to the art.  I get a kick out of Albrecht Durer.  I mean he painted himself as Jesus and got away with it.  His Four Apostles are in Munich along with quite a few other works I'd not seen.  I could go on and on listing artists and works.  The Wittelsbachs had outstanding taste, and this is their personal collection thrown open to the public in the mid nineteenth century.  I would point to the Rubens as the most spectacular part of the exhibits.  I especially liked the charming double portrait he made of himself and his first wife.  But every notable painter of the Early Modern Period is represented.  They even had some panels by Giotto.
I took the long way back dropping in to the famed Food Hall Dallmayr.  It's like a smaller version of Harrod's Food Hall--just as elegant--and just as expensive.  I drooled but did not buy.  I strolled by Konigsplaz to admire some Neo Classical architecture.  By that time the afternoon had turned a little humid.  I walked back this time rather than taking the train and went to the grocery store.
Ok!  This is more like it.  I mean art has it's place and all, but . . .
Shall we start with the beer?
Finally!
I chose a venerable Munich brand called Augustiner since I pass their beer garden on the way to town and a style called Helles, which is a pale lager.  It's delicious and refreshing without pronounced hops. After a bowl of vegetable salad, I proceeded to my second course--left over Leberkase, but this time with a difference.  At the grocery store I got some sweet mustard, a popular and indeed characteristic German condiment.  Mustard is an emulsifier.  The French use it in their vinigarette, and mustard has some property that helps humans digest fat.  Tastes good, too!  I had never had sweet mustard before, but at first bite I realized it was the perfect accompaniment to the rich Leberkase.  I learned to say Lecker! in Amsterdam.  Fortunately the expression is the same auf Deutsch!

Meet the Wittelbachs--and Their Stuff

Lots of Wittelsbachs.  LOTS of stuff!
Guten Tag!
Are these Wittelsbachs any thing like the Grimaldis?
Well--yes--except the Grimaldis are still hanging on as ruling family, but the Wittelsbachs--and I am sure there are some still around somewhere--had the distinction of ruling Bavaria for nearly one thousand years, which I call pretty impressive.  One reason Bismarck had to call it the German Empire was the incorporation of the Kingdom of Bavaria in the unified Germany.  On the whole the
Wittelsbach seem to have been a decent lot, but every family has its eccentrics.  Long time readers of this blog have already met Elisabeth Wittelsbach--the Elisabeth of Bavaria known as Sissi, who married the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. She was fond of her cousin Ludwig II the "Mad" whom we'll meet later.  They shared a depressive tendency.  She grew her hair.  He built castles.
I enjoyed my Fruhstuck once again.  The bread can best be described as sublime.  I cut a thick slice of richly dark rye bread and slathered soft liver paste thickly upon it and that was just part of the repast.
Pil, you are killing me!
But I had gotten some decent sleep and was feeling pretty well, so it was time for some tourist action.  I determined to visit the Rezidence--which is the place the Wittelsbachs and their pals stayed when they were in Munich.  They started with a castle and ended up with probably the most magnificent palace north of the Rhine.  The joint was knocked around quite a bit as a result of World War II, but I would call it the Must See when you come to Munich.
And I really hope you come to Munich.  It's a handsome city, easy to navigate--I have not been lost once.  It's friendly with plenty of everything for everybody.
I walked to the palace--as I have said Munich is easily navigable and got a combination ticket.  This was a genuine bargain--not just because of the spectacular nature of the sights but also because it included the audio guide.
Be warned.  The Rezidence is a Serious Palace.  Some ninety beautifully and authentically decorated rooms on are offer, and they deserve your time.  This does not even count the royal Treasury.
Just give us the highlights, Pil.
I'll try.  One of the first things the visitor encounters is the Chamber of Antiquities.  Now I also appreciated the busts of Roman Emperors, but the real draw is the Renaissance painted vault.  The rest of the palace is a mixture of grand rooms like the Chamber of Justice and a few more intimate ones where members of the family could withdraw from public scrutiny.  In the Treasury, I liked the crowns and the incredibly exquisite yet heroic figurine of St. George Killing the Dragon all done in gold, crystal, and gems.  Audio guides are hit or miss in my experience, but this one was genuinely helpful, and the music it played didn't hurt either.
The visit took a chunk of the day, but I still had some gumption left to return to the Viktualienmarkt.
Yeah.  You are just teasing us--describing all the wondrous goodies but consuming none
No!  I bought something this time.  Several somethings.  Would you like to experience them with me?
Slaver, drool . . .
Once you've wiped off your screen we'll begin.  This is a real German meal.  I have potatoes--small with thin golden skin and a very potatoish taste.  Let's have some Leiberkase--which should translate to liver cheese, but it's not that at all but more of a slab of rich tasting meatloaf sort of thing.
Did you have beer with this?
Er--no, but I will sometime, but I went back to the honey store and got honey wine, so that counts.  It smells and tastes like honey, and has the same pale golden color as the potatoes I devoured. But it's not cloying or sticky at all.  I like it and will go back for more.

Exploring a New City

Guten Tag!
I am delighted with my apartment.  The bed is comfortable, and the rooms are quieter and darker than my home at night, but even so I was zonked by jet lag, I got only about three hours of sleep.  I decided to give myself a short and easy day.
I walked outside this morning to find the day humid but pleasant.  I decided to walk up to the next S Bahn stop, get tickets and go to the historic center, but I felt fine, so I kept walking.  I did get some public transport tickets and came home via the S Bahn, but in between that I had a very pleasant stroll and day.  I stopped at the main train station to poke around, because I like looking around train stations.  Sometimes they provide useful facilities.
It took me about twenty five minutes to reach the heart of Munich, and I passed several beer gardens on the way.  I arrived early enough to miss the tourist crowds.  I dropped into a lovely late Baroque Church dedicated to St. Michael where poor Ludwig II is buried and later visited Die Frauenkirke dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  The current church is a reconstruction of severe war damage, so it does not look so very late Gothic, but the Late Medieval polychrome sculptures and paintings are wonderful.  Bavaria has been staunchly Catholic since Charlemagne's time.  The Protestant Movement never gained the teensiest foothold here.
Every visitor to Munich comes to see the two Rathauses or town halls.  The new one is a Late Gothic masterpiece and boasts the famous Glockenspiel with animated figures.  It's beautiful and a lot of fun.
Then--naturally--I gravitated to the Viktualienmarkt.
Well, Pil that name seems to have the word market in it, so I can guess why YOU would show up there.  What did you see?  Did you buy anything?
I've not bought anything yet, but I'll have to go back.  There is a lot of pork on offer--in various forms, and I intend to try some of it.  If you want plant matter, you can find fruits, vegetables, and flowers all looking bright and lovely.  I was fascinated by a honey shop, and of course one can get cheese.
I visited the Munich City Museum hoping to get to know the history better and also hoping for some cool period rooms.  I got a few of the latter, and I fear I am none the wiser as to the former, but on the other hand I did not rent the audio guide, and I began to get brain buzz.
So I strolled back to an S Bahn stop and went to a grocery store on the way home.  I got pasta, so nothing German.  By that time it had turned sultry.  It may come on to rain later.
Pil!  You disappoint your faithful readers.  We want to know about the FOOD!
Ok.
Breakfast is included in the good deal I got in my room.  Since I got in yesterday too late and jet lagged to go grocery shopping, I figured I'd show up this morning.  I expected the usual continental breakfast buffet--essentially bread--in other words meh--but this is Germany, meine Freunden, and the spread was northern continental.  Hot Hundchen!  Breads of various sorts, pastry, cheeses, soft and harder sausages, hot hard cooked eggs, butter, jam, honey.  All the tea I wanted, too.  At some point I'll even dig into the granola and yoghurt.  They start it nice and early, too.  My appetite and I shall be attending each morning, you can bet.  It's worth getting dressed for.
That's better.
And two people have asked me for directions already.  I couldn't help either.  Sigh

Wilkommen in Munchen!

Guten Tag!
I arrived brain buzzed and dehydrated, but I arrived after a long but smooth trip.  The adventure started early when the van driver gave me the wrong bag, and I didn't notice right away.  The flight was fine.  I just didn't sleep.  There were no screaming children or noisy cabin mates--just a supremely uncomfortable seat.  I also had a rather unfortunate dinner of rubbery pasta with over-seasoned--sauce I guess it was supposed to be.  All of us in the back of the plane shared in this experience as the other--much better sounding meal--ran out.
So I finally got to leave Munich Airport and come into the city.  The S Bahn station was easy to find and the machines are multi lingual, and I had Euro--a good thing since there is no ticket office.  The trains are very nice and smooth and the ride into town occasionally picturesque.  I got off at my stop. Now here is where I express my gratitude to google maps.  I scouted the area and noticed that there was a huge Mercedes Benz headquarters in the direction I needed to go.  When I exited the station, I looked around and spotted the logo.  No getting lost this time!
I lucked into a very good deal with a very nice room and wireless at the Citadines.  I swilled down a bottle of sparkling water, so the dehydration is taken care of.  The brain buzz remains, so I hope this makes sense.
Tomorrow the Real Adventures start!

Tell it to the Grimaldis!

Guten Tag!
So last April I was standing in line at Bologna Airport waiting for check in and a guy asked me in Italian if I was flying to Monaco.  The bewilderment on my face must have told the tale.  "Munchen," he said.  I said,"Ja"--I mean--"Si, Munchen."
Who cares.  Who are these Grimaldis, and why should I tell them anything?
The ruling family of the Principality of Monaco tucked into southern France.
Your knowing things like that is Really Obnoxious, Pil.  Monaco?
Means "Place of the Monks"  So does Munchen--that's Munich to you, and it makes sense to me.  So many cities not founded by Romans were originally monastic.  So while I am going to "Monaco" I shall not be visiting the fleshpots of Monte Carlo this trip!  But Munich these days isn't exactly monastic either.
It's July, Pil.  You are supposed to go in October to Oktober Fest.  Even I know that!
Uh.  Oktober Fest actually takes place in September, and no I am NOT showing up.  Munich is expensive enough as it is.  The "Fest" being popular with foreigners wanting to consume in excess, hotel prices go up, and accidents or victimhood among the drunken foreigners are not uncommon.
So I'm happy to go in July.
Why does something called Oktober Fest take place in September?
I don't know but my theory has to do with the change from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar.
Your theories are obnoxious, too.  But good choice this time Pil.  Lotsa food and drink I bet.  Ummm beer!
And history and art, but never fear.  I will report on food and drink--knowing my audience as I do.  German food has the reputation of being heavy on the sausages, potatoes, and cabbage.  We shall see.
In the meantime let's have some fun facts about Munich to warm us all up.
See, the name "Monaco" and all those Italians flying there?  The joke is that Munich is not the southernmost German city.  It's the northernmost Italian city!  Bavarians have always been proud of their distinct regional and cultural identity.  Like many Europeans they both cherish their traditions and embrace modernity.
So that young German hipster you see with his laptop open, a cell phone in one hand, and a sausage in the other will be eating that Weisswurst for breakfast--Fruhstuck to us Germans--because it's just not done to have that sort of sausage for lunch.
By the way I intend to keep my congratulations to the EU on its latest member, Croatia, to myself.  Germany is the economic engine of the EU, and most Germans aren't keen on having their money drained off to support the struggling members.  If Bavaria were its own country, it's economy would rank nineteenth in the world.  Not bad!
Oh yeah!  I get it.   BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works.
Don't forget Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes--not to mention Siemans and Adidas.  But we aren't going to any corporate headquarters.  Munich is well provided with museums and markets, and Bavaria abounds with lakes, mountains--and castles.
So please join me in the exploration of this fascinating city and region.