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The ever-efficient Zoltan home from the office, relaxed and at his PC, checking tram timetables, plotting my next move! |
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This lady at the Gluhwein and Lebkuchen stall on Marienplatz "chirped" passers-by, in a Bavarian dialect. |
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Exploring Munich and the Englischer Garten I surfaced late the next morning and sent a text to my friend Christa in Greiling in South Bavaria, in the hope that we might meet up either in her home town or in Munich itself. I took the S21 around 12h30 and via Karlsplatz-Marienplatz, walked down Maximillianstrasse, crossing the river Isar at Maximiliansbrücke, turned left through a garden which joined up with Prinzregentenstrasse.Where the avenue crosses the river, it circles the Friedensengel (Angel of Peace), a monument commemorating the 25 years of peace following the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Prinzregentenstrasse is one of four royal avenues in Munich. It is the location of Haus der Kunst (House of Art), a modern art museum I had once visited; I go in with an open mind and leave with a headache. I guess it's Munich's Tate Modern. A tributary of the Isar, the Eisbach (Ice River) flows just by Haus der Kunst through a tunnel. As the waters emerge, a wave is created and the spot is popular for surfers. It is regarded as a pro spot but is dangerous, as the rock is located only 40cm under the water. The Bavarian National Museum (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum) is one of the most important cultural history museums in Europe. It houses a large collection of European artefacts from the Middle Ages until early 20th century. The historical collection displays artworks in a tour through more than forty rooms from the hall for Romanesque art via the rooms for Gothic, renaissance, baroque and Rococo art to the exhibits of Classicism and Art Nouveau. It was here I was able to access the Englischer Garten, where I had been before in summer in the '80's, only to discover that it had become immensely popular as a nudist colony since the 1960's! This is in the area of the gardens known as Schönfeldwiese (lit. "Beautiful meadows"). It caused quite a sensation at the time and also made the English Gardens well-known, even outside Munich. |
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The Englischer Garten or "English Garden" is a large urban public park that stretches from the city centre to the north-eastern city limits. It was founded in 1789 by Benjamin Thompson, who is also known as Count of Rumford. With an area covering 3.7 km² the Englischer Garten is one of the world's largest urban public parks. It is bigger than New York's famous Central Park but smaller than Richmond Park in London, which is the biggest city park in Europe. The name refers to the style of gardening; the term English garden is used outside of the English speaking world to refer to the style of informal landscape garden which was popular in the United Kingdom from the mid 18th century to the early 19th century, and is particularly associated with Capability Brown. Though the trees were devoid of leaves, the garden still brings a sense of calmness. The gardens feature a 25 metre Chinesse tower, a Japanese tea garden and numerous beer gardens. I exited on the north side. |
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A day trip to the Allianz Arena Zoltan had told me that the annual Tollwood Craft Festival would be worth a visit. Up late again on the Friday, I took the U4 and U5 underground to Theresianwiese, which is also the venue for the annual October Beer Fest. Unfortunately, it was still shut so I decided to take the U6 to Froettmaning tube station, to Munich's famous Allianz Arena football stadium. It is the home of Munich's two football teams, Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich. Previously they played at the Olympic Village. It is a remote location, the surrounding landscape somewhat barren, though it is close to an industrial park. The stadium, well worth the visit, was constructed by the Allianz Group, a large financial services provider, taking three years. For certain tournaments, this name may not be displayed, as it conflicts with the sponsorship of the organisers of the particular tournament - officially it is known as the Fussball Arena München, though hardly anyone calls it that. Soon after its construction, Allianz Arena's distinctive shape inspired its occasional nickname, Schlauchboot ("inflatable boat"). The National Team also play there. For evening games, the stadium is lit in the colours of the three teams which use the venue i.e. red, sky blue and white. |
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An amusing anecdote is that, for European games, the seats behind each of the goals are not to be removed. They were removed at the time and also when Bayern Munich play home Bundesliga games. The explanation is that the Bayern fans prefer to support their team like true fans i.e. standing up, presumably with a Bratwurst in one hand and a beer in the other. It is a very modern, clinical design which raised the question as to what sort of atmosphere the stadium generated. the guide conceded that there were probably other German stadia where the ambience was superior, such as Dortmund's Westfalenstadion (now known as the Signal Iduna Park). I purchased a few souvenirs from the megastore. Around 17h00, I took the U3 and U2 tubes from Marientor to Frankfurter Ring. Zoltan and I had been invited for dinner by, Jaros, a colleague of his from Knorrbremse, and his wife, Mare. It was a Hungarian dish consisting of paprika and liver wrapped in bacon. washed down with loads of red wine, it was delicious. By the evening's end, Zoltan proclaimed himself pissed! |
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Nuremberg is the largest city in Franconia and is situated on the Pegnitz river. It is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial capital' of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly because imperial courts met at Nuremberg Castle (Kaiserburg). In 1298, the Jews of the town were accused of having desecrated the host (thin, round wafer made from bread and used for Christian communion) and 698 were slain in one of the many Rintfleisch Massacres. The cultural flowering of Nuremberg in the 15th and 16th centuries made it the centre of the German Renaissance. In 1525, Nuremberg accepted the Protestant Reformation, and in 1532, the religious peace of Nuremberg, by which the Lutherans gained important concessions, was signed there. In 1632 during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) the city was besieged and declined after that and recovered its importance only in the nineteenth century. Nuremberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany period. Because of the city's relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the centre of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions–the Nuremberg rallies. | |
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To be continued |
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[Europe] |
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Links to other websites: |
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