Day 10 - Munich

This morning  at breakfast we learned that American were not the ugliest tourists in Europe.  We think we might be #3 behind two other groups whom shall remain unnamed here.  However, let me say that they are horrible. Some of their less desirable traits are:   stand in groups in the aisle ways so you  can't get through, eat at the buffet stations  so you  can't get to the food because they've stopped to eat, stand and visit in groups in front of the food.  I must admit that I finally had it after  being stepped on, shoved, not able to get to the food I wanted  (we all know how I get when I'm hungry which is not pretty) so I pushed them aside while I pretended to look at food which I really didn't want.  I found it  lots of fun and that  made me feel immensely better!

We did a hop on/hop off tour which was really good.  Munich is another wonderful city started in 1100 by monks and I can now see why so many people include it in their list of favorite cities in Germany.    We learned lots of facts which I've mostly forgotten which is good for you.  We are staying in an area where there was heavy bombing so it's not as nice as the areas which remained basically intact.  The Nymphenburg palace was amazing.  It was a summer palace  built by Ludwig I for his wife, the princess of Savoy (Italian) .  It was actually completed by their grandson.  The first octoberfest started at their wedding and lasted a week.  The largest biergarden in Munich holds 10,000 people.  The Nymphenburg canal ends in a man made lake at the Olympic park.  The Olympic park is amazing! The roofs were designed like a spider web and are made from plexiglas.  The Olympic park is built on the old airport  site which is significant for the BMW world headquarters located across the street.  BMW started out making airplane engines and their emblem is the shape of a propeller with their initials inside.  Their headquarters is unique -- the entrance is two adjoined cones: the tornado rising to the clouds and has 220,000 solar cells   in the roof  ( I checked the web to make sure I had it right).  The museum across the street is shaped like a tea cup.  After seeing the world  headquarters, the Greer, SC, location's design fit right in with their architecture.  Next interesting thing on the tour was Schwabing:  started in 700's, home to artists, politicians, university students and jammed with sidewalk cafes, older building, street markets with wonderful fresh fruits/vegetables (sometimes 3 to a block).  We saw many mothers pushing strollers to join one another for afternoon ice cream at the corner gelato cafe.  It seemed very mich a neighborhood.  Most of the buildings were old and we walked the street where Kadinsky lived at one time.  We saw the victory arch commemorating the pact with France, the oedenplatz where the library is with over 9 million books, the Church of the Theatines (Princess of Savoy and Ludwing I era) built in 1675.  This couple built many buildings still standing in Munich -- their influence is really widespread.  The English Garden is in this area also.

After the tour concluded, we wandered through Karstsdt, a large dept. store.  John went to the bier stop and I went shopping.  Sadly, I did not buy anything.  Nothing called my name!

We got back on the hop on/hop/off  bus and stopped at Oedenplatz where we walked and walked and walked in the English  Garden.  Did not seem like much of an Enlgish Garden as the grounds were not well manicured nor did it have any flowers.  It is larger than Central Park or Hyde Park.  It has a fast moving stream where many young men were surfing a couple rapids, kids swimming the canal downstream but not up, picnickers, bike riders, etc.  We stopped to have our lunch in the Chinese Tower and then headed to Schwabing where we walked and walked some more.  While waiting for the bus, we met a really nice older German couple from the Cologne area who had a daughter living  in Nebraska.  They have been to the States several times to see her in the last 40 years she has been here.  We got the idea she was a nun helping out her uncle who is a monk at some retreat house near Omaha, NE.  He came to the States under Hitler because the monks  were not allowed to collect money for any charities outside Germany and the monks had schools and orphanages and hospitals around the world.  He decided to stay in the States after the war. 

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at an apotek  to get some foot cream to help my dry feet.  The only Enlgish speaking person was the chef (boss) and he was very helpful.  Most people speak some English so we get along fine.  We are sometimes embarrassed that we don't speak their language when so many speak ours enough to carry on a conversation with us.

We came back to the hotel,and had some wine in the bar while watching the  Brisith Open in real time. Fun!

We met an older couple in the bar who were headed back to the States in the morning.  They live in New Hampshire and we met two young women on the bus from Seattle. 

 Lowenbrau bier garten

On way to Nymphenburg Palace

 Nymphenburg Palace

Same

 Same

Same with Nymphenburg canal

 Man who reminded us of Gar

 Tower at the Olympic Park - highest building in Munich and has a revolving restaurant

  BMW world headquarters -- notice two adjoining cones at end

  BMW

  BMW

  Schwabing

  Victory Arch

 

 

Oedenplatz

Pinakotheken - art museum

  Forget

  Forget

  Opera house

  Statute at Karstadt's dept store

Church of the Theatines built in 1675

  Same

  Same

  Same

  Same

  Statute in Oedenplatz

 Chinese tea house in English Gardens

  Swan in English Gardens

  Surfer in English Gardens

  Surfer

  Canal

 Along path

 

  The Chinese Tower in English Gardens

 

  Ivy on building in Schwabing

 Schwabing

 Interesting architecture in Schwabing

 Schwabing

  Watching the British Open

  Olympic park (from website since we didn't have any good photos)  Public can swim here; it's a great sports area for city; has a hill that is 60 meters high where they can ski in the winter.