110529 Munich

Beautiful weather greeted my arrival in Munich, Germany, early morning of 30 May after a couple of long flights from Phoenix, AZ, with a stop-over in Washington, DC.

Franz Josef Strauss Airport of Munich, Germany.

A train took me from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), then I rode the tram to the Hotel Kriemhild.  The Kriemhild is a charming little family-owned hotel; I stayed there many times before during my previous visits to Munich.  It was too early to check in.  But Eric, the owner-manager, gave me the key to my room anyway, with a warning that it might be being cleaned.  He thought I could store my luggage there and go out for lunch.  The cleaning lady was indeed surprised to see me going into the room.

I went to Karlplatz by tram, then walked to Marienplatz for a late lunch.  Along the way, I tried to capture the essence of Munich, in spite of the challenges caused by the bright sun.  People were everywhere, soaking in the beautiful day.

People enjoying a sunny day in Karlsplatz in Munich, Germany.

I returned to my hotel room for a short nap.  Travel fatigue caught up to me.  I went back to Marienplatz that evening, hoping to photograph the city center during the blue hours.

Marienplatz after sunset.

The next 2 days were occupied by work. The weather turned windy and rainy.  My last day of this trip to Munich was a national holiday: Ascension.  While the rain stopped, thick cloud remained.  I bought a day tour to visit the legendary Neuschanstein castle.  It also included stops at Linderholf castle and village Oberammergau.

Schloss Linderhof is the smallest of the 3 castles built by King Ludwig II, inspired by Château de Versailles in France.  But no photography was allowed inside the castle, which was very beautiful, befitting a king, with interesting tidbits of history.

Schloss Linderhof.

Oberammergau is a small picturesque village near Schloss Linderhof.  Our guide recounted the interesting history of this village, of the disastrous religious wars in the region, followed by the plague.  The villagers asked for divine help to end the plague and, in return, promised to put up a play named "The Passion" every 10 years.  This promise is still kept.  I could not help but wondered if the recent movie "The Passion of the Christ" was inspired by this story.

Typical house in Oberammagau.

Oberammagau is also known for its woodcarving.  According to our guide, its wood products were showcased around Europe and on displayed at prestigious palaces.

Details of a wooden owl on sale in Oberammagau.

Through out the trip, the sun hid behind thick clouds; rain was a constant threat.  Schloss Neuschwanstein was veiled by light fog when we arrived.  One could access the castle by bus, horse drawn carriage or on foot.  I chose the later method.

Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Again no photography was allowed inside the castle.  Time constraint dictated by the bus tour limited my picture taking opportunity.  But on the way down, a young couple approached me and asked I took their picture.  They didn't speak a word of English, and I didn't know their language.  I obliged.  Then an elderly man wanted his picture with the young couple.  Then he wanted the whole group.  Unfortunately, my bus couldn't wait; I had to go.

Returning to Munich, I walked around downtown Munich.  I tumbled upon a German version of the Vietnamese cyclo.  Interesting.  There were street bands from Karlplatz to Marienplatz, performing popular tunes.  People enjoyed the evening, in spite of the threat of rain.

German cyclo.

The next morning, at sunrise, I went to Schloss Nymphenbug nearby.  On the way, I encountered and enjoyed an interesting conversation with a Munich city worker.  He apologized for the thick cloud shrouding the rising sun, otherwise Schloss Nymphenburg at sunrise would be a great picture.  Maybe my next visit.

Anyway more pictures taken during this trip are at https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/110529Munich#.  Your comments & critiques of this blog as well as any of the pictures are welcome.

Enjoy.
Paul