Opera in the Park

OK.  I’ve mentioned it many times before, but I’ll do it again.  I love the Hofgarten.  The former garden of the residence, with its neo-classical arcade, and its well manicured lawns.  I came by the other day and a beautiful woman was singing one of the famous operas over lunch.  When you combined the picturesque backdrop of the arcade and the Theatinerkirche and Odeonzplatz behind it, with the new-found sun that has brought everyone out to the parks – it was absolutely perfect.  One of our first weekends after moving from Paris to Munich, we met a family from Salzburg – and they said that Munich was a much more cultured city than Paris because it had two city orchestras.  While I can’t argue this point, I can say you are not likely to repeat such a scene in the US.  I believe this is a uniquely European experience.

Wall of Honor

Walking through the Hofgarten at the foot of the English Garden is much like a history lesson in the many German military victories. In this case, you have an image of Ludwig IX der Reiche and his 1462 victory in Giengen, which lies in the east Baden-Wurttemberg region – on the border of Bavaria. Germany beat Ghana tonight 1-0 for the right to advance to the elimination round, and they are hoping for one more battle victory when they play England on June 27th.

Walking Through a Dream

You ever get the sense that you’re walking through a day dream, with other worlds swirling around you? Mythical creatures around you, historical battles playing out upon your side, and the gods looking down from up above. That’s the way it feels walking through the arcade at the Hofgarten, with it’s arched walkways and interior paintings practically reaching out to you. I end up showing the Hofgarten a lot on this blog, primarily because it’s one of the most beautiful parts of Munich. Between the Boccia Ball and great beer garden in the Summer, the street performers in the atrium, and the entry into the Altstadt or English Garden – there’s always something happening here...from this world or another.

Having a Ball

Whether you call it Bocce or Pétanque or kegeln (German version - Thanks Holger), there’s no question that the traditional game of choice by the Italians and French alike involve throwing metal balls around and trying to get closest to the jack. Go to any park in Southern France, or in areas around Italy and you see older men going at it on a 25 meter playing surface. Often you will find groups lined up next to each other, for the game that seems to be as much social as it is competition. It’s the European version of bowling, but instead of dating to the 50s, dates back to the Roman Empire. Therefore, you will find it anywhere you find Italians – and there are no shortage in the Northern-most Italian city, Munich. At some time in the early 1900s, the game was rebranded in France as Pétanque in Provence and has lived on in its own right. Today, you can find Bocce or Pétanque primarily in the Hofgarten of Munich. I was happy to see a whole new generation of players, between the age of 20-30, bringing new life to the competition.

Munich’s own “Red Balloon”

I came across this little girl with a cluster of balloons dragging along wherever she went. It immediately reminded me of the old film, The Red Balloon. Of course, the movie is French – set in Paris. Albert Lamorisse directed the film in 1956, and it immediately became a worldwide favorite. Both of his children starred in the movie. The movie ends as some bullies destroy the friendly red balloon, and other balloons from all over the city come to the little boy’s rescue. At any point, you expect these balloons to take flight, and pull the little girl out of the Hofgarten where she is playing, while a mix of Munich locals and tourists taking notice - and well over the English Garden only to land in some quaint Bavarian village.

Hidden Secrets of the Hofgarten

If you’ve ever been to Munich (for any reason other than Octoberfest), you’ve probably come across the beautiful Royal Palace Hofgarten. I love it there, and since I have posted several times before about this area, I figured I might try to share a few things about the Hofgarten that you may not have known. First of all the entire garden has been redesigned countless times over the centuries to follow the current trends. No renovation was more dramatic though than after the devastation of World War II, when architects restored its original grandeur. They focused on every last detail, even ensuring that the fountains were in the appropriate style and the flower beds included plants typical of the early 17th century. The pavilion that you see pictured is actually the Temple of Diana, named after the Roman goddess Diana, who was goddess of the hunt and later became the moon Goddess. On top of the pavilion is a bronze statue named “Tellus Bavarica” symbolizing the treasures of Bavarian land – grain, game, water and salt – although to see the original you will have to look in the Residence. The Pavilion has eight arches, and from each radiates a footpath that divides the garden into eight individual sections. If you follow those footpaths to the north and west ends of the garden, there is an arcade with 125 arches – designed after the Palais Royal in Paris. Finally, the Hofgarten is the first place to be named in T S Eliot's The Waste Land and is used to symbolize the dying courts of Old Europe and the empty charms of the aristocratic life. Now there had to be something in there that was news to you.

Cafe Culture

With hundreds of cafes throughout Munich (I’ve seen a total of 364 listed), there’s no shortage of outdoor spots to enjoy the newly discovered sunshine. This couple stopped for a coffee after walking the dog, and they picked one of Munich’s better known cafes. It’s the Café Luigi Tambosi in the hofgarten, which is one of the better places around Munich to see and be seen. It’s on the intersection of Ludwig Strasse, Brienner Strasse, Odeonsplatz, and the Hofgarten. I came across the “Mycitymate” website that claims that Munich has no more decent cafes, but I don’t buy it. You’ll find all kinds of variety throughout the city. For a complete list of cafes by neighborhood, look here.

The Seat of Power

Through the arch remains of the former Bavarian Army Museum, now sits the ultimate seat of power – the 8000 square meters State Chancellery or Bayerische Staatskanzlei. This is the seat of the Bavarian governor – a national authority – and support to the Prime Minister. The key focus of the chancellery, is to represent the state of Bavaria outwards. The building was badly damaged during WWII and was later converted to the Chancellery. It holds a prominent position at the East end of the Hofgarten. What immediately catches your eye is the keen combination of new and old architecture. However, when the building was constructed, it was met with much criticism as locals created an initiative called “Save the Hofgarten.” Eventually, they’ve come to terms with this building as the developers agreed to a smaller design..

The Duchess & Duke of Bavaria

I caught this photo as the snow subsided, and the sun started shining for the first time this Spring. Munich has had the “never-ending Winter” which fortunately has come to an end this week. I love the colors in the background, which have become so common in Munich. The building in the background is the Arcade of the Hofgarden, which is the garden of the Royal Residence. Can you imagine this place in its hey-day from the 13th to the beginning of the 20th century? The grounds of the Royal Palace is where all the royal court strolled through the Spring afternoon. This was the home of the aristocratic class in the Holy Roman Empire which today is Germany. In Germany, all legitimate children of a nobleman became nobles themselves, and most titles pass onto all the children. Not all children became kings, but did become princesses, dukes and duchesses. All of that came to an end in 1919 with the Weimar constitution, when all Germans were made equal and any right or privileges due to nobility ceased to exist. Yet the German nobility continues to play an important role in the various European nations that have not abolished the nobility. In fact, most of the European royal families are descendants of the German nobility.

Always on the Outside

The beautiful arches of the arcade and galleria that surround the Hofgarden frame a homeless person sitting in the corner smoking. There is lots of symbolism in the image: The Residence arcade which is generally forgotten after the famous Gazebo or pavilion at the center of the Italian park built originally around 1570. The smoker, pushed to the edges in an area of Germany that since 2008 has some of the harshest smoking restrictions in public places. And the homeless person far away from those who come to be seen along the grand promenades of the renaissance gardens.