Slogging Down Nymphenburg Strasse

Once the principal road connecting the old town Munich to the summer residence of rulers of Bavaria - it's Nymphenburg strasse. Today, it represents one of the main thoroughfares leading through neighborhoods Maxvorstadt, Neuhausen, and Nympenburg. Like many other streets in Munich, it continued to be covered with snow. It's quit interesting, in fact, which streets they choose to completely plow, and which they don't. At any rate, amongst the old early 1900 villas, as well as the post war box buildings, Nymphenburg provides a bit of charm because of its tree-lined boulevard.

Dreaming of a Warmer Place

For the second day in a row, Munich was pounded with snow and temperatures ranging from a high of -4 and a low of -8. Local papers report that a record 19 inches of snow fell yesterday. Reportedly, 600 passengers spent the night in the airport last night after flights were cancelled. The Munich airport seemed to catch up today, and most flights took off - albeit a bit delayed. I witnessed a few faux avalanches today as huge puffs of snow fell from rooftops. Well for those sticking around, they are sure to see the heat go up at the Bayershererhof Hotel Fasching show (pictured here), but that may be the only heat around town - as temperatures are supposed to drop to -16 in the coming days, and the low doesn't get above freezing any time in the next 10 days.

Snug Like a Bug in a Rug

That is a bug, but not so snug under a good 6 inches of snow that absolutely pummeled Munich...scratch that, pummeled Europe today. All over Europe, we heard stories of of traffic coming to a grinding halt. More than 100 flights were cancelled today at Munich Airport, and many, many more were delayed - or simply still sitting on the runway. Most of the inner city still works, but there have been reports of delays on train lines, and certainly the bus and tram lines were impacted. The really disturbing news is that the same weather is expected for the next four days, so this could be just the beginning. Grab your boots and your ski-wear, and get ready for the snow that just keeps on coming.

Brief Encounters

Where do you find the best shopping in Munich?  Dare I say it…the airport.  Yes.  It is likely true.  In Munich, they’ve created a marvel of an airport – experience.  After 3 years of flying in/out of Charles De Gaulle Airport in France, I can tell you they have built something special on the border of Freising.  If you like the styles from Hermes, Polo/Ralph Lauren, Bvlgari, Esprit, and Burberry; you can find them all at the airport.  Not only that, Terminal 1 feels like you are using a small local airport where each section only has 15 gates.  Terminal 2 is the Lufthansa Hub, and it provides all sorts of extra services like free coffee and newspapers. Add to that the cinemas, the historic aircraft visitor center, and the visitor viewing terrace– and you have an airport worth visiting if you are travelling or not.  This is one of the scenes from the open area between terminal 1 & 2.  The airport is constantly voted one of the best in Europe.  And one visit, and you will see why.  Amazingly clean, efficient, and reliable – with a whole lot of extras thrown in.

Flower POWER!

Here's another scene from the kick off of the Carnival season. I'm not quite sure exactly how this crew of "Bloom Where you are Planted" revelers put these outfits together, but they were quite the hit - especailly next to the scary witches, afro maniacs, or the Viking Warriors (when was the last time you saw Vikings in Bavaria - anyway). Most of the festivities will happen on Feb 14-16 leading up to Fat Tuesday. If you prefer to move away from the funny masks, flower women, and crazy beer drinking, you could try a taste of the real thing - the Brazilian Carnival show at the Gasteig where they will highlight the rich musical tradition, as well as new choreographies of Samba and Bossa Nova.

Fasching is Back

Today officially opens the Fasching celebration in Munich. You may not think of Munich as a place for Carnival, but the festivites actually take over the city. For the next few weeks, you will see amazing costumes, great private parties, and the locals going out of their way to show off the spirit of Carnival. We spent the day at the Crazy Knight Parade, which was a strange mix of tractor and farmers, an odd collection of witches, and of course the standard partying band. Here's one of the crazy costumes. Again, not what you would expect in Munich - but everthing ramps up to the big celebration at the Viktualienmarkt on Fat Tuesday.

Minute Munich Details

One of the great things about Munich is finding some of the endless little details that make up much of its character. I have come across these shutter locks in several places around Munich. This one was in one of the outer burroughs of Munich (un-officially known as the subburbs) called Ramersdorf-Perlach, on an inn called the Wagnerhof, built in 1826. I looked the building up, and it seems it's just like 10 others historical buildings in the little village; and the village is just like 100 more in the surrounding area. What happens when incredible historical buildings are just the norm - the center of every community, the setting for every village? Coming from the West Coast of the US, where nothing is more than 100 years old, I think all the small details are amazing and provide a lot of context for what Munich is all about.

Walking on the Wild Side

I mentioned the other day how street performers seem to have taken over downtown Munich. Well, it's the same with artists. This scene was on Theatinerstrasse, next to the park on the backside of the Rathaus. I have also seen similar artist lining Leopoldstrasse. Not sure exactly how much of this art they sell, as it certainly is not my thing. But somehow, they seem to make ends meet, and their art reaches a tremendous audience walking by on the central streets of Munich.

A Place for those "No Moped" Types

Over in the Southeast part of Munich is a dealer and service center for that Italian cultural icon, the Vespa. It even states on the Vesbar website, not to even think about bringing in some moped. They don't do that sort of thing around there. Vespas are all over Munich, with the proximity to Italy. They are built primarily just over the border, outside Pisa, and were created as a result of a severely restricted airline industry after WWII. For decades they have been the ultimate in Italian design, selling millions of units - driven in large part by Hollywood glamorizing in movies like Roman Holiday. That success lasted largely into the 90s when the Vespa was undersold by cheap scooters from Asia. Now bouncing back from the edge of bankruptcy, the company seems to be on track again. Either way, no one can take away what the Vespa has done for pop culture.

A Bit of Istanbul in Munich

Just blocks South from the Central Train Station is the neighborhood of Ludwigsvorstadt, one known as the international section of the city. And when I say International in Munich, it generally means the Arabic part of town. It is estimated that Munich has a Muslim population of approx. 100,000, representing about 7.5% of the total Munich population of 1.34M (and well above the 5% German average - which is second highest in Western Europe behind France & the Netherlands). Munich's largest ethnic group is Turkish with 43,000 residents, and Albanian with 30,000 residents. I find this neighborhood (pictured here with St. Paul's Church in the background) fascinating because it is something you will not find in most US cities. To contrast this with the US, Muslims represent less than 1% of the total population. While there, you can find all the Middle Eastern foods and craft products, as well as hundreds of other businesses that cater primarily to the Muslim world of Munich.

Falling February

Caution! Caution! All over Munich you will find boards leaning against buildings at a 45 degree angle urging people not to walk too close to the side of the buildings. As the sun has been shining at mid-day, much of the snow (and more likely ice) on rooftops are beginning to slide off into the streets - much to the surprise of those passing by. You can see many rooftops have a grate to catch this fleeting snow, but it can only do so much as three weeks of snow has been building up. So watch yourself out there. Sometimes it's not always the snow beneath your feet that slips you up.

From Munich to Mongolia

Two musicians gathered a crowd as they performed a wide variety of Mongolian Chants in downtown Munich yesterday. The throaty chants fascinated the passers by, despite non-stop competiton from other street performers. It seems more and more performers show up every weekend, to the point that there is one nearly every 50 meters around Marienplatz. Although I don't find many connections between the two M-locations, one that surprises me is the prevelance of the swastika in Mongolain culture. You often see it at churches and temples. I loved the colors and the music, and it sure beat the usual silver man - who just stands as a statue for hours at a time.

Cohesion Makes us Strong

That's the theme of a anti-violence campaign backed by players of the FC Bayern Football Club (pictured here), as well as the Archidiocese of Munich, Bavarian State Ministry of Interior and the Munich Police. The initiative was created in response to recent violent attacks on local U and S-bahn trains, encouraging the citizens of Munich to stand in solidarity against an increasing trend of crime. The movement was inspired by Dominik Brunner, who was killed while trying to protect a victim of an attack on the S-Bahn.

And then the Scrooge

Not even 50 meters from the cool kids snowboarding (from yesterday) was the person I affectionately call the scrooge. I was walking around taking photos of everyone on the frozen pond. Coming from a place where lakes never freeze, it's quite a novelty to see so many people celebrating the Winter time on the ice. I approached for about 10 seconds, and he stopped the whole hockey game to tell me I was doing something wrong - a common German trait. His exact words were, "You are taking photos, but you don't know us. You are not allowed to take photos." What is it about the Germans who are so eager to tell you when you do something "wrong?"

High Flying

You don't need to go up to the Alps to find high flying snowboarding, this scene came from Munich's East park. Tracking down about 30 feet of snow bank, and getting lift off a beer garden bench (half elevated). These cool kids, as soon as they heard I was doing something online, wanted to get into a photo. What is it about the young kids in Germany, that seem to break down barriers? After two weeks of dumping snow in Munich, you can find snow everywhere.

German Heli-Skiing

In actuality, this helicopter is more about safety than adventure. The ski patrol shut down the runs to do a practice rescue mission in Tirol. Many European countries don't allow heli-skiing, and I've been unable to find any regulations for Germany or Austria for that matter. In fact, many Europeans travel to Canada - for the ultimate skiing adventure. Heli or not - the afternoon makes for an amazing color on a clear day in the alps.

Shopping in the Hood

One of my favorite neighborhood markets is the Elisabethmarkt, located in Schwabing. It's a mix of permanent and make shift stalls where you can get your daily dose of fruit, vegatibles, and breads. The market was created in 1931 at Elisabethplatz, which was named after the Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria. At the Northeast corner of the market is a pavilion called the Milk Hut, which was built by the physician and teetotaller (someone who practices abstinence from alcohol) Carl Brendel, who supervised the distribution of milk every morning. His priority was "keeping the poison of alcohol from the people" Yet in the end, he wasn't so successful as it's now repurposed as a beer garden restaurant known as the Wintergarden.

A Night at the Circus

It's the topsy-turvy world of Circus Krone, said to be the largest circus in Europe. Founded in 1905, and run by at least 3 generations of the Krone family, this is really a Munich establishment - located just west of the Central Train Station. The permanent arenea was destroyed in the allied bombing after WWII, but then rebuilt and now seats 3000 spectators. We went to the Winter circus, which was much more about acrobatics than animals. It was fun for the kids, but perhaps I miss the good old Tigers and Trapese.

From the Fuhrer's HQ to a Forgotten Era

I came across this amazing museum the other day - the Museum of Castings of classical Images. I walked in and reconginzed it immediately as the place that Adolf Hitler stood with all of his top aids, and in fact it is the former SS offices, headquarters to the Nazi party in the middle of the Mazvorstadt neighborhood. Used today as a mix of the Musical College, several art galleries, and home to a variety of classes - the building is a clear connection to the past in Munich. We got to this point and were buzzed in, but somehow missed our opening. So in true German fashion they declined our entry. It's as if we didn't know the secret handshake and didn't enter with extreme efficiency - so they decided no! Perhaps another time. On a side note, sorry for the delay in posting. All I can say is that work has been busy like never seen before.

Along for the Ride

We were back on the canals after more than two weeks of sub-freezing temperatures. This little guy, a.k.a. Spider Boy was off for a ride on one of the traditional Bavarian sleds, which sell for about 250 euros by the way. It's great to see entire families out skating, some even out with baby strollers. You can rent skates, and I understand you can even skate at night as they pull out the flood lights.

An Intimate Dinner for (Thirty) Two

In the heart of the Bavarian National Museum you can find one of the most important and impressively preserved silver settings of the 18th century. The dinner service of Hildesheim's Prince Bishop, Freidrich Wilhelm of Westphalia is beutifully preserved, and gives insight into the life of royalty at the time. The Bavarian museum is an amazing hodge podge of Bavaria - from 17th and 18th century musical instruments, to impressive models of entire cities, from fine porcelain to Baroque paintings, from armor knights of the middle ages to Renaissance statues.

Overall, the museum collection seemed a bit random, as you couldn't tell how one room connected with the next. With that said, it was the building that was one of the most impressive parts of the museum.

Overlooking the Prince's Street

A couple looks over Europaplatz and Princeregentenstrasse and the city of Munich. This spot, at the foot of the Angel of Peace statue in Northeast Munich, is one of the many viewpoints along the Isar River. The street is one of the major thoroughfares through Munich, and one of the four original city royal roads. It was built in 1891 and named after Luitpold, the Prince Regent of Bavaria. At the time, it was a prime address for the middle class. Today it is filled with many museums, and is the location of Adolf Hitler's former appartment at number 16.

To Drink, or Not to Drink. Most Say Ya!

There are no shortage of beer steins around Munich. It's safe to say that Munich is certainly one of the hubs of beer stein production, and all for a very good cause. Almost since they started brewing beer in the middle ages, they were making interesting "vessels" to consume it in. Throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th century, artists made these steins exclusively with the brewers' guilds. But around the turn of the century more than 28 breweries and approx. 1900 pubs realized they had to differentiate themselves, and started making glassware with the Brewery logo. The result is that today there are only 6 major breweries (now all owned by the conglomerates - except for Augustiner), and a scattering of small outfits that arguably make much better and much more authentic beer. This picture, of course, shows more touristy steins than anything else, but I love them because I think they are so much a part of the Bavarian personality. Prost!

Skating in a Winter Wonderland

With more than a week of sub-zero temperatures, it seemed most of Munich flocked to the frozen lakes around the city. Here you can see the canal leading up to Nympenburg Palace, and the thousands of people playing games of Eisstockschiessen (or Ice Stock Sport - a sort of curling mixed with shuffleboard). We skated at the end of the canal today, and it was really fun, but at the same time crazy. I'm always so surprised when there is no order in Munich, but this was a good example - with really, really bad skaters playing hockey in the middle of the open skating surface and pucks whizzing by passing skaters. At any rate, I love this time of year in Munich, when you can skate on the frozen ponds with the palaces as your backdrop. Truly a unique Munich experience.

The Tiffany Girls

An innovative exhibit at the Villa Stuck tries to cast "A New Light" on the inter-workings of the New York Tiffany workshops. For more than a century, it was believed that all Tiffany glass was designed by one person - the company's founder, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and produced nearly exclusively by men. But this first major exhibit of Tiffany glass in Munich focuses on the work of Clara Driscoll, who led a team of glass cutters who became known as "the Tiffany Girls." The exhibit, which has more than 60 examples on display, shows that many of the popular designs were actually developed by Driscoll and her team of glass cutters. I loved the exhibit and the museum, and the only downside is that the curators base the entire premise on personal letters from Driscoll to her family. Either way, the exhibit casts an even brighter light on the life of single women working in New York City in the late 1800s. Check it out for yourself, but it only shows until Jan. 17th.

(Bus)ting Out!

In the spirit of the MVV motto "1 network, 1 timetable, 1 ticket," (that really is their motto - I'm not making that up) I thought it was time to share a ride on the local bus. I've shown the U & S-bahn trains and stations many times, and the bus system is just as impressive. In most cases, the busses run every 5-10 minutes during the day, and they make travel quite easy, as they show a video screen of the next several stops and generally annouce the street name on approach. And as all things German, clean, efficient, and generally on time. The only disadvantage over the trains this time of year is waiting out in the cold. Ohter than that, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Kitzbühel Calling

Perhaps there is no better place to be stranded in the mountains than the lavish Ski resort of Kitzbuhel. At only a 1.5 hour drive from Munich, the Tirol region of Austria is one of the area's finest. Kitzbuhel is considered the regions crown, with its midieval village, and home to the annual World Cup downhill skiing competition - whose highlight is the downhill with its famous Streif slope. I had never seen anything like it, with what seemed to be an endless range of slopes. We spent all day there, and only covered about 1/3 of the mountain. Happy Exploring. The ski season is just starting.

A Little Retreat House

South of Munich is the old Schloss Fürstenried, which although was built in the 1700s, is used on a daily basis today. The beautiful symetric castle is used as a retreat house for the Archdiocese of the city of Munich and Freising. We tried to get a closer look, but unlike many other castles around Munich - this was as close as you could get. When it was originally constructed by Elector Max Emanuel, it was desgned as a hunting lodge, as the Fürstenried forrest surrounded on all sides. At various times, the facility has been used as Kloister, a hospital, and a school - in one case where Pope Benedict studied. Today, you may speed past the Schloss on your way to Garmish, if it wasn't for the stunning roofs stretching over the fences to garther the attention of those cars going by. But unless you are part of the archdiocese, it may be one Schloss that's left unexplored around Munich.

Celebrating 2010!

Here's one final scene of the party on New Year's eve, also known as Silvester in Germany - after St. Silvester, whose feast day falls on Dec. 31. . I drove by Konigsplatz (shown here) on the morning of Jan 1, and all you could see was devestation. There was debris on every spot of land, bottles for launching rockets lining all the roads, and piles of old firework shells. I was even concerned about driving down Brienner strasse, for all the broken bottles that lined the streets. However, within hours the cleaning crews had much cleared already. 2009 was a year more difficult that any of us could have imagined, but the feelings in Munich - as much of the world - are much more opptimistic for 2010.

Ring of Fire

More pics from the mayhem that is New Year's Eve celebration. I'm still trying to come to terms with just how crazy it was. I left when groups of teenagers started shooting rockets randomly into the crowd. There was no attempt to avoid people, and there was no one there telling them not to do it. Not very German at all. The only thing I can make of it is that locals live each day with so many restrictions that they simply need these outlets where anything goes - look at the Fasching celebration, look at New Years, look at Oktoberfest. At any rate, it was a celebration like no other, and one that went across the city.

War Zone

New Years in Munich - It's like nothing I've ever seen. I was drawn out of our apartment about 10 min after mid-night by the endless thundering of fireworks. I will note that we live on one of the quietest streets in town. Despite that, the street was crowded with revelers from nearby parties, who spilled out into the streets to see the festivities at nearby Konigsplatz. There were at least 5000 people there, all lighting off fireworks at random. It was tough to determine exactly where you were safe at all. Pictured here is a man with a launching pad strapped to his arm. You can see the fireworks taking off in the frame, along with 5-6 others in the background at the same time. Absolute mayhem. I lasted about 10 minutes before getting the hell out of there.

Ice Age

Although this was about a week back, I wanted to share this photo of this very well known fountain in the Altstadt called the Brunnenbuberl. It's one of the few around town that continue to flow year round, and does not get covered up in the Winter, and consequently the sculpture transforms with ice throughout the Winter. The fountain was designed and introduced in 1892 by Matthias Gasteiger, who studied at the Munich Academy of Arts. At the time, it was received as quite a scandel as locals demanded a fig leaf be put over the Satyr boy's privates. Apparently, Gasteiger made 10 copies which are as prominantly placed around the world.

Recreating the Glory of Lubeck

One of my favorite holiday windows is in the Karstadt store half way between Marienplatz and Stachus, where they painstakinly re-created the Holsten Gate of the Northern German city of Lubeck. It took more than 400 man hours to recreate the signiture gate of Germany's largest port city. I'm not sure the significance in Munich for this re-creation, but I'm hoping they somehow used Marzipan, which is rumored to have been invented in Lubeck. The gate was one of only four entry points to the old city, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite origins back to the 1400s, the gate was set to be demolished in 1808 when viewed as an annoying obstacle to an industrialized nation - it interfeared with train traffic. But the tower was later saved by a single vote, and the decision was made to instead extensively restore it. The gate has since become the pride of Lubeck, and is incorporated into many local company logos.

Starting Kids Early

I've mentioned several times before that Christmas Markets in Bavaria are more about standing around and drinking gluhwhein than anything else. And it's no wonder given how early they start kids at the Gluhwhein stand. I couldn't help laughing when I saw all the pre-school kids lining up at the Christmas Market stands to receive their (non-alcoholic) drinks. You can just picture this one boy transforming into a 25-year old with several of his friends. I suppose in the end, it's this comraderie that makes the markets fun and memorable. Well, for now we will have to remember til next year, as all the markets have now closed until advent 2010.

Window Dressing

A common scene at the Karstadt store-front windows in central Munich, which are still decorated for the holidays. An endless number of stuffed bunnies, bears, and foxes in full motion, working in the mines, tending the farms, and of course just being festive for the holidays. The looks on the kids' faces are priceless, as they look on in wonder at this imaginary world come to life.

Happy Boxing Day

We just returned from a fantastic ski vacaton in Austria, with photos to come, but I wanted to show you a few scenes around Christmas in Munich first. Although Christmas is now over, much of the local spirit (and scenery) is still around. Most stores were closed today, which meant that it was a four day holiday, and consequently I can tell you the supermarket at the airport was a zoo. But back to the subject of this post. Germany does not really celebrate Boxing Day, which is celebrated in most commonwealth states. It is traditionally celebrated on the 26th of December, and because there doesn't seem to be a consistent story on how it originated, I'll give you my own theory and experience. It originated in England, and was created because all the servants had to work on Christmas day. But on the 26th, they were often given a break; so they would collect all the beautiful boxes used by the royal familes and use them to repackage their own gifts. As it plays out today, I think of Christmas is for spending time with family, and Boxing Day is for the people you really want to be around. So it plays out in a super-festive celebration, with poppers, everyone bringing gifts for everyone, and enough spirits to keep the party going until dawn. So for all the Germans who don't recognize Boxing Day, perhaps it's time to start.

Merry Christmas

Or Happy Holidays...or have a nice break, or whatever is politically correct to say these days. I just prefer the good ol Merry Christmas, personally. With this post, I will take a bit of a break of my own. We are going up to the mountains for a ski week over Christmas, and I will unfortunately have no Internet access for the next 7 days, so will not be able to post. We will visit Tirol, in Austria. If you need your fix of Munich while I'm gone , here are few good sights: muenchen.de, Munich Found (check out the world's largest punch bowl at Isar Tor), or Toytown. Merry Christmas and see you after the break!

Back at the Markets

I just can't seem to stay away from the Munich markets. This time, I visited the Schwabing Munchener Freiheit market, which is one of my favorites as it really shows a variety of local arts and crafts. Apparently, the idea of a Christmas markets dates back to the 14th century in Munich with origins around the Frauenkirche. Amazingly, what is sold today doesn't differ that much from the original - gingerbread, glassware, and bees wax candles. I'm told that the Kripperlmarkt in downtown Munich specializes in nativity scenes and accessories as well, something that has been developed in Munich since the 1500s. It's fun to get so much enjoyment out of a tradition that started centruries ago.

Two Heads Are Better than One

So I have to admit I've been quite intrigued by the double-headed Eagle all over Germany. This image came form the Schloss Blutenburg (Blood Castle) in Munich, which is also home to the

International Youth Library. You see the double headed Eagle in Munich in everything from Nazi regalia to today's government organizations. Yet it's origins date back to the 13th century BC, with heavy roots in the Holy Roman Empire, Byzantine culture as well as many of the Eastern European cultures. In fact, the double-headed eagle still represents the insignia of the modern day Austrian empire, coat of arms for the German Confederation, as well as the Russian Empire - among many others. As with so many things in history, it represents a fusion between the Roman Empire, the Turkish and Ottoman expansion, and finally the basis of many Eastern countries today.

The Colors of Christmas

Christmas in Bavaria is about snow and it's about Chriskindl Markets. This year, we are finally getting both - as snow has been falling for the past week. You can find markets set up all over town, in nearly every neighborhood. If there is an open platz, there is a Chriskindl Market. This past weekend, we actually took the train two hours to Salzburg to see the market there, and while it was big and spectacular, it was also overwhelming with what seemed to be millions of people. I understand Nurenburg (2 hours from Munich) is actually the largest and most well known in Germany. But I think we'll skip that one, because there's no shortage to experience around Munich and surrounding villages. In the end, after you've seen the nice ornaments, creatively built wooden toys, and the decorative arts; the Chriskindl markets are really about bundling up, getting together with friends, and sipping Gluwein. You don't have to travel two hours on a train for that. Just pick your neighborhood gathering.

On A Road to Nowhere

Saturday the much anticipated, much hyped new tram line 23 took off on its maiden ride up Leopodstrasse into the Milbertshofen neighborhood. Despite being a tremendous fan of public transportation, I have to say I don't really understand this new tram line. It runs for only 2.5 km from Munchener Freiheit to the middle of a new development just outside the second ring road. The entire trip is expected to take about 8 minutes. What really doesn't make sense is the fact that you need to transfer onto another line to get into the center of the city, that it runs a distance that most Europeans aren't afriad to walk, and it somehow comes up short from reaching Euro Industrial Park, one of the largest shopping centers in and around Munich. One of its only redeaming factors is the interesting "Gaudi-like" tram stop and the very nice renovation of the Munchener Freiheit station. I just wish it didn't shut down traffic for two years to make it.

Thank God is Friday

The weekend couldn't come soon enough, especially as the days get shorter leading into the Christmas season. We already see good friends leaving back home to be with family for the holidays. I came across this tombstone in the Old South Cemetary, which doubles as one of the largest parks in Munich. The cemetary was actually founded in 1563 outside the city walls for victims of the plague, and also became the main burial ground for those killed in the Sendling Uprising of 1705 in which 1100 people were killed after surrending to troops of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor. Hundreds of notable Munich residents are burried here, and now a 3 year project to restore damaged monuments (as you can see in the photo) is recently completed.

The Moose is Lose

I love the stunned expressions from the kids, as they hear a wall-mounted moose break into song - Christmas song, of course. At the same time, I'm not sure which was more entertaining, the kids or the expression of the parents. Silent Night just doesn't sound the same when sung in German, especially by a moose. Well, it's a true sign that the Christmas Market season is in full season in Munich, and you will find them all over town and in most of the surrounding villages during the Advent season. I really like this one at the Residenz, as it has an entire section for kids and a masterpiece building surrounding it. Most others are more about adults hanging out with a glass or warm Gluwein, although the Munchener Freiheit market has some nice arts. There is an entertaining midievel market across from Odeonsplatz which is quite entertaining, and the primary market at Marienplatz is much better for the scenery than for buying. Either way, they are definitely worth visiting this time of year for the festive environment alone.

End of the Line

Apparently there are lots of changes in store for local commuters in Munich, as prices go up 4.5% on local trains in the coming months. At the same time, the U-bahn is opening up the newly crowned "green" 23 tram from Schwabing's Munchener Freiheit out almost to EuroIndustrial park. Construction for the 23 line has tied up traffic and caused construction all along Leopoldstrasse for at least a year, but now it's coming to an end. Also changing for the trains is the opening of the Hirschgarten station. For me, the local DB needs to first figure out their issues with leaving travellers stranded, as reliability of the trains have dropped significant'y in the past two months.

On the Rocks...Yet Again

For the second time this year, and un-countable times over the past few years, the famous all-purpose Schranne Hall next to the Viktualienmarket, is up for grabs. I've seen this hall being used for everything from Brasilian Salsa parties, to business events, to laid back cafes and bars for the near-by tourists. The bank recently announced that they would not have a planned acution, but instead shortly announce the space's latest investors. Apparently the space has more than 27M euros in bad dept. I think it's unfortunate if Munich loses this important space, as there are few places around the city where you can hear good live music without paying for a large cover. At this point, only time can tell.

A Brush With Greatness

It is a tradition on every Dec. 6th that St. Nikolaus visits children and leaves candy, fruit, nuts and small presents in their boots - assuming they've been good. So it's with great fan-fare when he shows up at a local Chriskindl market. Often he makes appearances at schools and play areas, where children sing songs and recite poetry. Apparently, the history of the St. Nikolaus tradition in Germany has changed over the centuries, when in the past he was accompanied with Knecht Ruprecht (Servant Ruprecht) who would threaten to give the kids a beting if they were not good. In Switzerland, where he is called Schmutzli, he would threaten to put bad children in a sack and take them back to the dark forest. Apparently, these traditions were quite rigid in Catholic regions like Bavaria. Fortunately, all of that has changed and now the custom has turned more to what we know in the US as Santa Claus. What is nice, is they've kept all of the traditional dress as you can see here. No Red costum, but rather St. Nikolaus looks more like the pope than Stana Claus.

Life Imitates Art

Sometimes people can't help immitating their surroundings. In this case, three business people walk by the art structure in the middle of the Gasteig entertainment complex, in near perfect form. In addition to performance halls, Gasteig also houses the Munich Adult Learning Center and a large branch of the Munich Library. It sits at the base of the Haidhausen neighborhood, fondly known as the "French Quarter." The district received its nickname when it was formed in 1870, after the Franco-German War. Nearly all the streets are named after French cities, and make up the posh quarter which is filled with cafes, restaurants and chic shops.

Saying "I do" in Style

I came across this wedding party outside the Munich Standesamt Schwabing on Mandlstrasse 14 (also known as Mandl Wedding Hall Road), or the Wedding Registry Office. I'm told that the building is quite the place for nuptuals in Munich, with its Greek columns out front, its storybook street and neighborhood, and its ground lining the English Gardens. I love this area of town, with small winding streets, following the flow of the English Gardens through Schwabing. It seems on every street, you have houses from the late 1800s or early 1900s, many of them cottages or large estates. What's more, even though it's in busy schwabing, the surrounding streets isolate it from any ongoing traffic.

Munich's Trinket Showcase

Although I've shown Munich's Rathaus many times, I don't think I've ever focused in on the Glockenspiel. For most locals, I'm not sure they even notice the famous tourist attraction. You can point them out, moving quickly through the hypnotized crowd of tourist, staring to the skies for a peek at Munich's history being acted out twice per day. In reality, locals report that they ignore because it's a bit dull. The scene on the facade of the Rathaus acts out two stories from the 16th century. The top half tells of the marriage of Duke Wilhelm V (founder of Hofbrauhaus) to Renata of Lothringen at Marienplatz, followed by knights on horseback jousting, with the Bavarian knight winning of course. On the bottom level, you see the Schafflerstanz (cooper's dance) which local barrel makers performed to show it was safe to come out after the plague. Apparently, you can still see this dance reenacted every seven years during the Fasching Carnival (the next one in 2012).

Bone Dry Dorf

For the first time in my short Munich residence, the city of Munich has drained the lake that streams around the Olympic Center. I'm not sure what the story is, as I have found very little news on it, but it appears they are doing some constructions or cleaning of the man-made lake. The lake, of course, is one of the most visible features of the Olympic park, filled with paddle boats including the highly visible car and swanboat. It's uncertain how long the work will last, but hopefully Munich's second largest park will have its lake backs soon.