Sunday, December 11, 2016: Alte Pinakothek, Medieval Market, Bavarian Advent Traditions, Krampus, Farewell Dinner
On our last full day of the trip we take the streetcar to the Alte Pinakothek, Munich's most important art museum. The building was heavily damaged during the war. Munich has chosen to make the "scars of war" visible by intentionally mis-matching the brick in the restored section. As Munich was home to the third reich, about 80% of Munich was destroyed in the war. Most of the debris from the destruction was taken to what is now Olympic Park and forms the hill of the 1972 Olympic games site.
Although the building was heavily damaged in the war, most of the artwork had been removed to a safe location. We have a guided tour through the museum.
This is an art museum in which photography its allowed. This is an entirely "iPhone day" so bear with me on the quality of the pictures.
After two hours on our feet in the museum, we take a very appreciated sit down lunch in the cafe located in the museum.
After lunch is "free time" so we go to the medieval Christmas market where everyone is in period costumes and medieval toy weapons are for sale along with traditional crafts and Christmas items. A dance group performs dances from the medieval period.
As we head back to old town for another guided tour, this one of Bavarian Advent traditions, we pass another store festively decorated for Christmas.
Today is "silver Sunday" in Munich. A tradition of silver Sunday and golden Sunday (next Sunday) in Munich is the parade of the Krampus. Krampus is half-goat, half demon figure that stands for the Christmas devil and literally swats the children into being good. Many Krampus, perhaps a hundred I think, all in costume parade through the streets appearing menacing and shaking chains creating an eerie sound. Our local tour guide, who remembers Krampus from her childhood, literally was terrified of the parade. We weren't so scared. Here are a couple of examples.
Shortly after these pictures were taken, a Krampus came out of the parade up to us and I posed for a picture with my arm around him (him?). I'm hoping to get a shot of this from someone else since I obviously couldn't get it with my own iPhone.
Later we again encounter the Krampus parade while walking back to our hotel. This time a Krampus came up and "attacked" Bev, playfully holding her and mussing her hair.
In the evening we have our bittersweet "farewell dinner" at the Hofer Der Stadtwirt restaurant
where the art of napkin folding continues.
We have immensely enjoyed our trip and have gotten to know the others in our rather small group of twenty.
Here we are at dinner and with our traveling companions, the Lanes.
And the food again was delicious. After beef consume, we have lamb's lettuce with walnuts and pomegranates,
duck breast with orange sauce and au gratin potatoes,
and finishing with cheesecake on cinnamon shortcrust with vanilla ice cream and stewed plums with rum.
This is so good. You can't make this up!
Our guide thanks everyone and tells us that we are the most wonderful group ever. I'm sure that he has never told that to any other group. I lose the quiz for failing to remember the number of countries in which the Vienna New Year's Eve celebration is broadcast. For future Road Scholars on this trip: 92!
As I mentioned earlier, we have an early bedtime tonight because we have scheduled at 7AM flight out of Munich in the morning. We have scheduled a taxi pickup for 4AM so I am actually completing this blog entry after I returned home. Thanks for waiting.
Although the building was heavily damaged in the war, most of the artwork had been removed to a safe location. We have a guided tour through the museum.
This is an art museum in which photography its allowed. This is an entirely "iPhone day" so bear with me on the quality of the pictures.
After two hours on our feet in the museum, we take a very appreciated sit down lunch in the cafe located in the museum.
After lunch is "free time" so we go to the medieval Christmas market where everyone is in period costumes and medieval toy weapons are for sale along with traditional crafts and Christmas items. A dance group performs dances from the medieval period.
As we head back to old town for another guided tour, this one of Bavarian Advent traditions, we pass another store festively decorated for Christmas.
Today is "silver Sunday" in Munich. A tradition of silver Sunday and golden Sunday (next Sunday) in Munich is the parade of the Krampus. Krampus is half-goat, half demon figure that stands for the Christmas devil and literally swats the children into being good. Many Krampus, perhaps a hundred I think, all in costume parade through the streets appearing menacing and shaking chains creating an eerie sound. Our local tour guide, who remembers Krampus from her childhood, literally was terrified of the parade. We weren't so scared. Here are a couple of examples.
Shortly after these pictures were taken, a Krampus came out of the parade up to us and I posed for a picture with my arm around him (him?). I'm hoping to get a shot of this from someone else since I obviously couldn't get it with my own iPhone.
Later we again encounter the Krampus parade while walking back to our hotel. This time a Krampus came up and "attacked" Bev, playfully holding her and mussing her hair.
In the evening we have our bittersweet "farewell dinner" at the Hofer Der Stadtwirt restaurant
where the art of napkin folding continues.
We have immensely enjoyed our trip and have gotten to know the others in our rather small group of twenty.
Here we are at dinner and with our traveling companions, the Lanes.
And the food again was delicious. After beef consume, we have lamb's lettuce with walnuts and pomegranates,
duck breast with orange sauce and au gratin potatoes,
and finishing with cheesecake on cinnamon shortcrust with vanilla ice cream and stewed plums with rum.
This is so good. You can't make this up!
Our guide thanks everyone and tells us that we are the most wonderful group ever. I'm sure that he has never told that to any other group. I lose the quiz for failing to remember the number of countries in which the Vienna New Year's Eve celebration is broadcast. For future Road Scholars on this trip: 92!
As I mentioned earlier, we have an early bedtime tonight because we have scheduled at 7AM flight out of Munich in the morning. We have scheduled a taxi pickup for 4AM so I am actually completing this blog entry after I returned home. Thanks for waiting.
Comments
Post a Comment