Reunion and more - Germany & Czech Republic

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Inside













There was a particularly attractive ceiling in one area of the hall.

 

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(Immortalised by Johann Strauss Jr)



The youngest person commemorated here. Sophie Scholl executed at the age of 22 by the naz_'s in 1942 because of her involvement with the White Rose a non-violent resistance group in company with her brother. My translation of the inscription is - in memory of all who bravely resisted the injustice, violence and terror of the Third Reich

Sophie Scholl - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

As I have said previously the Germans have discovered lots of natural flavours to put into soft drinks. The little café by Valhalla had these drinks. Both were really nice - especially after the climb.


Most of the passengers from the ferry took the back path down the hill for the return trip.

A Pilgrim Trail was on the same path



It wouldn't have been a much easier climb up as it was very step with lots of patches of very dangerous small rocks which moved under your feet like marbles. My wife almost fell on one of these stretches.



You passed by a very pretty little village.

 

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Catching the ferry for the trip back



Back in Regensburg looking downriver from the old stone bridge



This street runs from the Canal Lock to the start of the stone bridge. This photo was taken close to where the Viking Cruise passengers were deposited by their buses.



One of the Danube branches around the islands



Both nights we ate outside. They both liked the use of blue metal underfoot. It was ok but you could hear everyone crunch around.

The first one - Weltenburger am Dom



Zander (Pike Perch) with roast vegetables. Around 23 Euro




Schäuferl from straw pig (Pork Schnitzel) - with Weltenburg bock beer sauce Fired Onion and potato. Around 16 Euro



We shared an Apple Pancakes around 6 Euro

 

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The next night was a bit more fun. The place which seemed to attract students and the like was absolutely jam packed and quite a few people were turned away. There was a Physics conference on at the university and most of them seemed to descend here for their evening meal. We had a few of the attendees at our hotel as well. It was our poor waiters first night there and he was sweating and exhausted by the end of the night. He managed to drop a tray of dirty plates and glasses.

The entrance passage



Inside the square



Oberpfalzbraten - pork with mushroom sauce, spaetzle and mixed salad 15.40 euro



Roast Pork with dark beer sauce, potato dumplings and bacon sauerkraut 14.40 Euro.



More from around town

 

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My scratchy German tells me that this was once the State Girls School





Unfortunately it was just a watch and clock shop








Our Hotel



What it cost the fashion conscious Bavarian gentleman to outfit himself

 

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A few posts back I mentioned that English announcements pretty much ended once the train crossed into Germany. What was interesting was that the free WiFi on the train also ended then.

Anyway after 2 nights we headed off to Munich. I think that Regensburg is probably worth 3 nights.

After nearly a month of using the 9 euro ticket in August and then free travel in Prague it was a bit of a wrench to have to pay 34 Euro (Bayen Ticket) for the local train to Munich. This was especially so as the train was a relic from the 1980's or older with no A/C or Internet. The operator was ALEX which apparently is notorious for buying up old rolling stock from Italy and the like.

While we were waiting a few cars went past.



The train









Bike riders are still well catered for




Our accommodation in Munich included a clothes washing machine and portable drying rack. It was about 200 metres from the entrance to the Munich HBF and was in a 'Middle Eastern area' but it was perfectly safe just a bit 'different. It was noticeable how few beggars and homeless there were on the streets of Munich compared to some of the other cities in Germany.

The usual splendiferous views that AFF members desire. The locals would stay out on the balconies and rooftops chatting and relaxing until around midnight.

 

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The next day we went to see the Nymphenburg Palace. We caught a tram there and as we were waiting at the Tram stop I suddenly remembered that we hadn't bought the daily transport ticket. The 9 Euro ticket had made us so relaxed about public transport in Germany that it was a shock to have to worry about fares again.

Our first views







This one was taken later in the day when the skies had cleared up a lot.



This location of this photo caused us a bit of amusement. I was talking to my wife about the lakes and she pointed out that all she could see was the hedge.

My eye level view



Her eye level view



The weather had changed since we first arrived in Germany and the grass and flowers were now looking much happier



I am assuming that the mounds of earth are from moles.





The entrance to the ticket office is through these archways.

 

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Inside the palace. It was noticeable that relatively little of the palace is open to the public. From the signs around it is evident that the State of Bavaria still uses a fair portion of the buildings for 'official' purposes.




















The are quite a few instances of chinoiserie in the palace and its grounds.

 

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And a bit more chinoiserie





Looking out onto the gardens at the rear.





The train line we came into Munich from Prague/Regensburg crosses the canal beyond the cascade

 

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The Marstallmuseum, in the south wing of the palace, containing royal sedan chairs, sleds and coaches from over the centuries. It is housed in the former Royal riding stables.



A child's sedan chair

 

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There is also a Porcelain Museum in this group of buildings.






King Ludwig II of Neuschwanstein Castle fame. A man to whom the saying 'less is more' would have been an anathema.



His understated coach and sled

 

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And now onto some of the buildings in the palace gardens.

Amalienburg - "a small pleasure palace and hunting lodge" built in the Rococo style and completed in 1739

Bavarian Palace Administration | Nymphenburg | Park palaces | Amalienburg

Official website of Nymphenburg Palace (Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum, Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain, Amalienburg, Badenburg, Pagodenburg, Magdalenenklause)

www.schloss-nymphenburg.de

Magdalenenklause - constructed between 1725 and 1728. The Magdalenenklause was conceived as the living quarters of a hermit and stands in a small, "overgrown" wood. Built with tiles and partly plastered, it looks like a ruin from the outside. Cracks in the masonry and crumbling plaster serve as a reminder of the frailty of all things earthly.

Bavarian Palace Administration | Nymphenburg | Park palaces | Magdalenenklause

Official website of Nymphenburg Palace (Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum, Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain, Amalienburg, Badenburg, Pagodenburg, Magdalenenklause)

www.schloss-nymphenburg.de

 

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Pagodaburgen - built between 1716 -1719. Yet more Chinoiserie. Much of it was created with very little real knowledge of China or East Asia. Dutch tiles were used in the decoration.

Bavarian Palace Administration | Nymphenburg | Park palaces | Pagodenburg

Official website of Nymphenburg Palace (Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum, Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain, Amalienburg, Badenburg, Pagodenburg, Magdalenenklause)

www.schloss-nymphenburg.de

Badenburg (House of Baths) - built between 1718 and 1722.

Bavarian Palace Administration | Nymphenburg | Park palaces | Badenburg

Official website of Nymphenburg Palace (Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum, Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain, Amalienburg, Badenburg, Pagodenburg, Magdalenenklause)

www.schloss-nymphenburg.de

 

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And now onto the grounds themselves. We spent several hours in them and saw less than a half of their full extent.





The Great Cascade - built in 1721. It was badly damaged in WW2 and some marble had to be replaced when it was rebuilt.









The fountain is turned of between 1200 - 1400

 

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The Temple of Apollo - 1862 -1867

 

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And to finish off Nymphenburg some out of sequence photos of the Badenburg

 

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On another day we took a 45 minute S-Bahn trip to the Starnberger See - Germany's second largest body of fresh water. On the way back we caught a RE train. During the return trip some ticket inspectors got on board and asked to see our ticket. My wife passed it to me and the inspector looked at said Jawohl - OK and moved on. I then looked at the ticket myself and saw that my wife had accidentally given me the ticket from the day before. It was not only expired but didn't even cover the correct transport zone. I don't think the State of Bavaria is getting their monies worth from that inspector.

Unfortunately the day started off grey and unlike most other days the weather only got worse. In fine weather this would have been a very scenic area with good views of the mountains.














Someone has an unusual eye for colour



There were some pretty expensive villas by the lake but they mostly behind high fences

 

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The town of Starnberg seemed very pleased that that the Northern 48th degree line passed through it.







To be honest it wasn't the most exciting day of our holiday but at least we had a nice meal at a small hotel. Euro 27.20 including a 1/2 litre of their own beer and a soft drink

Fleischpflanzerl - also known as Buletten, or Frikadellen, are made of minced meat mixed with softened Brötchen (meatballs)



Semmelknödel geröstet - Bread Dumplings with Speck and Spinach fried and then cut up (There is also a piece of my wife's meatball on the plate)



The railway underpass between the town and the lake is somewhat short of headroom