Back to Munich

Such a difference from 2009 to 2015....

Now when I go anywhere for a week I take 800 to 1,000 photos and up to 5 hours of digital video.
It's only when I look back at times like this Swiss trip that I see how little I used the camera.
Anyway, I hope the photos you have seen of Lucerne and Zurich have made you curious enough to consider them in your future travel plans.

We didn't have to rush back to Munich Friday so in the morning after breakfast at an outdoor cafe we had time to visit the Fraumunster Church to see the stained glass windows there, which are by the famous artist Marc Chagall and in my case visit the Bahnhof- the main train station, the largest in Switzerland. All of this on video only alas.

So at some point late that morning we checked out of the Opera hotel and loaded the car once again for the long drive back to Munich, following the route that got us there.  We made a few stops along the way for bathroom breaks and espresso. One of them was even an AXXE! As usual it was clean and colorful and full of wonderful smells so we enjoyed some bratwurst and Pomme Frites (French Fries). There are currently only 24 AXXE locations in Europe but they are the best we have found for food and comfort so stop if you see one along the road.

We listen to German Classical Radio stations when we drive, rather than our own CDs, so that we can help our ears get attuned to the sound of spoken German and the radio announcers are very clear and precise. We tune to local radio wherever we go. Try it.

We arrived back in Munich by 4 pm on a Friday afternoon so there was a lot of traffic on the streets but we weren't in a hurry. I parked the car in a nearby garage. We did make it to Marienplatz in time for the 5 pm show where the mechanical jousting knights and dancers appear up on the clock tower.

It always draws a crowd for the 3 showings daily at 11 a.m, 12 noon and 5 p.m

Another photo taken on a different day

A German couple saw us looking for seats and invited us to sit at their table.

Since the show is mechanical the result is the same every time- the Bavarian Knight beats the Prussian and we can all go home happy!

On the way back from Marienplatz to the hotel we pass through Victualien Markt which is a beer garden surrounded by many shops selling flowers and vegetables and all manner of things. All  of the city's famous breweries get a day here where their beer is featured. They are named in the 4th photo.

Soon we were back in the Admiral hotel enjoying that tranquil garden and the blackbirds singing. The garden is surrounded by high stone walls

The rear of the hotel, overlooking the garden. Ours is the 3rd balcony on the Right.

Dinner that night was at an old favorite- the Ratskeller, a vast underground restaurant beneath Marienplatz, 15 minutes easy walk from the hotel, longer if you take the scenic route by the River Isar.

This is the Deutsches Museum which is at the end of the street the Admiral is on (Kohlstrasse) and here is the Isar.

We had a really good Bavarian dinner in the Ratskeller- excellent schnitzel and tafelspitz

The plates say it all

The streets of Munich-especially near Marienplatz are always full of people at night and so walking home is no problem. The streets are safe.

Back at the Admiral, heads hit pillows (Kopfkissen which means "Head kissers") and deep sleep follows. We had an expedition planned for our last full day in Europe-a visit to Munich Botanical Gardens...