Last month I told you about my first gloriously messy day in Munich. Today I’m going to tell you about 2 other truly exciting days that will remained marked in my memory for evermore. :)
DAY 3
Today the DH and I strode out to pay homage to two very different monuments. Our first stop was Schloss Nymphenburg (btw schloss is German for palace). This was the summer palace of the Bavarian rulers. Now I’ve visited the odd schloss before (sorry, I love that word. I developed an odd verbal tic where I kept saying it out loud over and over), but I hadn’t done any research so when I first clapped eyes on the place, I just stood there with my mouth open catching flies.
Maybe you’ll sympathise when you see it. This first pic is from the long avenue leading up to the schloss.
This one is closer, obviously, and of the main part of the palace (there are wings to either side, identical...and endless :-) )
This is looking back the way we'd come. Not a bad view, huh?
So the palace is modelled on Versailles, which I haven’t seen, and is utterly amazing and decadent. But then there were the gardens. I swear I could’ve spent all day exploring those. In fact we explored so hard we had to stop at the café to fortify ourselves before our next adventure.
This is the main garden avenue, but off behind the trees to either side are more avenues, less grand, but leading to wonderful things like chapels and pavilions (and a coffee shop). The woods were lush and lovely...and cool for this very warm day.
And this is the view looking back at the schloss. The garden borders and statues were wonderful.
Our second stop for the day was Allianz Arena, which, according to the DH is home to one of the mightiest football teams in the world—Bayern Munich. I like football so I was more than happy to walk for kilometres to get to the arena and then climb stairs to view the arena…and eat ice cream before heading back to the train station again. But check the arena out. I think it looks like a giant UFO.
DAY 5
I’ve always wanted to be in the middle of big mountains. I mean BIG MOUNTAINS. And seriously they don’t get much bigger than the Alps. So on our last afternoon in Munich we caught a train to Garmische-Partenkirchen (I developed a bit of a verbal tic over that one too). It took an hour and twenty minutes and we passed the most beautiful lakes. Sigh. Not to mention forests full of Christmas trees!
So we reach the end of the line—Garmische (for short ;-) )—and we went for a stroll and I did that whole mouth-open-in-awe thing before a grin plastered itself across my face and refused to leave. The winter Olympics have been held in Garmische and it’s home to Zugspitze—the highest point in Germany. One can catch a cable car to the top, but we didn’t bother with that. The point wasn’t to go to the very top, it was to experience the feeling of being surrounded by mountains and while this coastal girl lapped up the experience, I have to say it felt very odd.
It was so warm there wasn’t a speck of snow on even the highest peaks. I couldn’t believe how wonderful it smelt either—a faint mix of cut grass and lavender. We found a beer garden where we ate black forest cake, drank beer and lapped up the view. Amazing. Utterly amazing.
I don't know how to mark a photo with an X but Zugspitze is in this photo.
I fear one loses the grandness and majesty of the scale in photos. But it truly was an awesome sight.
I've never been at this high an altitude on land before. My fingers and feet swelled up.
Love, love, love these chalets! The entire street was lined with them.
This is the town hall...with mountains in the background. :-)
Happy sighs.
Can you see how happy I am that I had the chance to spend an afternoon in the Alps?
Promo alert! My latest release, The Redemption of Rico D'Angelo is out this month and it's set in another spectacular location -- Tasmania. So, tell me, what's one of the most spectacular sights you've ever seen?
Michelle, I LOVED seeing your photos of Germany. I've passed through but have never spent the time there I should have and your photos have made me want to! Beer and black forest cake will do that :-)
ReplyDeleteSpectacular sights?? Wow, that's tough. Milford Sound at the bottom of New Zealand would have to be up there for me, and then I think standing in a street in Athens with my kids as they had their first view of The Parthenon, peeking between the buildings. That was pretty amazing.
Oh do go and spend some time there, Barb! It's wonderful. You won't regret it. Germany is beautiful AND interesting. Also, the beer is great...and the black forest cake even better. ;-)
DeleteMilford Sound and the Parthenon in Athens both sound awesome. Am thinking they might have to make it onto my bucket list.
Loved your post, Michelle! Just wonderful! I'm smiling now, imagining what a marvellous time you had, especially in the alps. Thanks for sharing. And congratulations on the release of your new book. I'm looking forward to reading it so much!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought, when it came to spectacular places, was Milford Sound (snap, Barbara!). That was closely followed by Hallstatt in Austria - so picturesque it's ridiculous, with a quaint town crammed by the side of a lake, surrounded by enormous mountains (check out the photo here: http://www.hallstatt.net/information/tourist-office/ ) and the ancient tomb paintings in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Nobles in Egypt.
Ah, yes, Annie, the Alps stole my heart. :-) So glad you enjoyed the photos. I had a real treat trying to decide which ones to include in the post.
DeleteTwo votes for Milford Sound! Okay, am definitely going to have to go there now. Am drooling at the sound of Hallstatt (OMG! Just checked out the link -- yes, *ridiculously* picturesque). Egypt. I bet that was amazing. You really have been to some spectacular places!
Ooh, and thanks. I hope you enjoy Rico when you find the time for him. ;-)
Oh, Michelle, those photos are awesome. I love chateaux, big and small and while in France this year visited four. You've given me an idea for Friday's blog. Most spectacular? Villandry Chateau in the Loire district. The gardens are stupendous and the castle stunning.
ReplyDeleteVillandry Chateau sounds amazing, Sue, and I'm glad to be the provider of blog inspiration. Looking forward to Friday's post. ;-)
DeleteMichelle, I'm also loving your travel pics and words. I especially related to your comment about the Alps and not needing to go to the top. That's exactly how I felt about the Eiffel Tower. I didn't want to get close and climb and look down. I wanted to just be *in* Paris looking at la tour. So, yeah, not the most original choice -- or even the most magnificent -- but it was the very illustration of FINALLY being in Paris which made its mark on me.
ReplyDeleteBron, I'm glad I'm not the only one! My sister would've booked herself on the first cable car to the top and while the view would've been spectacular, I wanted to savour simply being in the mountains.
DeleteI didn't want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower either. I just wanted to savour sipping a coffee whilst admiring it. Love that it made such a mark on you. :-)
Your trip looks amazing, Michelle. I love Europe - everything about it - the food, the different languages, the culture, the architecture...everything. Your trip is making me pine for another overseas adventure.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean, Jen! No sooner were we home when we started to work out how soon we could go again...and where we would go. Travel is one of the most invigorating things on earth. :-)
DeleteFabulous pictures thank you. Mine is looking out across the coastline on the Sunshine Coast. From the lookout you can see for miles & miles. Just sea, sun & sand. Truly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMary, I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures. They've been so much fun to sort through and select.
DeleteI think any kind of coastal view is pretty amazing and it sounds as if your patch of the world is spectacular. For all my European travels I've never been to the Sunshine Coast...but I do have plans for this summer (fingers crossed!). I'll have to to check out the lookouts. :-)
Hey Michelle! I know what you mean about the Alps. Here in Oz our "mountains" are like molehills by comparison! I remember looking down on the Alps as we flew over them on a trip and even several thousand meters in the air they were so high, so impressive, it was as if you could reach and touch them.
ReplyDeleteThe Schloss looks magnificent and, having been to Versailles I can almost picture it without the photos! The stadium looks like a big white tyre to me and I take my hat off to you because I would have found a nice place serving great German reisiling and let hubby do that one all by himself :-)
I'm also with you and Bron on not wanting to "conquer" anything. I like to just look and be awed! I remember when we went to Ayres Rock and my hubby and hundreds of others were climbing it. Not me. Apart from the express wishes of the indigenous people that you don't, it's not about whats at the top. It's about just gazing upon the magnificence! Same with the Eiffel tower. I went to the first floor only because it gave me a nice big picture view of Paris but I was happy with that.
But do you know, to this day, one of the most marvelous sights I've ever seen is the view as you stand on the steps of the War Memorial in Canberra and look down Anzac Avenue across the lake to the Old Parliament House then up to the new Parliament House.
I've seen a bit of this big old world and it still takes my breath away!
LOL about the stadium, Amy. The funny thing was it really was in the middle of nowhere and we had to walk for what seemed like miles...after walking for miles at Nymphenburg. But the DH had kept a stiff upper lip for the schloss so I had to return the favour. ;-)
DeleteI wouldn't climb Ayres rock either. I mean, why would you, huh? You can't see it so well when you climb it! Ditto the Eiffel tower. Some things are meant to be admired not conquered.
Okay, that view down Anzac Ave always makes my hair stand on end. You're right, it is a pretty amazing sight.
Michelle
ReplyDeleteWOW I love the pictures and the descriptions maybe one day I will get to travel i must say that one of the lovliest views is here at The Blue Mountains there are so many lookouts ot view the mountains and I loved the new book the setting is really lovely and of course so is Rico
Have Fun
Helen
Oh, Helen, the Blue Mountains! I remember the first time I saw the sweeping vista of the Jamison Valley at Echo Point -- it stole my breath. And it wasn't any less impressive the next time I visited either.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed my Tassie setting in my October release. I have to admit I saw some pretty spectacular sights while I was there too. :-)
Michelle, thanks for sharing these photos - I've loved going along on your trip vicariously! And I think schloss is a mighty fine word - I totally understand your verbal tic. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the journey, Rachel! I'd been a bit afraid that I was turning into one of those boring "come watch the slides of my holiday" people. ;-)
DeleteAha! I should've known you'd appreciate schloss. It does have such an excellent ring to it.
Michelle, more great pics! I'm enjoying this armchair travel! The schloss is AMAZING - it's almost incomprehensively huge, isn't it! And I agree about schloss - it's one of those words that just feels great in your mouth and it's so tempting to say it over!
ReplyDeleteI love mountains. Have had the opportunity to travel in the South Island of New Zealand and have also (MANY years ago) trekked in Nepal in the foothills of the Himalayas. Spectacular!
Sharon, the schloss was ridiculously huge. I swear, it you walked from one end of it to the other you'd get your exercise for the day. But I think this is the way of schlosses. ;-) (I know, I just can't resist)
DeleteOh my! I bet Nepal was amazing. I'm thinking there may have to be more mountains in my future.