Part 6

München, 23 JUN

An email:

Hi Tony,
Well, as I already mentioned, I am in München. The hotel is good, 99DM a night, conveniently close to the tram and S Bahn, and not far from the main station. The breakfast is outstanding. A Palestinian German owns it, and we already had our lengthy Middle East talk. Like most Palestinians in the West, he counts many Jews among his friends, and insists that, as always, the entire issue is one of perpetuation by extremists on both sides. He feels that the two people, Israelis and Palestinians have more in common than what divides them and that ultimately they will live in peace. He too thinks that Trans Jordan must be part of the peace solution. Enough and I heartily agree.


Next I worked my way through throngs of more tourist toward the Frauenkirche. A strange, though quite old (14C) place. Built of brick, the two towers topped by huge onion shaped copper domes. The outside plain as can be. I went inside and it was white. Well, there was some edge trim there somewhere, but it was the plainest and starkly elegant church I have ever seen. Huge, and seemingly larger, because of the lack of decoration. A huge cross, suspended in mid air, somewhere down the center of the place. There is only one item in there that is really fancy, the tomb of some Kaiser of Bavaria. That is really large and ornate, but it is near the entrance off to one side and really doesn't distract much from the overall effect.
Got out, wandered around, finally got to the Maximonument. A neat plaza built in Roman style surrounded by Museums and the Main theatre of town and bordered by the Maximillian Street, one of, if not the fanciest street of München. After that I got on good old #19 and headed back to my area.
Today, a little exercise in disappointment, though not a total loss. A day I planned to basically blow away locally on a side-quest. There are a few side-quests that I attempt to accomplish from time to time. This one took me to the BMW plant. It happens to be near the Olympian village (remember, way back when?) and that was fun to walk through. I could get into a factory tour, because they had been fully book though the middle of July - shit! I talked my way on a factory bus and got a ride to all of the many places BMW occupies in München. Then got off at the European Delivery Program dept. and was invited in. Got a dinner on the house, looked at some of the very latest cars, some not even for sale in Germany yet. Any of you who remember the Mini-Cooper will be in for a great surprise. I admired the only motorcycle in the world that has no helmet requirement and is fully roll caged, the BMW C-1, and then headed back by subway to the main-station. The subway is modern, efficient, the stations Bauhaus (that's a rather - to me anyway - disgustingly boring building style), though the stations and tunnels, unlike the ones in London, are not claustrophobic. Everything seems large and larger.
Next I went in search of a gym to gauge how well the deterioration of my body due to lack of proper exercise is progressing and I 'have to report that it is progressing very well. I am not too worried, however, since in the course of the next two months, both in Germany and in Scandinavia I will be able to spend at least 20-30 evenings in gyms. I shall rebound (another side quest: rebounding).
Tomorrow I will take the train to Berchtesgaden, the following day, oh well. I'll tell you when I get there. Until then,

The trip from Lucerne to München was uneventful and scenic. A arrived in the München Hauptbahnhof (main station) and found it huge and chaotic. The latter mainly due to the heavy traffic that was crowding the large station. It is actually rather well organized, and I stood, as usual, in a strange place and wondered where to go next. Speaking German, I knew I'd be fine, but that was not even a requirement. The tourist information office is right out the main doors and to the right, where there are friendly helpers and maps and excellent information available. Deciding to walk, I did get momentarily lost, but then it all fell into place. Actually, the easy way is to buy a one-week transportation ticket for the inner part of Munich and then take the tram (No. 18 and 19) two or three stops to the Holzapfelstrasse (Wooden-Apple Street), the closest stop near the hotel. Piece of cake. The Hotel Kurpfalz is really very nice and gets a two thumbs-up rating from me. Excellent breakfast (among the top three of this entire trip) and the short connection to the main station makes it pretty ideal. Even a laundry place and two small fruit stores are in its immediate neighborhood, which is quiet and residential. I was happy to get a 5th floor room, which meant I could race up and down five flights of stairs for exercise. I made München a hub for day-trips, mainly. That meant cutting the city somewhat short, which is entirely unfair to this lovely town, but I had certain side-quests to accomplish. Nonetheless, I still managed to spend quite some time in and around München as well.

An email:

I worked my way through throngs of more tourist toward the Frauenkirche. A strange, though quite old (14th Century) place. Built of brick, the two towers topped by huge onion shaped copper domes. The outside plain as can be. I went inside and it was white. Well, there was some edge trim there somewhere, but it was the plainest and most starkly elegant church I have ever seen. Huge, and seemingly larger, because of the lack of decoration. A huge cross, suspended in mid air, somewhere down the center of the place. There is only one item in there that is really fancy, the tomb of some Kaiser of Bavaria. That is really large and ornate, but it is near the entrance off to one side and really doesn't distract much from the overall effect.
Got out, wandered around, finally got to the Maximonument. A neat plaza built in Roman style surrounded by Museums and the Main theatre of town and bordered by the Maximillian Street, one of, if not the fanciest street of München. After that I got on good old tram #19 and headed back to my area.
Today, a little exercise in disappointment, though not a total loss. A day I planned to basically blow away locally on a side-quest. There are a few side-quests that I attempt to accomplish from time to time. This one took me to the BMW plant. It happens to be near the Olympian village (remember, way back when?) and that was fun to walk through. I could get into a factory tour, because they had been fully book though the middle of July - shit! I talked my way on a factory bus and got a ride to all of the many places BMW occupies in München. Then got off at the European Delivery Program dept. and was invited in. Got a dinner on the house, looked at some of the very latest cars, some not even for sale in Germany yet. Any of you who remember the Mini-Cooper will be in for a great surprise. I admired the only motorcycle in the world that has no helmet requirement and is fully roll caged, the BMW C-1, and then headed back by subway to the main-station. The subway is modern, efficient, the stations Bauhaus (that's a rather - to me anyway - disgustingly boring building style), though the stations and tunnels, unlike the ones in London, are not claustrophobic. Everything seems large and larger.
Next I went in search of a gym to gauge how well the deterioration of my body due to lack of proper exercise is progressing and I 'have to report that it is progressing very well. I am not too worried, however, since in the course of the next two months, both in Germany and in Scandinavia I will be able to spend at least 20-30 evenings in gyms. I shall rebound (another side quest: rebounding).
Tomorrow I will take the train to Berchtesgaden, the following day, oh well. I'll tell you when I get there. Until then,


Another email:


So, yesterday I jumped on the train to go to Ulm to see the largest Romanic dome in existence. Got off at Ulm, followed the sound of some powerful bells and faced an incredibly tall church tower. It is indeed the tallest church tower in existence and you can climb it. You know me, I raced my way up as fast as my big feet allowed. Nearly got blown off a platform when a bell rang out right as I passed it. The sound was incredible. Nothing I would want to repeat. Then on and up. Finally you stand in a gargoyle "protected" landing and look up at the lace pattern of stone above you and are in total awe that this could have been built while people around the Minster were basically living in two and three story hits. Then you notice that the core is hollow, and that there is yet one more tight little twisting staircase going into that web of stone. Up one goes to finally arrive on a tiny circular platform, incredibly high above the ground, on the outside of the tip of the tower. That's an experience well worth the $2.50 admission. The dome itself is quite large and they had a concert when I got back down into it. Hung around a bit and thought that this error, i.e. going to the wrong city ended rather well. I then circled the dome, figuring that somewhere nearby there'd be old houses, and are there ever. One of the most ornate and beautifully painted facades I have ever seen. Including two clocks. It was late Middle Ages at their finest. After a while I blew the joint, took the ICE back to München. Speaking of which, I have ridden the Thalys trains of 'Northern Germany and Benelux, the AVE of Spain, the TGV of France (they're the fasted, I believe), but as for luxury, the German ICE first class has them all beat. Once back in München I was looking to feed some ducks I though might be in the park near the river and was instead looking at nude and near nude bodies of sunbathers. Oh well. The river Isar is rather quick, so just a few ducks were there. I fed them until they go tired of getting fed and none of the nudes wanted any of my bread or anything else, and headed for the tram. Got there and just missed it. I cursed and started walking angrily; knowing that the next one will be 15-20 minutes later, since it was Sunday. I made a wrong turn somewhere, got lost, and found myself face to stare with the Munich Hofbräu House. Well, some of you might have heard of it. It is one of the oldest drinking establishments in the city. After I made a turn down some side street and bunch of Japanese men crowded around me and shoved a map of Munich in my face and asked me where some place on that map was. I laughed and told them I was lost myself, but then had a second look at where they were pointing and cracked up. The Hofbräu Haus. Yes, even being lost I could tell them exactly where that was. From here on I knew that I would not be far from the Frauenkirche. The local cathedral. I kept looking up for the familiar twin towers and there they were. Once I had them, I started to circle and arrived at the Rathaus (City Hall). That one is totally mind-boggling. You've got to see it. A small city block of a building and it seem that every square foot of it is carved with humans and gargoyles. From the big square in front one can see two large clockwork powered levels of dancing figure's in an ornate, green patinaed, and apparently copper or bronze multi-tiered balcony. Quite a sight. I went into the courtyard and there, surrounded by more statues, gargoyles and tourists had a glass of excellent house wine. Time to relax and regroup. I noticed that a bunch of Asian tourists were eating huge fancy glasses of ice cream. Looked great, but having not really exercised in quite some time and not knowing when I would, I lacked the cohones to try one of those delicious items (the ice -cream).

A comprehensive travel & picture guide to Munich and Bavaria

One of the things I had wanted to do was to visit the BMW plant in Munich. Fat chance. The trip on the modern subway took me to the outskirts of Munich, to the stop where the old Olympic stadium is located. Great place to explore, with the round tower of BMWs headquarters, that also house the BMW museum, visible from every point. The only problem was that to get on their factory tour, which leaves twice a day, one must make a reservation way in advance (or pick up a European Delivery car). Since that opportunity was now out of the question, I went to other parts of the facility, including the European delivery area, where I was treated to a dinner on the house. Cool, no complaints here. I had hopes to someday come back and pick up a new BMW there. Little did I know that I would get home, totally impoverished. But that's life, mine anyway. I ended up getting a tour of all of the various factory and business sites, by riding the factory BMW bus line until I got back to my subway station. I even got to drool over the as yet unreleased pre-production models of the new BMW-built mini cooper. The following morning, for my first day trip, I went to Ulm. For some weird reason Ulm stuck in my mind, but it was the wrong city I was planning to see. Still, it ended up being a great visit. One of those fortuitous mistakes that happened on my trip. I took the German version of the bullet train called ICE, and found that, at least in first class, it was the most luxurious of all of the high-speed trains I have ridden in Europe. However, since it is not running on dedicated tracks, its full speed potential could never be reached.

Ulm turned out to be the wrong town at the right time. I planned see a Romanic Cathedral that predated the Gothic types one sees everywhere, and I thought that that was in Ulm. I never did get to the other place, wherever that is, but Ulm was great. Crossing the busy terminal plaza via the underground passage, took me straight into the pedestrian-only alleys that led to the Dom, the cathedral. I looked at that unbelievable tall structure, considering when it was built, and knew there had to be a way up that tower. Sure enough, for a small fee one could ascend the huge spire. I was early enough to make it a race, unimpeded by other visitors, most of whom were still below, looking up, wondering if it was worth the trouble. I go to the top and discovered a narrow ring of a balcony, just below the tip of the steeple and an incredible view in all directions. Below, I detected an old part of town, that was just begging to be explored. Also, a river with barges slowly passing by, completing the peaceful scene. Very few people actually made the demanding climb all the way to the very top, but those that did, felt their toils were well rewarded. After a rapid descent, hehe, I entered the main part of the cathedral to listen to a service underway. Being a Catholic service, it was mostly in Latin, so I didn't know what was going on anyway, nor did I particularly care, but the organ music sounded great and the medieval carvings and colorful knightly coats-of-arms displayed in high relief, throughout the cathedral were really something to see. Leaving the cathedral I set out to find the areas I had spotted from high up and discovered a totally lovely medieval town center and a large old enameled and guilded clock, facing the town plaza. There was a Bavarian band playing, and the first of the customers were entering the old restaurants to swill a beer while enjoying the spectacle.


Got back to Munich and felt one of my rare down moods coming on. They never last long, I am too fundamentally cheerful and optimistic (or naive, or foolish) to let things bother me for long. I went to a nice gym in a suburb of Munich and then planned the next day. I just had to see the castles of Ludwig of Bavaria. The probably slightly mad king who was totally detached from reality and proceeded to build dream castles that nearly, had it not been for a sudden drowning "accident" ruined the state of Bavaria. So, I went to the station, got all of the information I needed and hopped on a train to Füssen. From there, just a short bus-ride away, were two of the greatest castles ever built. One of them Schloss Hohenschwangau, was the family's original castle, built on an old foundation from the 12th century, I believe. Beautifully renovated, it also became the home of Richard Wagner who go to be a permanent house guest there. These are fairy-tale castles in every respect and the amount of artistry and wealth that went into these places was staggering. SEE THEM! After that tour I had lunch in a nice large restaurant, sharing a table with a large and pleasant family from Holland, and then jogged up to the castle that became the actual model for Disney's fairytale castles, Schloss Neuschwanstein. It started raining, and I jogged and walked up the long hill, passing the horse-drawn carriages that were taking people up there, who sat nice and dry under their tarps, staring at me, wet and happy, jogging by. This one, with incredible views of the Bavarian countryside, and a feast for the eyes throughout the rooms, all lavishly decorated with Germanic legendary theme-art, was actually a brand new construction by Ludwig. But he wasn't finished yet. Aside from the copy of Versailles, he had an even grander castle planned, alas, for us, and fortunately for Bavaria, the king's untimely demise put a halt to all of that. While in the castle I noticed a distant bridge, crossing a gap, high above a narrow waterfall. I tipped my castle tour guide and got the information I wanted. Another steep uphill jog, following the castle tour, took me there. Spectacular views of the castle, and well worth the walk. On the way back it started to pour and I waited-out the deluge, before finding a small path through the forest that I correctly assumed, would take me back down to the village and the bus stop. Well, it led down, and that definitely was the right direction. That all behind me, on the way back, I had to listen to the blather of some ugly South American lawyer, now a permanent resident of Miami, about all of the unfortunate poor people in the world, and our, Western culture's, debt to them. I set him straight on that crap in a hurry, and miffed he walked away to chat with some other "real" people, willing to listen to his drivel. His unfortunate travel companion, some middle-aged American woman who had decided to do this trip with him, complained that he only wanted to go to out-of-the-way places and "meet the people", actually, so she said, to chase young girls (unsuccessfully), and never go to any museums, cathedrals, shops, or such things, she had hoped to see. I told her to ditch the selfish idiot and travel on by herself. It takes all kinds, even slime balls like him, I guess.

The next day it was on to Herrenchiemsee. The site of yet another glorious construction of King Ludwig's. This is the unfinished and improved copy of Versailles. Only a relatively small number of the rooms ended up completed, but all of the breath-taking garden sculptures did. What a sight! The trip itself is most pleasant. One takes the train from München in direction Füssen, I forgot the small station, from there one takes a strange little train to the lake shore (or one walks), and then there's a boat trip to the Herrenchiemsee island. A lovely and peaceful day trip that should be high on the list of any visitor to München. On the island one can walk or take a horse-drawn buggy ride to the palace where visitors get gathered in linguistic groups to be toured through the rooms. Each room seems just a little bit more expansive and elaborate than its Versailles counterpart, culminating in a unique room, no equal at Versailles, or anywhere in the world, where everything is made of porcelain. Ludwig visited this place only a few times and it remains a showcase of 18th and 19th century German/European artistry maintained for posterity. The gardens are gorgeous and every so often the fairytale-themed fountains will operate and their sound and cool mist refreshingly filled the summer air.


An email:

Hi Cherie,
The next day (yesterday) I went to see the castle Disney copied, Schloss Neuschwanstein, and the nearby Hohenschwangau. The latter, being the home of Ludwig II's parents, and I think grand parents, and where he and little crazy Otto grew up. The place is a rebuilt 12th Century castle and really, really neat inside. Aside from great display of craftsmanship, it also has Richard Wagner's permanent guest quarters and a room with an ivory-keyed piano where he composed. It is all perfectly in order (should he ever want to return). I liked the little castle a lot. It felt cozy and was decorated with paintings from Germanic legends (Lohengrin, Sigfried and the like). After that visit, one not to be missed, I had a quick lunch at a local restaurant. I had the vegetable platter with a delicious glass of the house wine. Did I mention house wines (vin de maison in France)? Chose the house wine. It is usually superior to anything you select in a bottle or what you may be able or willing to afford. I think the reason is, that the restaurant/chef establishes a long term relationship with some local vintner, and then orders by the barred i.e. quantity. So far I have not gone wrong yet. I had the pleasure of the company of a Swedish family at my table in the crowded restaurant and then headed out into a drizzly afternoon. The way up to Neuschwanstein was long and reasonably steep. I passed the horse drawn carriages to the surprise of the canvas roofed and walled passengers and then crowded out of the rain in the huge entry gateway of the castles waiting for my tour number to come up on the lighted indicators in the courtyard. After having seen the other LII places I thought, how can it get better? But I was wrong. Room after room, each one more ornate and beautiful then the last one all to end in an incredible finale. The performance hall. A huge knightly hall, painted floor to ceiling, again the same Romantic imagery, c carved dragons and knights, a stage with a forest backdrop (painted), carved and painted beams and columns. It was spectacular and I am glad I didn't miss out on either of the castles. While tipping the guide, for the very strange English she spoke to my constant amusement, I asked her how to get to a bridge that I had seen earlier in the distance above a rushing and falling creek. She told me and that was quite a walk. Not far, maybe 45 minutes at a race-walk pace. Steep! This was very steep, but paved. I loved it. These things are my 45-minute Stairmaster sessions. Up I went. Level 1, a view point to from which to see the 1st castle from the greater height of the 2nd. Then on, rather up to the bridge, also built by LII. Mad he may have been, but he had style. The bridge was high enough for some serious bungi-jumping or even, as is done in WV on bridge day, sky diving. Mainly a great view of Neuschwanstein. I took my pictures, stepped back on the walk, and it started to rain. I got as far as the view point, when the skies opened up and I took cover. After a while, even my massive tree started to leak, and I ran all the way up hill where I saw a bus stop. Yes, some people actually cheat and get a bus ride all the way up there. There's a trailer behind the bus for the fat buns. I crowded in there with the shivering mass and then the bus came. I did not take it, because the rain finally let up and then turned to e light drizzle that finally ceased when I found myself on a newly discovered path down to the village. Newly discovered. I forgot to mention that in as recent as 1999 in the Salzburg fortress, while getting into a wall to make an opening in the museum part, they discovered and row of painted columns and Romanic arches that dated to the 11th or 12th Century.


The following day I decided to take a trip to beautiful Salzburg, Austria, home of Wolfgang Amadeus. Mozart. The town was crowded with happy tourists, the day was sunny, though not hot, and I took the bus from the station to the center of town and got off the bus near the Mozart residence. It's a great starting point for Salzburg. Nearby I noticed a steep street going up into the hills above the city and decided to take it. It let me climb, past life-sized figure displays of religious events at the time of Jesus, toward the distant woods. Finally, after an equally steep uphill walk through a forest I arrived at an old, restored monastic building that was now a restaurant. I think the place was 800 years old. Great views and very, very expensive food. I passed on lunch and hiked back down. I always carry nutriton bars in my daypack, for just such reasons. Besides, there are always cheaper food places in town. By the way, since I saw cars up there, there is a roadway to the top and to the restaurant. After my return walk, I ended up enjoying the flowers and sculptures and visitors in a park in front of a small renaissance palace. Next, seeing the massive fortress high above the city, I crossed the river to get closer to it. Following throngs of tourists through winding alleys, I ended up at a huge open square with a beautiful fountain based on horse sculptures facing the Salzburg Cathedral. The latter was amazing to see. Built at the time of emperor Maximillian, every Mexican larger-sized church and cathedral seems to follow this design. After admiring the cool vastness of that place, I looked for ways to get to the fortress. Looking around I doscovered another small challenge, though a not very tough one, the walkway up to the huge fortress, that was looming nearly straight above. It's a reasonably managable walk up, but there is also a cog railway leading up to it. The fortress is really large and there are shops, restaurants and there is a neat museum in there, for the connoisseurs of arms and armor. Actually, there are several museums there and also a fortress tour to be taken. I explored on my own and had a great time anyway. The return to the station took me past a food and fruit store and I had the owner prepare a grilled chicken sandwich for me and purchased some grapes for dessert. Then I walked back to the station.

An email:

Hi Cara,
I spent the day in Salzburg. The home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. What a nice place that is as well. Not as fairytale pretty as Luzern, but what is or possibly can be, but being beautifully located within a river valley, surrounded by high hills, in town baroque buildings, a Cathedral, several ornate churches, more Mozart related places, and a huge fortress the dominates the valley. The place is a delight to roam around in, or simply let the mass of tourists carry you around. Once the hill climbs get more serious, they turn into a trickle anyway, preferring to use less strenuous means of locomotion or sticking to platters of Austrian bakery delights. I found some steps, following some tall blonde into the old part of town. I could not resist - the steps that is. Several hundreds of them later, and many connecting paths in between, I found myself atop a nice and sweaty hill, if tackled with the necessary enthusiasm, facing a nearly 700 year old cloister high above the valley. Inside the restored building a pub that had me thumb numbers into my calculator resulting in prices so outrageous, that I walked hurriedly back off that god-damned hill, as if a bunch of angry monks were in pursuit of me. Next, wandering past the cathedral (emperor Maximillian of Austria - Mexico, remember?) and now know why Mexican churches and cathedrals look the way they do. Checked out a fancy horse fountain, peeked into the cathedral, mobbed by throngs of guided tourists, and looked for a path up to the fortress. That turned out to be a steep, but short dash up. First I took some pictures of a school class, whose teacher's helper had no idea how the camera worked. It happened to be an older version of mine. Then I had fortress fun. It is the largest, or one of the largest, intact fortress in Europe. Real cool. Great views and lots of places to climb up and down in. Also a museum, that among other things, exhibits such toys as chastity belts, thumb and other screws, and various punitive delights of the age. I recently read that, Spain, I believe, was still exporting thumbscrews and other such devices to South American nations or anyone who needs them. After that it was water, food and getting the hell out of dodge. Munich did turn out to be a great staging area. I could easily stay here even longer and visit yet more places.

...Ok, so where was I? Did I mention Chiemsee the Herren Insel? Well, our good friend Ludwig II, hereafter referred to as LII, built himself a little Versailles on that lovely island. His goal was to emulate Louis XIV, the infamous sun king of France. Not only had he got a far lovelier setting, being on an island in the lower Alp region, but the 30 rooms he managed to get completed prior to running out of money, are bigger, better, and more beautiful than those Louis XIV managed to built in Versailles. LXIV had just one little advantage, he was able to make war on his neighbors when he ran out of money, something LII in the 19th Century, being merely king of Bavaria did not have the luxury of doing. The trip there is not very long, after you get off the train you get to ride in a little privately owned railroad with open (no doors or windows) cars for a few kilometers to the boat landing. There, after a fun little boat ride on the large and smooth, sail and rowboat dotted lake to the Herren Insel, you can either walk (me!) or ride in a horse drawn carriage to the castle. It is a worthwhile experience, and gives one insight, not just in the insane desire of one man to detach himself from reality, but more so, a view of incredible craftsmanship, as it was available in the 19th Century Germany. Just as in Versailles, the fountains, only these to a much greater degree, are as important, and possibly as costly as the entire building.


At last, the day came when I had planned to visit the place of my birth, Berchtesgaden. After changing trains in Freilassing, the landscape turned really scenic. This has got to be one of the most picturesque places in Germany. Steep cliffs with tall pines clinging precariously to their sides, and high distant mountains add drama to the picture. The whole scene had low clouds threading through high valleys and occasional drizzle, alternating with rainbow decorated sunny skies. Amid all of this there were lush meadows and white, walled and wood trimmed, traditional alpine homesteads and occasionally small villages with churches that had onion-shaped steeple roofs. At long last I arrived in pretty-as-a-picture Berchtesgaden, and it was all I expected it to be. I found a cash machine in the building next to the station, and hopped on a bus that read Konigssee. My grandmother always told me about that lake, and I had to see it. Near the lake, I had some excellent pea soup in a restaurant on the way to the boat-landing and a beer, then filed through the guide rails to the ticket window, bought my ticket and joined the waiting crowds. The boats ran totally silent and I was told by an American teacher, who was working there teaching school for US military dependents, that those boats were also the work of Ludwig's family, who had a hunting lodge at the lake. The boats were still the same and still electric to not disturb or pollute the lake environment. The boats were surprisingly narrow and long, but clean yet crowded. I found a seat under cover, but near the rail at the right side of the back of the boat. Silently we slipped away from the pier into the lake. A towering, but narrow, waterfall, caught my eye. The whole lake is surrounded by steep cliffs and high, often snow and ice-covered mountains. Somewhere, half-way out, the boat stopped and one of the personnel stepped to the edge and played some notes on a trumpet. We were to hear a good number of echoes, though I only made out two or three, as the sound bounced between the surrounding high mountains. Then it on to the place which I had seen immortalized on so many paintings, St. Bartholome. It is a small and very famous little chapel by the lake edge, behind which was the hunting lodge of the Bavarian kings. Nowadays, there are shops and restaurants there, just a few are permitted, and smoked trout, locally caught, is for sale there as well. I saved that part for later, because I had my eyes on a major hike up the side of Grossglockner, a mountain that year-round is the target of serious mountain climbers. I only planned to go as far as the Eiskapelle, the chapel of ice, a part that in the winter lives up to its name, but in the summer it was only a unapproachable large chunk of ice that was largely melted away, still hollowed out, but, in my opinion, too dangerous to enter. The hike was not too steep or difficult and I made very good time. Chatted for a while with a German family, the husband had been a businessman in Russia, setting up trade relations between the two countries. Then it was back and another fine boat trip and bus-ride to the station, placed me back into Berchtesgaden. I decided to walk the streets a little, chat with some locals, turn into a local deli for some food and soda water, purchased a magazine at the station, and waited for my train for the journey back to Munich.

On my first day out, in Munich, looking for the Hofbrauhaus, I traipsed through the old town near the unbelievably decorated city hall, turning the corner and, knowing virtually nothing, was asked by some Asian male tourists, where the Hofbrauhaus was, and I actually was able to tell them. To them, having had the obligatory beer at the Hofbrauhaus made them feel like old Munich travelers. With spare bread that I had accumulated, I took the trolley to the river park, where my attempts to feed the ducks were frustrated by nude sunbathers. Oh, well. I didn't need that, in my lonely state, but there they were. Right in the heart of the city.

München has lots to offer to the traveler, and I got to stay in a reasonably priced and very good hotel (see my hotel listing) to make the stay even more enjoyable. I easily could have stayed much longer and enjoyed every minute of it. A huge Internet place is directly across from the main station and is open 24 hours around. This is actually part of a chain of Internet places across Europe and they offer the best deal in town.

Once more it was time to leave a place that I felt totally at home in. The previous day I had checked the schedules for the necessary connections from Munich to Düsseldorf. The ride was about six hours long. Got up later, had breakfast and then rushed to the station and missed the 0933 by a mile. Not a problem, between the major cities it is easy to make alternate connections. The next train, also an ICE bullet, with a change in Mannheim, was just an hour later. On the way we went through Stuttgart, home of Mercedes Benz and I let myself be awed by the gleaming new glass and steel buildings, topped with solar collectors. No sign of Porsche, but they may have been too far away from the train to see. Then came the part I was looking forward to and had made sure to place myself in a seat on the right side of the train. The trip along the Rhine River. At Rüdesheim, up in the hills above the river, stands a huge statue of Germania, her arm raised in greeting. I remember that one from weekend riverboat rides when I was a kid. Castles everywhere, and cruise ships and pleasure craft populated the river. Near Bacharach I even saw the Enterprise, a new, kind of futuristically painted river cruise ship, packed with Germans enjoying the weekend (Star Trek is a big deal over there too). They often have live bands on these ships and go to various of the little wine-villages all along the shore.

An email:

Hi Tony,
I left München the morning after my trip to Berchtesgaden. Looking at the Eurail map, I realized that the train will be, after Koblenz, on the left side of the Rhine River (West), and planned to get myself a seat on the right side of the train. All went as planned. I changed trains in Mannheim and then once we hit the Rhine I was happy to enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Rhine valley with all of the little historic towns and the castles on top the grape stock covered hills. First, there was the huge statue of Germania, waving to the passing travelers from across the river, high atop its perch, then we approached Koblenz and crossed the Mosel River and things got really nice. It was the trip I had hoped for, even though the skies were dark and cloudy and it rained occasionally. I let that affect me no more than it seemed to affect the reveling crowds, who were dancing and partying on countless river boats, large and small, that were cruising on that Saturday afternoon up the river, and into a night of live music, dancing, and enjoying good food and Rhine wine. The train ride can be taken along the entire river from Holland to Basel Switzerland and is definitely one of the scenic routes to travel in Europe. Better yet, by car, which allows one to stop in the many little towns and to enjoy what the local kitchens (or barrels) have to offer. From time to time the river exploded in rainbow colors, when dozens of kayakers, in their colorful boats occupied the center of the river, maneuvering either around buoys with flags on them or simply swirling around each other, or the many Dutch or German flagged barges, that made their way ponderously, drafting deep, weighted down by their cargo, toward the southern canals, leading to France or toward Switzerland. A nice trip. No surprises, and no pain. Got to Düsseldorf and for the first time in a while slept like a baby. I was really tired from the daily grind of making it to a new location out of München each day. Today, I feebled around in the gym. Did two sets of 8 pull-ups and one of 6. I know, a shameful performance, but I promise I will get better. Did a bunch of upper body and back stuff. It felt good. Add to that the rowing machine, and the Precor elliptical, and I you know I'll be sleeping well tonight too. Tomorrow it's laundry, movie, food, another movie and then gym again. Other than that, I may do a quick trip to Aachen, one to Köln (Cologne), one to Trier, the old city on the Mosel, and maybe a quick, used book buying spree, to London. That's about it. I will report on those trips, when and if they happen, but other than that, this is about all for now, until I get back underway on 17 July to Brussels and beyond.

It was like a trip down memory lane. All the familiar medieval structures along the way, I recognized from so many decades ago. Even the legendary promontory, where the siren Lorelei, so the story goes, would sit and sing her alluring songs, causing the old river barge captains to distractedly run aground on the dangeroius rocks below.

A guide to a Rhine River cruise with many picture links.

This is a great trip to be made by either train, ship, or car. The sky kept getting darker and soon it would rain and by the time we departed Koblenz, the roads were wet. The landscape quickly changed and the steep hills withdrew from the edges of the previously tightly channeled river and became just gentle hills in the distance, making the transition from the more picturesque central and southern Germany to the relatively flat and green northern planes. The train stopped at the former West German capital and university town of Bonn where the platforms were packed with young people going every which way. I believe vacation season had just started. Then the train continued to Cologne (Köln). I arrived late that evening at my preferred and much looked forward to CVJM Hotel in Düsseldorf, with my nice, cool and comfortable room waiting for me. I was home again, and my mid-journey place for RR&R (Rest, Recreation, & Reflection). For foreign visitors, Düsseldorf offers the old town area, the riverfront, and the great Königsallee, the lovely city park (Hofgarten), and at some time of the year it is a center for certain exhibits (fashion, among them). For me it was simply home. I know the city intimately, love the hotel, and still have some school friends there. It also is a travel hub to easily go to nearby Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, and the neighboring cities of Köln (established by the Romans), Aachen, (the former seat of the Germanic emperor Karl the Great - Charlemagne), and more distant Trier, Germany's oldest city, as well as some interesting river cruises.

Having my Eurail Pass was finally really worth it. I traveled nearly every single day to Köln (a quick 20 minutes by train) to go to the 24 HR Fitness gym there (one of three, but the one closest to the town center and station). Since my hotel was so conveniently located near the main station, this became a nice routine for me. If you don't plan on such an intensive travel schedule, such as I had from Munich and Düsseldorf, it might be more economical to purchase point-to-point tickets as you go.

An Email:

Cherie,
Yesterday I went to Trier. Now that was a day well spent. Trier may well be the closest thing that Germany has to Luzern. The latter still the prettiest city in Europe by a long shot. Trier is Germany's oldest city, founded 16 BC. From the station it is a reasonably short and straight walk along a street with lovely turn of the century and older facades to the Porta Nigra (the Black Gate), which looms like a dark cloud of stone in the distance. It is really dark and large and impressive. Built by the Romans, which had made Trier once the seat of the West Roman Empire. Among the imperators who ruled from here, was the illustrious Constantin the Great. The gate area is mobbed by tourists and one can from there go on city tours by various means. I did the usual and used my feet. Bravely turned them toward the masses and in direction of the city center. A wonderful city center it is. Superbly restored and maintained it is a riot of color, gorgeously decorated facades and entrances, back-dropped by unusual church spires and centered around a beautiful little fountain that consists of tiers of painted statues, topped by a golden figure of a saint. I stopped to have lunch at a Nordsee fish place and headed toward the river and followed signs that pointed to a Roman bridge. Crossing a baroque plaza with a massive equally baroque fountain, I dipped into the alley to arrive duly at said bridge. Like all "Roman" bridges, it too had been extensively rebuilt and modernized. The Mosel riverside is truly lovely to behold. Even the relatively small river carries surprising amount of large cargo barges between France and Germany. Heading back into town I passed a large Roman ruin which turned out to be a former thermal bath. Not much left of it, though a few interesting bits were there. A few columns and part of a once heated floor. I suddenly remembered that there was to be an amphitheater and asked for direction. Luckily that place was not even a kilometer from the bath. From afar I already saw the arches and tall walls of the stage. The brickwork was so artistic that it in itself must have added significantly to the festive atmosphere during a performance in Roman times. From the site of the theatre I noticed what appeared to be a "half" a pink painted Rococo palace attached to a huge brick wall or building. Puzzled I had to examine this item. The palace and its white and guilded statues was about as sickly overdone as all of that rococo crap (just my opinion), but I noticed right next to it a lowered plaza, whose walls were formed of what was clearly Roman bricks. Also, there was a large set of doors in the "wall" that turned out to be a rather large building. I stepped in and found myself in a jaw-dropping huge brick building, mostly still made of Roman bricks, that seemed impossibly large to be Roman and free of column. It turned out that this building is so large that the entire massive Porta Nigra could fit inside. Also, it was finished in the year 300 and is called Constantine's Basilika. A most impressive place, and would have in itself been worth the trip. From there I marched over to the Cathedral. I decided to look in, because it was of Romanic design, mostly. The parts that were newer had some gothic characteristics, but were still pre-flying buttresses. Interesting! Inside I found the most beautiful church organ (modern) I have ever seen. Also, I noticed that some of the older walls were constructed of Roman (probably stolen from one of the older buildings) brick. I'm running out of time here and will have to wrap this up. Trier, as well as the enjoyable trip by rail along the Rhine and the Mosel, were well worth doing, and is highly recommended for anyone visiting Germany.

Trier 12 JUL

For the trip from Koblenz to Trier, stay on the left side of the train. From there you can enjoy the beauty of the Mosel River valley to the fullest. Bordered by vineyards and more often than not by densely tree-covered hills, the small river sports a string of old and mostly clearly medieval little towns, usually watched over by square-towered, brooding, dark castles. The great castle outside of Cochem has a spectacular roof on it; one can just catch a glimpse of before the train crosses the Mosel River. On this day the skies were broken and not as dark as over Düsseldorf, and the sun was occasionally peeking through, fingering the swelling green grapes with long warm rays. I love riding the trains. They are real happiness generators for me and I eagerly anticipate each new and unexplored location. From the Trier station, simply walk straight across, down the wide boulevard and you will get to the main sights and center of Trier tourism. On your left, in front of a large old building there is a green-patinaed bronze statue of a Bishop, and straight ahead, past an array of decorated turn of the century (19th) and older facades you can see the looming presence of the huge Porta Nigra, the Black Gate. It's quite large and really, really dark. I've known of it since childhood and it was one of those things that I just had to see. Much later that day, I was to discover an underground pedestrian passage way at that intersection, where the same postcards one buys at all of the tourist places can be had for much less. As I got close to the Black Gate, the tourist density went up dramatically. Small tourist sightseeing road trains and large open-roofed sightseeing buses abounded. I, as usually, let my feet do the traveling. They're nice and large and just seem to be made for that kind of exercise. Look up as much as around, because the colorful carving and statue embellished facades of old Trier are a sight to behold. Walking straight from the Porta Nigra toward the center of town (the direction will be immediately obvious), takes you to the central market square with one of the most beautiful fountains I've seen anywhere. The whole square is surrounded by lovely and heavily decorated old buildings and from there narrow alleys lead into all kinds of interesting squares and corners to explore. Food is no problem either. There are tons of restaurants, fast food and coffee shops everywhere. I stopped at one that was 50-50 coffee shop and bakery. I got my excellent coffee on one side and my cherry pie on the other. It was absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. The place is totally informal and like so many in Europe, one stands against narrow counters that ring the walls and circle the columns, and eats. Trier is Germany's oldest city and was once, for a time, the seat of the emperors of the West Roman Empire. One of the most illustrious of the Caesars who ruled from here was Constantin Magnus (the Great). Looking for what's called the Roman Bridge, I made my way toward the river, past a white rococo-ostentatious and ornate fountain, following my sense of direction and at last got to the river. The bridge, as expected, had only part of the original Roman structure in place. Most of it had long been replaced to keep up with war damage, loads and stresses of ever more demanding and heavy traffic. From there I just struck out back toward the city down a wide street I happen to see, and suddenly discover that I was standing next to a large field of archeological rubble. Partially excavated, it was clearly once a large Roman bath. The same road led me past the round remnant of the old Roman city wall, ultimately to the university, and across from that to the Roman amphitheater. Somehow I got it right and got to the places I wanted to see anyway. From the theater one can see, across a fowl populated pond, a baroque-looking palace that seemed to be build against a large brick wall. That immense brick structure, as I quickly discovered, was built with Roman bricks. Aha! I was onto something else. I could care less about the little palace, there are lots of them all over Germany, but excitedly entered into the huge brick building and then stood in awe, looking at a place that was built nearly 2000 years ago and it looked practically new. It had been, indeed, bombed by American warplanes in WWII, and one of the massive 10-foot-thick walls had to be reconstructed. However, the other three walls remained in their original state from ancient times. The place is truly spectacular and called Constantin's Basilica and large enough to contain the entire Porta Nigra, as a neat Plexiglas model of both demonstrated. It is used as a church, nowadays, and a major item for tourists to see. Before leaving the area, I stood outside in contemplation, happy that I had come to Trier to see its wonders, when I was accosted by a young lady who tried to make a Christian out of me. Well, I thanked her, told her to save her little flyers and invitations for more suitable targets, and headed toward the cathedral that I had noticed earlier. A very short walk from the Basilica took me there. What an interesting building it was. It had clearly Romanic, i.e. pre-gothic roots, but had grown over the centuries to become what it is today, kind of a mix of both. I paid the small admission to go into the cathedral museum and was amazed at the lovely treasures that were on display there. Things of gold and ivory and precious stones, as well as ancient books and manuscripts, in addition to a very interesting and artfully decorated interior can be scrutinized here. For the Catholics, there is a sacred grotto wherein there is some stone relic, probably from the Holy Land, on display. Not particularly interested in that sacred relic, I was more enthralled with the view from up there, high above the floor of the cathedral, which to me was special enough. Inside, there was also the most elegantly designed church organ I have ever seen as well as a lovely nave surrounded by artfully carved and painted inlaid wood panels. Before I departed Trier, I decided to find a bottle of wine. I was, after all, in one of the wine-capitals of Germany.

Getting back into the town center, I wandered around the alleys and saw a sign that read Rotweinkeller (Red Wine Cellar). I followed directions and went into the rather large shop. There were virtually no red wines, and that was fine by me. The entire area is famous for its superb white wines, and that's what I really wanted to taste. There must have been more than a hundred different types on display. I described to the lady behind the counter the kind of wine I was looking for. She walked around picked a bottle pulled the cork and poured me a "little taste" - a full glass. The last time I went to taste wine in a foreign country, was in the late sixties, in Singapore in a book store, of all places, where a couple of giggling Chinese/Malay cuties, were pouring samples of European wines. I made it through three full glasses and bought a bottle then too - that time I was definitely too tipsy to taste anymore. Here too, I was not ready for another full-glass "taste". The lady went away, put the bottle down for me to and told me to "taste" more, if I'd like to. Times have changed, as have I, and one full glass was quite sufficient. The wine was really excellent and hit my specifically stated "desirements" spot-on. There was another older (old) and compared to me, very well-dressed American in the shop. He came forward and eagerly tasted the wine that I had tasted and exclaimed, slightly heavy of tongue, that it was indeed very good. He apparently was waiting for a larger order to be prepared and had already "tasted" quite a bit.

I told the lady that I'd be happy to purchase a bottle of that wine, (scolding myself silently, for not asking the price first) and reached for my credit card. Then saw what rang up and put my credit card away in disbelief. That superb tasting bottle was a mere 3 or 4 four Dollars, maybe just Deutsche Marks. I forget. It was a ridiculously low price. Having said that, wines were a little more expensive in the local supermarkets, but not by much. In this case, going to a specialty place, such as this winery, was the right thing to do. They deal in any quantity, from huge barrels to cases, to single bottles.

A multi lingual city guide to lovely Trier