Munich

As expected, we awoke to a sunny day and to this view from our balcony.




We have issues with Munich! We could not recall a single time when we have been driving through or around Munich without being stuck in a traffic jam, the worst being 4 hours to cover 12 miles between 2am and 6am. It came as something of a surprise, therefore, to leave Ehrwald in Austria and reach the centre of Munich before the target time and without a hitch; perhaps it was because it was a bank holiday.

We collected our guide and set off in the bus to see the sights of Munich.

This is the Glyptothek an art gallery in the Kunstareal.



Another monument in the same area. It was in this square that the Nazis burn the books of opposing thought and had many rallies.


Hitler had his office in this building which is just round the corner.



This library was bombed in the war and it is easy to see where it was repaired.



The Ludwig Maximilian University,



other buildings we spotted from the bus






We left the bus to walk through the pedestrian area on our way to lunch.





The Hofbräuhaus was an unmissable stop with its painted ceilings and racks of steins (beer mugs) waiting for their owners.







We reached the Marienplatz in time to hear the Rathaus- Glockenspiel.








The is the cathedral which is large and renowned for being built in just 30 years.




After the usual three course lunch we reboarded the bus which took us to Schloss Nymphenburg another rococco palace but very different from the outside. This one is also owned by the Duke of Bavaria, but was built by the King of Savoy (father of Maximillian II, as in Schloss Hohenschwangau) in the 17th century.




Here, we were allowed to take photos without flash so John didn't have to resort to his iPhone and photos taken without seeing what he was doing.

This is the Steinerner Saal (Stone Hall)







and the King's bedroom



The Schloss also has a hunting lodge in the grounds named for the Queen, Amalienburg who liked to hunt and to cook for her friends.




This is her bedroom


The hall of mirrors


The kitchen




We took advantage of the steps for our group photo.



After a visit to the shop, we boarded the bus to return to our hotel expecting to arrive at about 18.30 in time for an apero before dinner. We should have known better.

We were soon in a queue on the motorway behind an accident. A large number of emergency vehicles passed us traveling down the centre of the carriageway (it is the rule to move to the sides and leave a clear route through in these circumstances). A helicopter arrived, so we knew that if was serious. An hour or so later, all the vehicles waiting, including our bus, were instructed to turn round and leave the motorway along the hard shoulder and traveling in the wrong direction for the carriageway.

We arrived back the hotel at 20.45 where dinner was waiting and packed our bags after that ready for the morning and Italy.

So Munich traffic lived up to our usual expectations.

Pat and John on tour