Travel date: May 5, 2024
We only got on the wrong train once today.
The German police boarded our train this morning, clearly looking for someone. Relieved when it wasn’t us.
Showing Haydee and Doug around Munich today. All the stores are closed since it’s Sunday. Which would have been fine for walking around, except for the surprise rain. Got more delicious weißwurst, pretzels and bier. I’m just about bier-ed out for this trip.
In all the times I’ve been to Munich, I’ve never gotten in to see the Juristische Bibliothek (Law Library), which is an Art Nouveau masterpiece. You can only get into the library on a Sunday and only with a tour guide. Impressive, but honestly, we were distracted by our tour guide, who was dishing an interesting spin on WWII history. “The Americans destroyed 75% of the city, ruined precious frescoes, and occupied the town hall.” Ummmm. True, but let’s review. Who started the war, again?
On to a couple of way off the tourist track places – the kind of places where people are surprised to see Americans, and the menus aren’t in English.
The Hauptschutzengesellschaaft (would it kill the Germans to use a space bar once in a while?), is the 600 year old shooting club where my dad trained when he and mom lived here in the ‘60s. There is a schutzenscheibe (honor target) inside that is a painting of my dad. Asked to see it by pointing, and using my most elegant German, “Das ist mein Vater.” Lovely woman let us come in and look around. Admired the famous Schutzenliesl painting – would seriously consider a heist if I could figure out how to get it home.
Next: Opa’s town, Pullach. Not a terrible lot to see (especially on a Sunday) but a great example of a typical, non-touristy German town. Super glad we got to share it with our friends. Walked to the cemetery and visited Opa’s grave for the first time (he died during Covid at almost 99, and we weren’t allowed to be here). Did some light weeding and cleaning. Felt really good to finally see the grave and pay our respects. We miss Opa every day.
Prost!
I once faced a German menu in a non touristy spot and I couldn’t speak. I thought I could recognize some words, but no. Ended up with a fabulous meal, though! Great photos.
That’s excellent! We’ve had a similar experience, but ended up with a terrible meal. Wasn’t funny then, but is now!
I love the way those long German words are constructed. It’s like vocabulary meets Lego.
Hahaha. Never thought about it that way, but so true.
That library is amazing. I often visit libraries (and bookstores) on my travels, and I am hardly ever disappointed. What a treat for you to see that painting of your father!
We always try to find a bookstore to explore! And a visit to the Haupt to see that painting never gets old!
A beautiful selection of photos . . . and glad you got to your grandfather’s grave . . . Have been to Munich many times and love it for the food and shops and especially the opera if it’s been on. I cannot really blame your guide tho’ – I mean the US and British bombers, in their politically motivated ‘carpet bombing’ towards the end of the war, destroyed over 70% of the historic Old City and killed well over 6000 people. I was at the time a refugee from Communism living in Freudenstadt, somewhat WNW of Munich – we were supposedly a ‘Lazarett-stadt’ which the Allied Forces had agreed not to bomb – well, they did not . . . but the biggest game for the accompanying US fighter-pilots during daytime raids always was to dive and strafe anyone on the streets, playing fields etc – I ended in hospital twice to survive but many, especially children playing outdoors, ended up dead. War is inhuman on all sides!
What a terrifying experience for you. Ken’s Oma lost her parents to a strafing incident – by the Russians. Opa fought in WWII, for the Germans, and, despite everything the war took from him, was one of the best human beings I will ever know. He spoke of the war rarely, but often of the national guilt of the German people, and how that shaped post-war collective memory and national identity. Agree – war is an ugly, ugly thing.
A personal story you might like from the Freudenstadt era – I was crossing the field behind our house as a shortcut to one of Mom’s friends who kept four live egg-producing chickens in her cellar – well, they would not have lasted an hour in her backyard > people were starving! But I received two fresh eggs each week if I walked over with my little basket! Got half-way over and heard the plane coming right at me tree-height. I was nine, I knew what would happen. But then the plane was past me and I was alive. Did not know which way to run – back home or forwards . . . and then I heard the frightening noise again coming from the opposite direction! Right over me . . . strange bang, plop, plop, bang . . . and the plane was again gone. I looked all over myself – no blood and nothing hurt – what on earth . . . and then I saw an orange on the grass, and another one and some sort of small packages with pictures on them and a somewhat squashed banana and . . . huh – well he had not shot me, had he? So, I put everything in my basket and ran towards home with my hugely frightened parents who had heard the noise coming to meet me. The packages were chocolates and sweets and ‘chewing gum’ I had never ‘met’ before! A human pilot who did not want to be where he was . . . and threw out all he had in his cabin to a little ‘enemy’ who wasn’t! Oh, Dad tasted each packet – if he was OK half a day later I got the spoils . . . but we knew things were Ok and there was still some righteousness in this world . . .
Wow! That’s quite a story!! Thank you so much for sharing it. And how did you like the gum?
I only had one day to explore Munich and while I loved the city, I missed out on visiting Juristische Bibliothek in the New Town Hall. It is such a wonderful place to be enchanted by the atmosphere of an old library 🥰 Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Yeah, it’s kind of difficult to arrange a visit to the Juristische Bibliothek. It’s a working law library, so the hours open to the public are restricted. Cheers!
🥰🥰🥰