Cadaques

Going to take a little break from all things Deutschland now. April is a wonderful time along the Mediterranean, and few villages are more picturesque than Cadaques, a little whitewashed cove along the Spanish coast a couple hours drive north (and a little east) of Barcelona.

The town has about 3,000 people and swells to maybe 10 times that size during tourist season, but there were a manageable few at this time of the year. The streets of the old part of town are cobblestone, and just about every other kind of stone. The streets are so narrow as to make driving anything bigger than a moped pretty uncomfortable and impractical. Each street is cuter than the next.

Cadaques would seem like the perfect tourist hideaway, tucked just a little way from the French border, except for two facts. First, it takes about 45 minutes on a winding road to reach the town, while much of the coast is more accessible. Second, there really is no beach to speak of, other than a few little rocky outcroppings, so those who seek to lie out in the sun stay farther south along the Costa Brava. Fine with me -- they weren't missed.

Cadaques and Port Lligat, about a kilometer away, was the longtime home of Salvador Dali, the reason for the trip up this way in the first place. Between Cadaques and Barcelona is Figueres, where Dali's Museum attracts off-kilter art lovers by the thousands. The museum itself is as odd as any Dali paiting. His house, now a tourist attraction of its own, is stranger. But they will get a post of their own.

Nuremberg

I took a little side trip to Nuremberg recently, which I was not expecting to be nearly as big as it was. It turns out a half million people live in the city, about 1 1/2 hours by train north of Munich, and another 700,000 live in the surrounding area.

Nuremberg, as seen from Nuremberg Castle

Fortunately, as is the case with most European cities, the center, older, more interesting area is much smaller and more manageable. Nuremberg city center is surrounded by a wall on three sides that springs out of a castle high on the hill in the fourth. The lower city boasts several gorgeous churches and a huge Rathaus, as well as several unique fountains and sculptures.

St. Lawrence Church

The Marriage Merry-go-Round fountain, one of the most interesting and graphic public sculptures I have ever laid eyes on. It has five parts representing five different stages of marriage, all of them likely to offend conservative eyes.

Part of the castle.

In historic times, dating back to its founding in the 11th century, the city was significant in the Old Roman Empire as part of trade routes from Italy to Northern Europe. It may have been the most important city in Germany at the time, as kings stayed at the castle and held their first Reichstags there.

The Beautiful Fountain (that's really what they call it). It has a gold ring you turn for good luck.

Rhine–Main–Danube Canal

Still in Bavaria (though I think this street is playing that up for the tourists)

More recently, it was the site of the Nazi Nuremberg rallies and, after WWII, the Nuremberg trials. Like with the Konigsplatz in Munich, the Roman significance made the site attractive to Hitler. I didn't make it out to the site of the rallies, which from pictures wasn't much more than a stadium and huge empty field, but did see where the trials took place, maybe a 20-minute walk west of the city center.

Courtroom 600 lies just within (it is still used for trials to this day)

For the sports fans, Pt. 2

As it turns out, I am staying in Geising just a few blocks from the headquarters of FC Bayern München, the city's top soccer/football team and, at last check, third in the Bundesliga standings. After jogging by the fields several times, I thought it would be worth bringing a camera to give some idea of the size of the place. I didn't make it to the new Seahawks' headquarters before I left, but the FC Bayern München HQ dwarfs the old Kirkland site, covering several acres with a dozen fields or more behind. I've seen all ages from maybe 8 up to adults playing on the fields, though I don't think the top squad has been out there when I've jogged past.

This last photo is out in Fröttmaning, at the Allianz Arena, where München plays its home matches. Easily the best time to see it is at dusk or in the dark. It glows red for home matches, blue (like below) when it is on the road and white when the team is not playing.

For the sports fans out there, Pt. 1

Just wanted to really quickly throw up some pictures from the site of the 1972 Munich Olympics, which has been left as a sprawling complex with acres of bike and running paths as well as several large stadiums and arenas in which to hold events.

The area is under a great deal of construction, which may (my guess only) be part of the city's campaign to attract the 2018 Winter Games. It is also why there aren't many pictures of the stadiums or arenas here.

Anyway, here are the photos from the Olympiazentrum, which is Northwest of downtown. The first shot, obviously is not of the center but of the BMW headquarters building nearby.

BMW HQ, as seen from the Olympic grounds

One of the numerous walking paths on the grounds, with the main stadium in the background.

The needle. You can see Austria from the top.

The memorial for the Israeli athletes killed during the 1972 Games.

Even in Germany he at least gets a bike path.

Schloss Nymphenburg

Nymphenburg Palace is one of Munich's top attractions and one of the few not in or near the downtown area. It's about a half-hour by tram west of the center of the city.

 

 

 

Schloss Nymphenburg (almost impossible to get the whole thing in one shot)

From the back

Built in the latter part of the 17th century, the palace was the longtime summer residence of Bavarian rulers, a distinction it carries to this day, though it is more of a public edifice and tourist destination. It is 700 meters from end to end and the host to several art museums as well as a residence. It also, I am told, hosted the equestrian events at the '72 Olympics. A canal several city blocks long leads up to the front gates.

The canal leading up to the front

But the real attraction, at least to me, is the grounds. The palace is surrounded by 500 acres of wide gorgeous real estate, with forested areas and open spaces. The only downside is that this place is no secret, so even with all the space it can be fairly crowded until you get deep into the grounds.

Maximilianeum

The following pictures are from the Maximilianeum, the Bavarian state parliament, and surrounding area. The Maximilianeum is a spectacular building with a huge street (Maximilianstrasse) leading up to it lined with massive building after massive building.

The Maximilianeum

The Maximilianeum was built in the mid-19th century by King Maximilian II, originally as home for gifted students. It has been the state capitol building, the Bavarian Landtag, since 1949. The Maximilianstrasse crosses the Isar River and passes by a statue of the King himself. For a nice panorama view, check this out
http://www.panorama-cities.net/munich/maximilianeum_5c.html

Statue of Maximilian II

A look down the Isar

Turn to the left after crossing the Isar and you'll see the massive Sankt Lukas Kirche, one of four that goes by the same name in Munich. It has a small Bascilica and is surprisingly light inside given just a few windows, the most interesting of which are a pair of circular stained glass windows near the ceiling.

Sankt Lukas Kirche

Konigsplatz

The following images are from an area in Munich near the main downtown area called Konigsplatz that is significant both in looks and history. First, as you will see from the pictures below, the architecture is reminiscent of ancient Greece and Rome, with pillars and a big entrance way that would fit in beautifully near the Acropolis.

The Propylaen

Inside the Propylaen

Antikensammlungen

The area was commissioned by King Ludwig I in the early 19th century and took nearly a half century to complete (Ludwig was gone 14 years earlier). The three big features are the Propylaen (gateway), Glypothek (a collection of sculpture, some of which has been moved into the U-Bahn tunnel nearby), and the Antikensammlungen (museum). The trio make for impressive viewing.

Some of the statues have been removed and placed in a nearby U-Bahn tunnel.

Glypothek

That is also what the Nazis concluded when they made the area the central area of their movement, calling it the "Akropolis Germaniae." Many pictures of huge Nazi rallies took place in the square. Two "honor temples" the Nazis added were destroyed in 1947, but other key Nazi buildings are standing and have been put to better use. I've included just one picture, as they really aren't much to look at.