Rubens, Rain and Rissoles

Today there was a sense of our daughter Delanie's travels in our plans. She backpacked around Europe when she was 20/21 years old. On a tight budget, she would take advantage of the last Sunday of the month, when many museums were free.

Well, times have changed, but not much. The Alte Pinakothek and across the park, the Neue Pinakothek, offered admissio today  for €1 each. The Alte Pinakothek was founded by King Ludwig I displays early German and Italian paintings, as well as one of the largest collections of Peter Paul Rubens. A highlight for me was a small self portrait by Rembrandt, painted when he was only 23.


In the Neue Pinakothek, that is me in the foyer below) we followed the orderly numbering of many different spaces, 1, 2, 2a, 3, 3a, etc to wind our way around this large sprawl of rooms, to follow art development from 1800 to The New Style. Names like Goya, Gainsborough, Anton Graff, Joshua Reynolds, Constable, Manet, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, Edvard Munch and Cezanne. We saw a 'Sunflowers' painting by van Gogh. Again, there was such a wealth to absorb, we relied on our audio guides to explain a few of the many art works displayed.

Next we walked in the light drizzle towards the enormous English Gardens. It was. Dauntingly and though we were there on an overcast, coolish, damp day, it did not stop many people from cycling, jogging or strolling along the many paths and tracks. Large open lawns were surrounded by tall trees, thick with undergrowth. Paths swept in wide curves off the main route, only hinting at what lay beyond. A canal widened into small lakes, with ducks and swans swimming around.



We finally found somewhere for lunch, a large beer garden. Most of the many tables were outside, but we opted for one at least under a large umbrella. A Chinese style pagoda nearby had a German brass band on the second level, oom path pah-ing various classical and popular tunes. I ordered meat loaf which turned out to be 'rissoles'. The potato salad with it was yum too, all washed down with real Munich beer.


Rob spotted one of the Canadian men from our Dachau tour, weaving his way through the large crowd seated at the tables. After lunch, we went over and were greeted most enthusiastically. Seems the girls regaled the guys with the tale of our Gambian Encounter. It turns out to were a couple, (Bahi was born in Munich to Sri Lankan parents who moved with him further to Toronto, Canada) but the other pair just friends. They convinced two German men to join us a while. These four fellow Commonwealth young people sure seem to enjoy each other's company and life in general. Noor, somewhat full of good German beer, had somehow to catch a plane back home within hours! It was such a laugh to spend such a fun time with them.

We made our way home without the map. Again, after a few days of walking about, we are gaining our sense of direction. (Well, Woodsie has. I tend to just follow.)

Past the store selling traditional Bavarian costumes.






Over the hinged flaps set flush in the pavements of large open public areas, which lever up and provide power connections to street vendors, etc.











Past the building near Marionplatz with all the bright window boxes, filled with summer colour.

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From 5.20 pm, (or 1720) for ten minutes, church bells boomed out as we passed nearby. It is Sunday here in Munich, after all.