Saturday, April 6, 2019 - Bike Ride, Olympic Village, Final Gala Dinner

Our first "appointment" if you will on Saturday was a 10:00 a.m. bike ride around the city.  In Munich, pedestrians yield to bicycles NOT the other way around.  And then you know that we have been on buses a couple of times already.  Those buses come right up next to the cyclists. I mean like inches away from the bicycles.

It was nice to not have to get up so early and get going.  Remember my post yesterday about the castle?  Well, my feet were hurting big time (blisters) and my joints in my hands were not allowing me to make a fist without pain.  So I opted out of the bike ride.  If I couldn't grip the handle bars, I didn't think it was a wise decision to try and ride for three hours.  But Dave, Ben, Elizabeth and Malory did go.  I got these pictures of them taking off.

Elizabeth, Malory, Ben, and Dave

Elizabeth, Ben, and Malory

The beginning of the bike ride.

Dave filming and riding

They stopped at the English Gardens again and saw the surfing again.  They were on the opposite side of the river (I think it's really a canal.) this time and Dave got these photos.

Chinese Tower Beer Garden

While they enjoyed their bike ride, I went to the lounge of the hotel and sat and wrote and basically rested my feet and hands.  They got back around noon and Elizabeth really wanted to shop, but Malory really wanted to see the Olympic Grounds.  I really wanted to see the Olympic grounds also.  It was right next to the BMW museum which Dave and Ben were interested in.  So we grabbed some lunch.  We went back to the place at the Marienplatz that we had eaten at on Tuesday.  Only thing is Tuesday was pretty quiet.  Today, Saturday, the Marienplatz was full of people.   What a difference on the weekend.

We took a taxi to the BMW Museum although my son (age 17) was sure he knew how to navigate the subway system to get us there.  My feet were hurting so I welcomed the taxi.  There is a walking bridge from the BMW museum to the Olympic Center.  Dave and Ben went to explore the BMW museum and Malory and I headed over to the Olympic Center.  It was at this point that I began to realize that Malory had had a much better city tour director than I had.  She started pointing out all kinds of things to me that she had learned on her city tour (on Wednesday).  

There were mounds (or little hills) outside the Olympic village.  She said that there was so much wreckage after WWII that they gathered it all together and then made these little mounds from the wreckage.  At first I thought she must have been kidding me, because I hadn't heard that at all.  But I googled it and in different spots in Germany this is the case.  

The Olympic Center has a big tower and you can ride the elevator to the top.  So we definitely agreed that we wanted to do that.  

Malory asked me if I knew why there were not any skyscrapers in Munich.   I said, "I have no idea."  She said, "Well, nothing can be built higher than this Olympic Tower to preserve the skyline."  I said, Where did you hear that?  On our City Tour.  WTH.  Later on the bus to the airport, I asked others if this was true.  There were 3 or 4 opinions on this.  One said, there were not skyscrapers any higher than the Onion Towers.  One said, it had nothing to do with the Olympic tower.  I began to be amazed at how 5 different people had 5 different interpretations of what was said on a city tour.  I looked it up later and found this.

With the Alps within easy driving distance, Munich has one of the most dramatic backdrops nature could offer. The city's most famous landmark is currently the Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, with its twin towers rising 109 meters (around 358 feet) into the sky.

So apparently it did not have anything to do with the Olympic tower.  I think I read that tower was needed for broadcasting needs at the times as the Olympics were held there in 1972 - a pre-internet world.

 These pictures were taken from the top of the tower.  Malory was quick to point out, "How would you like to have one of those "she-sheds?"  Again I was like, "What?"  There are these tiny buildings with a plot of land.  She called them she-sheds.  You could go there on the weekend and chill out and harvest your plot of land.  They were rented for 1 Euro a year and there was a gigantic waiting list.  Again I said, where did you hear that?  On our city tour.  And again on that ride to the airport, there were five different stories of what those plots of land were.

I tried researching it and the best I could come up with and report is that these plots of land are available for rent for one year.  There is an application process.  The sheds (buildings) have the gardening tools inside.  You are NOT to stay overnight in the buildings.  You are given seedlings to plant and you are responsible to harvest your section of land.  It could be for the underprivileged, but I gathered that it was because in some parts of the city there was no land like this so having these plots of land allowed you to teach your family how to grow and gather their own fruits and veggies.

I think more than anything I realized by talking with Malory and some of the others that every person heard something different from the tour guide.  And even what I am writing here is my perception of what I heard and looked up.  I lived many (many) years taking someones word as "gospel."  And I've realized that that is that person's interpretation of what they have heard or been taught.  And their interpretation is based on their background.  Malory would LOVE a she-shed.  I asked her did the tour guide call it a she-shed.  She said, Oh,  no.  That's my word.  Ah, ha.

Anyway, I really would have liked to see the Olympic pool where Mark Spitz kicked butt in 1972.  So we headed to the pool only to find that it's under construction and not open for public viewing.  

Pool not open for public viewing.  However, if I had brought my suit that day, I
think I could have paid to go in and swim.

There is a memorial sight on the grounds for the Olympic athletes who lost their lives in the terrorist attack.  We thought we were heading to it, but we weren't.  We had a big dinner to get back to so we decided to attempt the subway system.  Thank God for Malory.  She was pretty savvy and we got our tickets and got on the train.  We got off at the Marienplatz station and it was soooooo crowded.  Well it turns out there was a Munich versus another German team soccer game about to happen.  There were all kinds of fans.  We decided we had to video this. 

First the Munich fans, then the opposing team, then Munich again.

We headed back to our hotel which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Marienplatz.  We have already told you about the Michael Jackson memorial that is set up on the base of a statue of Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer Orlande de Lassus.  Well there were about 30 German "fans" demonstrating in front of the memorial.  They were chanting in German, 'Stop the lies, speak the truth."  It was in response to the accusations against Michael Jackson.  They were handing out flyers.  I got this video. 

We ended the evening with a Hunter Douglas Gala cocktail hour and dinner.  They always do this up real nice.  We had a great evening.  I would say though that the music was so loud that it was difficult to talk to your neighbor.  But it was a beautiful set up and a delicious meal.

The hotel was really, really nice.  Every night they turned down your bed for you and put a towel down and some slippers by your bedside and a chocolate mint on your pillow.  We had instructions to have our suitcases outside our door by 7:00 a.m. the next morning and they would be taken downstairs for us.  So we headed back to the room and pack and get ready to depart the next day.

Until next time

Neuschwanstein Castle - Friday, April 5, 2019

Today we travel to the Neuschwanstein Castle.  About the only thing I know about this castle is that Walt Disney used it as a design/model for his Cinderella castle at Disneyland.  To get to the castle it is a 2-hour bus ride.  All three of us got on the bus and promptly fell asleep.  Let's just say by Day 5 of being "out of our element" we were all a bit tired. 

Shortly before you arrive at the castle you travel through some absolutely beautiful farm country.

Buses are not allowed up the road to the castle so they park at the bottom.  You are given a "tour time."  They often remind us that the time is "German time."  If it says 12:25, it means 12:25.  I got the impression that Americans must not honor time commitments very well.  The phrase German time has been used often here.  Before the hike there is this beautiful lake.  I stayed here and took some photos while Dave and Ben went to get coffee.  When they got back, we got a couple of photos together.

I'd like to say that I am in pretty decent shape, and that hike all up hill was taxing.  Dave might not say the same.  He was able to talk all the way up.  I was not.  When I lose the ability to talk, that's when I realize that I am working (out) hard.   A great alternative is to take the horse and cart up and down the hill.  This is a great option if you need it.  (Once you get to the castle, there is also a fair amount of stairs on the tour.)  We walked up the hill as a group.  I did it and I'd do it again, but I don't want to falsely represent how difficult the hike up the hill is. 

If you are not sure you can do the hike up the hill, but you want to see the castle,
take the Horse and Cart.  I think it was about 3.50 euros each way

The light at the end of the tunnel - the CASTLE!

Neuschwanstein Castle: King Ludwig II succeeded to the throne aged 18. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 Ludwig increasingly withdrew from day-to-day affairs of state in favour of extravagant artistic and architectural projects. 
He commissioned the construction of two lavish palaces and Neuschwanstein Castle, and he was a devoted patron of the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig spent all his royal revenues (although not state funds as is commonly thought) on these projects, borrowed extensively, and defied all attempts by his ministers to restrain him. 
This extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation which has since come under scrutiny. (He was found dead at age 40 just after this declaration of insanity.) The castle remains unfinished. It is stunning! No pictures were allowed inside so I took a picture of the unfinished throne room from a book I bought.

The actual throne was never built as he died before it could be built.
The artwork is absolutely stunning throughout the castle.

By now you probably know I have a sign board.  On the way over to Germany, I found some quotes and I had a plan of what quote on what day at what location.  We probably took 10 photos at the castle with my phone, my camera, and my go pro - trying to get the right angle that would capture the castle in the background.  Once we got on the bus to head to lunch, I looked at all the photos and realized the board was wrong.  I immediately sent the picture to my two best friends, because they know how I LOVE to be perfect and they are teaching me that being imperfect is JUST FINE.  So here are a couple of the imperfect photos.

The actual tour only lasted 35 minutes.  So these are things to consider when/if you go.  As soon as the tour was over, we hiked back down the hill and got on our buses to head to lunch.  When my husband had been on this tour two years ago with our son Joe, they had spent most of the day at the castle.  They hiked to a swinging bridge off in the distance and got a great photo of the castle.  When I asked about that our tour guides said that was not in the plan.  So we had a two hour bus ride, a 30 minute hike up the hill, a 35 minute castle tour, a 30 minute hike down the hill and a 2-hour bus ride.  Yes it was worth it, but I do not know if I would do it again now that I've seen it.  But I'm very glad I did go.

We drove only a few minutes to a restaurant in that beautiful farm country and had schnitzel and noodle.  We were very hungry by then as it was already 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon.  The dessert was Apple Strudel and vanilla ice cream.  We grabbed a few more photos and then got on the bus for the 2 hour ride home where most of us slept again.  

One thing about traveling for me anyway is I like to know when we are going to eat, where the bathrooms are and how do I get water.  At home I drink at least a gallon of water a day.  But I'm not going to drink like that unless I know where the next bathroom is.  Just quirky things that bug me.  So I maybe drank 32 ounces of water a day (plus you had to buy water (still water) and it cost more than soda.  And a lot of times you needed the correct "coin" to use the bathrooms.  But everything was very clean too.  When I visit new places, I like to enjoy the food that is served in that country.  So all of these things added up - eating more breads/pasta, drinking way less water, getting less sleep, and then just the traveling and all the walking, etc.  My feet were greatly blistered and my joints were feeling the pain.  I had Motrin and I was taking it, but my body was screaming at me.

Our schedule had been so busy, we had not been able to exercise (in the spa) a whole lot.  Believe me we got plenty of exercise with walking every day.  I knew that swimming would settle my joints down.  And when my joints were flared up, I could always still swim.  I hadn't felt like this in over a year, so this was unexpected in a way.  But also not so unexpected because I really do know that proper food and hydration is what keeps me feeling good.  Anyway, they have a beautiful pool at the hotel so I went and spent an hour in the water and that felt great.

Looking down in to the pool from the floor above

Of course my sign board.  I had to get one more photo that night and I thought the Perfectly Imperfect shirt was perfect for the day.  I had my "swim hair, don't care" look going on too.  It was a full day.  

Thursday, April 4

 The reason we are in Munich is because we hit a sales goal with Hunter Douglas window coverings.  We started our business when we moved to Grand Junction, Colorado (2004).  We eventually became a Centurion dealer which means we sell only Hunter Douglas.  We decided to do that for the same reason we did not want to use the word "Budget" in our business name.  We wanted to sell the best (not the cheapest.)  We believe in quality and Hunter Douglas delivers on quality.

We started this day with a business meeting.  We were informed of the new products coming as Hunter Douglas continues to adapt to the needs of the consumer and to the "type" of consumer.  We also learned a lot about marketing trends especially as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are all ways of marketing as well as SEO.

After the meeting we had about 90 minutes before we went on a "city tour."  We decided to venture out to town and find a place to eat.  We found a true Bavarian restaurant (with not a hamburger in site on the menu.)

We gathered on a bus for the city tour.  Honestly, it was a bit difficult to understand everything being said because of the accent of our tour guide.  But I picked up that Germany has "states."  We are in the state of Bavaria and Munich is it's capital.  That made so much sense to me now.  I realized why the flight attendant kept telling Ben "You will enjoy a Bavarian beer."  or "Here is Bavaria...." 

We drove by the BMW plant and we drove by the Olympic village (I had really hoped we would stop there.  We stopped at the Nymphenburg Castle.  Oh . my. word!

The main building

Wedding photos were being taken there

This is a stock photo to show the massiveness of this castle!

A beautiful place for a photo.

Apparently the castle (main building) was a gift from Ferdinand Maria to his wife Henriette Adelaide upon the birth of their son Maximillian II Emanuel (in 1664).  Here honey, here's a castle for producing an heir.  (This was the prince-electoral couple of Bavaria.)

Starting in 1701, Maximillian undertook a systematic extension of the palace.  (Look at the aerial photo.)  Holy cow.  

This was just a quick stop for us so there was no going inside.  The city tour headed back to the hotel for a "walking tour."  But a friend or ours had told us there was "river surfing."  So a couple on the bus told us yes in fact there was river surfing basically in our backyard of the hotel at the English Gardens.  So we ventured out to see if we could watch the surfers.

This was sooooo cool to watch!

River surfing! It’s a thing, really. I’m glad we were told about this and even happier it was basically in our hotel's backyard.

Curiously, the Eisbachwelle was created entirely by accident. Concrete blocks lie underneath the water just beyond the bridge. They were placed there by engineers to slow the flow of the water down, adding to the feeling of serenity in the public park but in doing so, a rapid further down was created. Since then, local surfers have attached ropes to the bridge, forcing the water to break more cleanly and with more consistent height.

We watched this for a while and we meandered through the English Gardens and then headed back to the hotel.  I got to listen to a man playing the clarinet in a big open square and I loved that as I used to be a pretty good clarinet player.  My clarinet was stolen in high school when someone broke into the music room and I never replaced it and I just kind of stopped playing.

To me "the sweet sounds of the clarinet."

I know this is getting long, but this is a historical reference for us.  I do not mind if you stop reading.  That evening (again courtesy of Hunter Douglas) we were taken by bus to Lowenbraukeller.  From the minute you walked in a mug of beer was put in your hand.  The food was outstanding as was the entertainment.  Hunter Douglas really does these events up well.  We had a very fun evening.

Appetizers at every table

The light/ceiling fan decor

A Hunter Douglas sales rep Elizabeth and Malory

The main course

Main course

A good shot of the whole group

Truly how I feel

Dessert

My family

We were pretty exhausted after this full day.  We headed back to our room and called it a day!  But oh what a day it was!