Munich

Photographs of Munich, Germany, Winter 2003-4 by Martin Sullivan (22 pictures, 629 KBytes, approximately 4.5 minutes download time at typical modem rates, 2.5 KBytes/s). This is the second of two chunks (11 pictures).

This is Stuff, off-topic and possibly ephemeral.

Index: Part 1 * Part 2

Maypole: Bavarian tradition sees these kinds of decorated maypoles erected in most towns and villages and Munich is no exception. This example in the Viktualienmarkt would seem to be the tallest.

Statue: With the onset of better weather both statues and fountains were starting to be uncovered. The Viktualienmarkt has small statues to local personages and this appears to be to an uncredited Karl Valentin (although somebody may correct me). The flowers are a nice touch, for as you know, folk from Cockermouth have a thing about daffodils.

Street Lamp Corner: On the corner of Schwere Reiter Strasse and Dauchauer Strasse there is this curious assembly of street lights. One than speculate that they are there to allow easy inspection of all the available types or training, other than that they are a mystery.

Maximilianeum: Originally built in the 1860's as a kind of student Hall of Residence come university college it is now the seat of Baverian regional government. It forms the eastern end to the monumental Maximilianstrasse and Bridge.

Feldherrnhalle: The was built in 1841 by Friedrich von Gärtner and modelled after the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. It was built for Ludwig I in honor of some bavarian generals.

Residenz: The Residenz is a largish complex of palaces that are now given over to the arts. This picture from the Hofgarten is of the Herkulessaal which is now a museum of Egyptian artifacts.

Hofbräuhaus: Perhaps the most famous pub in Germany if not the planet -- it is also the worst. Here you can see tourists lining up to enter a Disney-esque world of Steins, Umpa-bands, mini-souvenir shops, drunk far-eastern holidaymakers and expensive beer. It's worth visiting, just the once, as an anthropological study.

Orlando Haus: In contrast to the nearby Hofbräuhaus you can an enjoy a meal and a beer in reasonably sedate surroundings.

Christmas Market: Munich is famous for its Christmas Market and here it is. It seemed to involve blocking up every conceivable bit of shopping street with huts selling mulled-wine, sausages and, frankly, grotty touristy-tat. Some of the huts were quite interesting in their own right. This is a mini-Frauenkirche, with the real one directly behind it.

O2 Building: A picture of work to remind me of what it was all about. The O2 building (pronounced as "Oh-two", even when speaking German) is on an urban dual-carriageway that forms part of Munich's outer ring-road in the north of the city near the Olympic Park.

The Munich contract has finished now and as I'm back on the road again (after my recent illness) you can look forward to more pictures of exciting and exotic places.