Our First Day in Munich

Opera Hotel, Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

AFTER OUR nice ending to our Switzerland stay, we hit the ground running again the next morning, with a relatively early train (9:30) to Munich. We were, once again, impressed with the efficiency and neatness of the Swiss rail system. It was a comfortable, but long (150 mile, 4-ish hour) ride, but we probably benefitted from the down time off of our feet. At the same time, we saw a bit of the European countryside. We were pleasantly surpised that there was ample room for our carryon size baggage in the baggage area in the car, and for our personal bags overhead. Based on our "Swiss" experience, train travel seems like the way to go on a European trip. We were even pleasantly surprised that the difference between "first class" and "coach" was not really that much. It is less expensive than flying, and generally more convenient getting to and from the train station and on and off the trains. Most often - unlike airports - the train stations are right in the middle of things and close to our destination point (or on one of the subway or tram lines).

Entrance to Karlsplatz - Stachus; Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THAT WAS our experience in Zurich and Munich. If you read the Zurich posts you perhaps read that the Munich Hauptbahnhof was directly across from our Zurich Hotel. In Munich, it was not as close, but it was a very direct tram ride, once we figured out the correct train and found the tram from the rail station. It was reasonably well marked and found the tram easily enough. The tram ride was about 20 minutes to our stop which was only a 5-minute walk from the Opera Hotel. The tram stop was on a main street (Maximilian Strasse) in Munich and it was more or less a straight shot and a short ride to most of our destinations. We later discovered that we were only a very short (easy walking) distance from west bank of the Isar River, which is the main river in Munich.

Karlstor; Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE START of our Munich experience was much like Zurich. Once we checked into the hotel, we had a 3:15 scheduled walking tour. We met our guide at the Karlsplatz tram stop. It turned out to be one that we ended up getting on and off a few times during the week and as noted above was a straight shot (just under a mile). Most of our tram rides were 20 or less minutes (depending on route and stop) and some were more like 10. Karlsplatz (known locally as Karlsplatz-Stachus) is right in the center of things, on the edge of Old Town.

Michael's Kirche; Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE KARLSPLATZ  name comes from Karl Theodor, who took over the rule of Bavaria in 1777, and who was originally from the Palatinate region of southern Germany, a part of the Holy Roman Empire until the late 1700's. Karl was apparently arrogant, scheming and not well liked. Once in power, among other things, he began renaming places after himself. Karlsplatz and Karlstor ("tor" is "gate" in English) were two of the perhaps most eggregious examples. The local residents (then and now) resented Karl, and refuse to this day to recognize it as Karlsplatz, instead referring to it as Stachus (named after a popular pub at the time). The arched gate was actually built 100's of years earlier. It is one of the three remaining gates in Munich’s city walls, which were torn down at the end of the 18th century.The gate was built when the city’s second layer of fortification was erected in the 14th century. At one time, it served as the main thoroughfare for traffic through the city. In 1972 (preliminary to the Olympics), the street was redesignated as a pedestrian-only zone. It serves as the entrance to what is today the heart of Munich's ritzy retail district. Through the gate the pedestrian avenue serves as the way to Marienplatz.

Augustiner Bierhalle - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE MET our guide near the fountain at the Karlsplatz subway stop, just outside the Karlstor. You could immediately see the modern, retain shopping influence on the curved buildings framing the gate. Through that gate, even though it marks the beginning of the main downtown shopping area, it begins relatively sedately, with some very cool old buildings, a tiny, quaint and historical old church, and of course one of Munich's ubiquitous beer halls: The Augustiner (I will describe Munich's "beer culture" in greater detail in an upcoming post about our experience at Octoberfest).

Karlsplatz - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

AS WE walked further in, after a brief stop in Michael's Kirche, we could see the beginnings of the shopping district. A favorite image I made during the trip is the busker playing her saxaphone outside a high end shoe store. When I made this image, I had in the back of my mind that I would probably play around with it, so I made it pretty wide. And I played. 😀

Karlsplatz - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

EVENTUALLY, WE came to Frauenkirche, a gothic building with round domes that stands tall in the city. My draw, though, was to some of the landscaping that was built right into the paved area out in front of the church.

Frauenkirche - Karlsplatz - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE MADE our way along Neuhauser Strasse (the wide, pedestrian street) eastward, we came into the Marienplatz area. The central feature here is the famed Glockenspiel which is part of the "New City Hall" in Old Town, and sits dead center in the plaza. As one might expect, the area is crowded most of the time, as it is probably "tourist central" for Munich. Were there for Octoberfest, which means Munich was probably at its most crowded.

Entering Marienplatz from the West (Fraunkirche behind us) - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE GLOCKENSPIEL puts on a mechanical show at 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day, and around those times, it is a madhouse; jammed with bodies shoulder-to-shoulder. We wandered around the huge and bustling Marienplatz for a while, planning to be back at the city hall for the 5:00 p.m. "show." I was there again the next day, during a time when it was less crowded. I still had to work a bit to get a shot that wasn't cluttered with people and other distractions in the foreground (there are a couple others, including with people and closer-up shots of the glockenspiel itself on my website). This one required some manipulation of Photoshop's perspective correction tools.

New City Hall and The Glockenspiel - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

MARIENPLATZ IS quite large and is really the center of the old town. There are numerous churches and plenty of eating establishments around the square. One of the few churches we went in was St. Peter Church. It is a pretty church (as they really all are), but what I took away as unique was the doves suspended from the ceiling inside.

St. Peter Church - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

NOT TO be outdone by magnificent church architecture, Munich's Old Town Hall stands as a gateway to Marienplatz from the east. I thought it one of the most photogenic buildings in the plaza.

Munich; Old Town Hall
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE LEFT Marienplatz heading toward the Munich Residenz Palace, where we would eventually finish up our tour. The Residenz was the palace of the last of the Whittelsbach rulers of the Duchy of Bavaria. When their lineage died out, Karl (of Karltor/Karlsplatz fame) from what remained of the adjacent Holy Roman Empire Palentine region took over. The first buildings of the Residenz were built in the 1400s, and were of largely Gothic style. Over a few hundred years, it was added to, and today it is a mix of late Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neo-Classicism. There is a large museum inside (unfortunately, it wasn't within our plans, but our guide told us to plan on no less than a half a day, if we purchased tickets). The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany. It is immense, and in addition to its buildings, also encompasses the huge and beautiful HoffGarten garden. We would return to walk the garden the next afternoon, experiencing one of the only sunny periods of our trip.

Odeonsplatz - site of Munich Residenz and Feldherrnhalle
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE were unsightly barricades around most of the outside of the building; so unsightly in fact, that I didn't even attempt to photograph the building (which would have required my wide angle lens to pull it all in). I did get some nice shots of surrounding area.

The "Golden Line" gold street pavers - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE GOLDEN line, painted on a narrow little street near the Residenz has a fascinating back story which describes its history and purpose much better than I could. Please click the link above and take just a minute or two to read the story. In short, the golden line was put there by the city of Munich, post WWII, to honor the many citizens of Munich who were anti-Nazi and showed their unique way of resistance.

Feldherrnhalle - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

RIGHT AROUND the corner is the Feldherrnhalle ("Field Marshall's Hall) where Hitler attempted to stage a coup years before his and his Nazi party's rise to power in Berlin as German Chancellor. The coup was defeated in front of the Feldherrnhalle. Tragically, Hitler, who was arrested at that time and spent time in jail thereafter, would rise to fight again creating some of the darkest history of our modern world. The portico where he stood making speeches and demonstrating the Nazi "Jackboots" soldiers was flanked by two lions.

Feldherrnhalle - Munich, Germany
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

OUR TOUR ended here. From there we would head back toward Marienplatz, and to a restaurant our guide had recommend as having the best of a popular specialty food in this part of Europe: the Pork Knuckle. Though using the word "knuckle" may make it seem unappetizing, it is really just a large chunk of pork leg, roasted to crispy perfection. The are also usually huge. Two healthy appetites could probably share one. The pork knuckle is a favorite of the German Beer Halls. The four of us all wanted to try it, but we weren't sure we wanted to order two of them. Our really good waiter suggested the specialty of the house, a combo plate that had Pork Knuckle, roasted duck (also a German popular food) and some popular sides. Bruce and I order (the "house" of course) beer, but fortunately that also had a full bar and our wives were able to have wine and a mixed coctail. We were tired and hungry and it hit the spot. The food and company was great (including the couple that was seated next to us). 😄. Though we hadn't realized it when we rode the tram to our meeing point, but we really weren't far from our Opera Hotel; a 15 minute walk of only about 1/2 mile. We hiked on home, ready for some well-earned rest.

Our Last Day in Switzerland

Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THERE ARE so many wonderfully positive takeaways from our altogether too brief stay in Switzerland. I left there with no doubt that it is one of (if not the) most clean, modern and efficient countries in the world, while at the same time maintaining an "old world" European charm that is hard to describe in words. I have done my best to do that in words and pictures. However, as I reflect on all of our travels over the past decade, I have begun to realize that you just cannot appreciate a new and foreign place until you have actually put feet on the ground there. We hit the ground running, as the past couple blog posts illustrate, with a very busy itinerary. Our final day was to be a "breather."

Hauptbahnhoff at dawn
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WHAT WE exerienced was only a fraction of what Switzerland has to offer. On another trip (and if I have anything to say about it, there will be another trip here), I know I want to visit some of the other places that offer a window into Swiss society and culture, like Geneva, Lausanne, Bern and Basel. While we discussed it during the planning stages, we never did get to the northern border to see some of the more rural areas, and the Bodensee. Again, for another trip.

Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE ALSO just touched the surface (mostly during our guided walk in Lucerne) of Switzlerland's amazing history. Switzerland is a smallish country, bordered to the southwest by France, the south by Italy, and the north by Germany. To Switzerland's east lies Austria and Liechtenstein. Divided into 26 separate Cantons (the indivual member states of the Swiss Confederation). Geographically comparable to our U.S. states, the cantons are more autonomous, politically and each has very detailed infrastructure. Swiss is, I believe, the only sovereign nation in the world that has no defined capitol (though the "seat" of the confederation is in Bern, for logistical purposes). Those cantons nearest each border tend to reflect in many ways, the character of the particular bordering country. Thus, cities like Geneva and Lausanne tend to be French influenced, including the prevalence of the French Language. In the south and southeast, prevailing language, food and customs are Italian. To the north, the influence is more heavily German and/or Austrian and the language, its own "Swiss" take on German. Historically, each of these cantons (there were many fewer of them in the beginning), were each their own sovereign state and were strongly independent. That culture of independence and individuality appears to survive today, even in the face of a healthy confederacy. In keeping with the independent nature of the cantons, however, Switzerland recognizes 4 "official" languages, including German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Of course, English is widely spoken as a second language.

Outside our Central Plaza Hotel - Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE HAD no plans to leave the Zurich area for the final day. The morning was casual and relaxed, and as I often do, I spent some time walking around the city near our hotel. We this same group was in Lisbon 2 years ago, Bruce and I hired a local guide/photographer for some evening and night shooting in the city. This was the first time I had done this, and I quickly followed with my good friend and guide, Jose' Manuel Santos in Porto. Those were two of the best outings I have ever spent during our travels, and I vowed to do so again (stay tuned, as we did just that in Prague, with similarly positive results). One of the things we did with the Lisbon guide was shooting moving trains, panning with a slow shutter speed, to illustrate motion. Fun, but with not much practice, I didn't really feel like I accompished my best results. Our Central Plaza hotel in Zurich was right at one of the busiest transportation hubs in the city, with multiple tram line tracks immediately outside. That morning, grabbing my cusomary Starbucks, I found a spot on a corner and thought I would give it another try. I made quite a few images. Keepers? Not so many. Like any other skill, it takes some practice and I could use more. But one or two of them - I like them.

Tram on the move - Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE DID have some plans for the afternoon, however. I often marvel at the seemingly coincidental "small world" experiences we have had during our travel, from meeting close friends of some of our "small town" Michigan home while spending a week in Ireland; meeting friends from England and meeting up with them again and then yet again; and on and on. This trip was pretty special for me. A long time ago in a place far, far away, I spent three intense years of my youthful life attending law school. During that period, perhaps seasoned by the fire and stress of the experience, I met a friend who was to become (and remain) one of my dearest friends. For 2 of the 3 years, we roomed together in an apartment near campus. I came from a small town in Northern Michigan, essentially conservate in my beliefs. Bob came from New York City, and was - to my standards - quite liberal in his beliefs. I was Protestant. He is Catholic. Doesn't seem like a friendship designed to take fire - or to endure. Yet is has. Bob once commented that over all that time, with many beers and much philosophical "conversation," we never had a cross word. I think that is probably right. We never let things get in the way of our true friendship. Other than an email exchange, and one "facetime" phone conversation, we had not seen each other in over 30 years.

Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

TO MY personal good fortune, Bob has lived in Zurich for much of that 30-year hiatus. We had the delightful opportunity of visiting Bob and his wife at their home in suburban Zurich, where the 6 of us enjoyed a traditional meal of Rachlette, and some fine wine. We took a train out to his town just outside the city and Bob met us at the station (about a 5 minute walk from his home). I heard my name called, and we hugged as if we had just seen each other a few days prior. It was as if none of the 30 years had gone by - but it had, and we lots to catch up on. That's my "small world story for this trip." As we parted, we vowed to keep in better touch. I hope we do and I hope to get back to Zurich some day.

One of the best Swiss Chocolate brands is manufactured in Zurich
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

IN KEEPING with the "theme" of our trip, our day ended with an unrelenting drizzle of rain. It did finally stop late, and I was able to get outside one final time to enjoy a cigar, on the walkway along the river just across the street from our hotel entrance. As I have noted, the corner intersection is busy, with the Hauptbahnhoff just across the river, and a congested tram intersection right oustide our door. It made for some great "people - watching" and the occasional good photograph. I am never without my phone and am often surprised at the ability of these little devices to substitute for a "real camera" 😉in a pinch. I made a couple final images of Zurich, as I realized that there is a very good chance we will return someday. Tomorrow, we would walk just across the bridge and board our train for the next adventure: Munich and Octoberfest.

Final night in Zurich - Samsung Galaxy S21
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

The Bernese Oberland and the Swiss Alps

Bernese Oberland; Swiss Alps
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

ONE OF the things we really wanted to see was the Swiss and German countryside, and in particular, the Alps. One of the tallest and largest mountain ranges in Europe, The Alps run in a horseshoe pattern from the seacoast of the French Riviera up through France, Switzerland, bordering on the south of Germany, then back through Austria, and - fittingly ("balkan," from Turkish origin, means "mountain") - the Balkans, as far south on the Adriatic Sea as the tip of the Italian Peninsula reaches. Some maps and accounts have the range ending at the Austrian/Slovenian border. Others show the range all the way south to Albania. No matter. It is safe enough to say you can see these mountains almost everywhere you go in southern and eastern Europe.

Lungern, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards - All Rights Reserved

WE HAVE. In 2022, on an excursion into The Provence region, we saw them in one of France's national parks. In 2015, we saw them in Montenegro. This time, we saw them twice: in Switzerland and in Germany.

Swiss Alps - Lungern, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

OUR CONTINUING whirlwind of excursions early in our trip continued. For a third day, we were on the move. Fortunately, after spending the better part of the previous two days on our feet, we would be alternatively on our feet, and on a tour van and our private driver. I learned a nuance on this occasion. I referred to our driver as a guide, and my wife pointed out to me (Just FYI, you know) that he wasn't really a guide - that the excursion we had purchase definitely described him as a driver. Nonetheless, he seemed to have an itinerary that had some good stops, and though his English was not perfect, we all communicated well, and he seemed like a nice guy.

Lungernsee - Lungern, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

OUR DRIVE took us southwest again, past Zug and Lucerne, and toward what is known as the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. Our first stop was a small lake in a tiny little berg of Lungern; Lungernsee. After a short "photo-stop" here, we continued on to what would be our lunch destination: Interlaken. There is a series of beautiful, deep, blue lakes along the mountain route, and the next one was Brienzersee, where we made a stop at what was pretty obviously a resort area at the northern end of the lake. There were, in spite of the rather touristy nature of the actual stop, some great views south down the lake.

Brienzersee; Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE THEME of the trip - mostly cloudy and rainy producing a gloomy, deep gray  - continued, as you can see from the image above, though we did see a few brief peeks of sunshine and what might have been in better weather. Still, the beauty and relative vastness of the region was certainly as impressive as I had imagined.

Brienzersee - Bernese Oberlands, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

AS FORESHADOWED, we continued on to our lunchtime - and as it turned out penultimate - stop on the drive: Interlaken. Dead center between two of Switzerland's most beautiful lakes, Thunersee and Brienzersee (10.5 and 9 miles long, respectively), Interlaken is known as Switzerland's "Adventure Capital." The touristy town lies at the base of three of Switzerland's most famous mountains: Eiger, Jungfrau, and Monch. In addition to recreation on the lakes, the area is reknowned for its hiking, mountaineering, skiing, and not-to-be-missed: paragliding. As we drove into the small town, and our driver dropped us off on the main street, the atmosphere eerily reminded me of my own outdoor adventure - laden hometown, Traverse City, Michigan (a sought-after vacation destination in Michigan, where boating, skiing, hiking, and all forms of other outdoor recreation were prevailent). Sans the Alps, of course. 😃

Victoria Jungfrau Hotel - Interlaken, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

IT ALL started out innocently enough. We could see the beautiful central greens space in the middle of town, flanked by flowers and impressive buildings. You can see the grandiose 150-year plus 5-star Victoria Jungfrau Hotel as you approach the small, downtown shopping district.

Interlaken, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

BUT EVERY modern tourist town has to have at least one glitzy, gauche commercial feature to distinguish it. Interlaken is no exception - though this may be the first time I have seen this (popular?) chain restaurant in Europe. Being in Switzerland's recreation center, perhaps they originally mistook it for a raptor center? But seriously? Right next to the 5-star crown jewel of Interlaken? 😅

Hooters - Interlaken, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

BY THE way, did I mention paragliding? We saw the signs and storefront in a more commercialized area just as we entered town. I really didn't know - and wasn't prepared for - them coming in for their landing though, right in the middle of that park! I got lucky, as the restaurant we chose for lunch was on the edge of the park, and I was able to get out into the park and make a few photographs. These things had all the ingredients I love about a picture: color, interest, and action. Thinking back, there were many things I could have done more creatively. Timing and to some extent, surprise, was somewhat of an issue. If you have an opportunity, I would recommend considering a visit to Interlaken, with some time on your hands and a plan to do some shooting. They will draw you in!

Paragliders - Interlaken, Switzerland
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

WE FOUND a nice restaurant for lunch and I had an apparently traditional local dish which was some king of puff pastry with pork and gravy inside. It was delicious, and as Bruce and I had established as more or less a habit, I had the local, on-tap, lager. It was good.

DURING OUR time in Interlaken, we were heartened, as the sun had come out and it was looking like this time it might be for real. But not to be. What turned out to be our final stop of the day was the rather famous ski area: Grindelwald. I think our driver was a bit taken aback, as the itinerary for the driving tour included a ride up the renowned cog railway cable car up Jungenfrau. However, we had read a number of accounts during our pre-trip research and knew that although the view from up on top was said to be spectacular, it was very dependent upon visibility. Our judgment was that we would be up in pure fog, with now view. We opted out of the cog. Instead, we walked the touristy little town of Grindelwald. I don't know if I have ever seen so many, different, outdoor outfitter shops on one street. I did get a decent view of the mountain valley with the traditional Swiss cottages and buildings, but once again, Mother Nature conspired against me, creating dreary, gray conditions.

The Swiss Alps - Grindelwald, Switzerland

Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THE COG lifts were among the first ski lifts in the world, and the mountains - particularly the 13,000 foot (above sea-level) Eiger's vaunted "North Face" (one of the inspirations for the popular outdoor outfitter line "North Face"), considered one of the most sought-after climbing destinations. The North Face is a challenging and dangerous climb of nearly 6,000 feet. The internet reports at least 64 deaths over the years from people attempting to ascent the Eiger's North Face, including the "1936 Disaster," claiming the lives of 5 climbers.

Grindelwald, Switzerland

Copyright Andy Richards 2024

WHEN VISIBILITY is good, the profile of the three peaks - Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, present the iconic view of the Swiss Alps. For those (most of us, I presume) who aren't going to risk the technical climb, there is a tunneled cog railroad that you can ride to get the views from the top (as noted, we opted not to do this because of the poor visibility).

Grindelwald, Switzerland

Copyright Andy Richards 2024

THE ADVERTISED narrative for our day was to include a stop at a traditional Swiss Dairy Farm for cheese tasting. Unfortunately, as we pulled into the last stop the skies opened up. Our driver told us that to get to the farm was about a 10 - 15 minute walk. None of us were up for that, so we headed back to our hotel. We were tired and hungry by the time we arrived, but it was a long, but good day. We had scoped out a restaurant directly across a back street from the hotel, and had a nice dinner and a relatively early night.

Bernese Oberland - Swiss Alps

Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved