- SFO -> Munich (Lufthansa, which flies the route nonstop)
- Visit Dachau
- Visit Schloss Neuschwanstein
- Visit Schloss Hohenschwangau
- Visit Schloss Linderhof
- Other sites in & around Munich? Suggestions welcome!
- Nuremburg
- Mosey up to Bayreuth
- Sit on my naturally well-padded backside for seven out of eight days in Bayreuth (but I am bringing a cushion too)
- Back to Munich
- Home
And while I'm away, take lots of pictures, drink excellent German beer, eat excellent German sausage, etc. I like German wines, too!
Planned reading: Doktor Faustus, Faust (Goethe), translations of the libretti, maybe Tony Judt's Postwar, which I have already started once, or a short bio, if there is such a thing, of Richard W.
Planned reading: Doktor Faustus, Faust (Goethe), translations of the libretti, maybe Tony Judt's Postwar, which I have already started once, or a short bio, if there is such a thing, of Richard W.
1. Oh, Postwar is an excellent book. Focused most on economic history, not my favorite part of the subject, but Judt is so lucid at it. And the brief excursions into cultural history deal almost exclusively with film.
ReplyDeleteBut if you're prepared for that, and its length, it's the clearest and most satisfying account of postwar European history imaginable.
2. You know what I read about 20 years ago and still have fond memories of? The Swan King by Christopher McIntosh, a brief biography of King Ludwig, surely an interesting figure to any Wagnerian. I'd recommend that.
I read about 100 pages of Postwar and can't for the life of me why I stopped.
ReplyDeleteOh, wait, yes I can: it is a pain to carry around a book of that size, even in paper. But I did love his writing.
Thanks for that recommendation! Adding it to my list.
Awesome! So jealous....
ReplyDeleteYou might be able to get press tickets!
ReplyDeleteDachau is an easy excursion logistically, but you might want to wait till jet lag has subsided a bit, as it's emotionally wrenching. Why not visit the Ludwig castles first?
ReplyDeleteGood thought, thanks.
ReplyDeleteSchloss Nymphenburg (link), the current royal residence, is too often overlooked: stunning park and pavilions, the palace per se, a wonderful museum with marvels in porcelain and other things royal like horsies and carriages.
ReplyDeleteSpotts 'Bayreuth - A History of the Wagner Festival' is well worth a read, if not already.
In Nuremberg, if you tire of the medieval, are broken by the Rally Fields and Congress Hall Museum, seek solace in the St Klarakirche, an oasis of contemporary calm and there's not much of that in Nuremberg other than the Neues Museum.
Don't forget Bamberg is a short drive from BT.
Oh, thank you, those are great suggestions.
ReplyDeleteLisa, it's easy to get to Linderhof from Munich, but Neuschwanstein (amazing as it is) is more of an excursion and the lines can be tremendous, esp. in summer (be sure to book ahead if you do it) -- be sure to study the logistics. The Alte Pinakothek is the great unmissable in Munich: my favorite museum, with my favorite painting (Dürer's Four Apostles). I also love the daft Franz von Stuck house.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alex! Patrick has also pointed me to the Alte Pinakothek (and the Neue as well). I will be sure to study the Neuschwanstein logistics and book as far in advance as I can.
ReplyDeleteOMG, I must see the Franz von Stuck house, and also ask you whether you've seen Lord Leighton's house in London, which is worth it just for the magnificent Arab Hall.
I have read that there's a quite a lot of beautiful Jugendstil art and architecture in Munich and I plan to see some of it.
If you've never been to Salzburg, it's a 2 hour train ride from Munich. Not necessary to spend more than a day there, though (unless there's a concert -- like the Sokolov I missed by 8 hours!).
ReplyDeleteI have been to Salzburg, though not in many years. Beautiful town; I have some vivid memories of walking around it and going to the Hellbrunn to see the grotto....also the churches and the house where Mozart was born.
ReplyDeleteIn Munich, I also loved the Residenz, the former home of the Bavarian royal family: it's like walking through several centuries, viewing architecture and interior design from the 16th century up to 1918. One of the few times the sun came out on my only trip to Munich was when I was standing in the golden throne room -- indelible!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDelete