Schloss and Biergarten Day 5

After our breakfast picnic and a slight incident with the in-room coffee machine, we catch our first München tram and find the expansive Schloss Nymphenburg sitting in the middle of a suburb. Following the lines of kindergarten children with backpacks we admire the approach – and realise this is only the back entrance.

Schloss Nyphemburg

Inside the Schloss is a Gallery of Beauties full of portraits of young women admired by Ludwig I of Bavaria. All beautiful, and one slightly familiar.

Portrait of Lola Montez in Schloss Nymphenburg

Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld (aka Lola Montez) one-time mistress of Liszt arrived in Munich in 1846 and took up with King Ludwig. In 1855-56 she also had a fling with Australia, performing on the Victorian goldfields and causing a stir in Ballarat according to many Australian press reports of the day. It is interesting to compare how the German Wikipedia article treats Lola. No separate sections on the United States and Australia, and a long list of Lola references in the arts subdivided by artform, whereas the English article has an unordered list entitled ‘legacy’.

Swans in gardens at Schloss Nymphenburg

There are many more beauties of the horticultural kind outside the Schloss in the extensive gardens including mini Schloss and greenhouses.

Beeren

On the way back school is out with kids on bikes filling the streets. Another stop at a fruit stall to replenish our Erdbeeren and Himbeeren box.

Waldwirtschaft

Next challenge is the train to Großhesselohe-Isartalbahnhof where we arrive at Biergarten Waldwirtschaft for our rendezvous with Mr 32 just in time. English jazz plays in the background to pleasant catching up on cycling adventures and downing the mass bier, some roast pork, sauerkraut and pommes.

Munich Day 4

After a long but not too uncomfortable night we land at Franz Josef Strauß airport. A very helpful young Munchener man returning from LA to visit his parents buys us a group ticket at the airport machine so we travel as his groupies the 40 minutes to Hauptbahnhof and then he sets us towards Dachauerstraße. Our hotel not surprisingly is not expecting us at 6am. Though they offer us a smoking room we opt to leave our luggage and come back later for our non-smoking room.

With no plan in view, we dodge the cyclists and early morning utility vehicles everywhere through Platzen and Gassen, surprised when our mobile devices start downloading messages. Big thanks to eduroam.edu.au – university wifi to go – even en voyàge.

St Michael’s Church is the favourite find. From street level there is little sign of what is inside.

Sankt Michael sign

Angelic door handles

Not expecting to be able to open the massive doors but trying just in case.

St Michael’s Church, Munich

Finally we find our way to the Englischer Garten. Pleased to sit on a bench at the Frauen coffee shop near the gate for espresso, chocolate croissant, and the first beer of the day Neumarketer Lammsbräu Urstoff half litre bottle.

There is some statistical data about the garden in the in the Wikipedia article that makes it clear our visit is a taste only.

Total length of paths and walkways: roughly 75 km (26 km roads, 36 km footpaths, 13 km bridlepaths)
Length of streams: 8.75 km
Bridges: over 100

Wonder why this is buried in the article rather than in the Infobox? Note that the Infobox for park is being considered for merging with the Infobox for protected areas. A consideration for another day.

We did see a stream surfer from our bridge.

Off to the Viktualienmarkt for supplies, to the hotel to unpack and rest. Then back to St Michael’s for the 17:00 organ music, a quick schnitzel and the long Day 4 ends.

What did I learn from Wikimedia Day 1?

I am thinking ‘what I learned from Wikimedia today’ might be a theme for #blogjune 2014.

Day 1 is spent packing for a rest of June voyage. The wiki that is top of mind is WikiVoyage – a relatively new addition to the Wikimedia family. Not one I have had much need of up till now. A good way to evaluate the quality of a travel service is to check out what it says about a place you already know well. So how is the Australian content on WikiVoyage?

multicultural and sports-mad, this vibrant city includes many cultural institutions…

Seems close enough to Melbourne to me. The main Melbourne article currently has a ‘districting debate‘ underway which those more Melburnian than me might like to talk to.

The food and public transport information seems pretty reliable, although I did have to add the tip about the tramTRACKER app which was the first thing I learned from my Melbourne mentor.

BTW I really don’t like editing wiki on the tablet. But perhaps I’ll learn to love it more after a month of no laptop.