Author: stephiestewart

Prague, Czech Republic

Hello!

After a few more days in beautiful Munich, I took a short trip to Prague.

One of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Europe, Prague sits on the river Moldau and its history dates back more than a thousand years. It is famous for its   fairytale atmosphere and ornate architecture, as well as its beer, arts, and culture.

I took a Flixbus from Munich directly to Prague, which cost only 30 Euros round trip, and booked the cheapest room in Prague I could find, at the PLUS Prague Hostel for 15 Euros for two nights. Staying in a dorm is often the lowest cost option for short stays, and honestly, most of the time you will not be needing the room if it is only a day trip.

The Flixbus is a great option for getting around Europe because it is very cheap if you book tickets about a month or so in advance, and if you want to change your reservation, the change fee is only 1 Euro plus the extra cost of the new ticket, if there is any. And, reservations can be transferred between people, so if your friend cannot use his ticket to Vienna, for example, he could transfer the money credit to you easily, unlike airlines, which make you pay a name change fee.

PLUS Prague Hostel is exactly what a great backpacker youth hostel should be: cheap, large, and close to the city centre with all the right amenities. They even have a saltwater pool and sauna, work out room, and beach volleyball court, as well as restaurant and bar, should you want it, but I did not need these things. I did appreciate the clean bed in a warm room and the hot shower, because anywhere you travel, those comforts cannot be beat.

I spent most of my day seeing the main sights of Prague, which was an easy 10-15 minute street tram right away from PLUS Prague Hostel, on the 6 or 12 street tram. You just hop on and hop off wherever you want to go, as long as you have a ticket, or you can ride black and risk the fine. Day tickets cost about $4.50 for 24 hours, and since I am not a native to the Czech Republic, I thought it was best to buy the ticket and support the transit system.

Walking along the Charles Bridge was beautiful, as well as seeing the sights of the  Prague Castle, and the gorgeous red roof views from above the city. I walked through the cobble stone streets, going in some souvenir shops and taking lots of pictures, but mostly enjoying the warm sun and the beautiful architecture. There are lots of street musicians and artists in Prague, so if you want to hear music and see art for free, walking in the touristy areas is the easiest way to do it.

Prague

I also enjoyed watching the boats coming up and down the river from the bridge. It is quite a magical experience to see them always coming and going. Prague river boats

There is a lot of art on the streets of Prague, which seems to be home to the arts and culture sector of the world, with numerous museums and galleries on practically every street. I especially liked this stained glass butterfly in a public park near the PLUS Prague Hostel. It lent a childlike charm to the neighborhood, coupled with the small playground nearby.

Prague Butterfly

What I noticed most about Prague, in the short time I was there, was the fact that so many tourists filled the streets of the Old Town of Prague, like shadows. As I stood on the bridge listening to a quartet playing soothing bosa nova sounds, I thought that all these people were like shadows.

Prague, waiting at the tram stop

I splurged in the evening on a 7 Euro ticket to the Andy Warhol exhibit in the old town square in Prague, which was somewhat worth the price. There were a lot of reprints of Andy Warhol’s most famous works, such as Marilyn Monroe and flowers, but some of the art pieces I found entertaining and funny. Besides, one simply cannot go to Prague without visiting a gallery or art museum!

As the sun set over the church spires in Prague’s old town square, I admired the architecture once more and appreciated the giant bubbles a man was waving into the crowd from two large circular hoops, a street vendor. A crowd of people had gathered to watch the bubbles and take photos, or try to pop them. Here’s one last photo from Prague:

Prague bubbles in old town square

As always, all opinions are my own.

Day two and three in Munich – Hotel Laimer Hof

Hello again from Munich!

For the next two nights of my Europe trip, I stayed in a small castle on Laimer Strasse, which is actually the site of a 3 star hotel called Hotel Laimer Hof. I would describe the hotel as a charming sort of bed and breakfast, run by owner Sebastian Rösch and his family. It is a five minute walk from the actual palace of Nymphenburger in a very quiet and expensive neighborhood called Neuhausen.Bildschirmfoto 2017-03-22 um 13.29.54

My room had two twin beds, a dresser, and a desk, so it felt slightly cramped for space, but it has a definite charm. It has the feel of an old-fashioned country cottage tucked away in a green neighborhood amidst colorful residences and neighborhood cafes and small shops away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The full bathroom is tucked away next to the room, with plenty of hot water in the shower. It is not for those wanting a stay in a super-fancy, extremely spacious 5 star chain hotel, but it has a great location and amenities of a quality place for a much lower price.

Ask the desk staff for anything – they are more than happy to assist you and you can even rent bikes for free, although due to my jet lag, I did not take advantage of this. Instead, I spent my stay mostly resting in the comfort of my room when I was not at the Nymphenburger Palace. I was surprised with a complimentary fruit plate upon arrival, which really came in handy on Sunday when I was hungry and after an evening walk, did not see anything appetizing!

I enjoyed taking advantage of the hotel’s proximity to the Nymphenburger Palace to stroll through the gardens and enjoy the warm spring sun and fresh blooms. I wanted to stay at this hotel largely because the Nymphenburger Palace is one of my most favorite places in all the world — it is a magical, mystical relic of German royalty and walking through the gardens makes me feel transported to that era as well.

Nymphenburger Palace in spring time
Nymphenburger Palace in spring time

The complimentary breakfast offers bread, fresh fruit, eggs, sausages, a tea selection, coffee, and cereal and milk. I also tried aloe vera honey tea, which quickly became something I would like to drink again! It has a fresh, sweet flavor without being overbearing.

Bildschirmfoto 2017-03-22 um 13.29.34IMG_20170319_032548971IMG_20170319_032716298IMG_20170319_035107466_HDRThe only downside of this hotel is that it is a little out of the way from Munich’s city centre if you are without a car, although the 16/17 street tram will take you down to the Hauptbahnhof in a short 20 minute ride or less. Overall, the neighborhood is quaint, quiet, and gives one the ability to enjoy a sampling of what life in Munich is like with the comfort and amenities of a full-service hotel. The staff is very friendly, family owned, and willing to assist guests, and would do anything to assure you a pleasant stay, so if the Nymphenburger Palace is on your sightseeing list, this is an excellent location for a short trip.

This was a collaboration between Hotel Laimer Hof and I. As always, all opinions are my own.

Mövenpick Hotel – Back Again In Munich!

Hello!

What better way to spend my first night back in Munich, Germany than a night at Mövenpick Airport Hotel? Having stayed here once before in 2016, I came back for a second visit because I enjoyed it so much.

As I learned at dinner, Mövenpick Hotels is part of the same ownership as the renowned ice-cream line and chocolate bar line of the same name. Located a little out of the way of the airport in Hallbergmoos, my best friend Raphael and I took a taxi to the airport (which cost 17 Euros). You can also access the hotel by the train plus a bus from the airport, but due to my large suitcase and our desire to have a quick and easy trip to the airport, we opted for a taxi.

The staff at Mövenpick is wonderful, very friendly, professional, and often humorous. They made me feel like a princess during my overnight stay and I have only good things to say about this hotel. The rooms are spacious, with a large and comfortable queen sized bed (or you can choose from two twins, as part of your options) and cheerful bright pink and white decor. The lively feel of the hotel offers a nice change from the stress of flying and the impersonal nature of airports.

Raphael and I ventured down to dinner at around 9 pm, during which we were served by a professional and kind waitress named Susanna S., who graciously allowed me to change my order of pumpkin soup after it had arrived to tomato soup, which turned out to be the best tomato soup I have ever had yet. The kitchen even gave me two huge bars of Mövenpick chocolate as a parting gift, and owing to it being my birthday, they offered us two flutes of rose champagne as a present. Raphael had a steak hamburger with wedge-shaped fries and vanilla ice cream with a generous helping of syrup. I should note: Guests are offered a bread basket with two types of dip as a free appetizer to start.

We slept very soundly in our room, which is spacious enough to host an armchair, large window overlooking the gardens, desk, and large tv on top of a dresser. The bathroom is also large, with a vanity detached from the washroom and plenty of mirrors. There are plush white robes and slippers should you want them, and lots of channels on the TV to watch, so I was able to catch some of the tennis matches going on at Indian Wells.
The next morning, after a breakfast down in the eating area — a very pleasant place as it is surrounded by glass windows and a high vaulted glass ceiling looking out to a lawn and wooden pagoda outside — we filled up on the continental breakfast buffet and their amazing cheese-filled omelets, which is complimentary to your stay. I took a quick refresher in the sauna, which was in use by three other guests at the time, but they were all very friendly as well.

By the time we checked out at noon, I was wishing we could extend our stay much longer! Mövenpick did everything they could to ensure I had a clean, comfortable, relaxing visit and made me feel like I was part of a warm, welcoming community of professional hospitality employees. I would most certainly stay at Mövenpick again, even though it is slightly out of the way from the airport!

Another thing to note: Mövenpick offers DB passes, so you can buy a full day pass for all zones at the hotel before taking the bus a quick ways to the S-bahn. There is a convenience store right across the street in case you forget something the hotel does not provide, but rest assured that you stay will most likely need nothing else.

A brief photo gallery of my stay in Mövenpick Airport Hotel below!

This was a collaboration between Mövenpick Hotels and myself. As always, all opinions are my own.

Chicago

Hello,

I’m going to share with you today my review about a wonderful 4-star hotel I had the pleasure of staying in on a recent short trip to Chicago last week. Called the Whitehall Hotel, it is nestled in Dearborn Street across from Bloomingdale’s, in a very convenient spot right off of Michigan Avenue. It’s a small hotel, fitting to the size of Chicago’s high-rises or European standards, but quite comfortable and soundproof, and the place was decorated in pleasant blue tones and brown shades. You get the feeling that this hotel has existed for decades from the 1960’s style furnishings in the room, which adds to the authentic Chicago flair.

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Since it is located so close to the major shops, it’s only a short walk from anything and everything you could possibly want to see in Chicago. If you walk south down Michigan Avenue, you will find the high-end clothing and shoe stores in Water Tower Place and on their own lining the streets. You’ll reach Wacker Drive and Trump Tower in about twenty minutes, and in another 10 will reach the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Chicago has a lot to do, and of course you can pick and choose whatever you like. I highly recommend staying at the Whitehall Hotel if you want a comfortable stay in a classy neighborhood without a hefty expense (my overnight stay cost only $152, including $10 for 24-hour parking, which in Chicago, I consider a real deal).

As usual, all opinions are my own!

Top 10 Arts and Culture Destinations in Munich, Germany

“The city with a heart” as Munich is called, it is truly a small global city packed with roughly one million people. There is an old-world charm surrounding the capital of Bavaria; here, you can almost imagine you are a princess or prince stepping out of a fairy tale castle, as you walk about the cobble-stoned streets of this busy old-world place
If you love art and history, Munich is a wonderful destination. In particular, my top 10 favorite places to visit:
Munich is one of my favorite places in the world because it is so fairy-tale like and close to the Alps. While visiting Munich for the second time, also for three weeks (a good duration to see all the sights, and to take a few day trips to nearby towns as well), I’ve complied my top ten favorite tourist destinations.

1. The Residenz Museum
Situated in the square in downtown Munich, right next to Odeonsplatz, is the Muenchen Residenz. Inside, there are restored rooms and galleries upon galleries of paintings and furnishings from the Whittelsbach family’s old royal residence. Though the building was burned down, the interiors have been restored — behold, jeweled crowns and tiaras, old swords with gilt stones in their hilts, and winding rooms like a maze filled with rich colors and chandeliers from centuries past. My favorite place inside the Residenz? The Antiquarium, where the curved ceiling stretches from entrance to exit with rich frescos, and portraits in gilt frames and white busts line the room’s stone floors.

Inside the Munich Residenz
2. BMW Welt
Shaped like a new-age modern piece of art, the architecture of the BMW Welt is worth visiting, especially at night, when the twisted glass structure glows with a soft purple light outside, and inside, the cars gleam in the artificial lights. Any car lover will enjoy a visit to the BMW Welt, where small cars mix with new cars, and a range of models are displayed in a large, airy, two-leveled structure. Walking inside this place gives me the feeling of walking on the moon. Take a picture standing next to a car, or riding one of the large, super-fast-looking motorcycles. It’s free to browse inside the BMW Welt, but the car museum adjacent to it costs money if you want a guided tour.
Inside the BMW Welt
3. Neue Pinakothek
Who doesn’t love the famous painting of bright, cheerful sunflowers clustered in a simple urn by Vincent Van Gogh?
Print of Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh
You can see it in real life, with your own eyes, in the Neue Pinakothek, which contains galleries filled with collections of more “modern” painters. Situated in what I call, “Munich’s Art Neighborhood,” you can walk from the Neue Pinakothek to the Alt Pinakothek (where the “old” painters’ collections are displayed), to the Egyptian Museum, the Brandhorst Museum, and the Lenbachaus. Tip: go on Sundays to view art — most galleries (besides the Lenbachaus) can be viewed for 1 Euro.
4. Englischer Garten
Mother Nature’s art is often beyond compare, although art is in the eye of the beholder.
Walking through the Englischer Garten takes one back to an era long-ago, and transports the strollers, joggers, dog-walkers, and bicycler’s into the era of Jane Austen’s time. Imagine you are walking in the late 1800s in these natural gardens, which stretch along the Isar river on the east side of Munich. You can view large swans gliding like white apparitions in the evening darkness if you find the pond. Don’t expect to cover all of it in one go, however — like Central Park in New York, this city garden is really a large expanse of nature inside a concrete jungle.

Capturing the sunset on a bridge over the Isar
The Isar at sunset

5. Nymphenburger Schloss – “Castle of the Nymphs”

It’s hard to visit Germany and not visit an old palace.
This one looks like it comes straight out of a fairy tale, with a glittering ballroom inside the main palace that you can view when you tour the rooms, leading to galleries of the famous 30 beauties of Bavarian ruler Max Emanuel (his consorts). The main pavilion was completed in 1675 and the palace, itself, has been a favorite amongst Bavarian rulers for centuries. It is now a museum, and the immaculate gardens and acres of forest are open to visitors as well.
The ballroom inside Nymphenburger Palace
Nymphenburger Palace
Nymphenburger Palace
Inside the Nymphenburger Palace
A panorama view
Another view


6. Museum Brandhorst
It’s worth it to visit the Brandhorst museum if you want a glimpse into the hearts and minds of modern art and their creators. Although some of the collections will make you go, “huh?” the point is to expand you mind and appetite for creativity, so give it a go. I would recommend going on Sunday, however, when entrance is only 1 Euro, to avoid the feeling of buyer’s disappointment if you don’t like what you see. Modern art, is, quite often, intended to shock, after all.
A sign of the times.
Image of Cy Tombly’s paintings in Museum Brandhorst, from munchen.de
7. Staatsoper – Munich National Theatre
It is difficult to buy a ticket to the prized ballet performances at the Munich Staatsoper, so check a month in advance, to be safe. Performances take place in a round theatre with gilt rococo decorations all over the interior, and plush red seats. You can still grab a spot in the balconies for 7 Euros, if you can’t find a place to sit, but beware, the view is not as good because you are in the galleries. It is worth it, however, any way you can get in, because the dancers are excellent and the music is impeccable. Often, the ballets will be famous classics like “Swan Lake,” “Giselle,” or “Romeo and Juliet,” so if you go, you will be treated to a life-changing artistic experience. Dress up, because everyone else does, too.

At “Giselle”
View of the Munich National Theatre
Standing by Odeonsplatz
8. Pinakothek Moderne
If you love art, and want to consider yourself a snob, wander around the rooms of the Pinakothek Moderne (Museum of Modern Art). There, you will find large, blown up photographs from the 1970s of street-scenes in Canada, crumpled metal from scrapped cars stacked in strange sculptures, a display of old computers, chairs, a 1960s mod living room, and much more. The more traditional “paintings” are in there, as well, so if you feel flummoxed by the display of rectangular cabinets or the rug, or even perhaps the large “omelet” painting-display, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with lush colors of rich tones depicting dark-skinned women bathing or dancing, and plenty of long-haired maidens bathing naked.
What’s not to love about being a painter?

Painting in the Museum of Modern Art
9. Marienplatz
Just walking through Marienplatz will transport you to the “old world.” However, it is also one of the best places to go in Munich to see old architecture — look at the Old Town Hall and the New Town Hall — and the Fraunkirche is right around the corner, look for the two tall towers (this gave English bombers directions during World War II, which is why, unlike most of rebuilt Munich, this church was not destroyed by fire bombs).
Of the many places that do not accept credit cards, you can still buy food at Hans im Glueck, which is a popular burger chain in Munich that also serves vegetarian burgers.

Munich dress code in winter — long down coat, jeans, and boots. The more designer, the better.
Expensive fur coats and leather gloves were common Munich dress a few decades ago

10. Viktualien Markt

Food is an art form in and of itself, and if you are not shy, you can wander the many stalls of spices, fruits, nuts, vegetables, meats, and breads to find samples of these tasty offerings. Of course, you might be tempted to buy some of the food, so bring some cash with you. Although Munich is a global world city, “nubar” or “cash only” is still quite a popular way for vendors transactions.
Fruits at Viktualien Markt

Bonus places:

Angel of Peace — It’s a little park with stairs leading up to a painted stone building with a tall golden statue of an angel near Munchener Freiheit.

Next to the Angel of Peace, photo by Raphael Weiss
Enjoy Munich! Remember the Lenbachaus is not 1 Euro on Sundays, and dress up for the ballet!

Salzburg, Austria

The “city of salt,” Salzburg is located on the western tip of Austria, close to the German border.

From Munich, you can take a Flixbus, which is similar to a Greyhound or Megabus — buy tickets online and make sure you bring a passport or other government I.D. — for less than 25 Euros round-trip.

It’s called a Flixbus because you can buy your ticket and if you don’t use it, you can redeem your money for a different journey.

On the day I visited Salzburg in late-November 2016 with my travel buddy, here’s what we did:

9:15 am: we arrived at the Flixbus station, carrying our I.D.’s. I didn’t think this was so important until I saw a young German woman crying and pleading the bus driver to let her ride the bus. She had forgotten her ID. I watched her mother (or older friend?) forego her own journey to comfort her, while we were waved on to the back of the bus where there were still seats.

11:20 am: we arrived in Salzburg, at the Hauptbahnhof. After walking in some direction towards a beautifully forested mountain that loomed ahead of us, we asked direction at a hotel and were pointed in the direction of the promenade in the Altstadt (old town) on the left bank of the Salzach River. The medieval and baroque architecture makes this city a very quaint and beautiful tourist destination.

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In Salzburg

Nested up on a mountain above the Salzach river across from the Altstadt, is a fortress that has guarded Salzburg for about five centuries. No one thought to attack the town because of the fortress, and the city prospered by trading salt. Now, it is still a very “small-town” atmosphere, with plenty of tourist attractions in the older districts.

 

We walked around the narrow, cobble-stoned streets on the right-bank of the Salzach, closer to the cliffs, for a while, taking in the street vendors selling salt pretzels and other small broetchens and the small shops selling Weihnachten (Christmas) ornaments, eggs, and other trinkets.

We ate lunch at the Hotel Goldene Ente, a 14th century hotel that serves traditional Austrian food on its menu. I ate a salty goulash with hot water and copious slices of lemon, and my travel companion had the classic roast pork with a light and tangy golden beer.

Afterwards, we took a turn on the outdoor ice-skating rink in Mozartplatz, which stands right outside a museum and an old church. Admission is 5 Euros per person, plus 4 per pair of skates. There is a slight discount if you are a student.

Iceskating in Mozartplatz

Stepping into a small cafe nearby the ice-skating rink, we drank small cups of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, which come with a glass of cold water.

Austrian hot chocolate

We walked around the bazaar afterwards, which sold all manners of roasted chestnuts, Weihnachten decorations and ornaments, traditional Austrian souvenirs, salted pretzels, and traditional hot Austrian foods.

After petting the horses that draw the old-fashioned carriages that you can pay to ride around the old city in (they were too expensive for my budget, being 60 Euros for an hour), we headed towards the cliffs and took an elevator to the top that takes one to the Museum of Modern Art.

Stepping out, you can look all over the brightly-lit town of Salzburg from this vantage point, and walk to the old stone fortress located nearby the Museum of Modern Art. You can walk through the forested paths, or sit on the bench, overlooking the city below, eat at the restaurant by the Museum of Modern Art, or even walk down the cliffs.

Mountains across from the fortess
Salzburg from the mountain

After more wandering through Salzburg, we ate at a Chinese buffet in the old-town touristy district near Mozartplatz, owing to the lack of places that accept cards.

Walking by the Salzach river at night, we were awarded with a brilliant display of lights in the dark water — the lights from the church and the many old buildings that were reflected in the glistening glassy surface.

Salzach at night

Back at the Hauptbahnhof, the bus gathered its passengers up, and we were transported back to Munich. Bring your passport — there is a border-control check where the guards will ask you just why you’re visiting.

Enjoy Salzburg! Bring a camera to take pictures, and Keep Traveling!

Top 10 Arts and Culture Destinations in Munich, Germany

“The city with a heart” as Munich is called, it is truly a small global city packed with roughly one million people. There is an old-world charm surrounding the capital of Bavaria; here, you can almost imagine you are a princess or prince stepping out of a fairy tale castle, as you walk about the cobble-stoned streets of this busy old-world place.

Inside the ballroom at Nymphenburg Castle
Munich is one of my favorite places in the world because it is so fairy-tale like and close to the Alps. While visiting Munich for the second time, also for three weeks (a good duration to see all the sights, and to take a few day trips to nearby towns as well), I’ve complied my top ten favorite tourist destinations.

Flying over Europe at night towards Warsaw, Poland
If you love art and history, Munich is a wonderful destination. In particular, my top 10 favorite places to visit:
1. The Residenz Museum
Situated in the square in downtown Munich, right next to Odeonsplatz, is the Muenchen Residenz. Inside, there are restored rooms and galleries upon galleries of paintings and furnishings from the Whittelsbach family’s old royal residence. Though the building was burned down, the interiors have been restored — behold, jeweled crowns and tiaras, old swords with gilt stones in their hilts, and winding rooms like a maze filled with rich colors and chandeliers from centuries past. My favorite place inside the Residenz? The Antiquarium, where the curved ceiling stretches from entrance to exit with rich frescos, and portraits in gilt frames and white busts line the room’s stone floors.

Inside the Munich Residenz
2. BMW Welt
Shaped like a new-age modern piece of art, the architecture of the BMW Welt is worth visiting, especially at night, when the twisted glass structure glows with a soft purple light outside, and inside, the cars gleam in the artificial lights. Any car lover will enjoy a visit to the BMW Welt, where small cars mix with new cars, and a range of models are displayed in a large, airy, two-leveled structure. Walking inside this place gives me the feeling of walking on the moon. Take a picture standing next to a car, or riding one of the large, super-fast-looking motorcycles. It’s free to browse inside the BMW Welt, but the car museum adjacent to it costs money if you want a guided tour.
Inside the BMW Welt
3. Neue Pinakothek
Who doesn’t love the famous painting of bright, cheerful sunflowers clustered in a simple urn by Vincent Van Gogh?
Print of Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh
You can see it in real life, with your own eyes, in the Neue Pinakothek, which contains galleries filled with collections of more “modern” painters. Situated in what I call, “Munich’s Art Neighborhood,” you can walk from the Neue Pinakothek to the Alt Pinakothek (where the “old” painters’ collections are displayed), to the Egyptian Museum, the Brandhorst Museum, and the Lenbachaus. Tip: go on Sundays to view art — most galleries (besides the Lenbachaus) can be viewed for 1 Euro.
4. Englischer Garten
Mother Nature’s art is often beyond compare, although art is in the eye of the beholder.
Walking through the Englischer Garten takes one back to an era long-ago, and transports the strollers, joggers, dog-walkers, and bicycler’s into the era of Jane Austen’s time. Imagine you are walking in the late 1800s in these natural gardens, which stretch along the Isar river on the east side of Munich. You can view large swans gliding like white apparitions in the evening darkness if you find the pond. Don’t expect to cover all of it in one go, however — like Central Park in New York, this city garden is really a large expanse of nature inside a concrete jungle.

Capturing the sunset on a bridge over the Isar
The Isar at sunset

5. Nymphenburger Schloss – “Castle of the Nymphs”

It’s hard to visit Germany and not visit an old palace.
This one looks like it comes straight out of a fairy tale, with a glittering ballroom inside the main palace that you can view when you tour the rooms, leading to galleries of the famous 30 beauties of Bavarian ruler Max Emanuel (his consorts). The main pavilion was completed in 1675 and the palace, itself, has been a favorite amongst Bavarian rulers for centuries. It is now a museum, and the immaculate gardens and acres of forest are open to visitors as well.
Add caption
Nymphenburger Palace
Nymphenburger Palace
Nymphenburger Palace
Inside the Nymphenburger Palace
A panorama view
Another view


6. Museum Brandhorst
It’s worth it to visit the Brandhorst museum if you want a glimpse into the hearts and minds of modern art and their creators. Although some of the collections will make you go, “huh?” the point is to expand you mind and appetite for creativity, so give it a go. I would recommend going on Sunday, however, when entrance is only 1 Euro, to avoid the feeling of buyer’s disappointment if you don’t like what you see. Modern art, is, quite often, intended to shock, after all.
A sign of the times.
Image of Cy Tombly’s paintings in Museum Brandhorst, from munchen.de
7. Staatsoper – Munich National Theatre
It is difficult to buy a ticket to the prized ballet performances at the Munich Staatsoper, so check a month in advance, to be safe. Performances take place in a round theatre with gilt rococo decorations all over the interior, and plush red seats. You can still grab a spot in the balconies for 7 Euros, if you can’t find a place to sit, but beware, the view is not as good because you are in the galleries. It is worth it, however, any way you can get in, because the dancers are excellent and the music is impeccable. Often, the ballets will be famous classics like “Swan Lake,” “Giselle,” or “Romeo and Juliet,” so if you go, you will be treated to a life-changing artistic experience. Dress up, because everyone else does, too.

At “Giselle”
View of the Munich National Theatre
Standing by Odeonsplatz
8. Pinakothek Moderne
If you love art, and want to consider yourself a snob, wander around the rooms of the Pinakothek Moderne (Museum of Modern Art). There, you will find large, blown up photographs from the 1970s of street-scenes in Canada, crumpled metal from scrapped cars stacked in strange sculptures, a display of old computers, chairs, a 1960s mod living room, and much more. The more traditional “paintings” are in there, as well, so if you feel flummoxed by the display of rectangular cabinets or the rug, or even perhaps the large “omelet” painting-display, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with lush colors of rich tones depicting dark-skinned women bathing or dancing, and plenty of long-haired maidens bathing naked.
What’s not to love about being a painter?

Painting in the Museum of Modern Art
9. Marienplatz
Just walking through Marienplatz will transport you to the “old world.” However, it is also one of the best places to go in Munich to see old architecture — look at the Old Town Hall and the New Town Hall — and the Fraunkirche is right around the corner, look for the two tall towers (this gave English bombers directions during World War II, which is why, unlike most of rebuilt Munich, this church was not destroyed by fire bombs).
Of the many places that do not accept credit cards, you can still buy food at Hans im Glueck, which is a popular burger chain in Munich that also serves vegetarian burgers.

Munich dress code in winter — long down coat, jeans, and boots. The more designer, the better.
Expensive fur coats and leather gloves were common Munich dress a few decades ago

10. Viktualien Markt

Food is an art form in and of itself, and if you are not shy, you can wander the many stalls of spices, fruits, nuts, vegetables, meats, and breads to find samples of these tasty offerings. Of course, you might be tempted to buy some of the food, so bring some cash with you. Although Munich is a global world city, “nubar” or “cash only” is still quite a popular way for vendors transactions.
Fruits at Viktualien Markt

Bonus places:

Angel of Peace — It’s a little park with stairs leading up to a painted stone building with a tall golden statue of an angel near Munchener Freiheit.

Next to the Angel of Peace, photo by Raphael Weiss
Enjoy Munich! Remember the Lenbachaus is not 1 Euro on Sundays, and dress up for the ballet!

Louisville, Kentucky (the Indiana side)

Louisville at night, stock photograph
On the Ohio River at sunset

There is that rocking feeling.

It persists for several hours after stepping off the boat, but perhaps that’s why sailors drink so much — if you’re already a bit tipsy, you don’t really notice the side-to-side motion as much.

A friend of mine from college bought an as-is pontoon boat he’s fixing, and invited me to spend some time on his boat. I drove down to Louisville and was overjoyed to spend the day on the gently-rocking waves, with a grand view of the bridges and the city-line of Louisville nestled behind it across the river. We kayaked down the river and back, ate some really over-priced calamari and steak with potatoes at a restaurant (Flat 12 Bierworks) up the street with a beautiful view of the river from its outside patio, and watched some fun movies — King Pin and Frida (Frida was my pick). The next day, I explored around the neighborhood and walked into a novelty party store, a novelty card-trading shop, a small sweetshop (truly the definition of a corner bakery), and recharged my phone at took a rest at Too Tired, small, hipster-esque coffee shop. Life on a boat really isn’t that bad.

It’s fun, that is, until you start to miss running water and the solid ground of being on land.

To be honest, I really didn’t mind the rocking feeling, or get sea-sick, being one who loves being by the coast and seeing the gentle break of the waves to the shore. I love mountains and coastlines equally, but the four seasons are truly my favorite.

That’s getting off-topic. The point is, being on a boat is really fun — I can imagine what owning a yacht must be like from this short experience — and I would do it again.

Maybe, next time, in the Mediterranean, scuba diving and skinny dipping by day, and dancing and enjoying festivity at night.

Walking along the bridge
View of the Ohio River at night

Los Angeles, California #2

Just a quick recap of a brief four day trip out to Los Angeles. I visited some cool spots!

While I did have the chance to go on an adventure to Long Beach to shoot on the Queen Mary with highly interesting photographer I’ve shot with before (Kevin Weinert, if you want to check out his work), I mostly explored around Venice Beach, watching tennis pros play paddle tennis at the courts there, and going on a Vesper ride around LA with a young MBA student from Paris who was my age. We went to the Hammer Museum and up and around in the Palisades.

I wore this Ralph Lauren dress to the wedding

The real reason I spent a few nights at the Riviera with my brother was because it was my cousin’s wedding. It was a magnificent wedding, overlooking the coiffed green grounds of the Riviera Golf Club nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, and I was happy to have the chance to see her looking so radiant on her special day.

 

A beautiful day for a beautiful wedding at the Riviera

New York City, New York

Welcome to Manhattan!

New York City is so big, there’s a lot to see and do here, and you’ll always have a different experience depending on season and what you do here.

I’ve been to NYC twice, and had different impressions both times.

The first was in 2011, for a few days, when I stayed downtown in someone’s apartment for a few nights off of Airbnb. It was a cool location near the United Nations headquarters and I spent my days wandering around the city, going in and out of shops, museums, and enjoying Central Park, and at night, discovering different pale ales in Irish pubs.

The second time, in 2016, I went in April for a short two night stay. In my free time, I walked around downtown in Times Square, visited the Met, spent time in Central Park, and browsed the wares in the shops. It was nippy outside when I went, so I didn’t really wander around so much this time around.

NYC is expensive, so I don’t really recommend going here unless you want to spend some money going around, as nearly everything requires a fee. However, it is worth visiting, even if only for a few short days.