Munich - Day 2

On Saturday we headed into the center of Munich.  We decided to take the train in because it is easier than trying to find parking especially when Oktoberfest is in town.

This was Kaitlyn's first train ride ever also!!  All smiles as we are heading into Munich!!!

It is also Gabby's first time on a train. We all enjoyed the scenery as we headed into downtown Munich!

The first look at the Glockenspiel - the famous clock in Munich!  We had great timing because it only chimes at 11 a.m. and noon and we got there at 11.

 It chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century.  There are 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures.  The top half tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wihelm V.  In honor of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria and Lothringen.  Of course the Bavarian knight wins every time!  The second story  is Schafflertanz (the coopers' dance).  According to myth, 1517 was a year of the plague in Munich.  The coopers are said to have danced through the streets to "bring fresh vitality to fearful dispositions."  By tradition, the dance is performed in Munich every seven years.

It is so beautiful especially with the blue sky behind it and the clouds!!!  We couldn't have asked for better weather to do some sightseeing!

Mom and Dad in front of the famous clock and Julie, Kaitlyn, myself and Al in front of the clock with thousands of our closest friends!!!

Kaitlyn and Gabby with one of the street performers.  They thought he (she) was pretty cool!

Next we headed to the famous and first Hofbrauhaus.

Mom, Dad and Al enjoying their first Oktoberfest beer in Munich!!!  All smiles!!!!

Al really enjoyed the dunkel there!!!  He was excited to be in the original one and not the one in Vegas!

Father and son - so great to have everybody together!!!

Al and I with some yummy, yummy food!!!!  I do love German food!!!

Julie and Kaitlyn also enjoying some good food!!!

Selfie in the Haufbrau Haus!!!

Al and Julie with the Hofbrau haus horses!

Al and Dad in front of their wagon!

I love their decorations - hanging pretzels!!!  How I do love pretzels!

This is the Max-Joseph-Platz square with the Bayerische Staatsoper Opera House.  It has been in existence since 1653.  

This monument Max-Joseph Denkmal was created as a memorial for King Maximilian Joseph by Christian Daniel Rauch.  He was installed as Bavaria's king in 1806 by Napoleon.  Because Napoleon was desperate to establish his family as a royal, Max Jospeh was crowned on one condition: that his daughter marry Napoleon's stepson.  It was only revealed in 1835 since the king had rejected to be immortalized in a sitting position.

Next we headed into Munich Residenz.  It served as the seat of government and residence of the Bavarian dukes, electors and kings from 1508 10 1918.  What began in 1385 as a castle at the north-eastern corner of the town was transformed over the centuries into a magnificent palace.  It is a 90-room residence, including three private chapels and several still-in use banquet halls.

The family listening to the history of the residence.  It was actually very interesting, if not a little overwhelming at times.

This room was cool.  It was the first time that a person tried to paint in 3D.

If you stand in the middle of the room you can see the 3D, but only the middle of the room.  He wanted to make the room seem bigger and it does from the middle of the room.

In the 18th century, the royal family bolstered their status with an in-house porcelain works.

There was so much beautiful furniture with intricate carving in there.

The doorways in this building was amazing!!  They were HUGE!!

Thankfully they had benches throughout the residence because it was so huge and lots of good information!

This whole wall is made from Bavarian freshwater shells.  This artificial grotto was an exercise in man controlling nature - a celebration of humanism.  This was built in the 1550s.

I found it amazing to look at all these shells.  Like the rest of the palace, the grotto was destroyed by Allied bombs.  After World War II, Germans had no money to contribute to the reconstructions - but they could gather shells.  ALl the shells here were donated by small-town Bavarians, as the grotto was rebuilt according to Nazi photos.

This is the antiquarium.  This was, and still is, a festival banquet hall.  Two hundred dignitaries can dine here, surrounded by allegories of the goodness of just rule on the ceiling.

In the mid-16th century, Europe's royal families collected and displayed busts of emperors - implying a connection between themselves and the ancient Roman rulers.

Julie and my dad listening to the history while being next to one of the large fire places in the room.

These small paintings are all around the room and survived the bombs because they were painted in arches.  These paintings show 120 Bavarian villages as they looked in 1550.  Even today, when a Bavarian historian wants a record of how his village once looked, he comes here.

They also had some amazing paintings throughout the building!!!  I just think how long it would take to paint these.

Kaitlyn was thoroughly enjoying listening to all the history and seeing the old antiques.

There were also tons of tapestries throughout.  Again, the time that it took and the artistry involved, amazing!!!!

One of my favorite rooms - the music room!!!

I LOVE the details of the legs on this table.  They took such care on detail.

Check out all the marble on these doorways and how big they are!

This is one of the fire places in a ballroom.  Kaitlyn is standing next to it so you can see how HUGE it is!

This was a clock, they LOVED clocks.  I couldn't count how many that they had.

They had a HUGE Treasury in the residence as well.  It is said that this is a mummy of a child from when Jesus lived.

This is said to have the skull of John the Baptist in it.  

It is also said that this has a thorn from the crown of thorns on Jesus.

This is one of the chapels that was re-built after the bombs of WWII.

This was the second room full of relics.  We couldn't get close to these.  They used to be only for the royals to see and then they made it for the public.

This is the room of mirrors.  It was neat how they had all different sizes and shapes in there to make the room just come alive.

When we were heading back towards the car we came into contact with some protesters wanting to let the refugees into Germany.

As we were heading back to the car, we walked closer to the Glockenspiel and saw some of the great detail on the building!

The blue sky behind the Virgin Mary statue with the Glockenspiel behind it - gorgeous!!!   Then we headed back on the train to our apartment.

And of course, even without my boys, we had to have our ice cream!!!  It was yummy and a great way to end the day!!!!  Also we were very excited because David and the boys were coming to Munich this evening!