Christmas in the Bavarian Alps

After four lovely days of sightseeing in and around Munich, we met our London children and grandchildren. The boys favorite thing is to go to the Bayern Munich sports store as they are big fans. They also cheered for the USA team in the World Cup, but were very excited that their favorite team, Germany, won it all!

Our interesting tour guide in native dress!

They wanted to show us their view of Munich as they visit often when seeing family in Germany. Of course, there were castles and churches on the list. We had actually taken a day trip on the train to see Neuschwanstein Castle which was commissioned as the private refuge for Ludwig II of Bavaria, but opened to the public immediately after his death in 1886.


Neuschwanstein Castle from the observation bridge

Now recognizable as the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle, Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular castles in Europe. The fairytale charm of Neuschwanstein Castle is also felt from the idyllic scenery of the Bavarian Alps. During the winter, some of the best views of the snow-capped mountains can be seen from the palace grounds.

The artwork in the castle was inspired by the operas of Richard Wagner, to whom the king dedicated the canstle, and the corresponding medieval legends from his works. Apparently, Wagner did not appreciate the lavish expenditures and never set foot in the place.

The throne room is magnificently decorated with frescos of angels, ironically the king died before the actual throne was built. Despite the medieval motif of the decor, the castle was actually outfitted with latest technology of the time with running water and central heating.


We had an interesting tour with a history professor who poked a lot of holes in the stories told about Ludwig and this castle in particular. He was insistent on giving on the FACTS! He was both entertaining and somewhat annoying, but made for an interesting day.

Max & Alex at the Medieval Christmas Market 

Katie and the boys took us to the Nymphenurg Palace that was a short walk from where we were staying. The boys enjoyed running in the garden to work off some of their energy and excitement. We did not go into the Palace since they had been there before and were more interested in getting to the Christmas Market and Bayern Munich store. We will visit again the next time we are in Munich.

Nymphenburg Palace, i. e., "Castle of the Nymph", is a Baroque palace in Munich, Bavaria, southern Germany. The palace is the main summer residence of the former rulers of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach. The palace, together with its park, is now one of the most famous sights of Munich. The baroque facades comprise an overall width of about 700 meters. Some rooms still show their original  baroque decoration while others were later redesigned in rococo or neoclassical style.

After a two hour train trip from München Hauptbahnhof, we arrived in Oberstdorf in the Bavarian Alps where the kids frequently vacation in summer and winter. The train is a great way to travel with the only challenge being all of the luggage. We have been traveling with four large duffels without wheels (ugh!) and they had ski clothes and Christmas presents in four large roller bags. It was quite humorous to watch us shuttle all the bags off the train, onto the platform, then on to the connecting train, then off again and through the ski village to our chalet! Where is a SkyCap when you need one?

Look who we found walking down the street!

One of the loveliest sights was their Christmas tree. It was small, but fresh with real candles! It made the living room glow. It was fun to be with the boys with the excitement of Santa arriving as we haven't had Christmas with them for several years. The entertained us with the songs they had learned for their Christmas pageant. Alex is quite the ham!

While they skied in Germany and Austria, we enjoyed the village and lunches out. And, of course, the Mulled Wine, called "Glühwein" in German, as it is a traditional and tasty Christmas drink in Germany and the prefect treat for cold winter days. We were enjoying the various German sausages, drinks and hot chocolate! I don't think we could handle it everyday without gaining a lot of weight!

Christmas Eve we attended the local parish church for a beautiful service in German. While we didn't understand the homily at all, Mass is Mass around the world. The church was all aglow with candles and the singing was beautiful. Following the service, the musicians gathered outside and continued to play Christmas carols under a clear crisp starlit night. It was postcard perfect!

Christmas Day it began to snow and snow and snow. About 18" fell within 16 hours and made the village fairy-like. It was time to head off to the sledding hill followed by hot chocolate and lunch. Then we headed back to pack up and catch the late train to Munich airport! Then on to the USA.

 

So Much to See in Munich

St. Peterskirche was beautiful

We spent five days exploring Munich. There were Christkindlmarkts everywhere. Each little neighborhood seemed to have its own and somewhat unique version. The merchandise was similar everywhere and none of it came home with me. Just a couple of ornaments for the grandchildren.

St. Peter's Church

One of the things we love to do is to visit the old churches. Munich has a number of famous ones and so we set off to find them. While I don't know much about them as all of the literature was in German, we did capture some of the architecture in photos which I share here.

St. Peter's

First we visited St. Peters Church (St. Peterskirche) in the City Center area. Located on the southern side of the Marienplatz, St. Peters Church boasts an eye-catching Gothic-style exterior, with definite Baroque influences inside. With more than 300 steps, the climb to the top is well worth the effort, affording spectacular views of the Munich cityscape. We did not make the climb!
 

St. Peter's

We enjoyed our stop at Frauenkirche, also known as the Cathedral of Our Dear Lady. This is the iconic church in Munich with the two domed towers. It is known for its legendary devil's footprint. The two towers (north tower 98.57 m, south tower 0.12 m less) were completed in 1488 and the church was consecrated in 1494. However, for yet another lack of money, the originally planned tall open-work spires so typical for the Gothic style could not be built and the towers had to stay uncovered until 1525.

The cathedral can hold approximately 20,000 people, and Catholic Mass is held regularly. The interior of the cathedral, which is among the largest hall churches in southern Germany, consists of the nave and two side aisles of equal height (31 metres (102 ft)). The arches were designed by Heinrich von Straubing.

Constructing a church with a capacity of 20,000 is surprising when one considers that the city only had about 13,000 inhabitants at end of the 15th Century. The interior does not overwhelm despite its size because the double-row of 22 metres (72 ft) high columns helps enclose the space. From the main portal the view seems to be only the rows of columns with no windows and translucent "walls" between the vaults through which the light seems to shine. The spatial effect of the church is connected with a legend about a footprint in a square tile at the entrance to the nave, the so-called "devil's footstep".This is a black mark resembling a footprint, which according to legend was where the devil stood when he curiously regarded and ridiculed the 'windowless' church that Halsbach had built. (In baroque times the high altar would obscure the one window at the very end of the church visitors can spot now when standing in the entrance hall.)
 
In another version of the legend, the devil made a deal with the builder to finance construction of the church on the condition that it contain no windows. The clever builder, however, tricked the devil by positioning columns so that the windows were not visible from the spot where the devil stood in the foyer. When the devil discovered that he had been tricked, he could not enter the already consecrated church. The devil could only stand in the foyer and stomp his foot furiously, which left the dark footprint that remains visible in the church's entrance today.

St. Johann Nepomuk

Legend also says the devil then rushed outside and manifested its evil spirit in the wind that furiously rages around the church. Another version of that part of the legend has it the devil came to see the construction place riding on the wind. Having completely lost his temper he stormed away forgetting the wind, that will continue to blow around the church until the day the devil comes back to reclaim it.

Another stop on our church tour: St. Johann Nepomuk, better known as the Asam Church (German: Asamkirche) is a church in Munich, southern Germany, built from 1733 to 1746 by the brothers Egid Quirin Asam and Cosmas Damian Asam as their private church. Due to resistance of the citizens, the brothers were forced to make the church accessible to the public. The church is considered to be one of the most important buildings of the main representatives of the southern German Late Baroque. This church is very narrow and very dark. You almost miss the entrance as it is tucked in between two buildings.

Off to Munich for Christmas

One of the many interesting stalls.

After 10 days in Istanbul, we flew to Munich, Germany via Paris. We had four days on our own to explore the city before Katie's family joined us. It is a wonderful time in Munich as it is

Good that I am not collecting things as there is so much!

 

Beautiful Munich at Christmas

Weihnachtsmarkt time! The city is very festive and has wonderful aromas coming from the various sausage, candy, nuts and baked goods vendors. It is a wonderful time of year to visit Munich.

The Christmas Markets are colorful and lively with people in good spirits. The smells of fresh pastries, sausages, hot wine and roasted nuts is overwhelming! And very tasty, too.

More sweets everywhere.

The Munich Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) - the “Original” - is the oldest Christmas market in the city. The origins of the Christmas Market are reported to date back to the so-called “Nicholaus Markets” of the 14th century. Town records first mention a “Nikolaidult” that took place near the Beautiful Tower in Kaufingerstrasse in 1642.

Traditional cookies

Munich’s medieval Christmas market isn’t just a theme chosen at random to distinguish itself from the 20 or so other markets in Munich. There is a historical precedent– Christmas markets in Munich date all the way back to Medieval times. A St. Nicholas fair was actually mentioned in writings as early as 1410.
 

Some people collect the various Gluewein mugs from

the various German Christmas Markets.

Dolls, Santas, Angels everywhere

The Medieval Christmas market (in German, known as the Mittelaltermarkt Munchen) was designed to reflect those early markets, to show what a market may have actually been like in the middle ages– complete with period dress, drink and crafts. While some modern items are mixed in, surprisingly the market manages to retain a feeling of authenticity.

A view of the Marienplatz

We spotted St. Nicholas in the crowd.

Mulled wine is the most popular holiday drink at German Christmas Markets. And I love it! It’s red wine served warm with a dash of cinnamon, cloves, orange and sugar added.  Social events revolve around Glühwein during the holiday season.  Friends bundle up and catch up over a mug of Glühwein at one of the many Glühwein stalls. It warms you through and through. Actually,Glühwein became my favorite refreshment in Germany - especially in the cold. 

There were Christmas Markets in many areas of Munich

Lunch on the spit!

Time for a Trip Around the World

Counters full of nuts and dried fruits.

Even though we have been sailing around the world for 16 months, we have only reached New Zealand. Yachts need to leave the tropical islands of the South Pacific between December and May due to the cyclone season. In the northern hemisphere, we call it hurricane season and there we need to be north or south of certain latitudes between June and October to be relatively safe from hurricanes. So we have sailed S/V Trillium to New Zealand where she will get some rest and refitting before going back up to the tropics in May.

Pounds and pounds of candies and other sweets are
everywhere you turn. I don't have a sweet tooth so it
was too much for me to appreciate!

We are doing what we call the "double loop" as we are flying around the world in the middle of our sail around the world. We want to see our children and grandchildren - and meet one who arrived six months ago! So we are taking a two month break from living on the boat to living in hotels. I must say that I was very excited with the big bathtub in the first hotel in Sydney as I haven't soaked in a tub in months! It is something I love to do to ease my back muscles.

Windows full of wonderful foods.

Our double loop began by flying from Auckland to Sydney where we spent one night near the quay and enjoyed the area. We will be back there for the hurricane season next winter. Then we started our 30 hours of flying PLUS layover time! We flew from Sydney to Guangzhou, China where we changed planes. I was a little unsure of flying China Southern, but found it to be a great flight with excellent service. From there we flew to Paris and then to Istanbul. They are an Air France partner.

And more sweets!

We decided to have a real vacation: nice hotel, great restaurants, sight seeing and relaxing! Since neither of us had been to Istanbul before, it seemed like a great place to explore. And it was! We loved the archeological sites and the historical buildings. It is a great walking city and our sea legs got quite a workout on the concrete and pavers! More time in the hot tub!

Loved the natural sponges hanging.

Pipes and ceramics were everywhere.

I could not believe the number of shops selling nuts, spices, pastries, Turkish Delight and other candies. Everywhere you turn there is a shop and someone trying to get you to buy from them. I don't know how they make any money due to the competition and the fact that they are all selling the same things. And I also wonder what happens to the unsold items at the end of the day. And I am not even talking about what is in the Spice  Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar!

The special Turkish cheese was very good.



It is a visual to behold!

Those two places were amazing but also caused sensory overload! After a while, it was dizzying to look at all of the things for sale. Who in the world consumes all of it? I also wondered how much of it is designer knock-off created in China. I wouldn't buy anything that might be since it will probably be confiscated at U.S. Customs when you return home.




Tiles in the Blue Mosque are stunning.

Beautiful designs and still vibrant.

I was also overwhelmed by the beauty of the ancient tile work is the mosques. The colors are still so vivid even after all of the years they have been standing there! While the Hagia Sofia and the  Blue Mosque are amazing structures that have stood the test of time, I find it disconcerting to think of all of that opulence for pure pleasure. And I think of the architectural feat of building such structures, but at the expense of human lives.

Preserved in the Hagia Sophia

It is quite amazing to think that so long ago people moved huge columns of marble and stone and build domes high in the air without cranes and billion dollar price tags. And the amount of gold leaf used in these buildings is mind boggling! It is wonderful that they are so well preserved that we can view them in today's world.

The Hagia Sophia is now a museum

We are enjoying this fabulous city. Here we are in
front of the Hagia Sophia once a church and a mosque.