Munich Walkabout

By the time we reached Munich late in the afternoon, we were tired and the sight of a bustling big city full of people was a bit of a shock after staying in peaceful Murren. But after we arrived at our hotel just steps away from the Viktualienmarkt (food market) and had our orientation tour with Tara and our group dinner and a good night's rest, we were refreshed and ready to explore Munich.

Kathleen, our city tour guide, explained that much of the old city was destroyed by English bombs during WWII and when the war was over the citizens had two choices: start over and build new modern buildings (like Frankfurt chose to do), or preserve the past by restoring what they could and building the new to look old. The Munchners voted to restore their city. In the process, they kept the original street layout, built underground railways, and blocked off streets to make the city pedestrian friendly. The facades of many buildings are very ornate (sort of a combination of Gothic and Baroque) and decorated with statues, and the church steeples still look medieval. I think preserving the city's history was a good decision. The result is a cosmopolitan city with an old world feel that tourists love to visit.

Standing in Marienplatz near the St. Mary monument gives a visitor a taste of all that is Munich. We had a panoramic view of the spires and domes of two huge Catholic churches and the cathedral. The old town hall and the block-wide Neo-Gothic new town hall with its famous glockenspiel are hard to miss. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn intersect underneath the platz. Contemporary stores fill the first and second floors of other buildings facing the platz and, of course, there are beer gardens and cafes scattered around on all four sides.

I think what I will remember most about Munich, though, (besides the beer) is that this is the place where I finally began to appreciate art. The last stop on our tour was the Alte Pinakothek, a large art gallery full of the Wittelsbachs' collection of European artists' paintings including works from Rembrandt, da Vinci, Raphael, Rubens and Durer.

I've seen paintings by these artists in other famous museums and galleries around the world, but frankly, I often just look at them, comment that they are pretty or unusual or whatever, and exit as soon as possible. Kathleen's intimate knowledge of the artists, their time periods, and their motivations was impressive. Her precise explanations about the techniques the painters used (i.e. symmetry and people arranged in pyramids) and the symbolism contained within the paintings opened my eyes and sparked an eagerness learn more. Here are several paintings that captured my interest.

The first is a collection of paintings depicting the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The vivid colors and ornate framing of these Dutch masterpieces tell a story as beautiful as they are.

 In Four Apostles, German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer, a friend of Martin Luther, painted Matthew, Peter, Paul and John as protestant saints - in plain clothes, and with real human features such as receding hairlines and wrinkles. These paintings are larger than life and dominate the room they are in.







Raphael's Madonna Tempi is an example of the Italian Renaissance "pyramid" style of painting. I collect Madonna (or Mary) trinkets so was especially attracted to this artwork. I love the tenderness she shows to her baby, Jesus, in her eyes, lips and expression, and the way her hands tenderly cradle and caress his body. Pressing his cheek on his mother's, his eyes convey contentment and safety.



For me, our hour in this amazing museum passed by too quickly. There were so many more rooms and paintings that we didn't get a chance to see. I never thought I'd think or say those words. Thank you, Kathleen (and Rick Steves). YOLO!!