Munich - Part 1

yeah, we are back from our holidays to europe!
this time round, hubbi and I decided on some cities in germany and amsterdam.
what's different for this europe trip from previous ones is we brought yz along!
its also the furthest we have brought him overseas.
apart from missing the younger boy badly during the trip, it was a blast.
the flight there was rather smooth and fast (though not the same can be said for the return one. @_@) and yz has been rather good and patient both on the flight/trains + all the museum/shopping trips.
and again, im very proud that my planning was a good one and most of the time the activities panned out just as planned. :P

ok, shall blog as much as possible with the memories still fresh in my mind.

if not, i never get to finish the posts like for our last south france/spain trip....

haha, arriving 8pm at frankfurt airport but was actually 2am in sg (6hrs difference).
a dazed yz despite catching some winks on board.

i deliberately chose a day flight contrary to what most would have wanted.

reason being though a night flight can save me time by reaching europe during day time but i can't imagine a dazed and cranky yz plus a giddy me suffering from lack of sleep (i can never sleep well/for long stretches on flight) starting our trip!

so for the first day, we checked into the nearest airport hotel for a good night sleep before starting the trip for good the next day.

and it turned out to be a good choice. though it didnt adjust yz's body clock immediately but it definitely helped to maintain our fatigue and sanity level..

waiting for free shuttle bus to airport early in the morning.

the last night was like a dream with us falling into deep sleep before 10pm and then me waking up at 4am (cos its 10am in sg.. lol). zzz

breakfast was done at a place familiar to all of us, esp. yz.

MAC! i love trying mac in other countries with their varied menus - we had scrambled eggs and a mcglory (?) burger - pretty similar to sausage mcmuffin just with different toast and lotsa vegetable.

on board the ICE train - bound to munich! 3 hours train ride and we were glad to buy yz an activity book from T3 airport which kept him occupied for most of the train rides we had during the trip

in munich in a jiffy - a slice of pizza - yum yum

apart from my own reluctance to take planes, i much preferred to take trains within europe though it may not be cheaper than domestic flights and definitely takes longer.
but, if you factor in the 30-45mins checking in, boarding time, waiting for luggage and the travelling time to/from airport, the time difference is actually not that big.
most importantly, i love the fact that main central station for most cities are located centrally in the city. so you get to "roll" into the heart of each city and surrounded by the "heartbeat" of it made up by all the buzz of people and activities there!
ok, that's just the romantic and old-school me talking.
in short, i really heart the train rides part. 

after checking in and freshening up abit, we were good to go!

on board the local tram to.....

tada! the alte pinakothe - in short museum (the bane for the boys - muhaha)

first, we needed to settle lunch and made the boys happy first so food!

it was a good thing that yz likes the sauerkraut (the sourish cabbage that is present with almost all dishes) so he did have his share of vegetable intake there.

the museum has its highlights and some classic pieces.

it was good that yz fell asleep for a good hour+ or so so i can roamed the rooms in peace with the husband trailing behind and sitting down at every opportunity. tsk tsk.

some of the pieces i really like:

the last judgement - by Hieronymus Bosch.

his style was definitely very different from the others gothic/renaissance artists and his paintings are always fascinating with their details though more often than not, they are kinda grosteque and unsettling.

such fantasy/futuristic style is really uncommon for those times.

i first known him through "the garden of earthly delights" in Prado, Madrid.

that is very very good.

albrecht durer! i especially love his self-portraits! this frontal one with his faraway gaze is fascinating.

seems to be seeing beyond us or above us.

the details of his hair and fur-trimmed robe were wonderfully drawn.

he always give me the idea that he's a vain one. with the superior air he drew himself, the fanciful signature he created (look at the AD!) and the luxurious wear.

but you have to admit, he's a good looking one at 28 for this painting. :)

this is really a masterpiece!

they have a rubens room! and i finally changed my opinion of him as the one who drew plump bodies for women. LOL.

they really housed some of the best rubens pieces here, in fact better than those i saw in prado.

a good baroque painter here as he managed to capture the "moment" in most of his paintings.

the last judgement on the left, though not fair to compare to that of michaelangelo's one in sistine chapel, may be as good in its own terms. the writhing bodies on different sides convey differrent emotions - the saved on the left and the damned on the right.

the rape of the sabine women on the right:

his composition  for his paintings is all great given the size of them.

and classic baroque - capturing a snapsnot of an action. *thumbs up*

some nice pieces from gustav klimt - when can i see the kiss for good. :(

onwards to modern arts museum - surprisingly more of his thing than mine.

i cannot appreciate things that i cant fathom! very frustrating!

only this piece from palermo managed to evoke something from me. and what is that i cannot tell.... @_@

after spending a "torturous" few hours with me, the boys deserved some fun time for themselves.

and since we are in the land of automobiles, where should we go?!

to BMW welt (showroom) of cos!

all the newest BMW models housed in this futuristic building!

left: on an old model of BMW bike

right: the happy boys not sure where to start in the building

yz having fun at the kids section

and of cos, we didnt order the new 320 much as the husband would like to do so. LOL.

but there were really locals who walked in, collected the cars and whizzed off in their new cars on the spot! cool!

all their metro stations have defibrillator and SOS direct line - a practical set-up

and then its dinner time! i've did some research before the trip noting down resturants which were recommended online!

so for dinner tonight, we are having at Ratskeller at the old market square at Munich.

an old-fashioned beer tarven styled place.

german beer!

i realised fanta+coke mix is a recurring item in the drinks menu and its really tasty and refreshing. :)

start of our meaty porky diet for the next 10days! @_@

the dishes were all delicious but after too much german food (which can be too savory in cases), i started to crave for plain wanton mee/fish soup..

ok, we will be heading to neuschwanstein the next day! - the castle that inspires disneyland sleeping beauty castle.

definitely a treat for yz who is into castles and knights recently.