Europe: Day 7, May 7, Munich, Germany& Innsbruck, Austria

We traveled to Munich today in the rain.  This is our first day of rain.  Other days have at times been overcast, but not rainy until today.  Along the way we visited Nymphenburg Palace.  It was a gift from an emperor to his wife who finally became pregnant after 12 years of effort.  That was her only job, to produce an heir. She finally succeeded.  And it was a male which was even better. She was rewarded with a palace.  

The bus ride was, as other days, through country that is immaculate.  Farms and fields are beautiful. Cities and villages, clean and litter free.  We are so impressed with the cleanliness and orderliness of everything.  Maybe that speaks to pride, maybe to government regulation.... don't know, but we only know it is impressive.

When we arrived in Munich, it was still raining.  We walked around the main square ("Marienplatz") for a little while and then gathered by the Glockenspiel in the center of the square. It was pretty fascinating to watch......wish it hadn't been raining. Here is a description of the Glockenspiel and it's purpose:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Rathaus-Glockenspiel of Munich is a tourist attraction in Marienplatz, the heart of Munich.[1]

Part of the second construction phase of the New Town Hall, it dates from 1908. Every day at 11 a.m. (as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer) it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century to the amusement of mass crowds of tourists and locals. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V (who also founded the world famous Hofbräuhaus) to Renata of Lorraine. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white). The Bavarian knight wins every time, of course.

This is then followed by the bottom half and second story: Schäfflertanz (the coopers' dance). According to myth, 1517 was a year of plague in Munich. The coopers are said to have danced through the streets to "bring fresh vitality to fearful dispositions." The coopers remained loyal to the duke, and their dance came to symbolize perseverance and loyalty to authority through difficult times. By tradition, the dance is performed in Munich every seven years. This was described in 1700 as "an age-old custom", but the current dance was defined only in 1871. The dance can be seen during Fasching (German Carnival): the next one is in 2019.

The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long depending on which tune it plays that day. At the very end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps quietly three times, marking the end of the spectacle.

From Munich we traveled to Innsbruck, Austria, in the mountains.  It is gorgeous. We are staying in the village of Fulpmes, outside of Innsbruck. The clouds cover the tops of the mountains and make for a very scenic view from our balcony. This is the nicest room we have stayed in so far, although none have been bad by any standard.  

  

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