Rachel and Jeremy -- Tegernsee and Innsbruck

Mark has brought you all a recounting, thus far, of the time we spent with Rachel and Jeremy during their visit to Munich. He has had lots of fun doing this and I have slowly gotten into the swing of it by helping with the editing and making some additions of my own. I have relied mostly on email to keep in touch and I had planned to send an email with all the details of our fourth day with the kids. However, I soon realized that this would not be an expedient way of sending all the photos I wished to include. Thus, it is time for me to try my hand at blogging. Mark will add some details, as well.

Vacationing, for young adults, means sleeping late whenever possible. This worked just fine for the first couple of days. Allowing the kids to sleep in gave them plenty of time to recover from the rigors of airline travel. But today, Thursday, was our day to rent a car and show them a little of the countryside. Once breakfast was made, we woke the kids and headed out of town. 

Rachel and Jeremy were very excited to drive on the Autobahn. As you may know, this is the name for the highway system, not, as I once thought, a single road. I remember having this picture in my mind growing up of a single, very straight road with every car rocketing along at a very high rate of speed. I used to wonder how cars coming onto the highway would be able to merge quickly enough with the other cars already on the road.

Our first destination was Tegernsee which had been recommended by our landlord, Ares, as being a nice destination for an afternoon drive. A 45-minute drive south out of Munich brought us to this lovely lake, or see, nestled in the foothills of the Alps. The beer, especially the Tegernsee Spezial, is said to be especially fine and is brewed right there at the Herzoglich Bayerisches Brauhaus. The weather was warm for the first time in a couple of weeks and the tables were full of people soaking up the sun and, of course, drinking beer and eating the local Bavarian food. This means sausages, schweinbraten (roast pork), weiner schnitzel, sauteed potatoes or a tart potato salad, maybe a salad, pretzels, etc. We ordered our food and beer, thinking we had ordered four of the Spezials, but the waitress misunderstood us and brought two helles (lagers) and two Spezials. The Spezial was, indeed, the better brew, so Mark and Rachel ordered a second beer so as to savor the real thing. Jeremy lamented the thought of returning home after this experience because he can't drink beer in the U.S. and, even if he could, the beer wouldn't taste as good. Now, how would he know that, I wonder. 

If you want to see any of these pictures in a bigger format, just click on them individually.




















After lunch, we took some time to walk by the lake. As you will see from the next pictures, mountains surround the lake, making it very picturesque. While it is not in the    high Alps, it is still a charming location and very much sought after as a resort community, being so close to Munich. In the next picture, you can see one of the mountains covered in snow. There are, indeed ski slopes up there. But on this day, Rachel's 20/20 vision spotted a number of para-gliders flying around. The wind was just right and when we looked closely, we realized there were quite a few of them taking advantage of this beautiful day. Click on the first photo, zoom in on the peak, and you will see them, too.

Jeremy captured these close-up pictures of a para-glider as we drove out of town.

From Tegernsee, we headed south through a pass in the Alps that leads into the major valley where Innsbruck, Austria is located. Coming over the pass, we stopped at a cute little restaurant with a large terrace that allowed for a great view of the valley floor below. Jeremy was in need of the facilities, so I went inside to purchase something. The owner was onto us. I offered to buy a coffee since this was a cafe, not a convenience store. He looked at me and noted that there were four of us. Four people and only one coffee? Obviously not. He did not get our business since we wanted to continue driving, but we did manage a few good pictures. Jeremy just had to wait.

Upon arriving in Innsbruck, we thought we may have made a mistake coming here as it looked a little run down, but we persevered and followed our instincts into the Altstadt, Old Town. I say "followed our instincts" because when we left Munich that morning we hadn't entirely planned our day. Tegernsee, we knew for sure, but after that, it was up to our whim.


The streets of the Altstadt were narrow, cobblestoned pedestrian ways and very inviting -- many shops selling local wares, antiques much less expensive than in Munich, and gelato. Everywhere there is gelato.

After wandering through these twisty, narrow streets for a bit, we came across a beautiful wide open plaza with restaurants and shops all around. We decided to find a spot in the sun and get ourselves a drink. We lucked out. The spot we picked had a friendly waiter who could speak English and who vacations in the U.S. every year. His next trip will include New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas. He was very nice, and made up for the grumpy old guy we met up on the hill. Mark took a few photos of the plaza, including the last one of a couple who looked very European.

This town goes back a long way; the Romans were here in the fourth century. Its name means bridge over the Inn, the Inn being the river that flows through the town. And that was where the surprise lay. Walking up one of the wider pedestrian streets, we noticed that the vista seemed to open up ahead of us and, sure enough, there was the river Inn with the Alps on the other side. What a beautiful sight coming out of the confinement of the Altstadt. You could smell and feel the brisk, clean air coming down from the mountains and up from the river, as if the river itself was churning up the purity of the mountains. A very invigorating feeling. 

From here, we went back into the Altstadt to do a little sightseeing and antique shopping. Jeremy scored a bayonet from WWI that was originally mounted on the end of a rifle. He was very happy with this. We urged him not to bring this to school, but as he went directly form the airport to Salem State, I doubt he heeded our advice. We'll have to follow up on that one.


The Austrians, like the Bavarians, are serious about their religion. There is usually more than one Catholic church in every town you enter. Since it is Lent, people are preparing for Easter. We came across this shop devoted entirely to Easter eggs. Mark commented on the 

Both of these cultures are also serious about their beer and their beer steins. As we continued our wanderings, we came across this window display that Mark just had to capture.

We were now in a very old section of town where the streets were more like footpaths. As we rounded a corner, the street opened up once more, and Mark noticed a balcony that looked familiar. It is called the Golden Roof; Mark had read about it in Wikipedia. It is a major landmark in Innsbruck. Emperor Maximilian I had the balcony erected and covered with copper so that he could watch the tournaments unfolding on the square below. 

This Maximilian was a Hapsburg from Austria, not a Bavarian Wittelsbach. He reigned from 1493 to 1519, whereas Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, ruled most notably during the Thirty Years' War, 1618 - 1648. Maximilian I of Austria was also Holy Roman Emperor during his reign, a title he inherited from his father. (Our heads swim a bit with all these Maximilians et al flying around, but we are slowly piecing together the history of the region.)


Our sightseeing was done for the day. We headed back to the car and Rachel asked to drive home. This meant driving on the Autobahn. With just a tad bit of apprehension, we agreed. (There had been a significant interval of time since we'd had our beer at Tegernsee.) Rachel drove the entire way back to Munich and did a tremendous job. While everyone does drive fast, the average speed is probably 85mph or so. The rules of the road require that you stay in the travelling lane unless passing. Of course the really fast cars are always passing. People are very good about switching back into the travel lane. And so, they have become very good at switching lanes. It's a good skill to have. 

Back in Munich, I had to remind Rachel to yield to pedestrians when they have a walk light. This is a hard and fast rule in the city. If the pedestrian has a walk light, the cars simply wait for them. They don't seem to be impatient at all. Likewise, when the pedestrians have a red light, they wait patiently for it to turn green before they walk across the street. You wait your turn; it's that simple. Mark and I have talked repeatedly about this. There seems to be a spirit of cooperation at work here. When everyone follows the rules, trust is built up over time.  If I know that cars never run a red light, I am confident about walking on the green light. Mothers don't have to warn their children to look first. There is no fear that people will behave irresponsibly; they just don't. This simple act of following the rules has led to a culture of trust. It's almost as if this trust has made people more caring. It could be that they are no more caring than any other group of people, but I am not being totally honest here. I really do think this makes for a more cooperative society. 

This last photo is here just because the car is so damn cute. It was parked across the street one morning and the two women you see also had fun checking it out.


Bye for now. Please let us know if you are enjoying our postings. 

Das Circus Krone with an Amazing Wall Trampoline Show

During our time here in Munich we often ask people what are some of the better sites and places to visit. Several times we have people tell us you must go to the Circus as it is the largest in Europe and one of the better circus performances around.

So on Wednesday we finally decided that this would be a fun event to attend at night with Jeremy and Rachel. I had a circus brochure, all in German of course, and tried to call for tickets first thing Wednesday morning but the person at the box office only spoke Deutsch so that was not very successful. We then decided that since the circus was located down town, only a few blocks from the Hauptbahnhof that Deb and Rachel would swing by and pick up some tickets during the day time. We were unsure if this was really necessary, but better safe than sorry. Well it turns out the circus was only about half full on this Wednesday night so we could have easily just walked up and bought the tickets.

So after a busy day of shopping (for Deb and Rachel) and a visit to the BMW museum and the Olympic Park (for Jeremy and I) we headed out to the circus. Deb dug out her trusty Tram map and we decided the best route was to jump on the #19 tram at Wiener Platz. I have come to really like the Tram, which is the above ground version of the subway here in Munich. The underground and high speed subway is referred to here as the U-Bahn, while the aboveground trolleys are referred to as the Tram. While the ride is generally slower with more twists and turns, as it runs in the middle of the road, I find it more relaxing and more enjoyable to sit and watch the scenery go by.

Munich has an incredible public transportation system that allows you to get to within a block or so of almost anywhere in the city. As in other European countries owning a car in Germany not for everyone. There is a very high cost to getting your license, insurance is high, the cars generally cost about 30% more than in the US (even for the same models), and in Munich the parking is a nightmare. For this reason, you find that the State and the city have created an extensive public transportation system that is comprised of high speed InterCity Express (ICE) trains known as the S-Bahn, the underground subway system know as the U-Bahn, the Tram system, and then finally an extensive network of buses. At each stop, be it a major S-Bahn or U-Bahn subway stop, or even a local neighborhood Tram stop, there is a small digital LED display sign that shows the next few arrivals at your stop. The data is live and real-time, and they always seem to arrive just on time. The MVG (the local Munich transportation agency - Munchner Verkehrsgesellschaft) even has an iPhone app that shows the nearest public transportation stops and when the next trains, etc will arrive. Works cool and I use it all the time.

The Munich circus is just like any other circus you might attend. It started with a young girl who did a balancing act with 3 large balls, followed by a pair of gymnasts who did a number of unusual stances and poses. The funny part of this act was the fact that the woman was the strong man and the man was the one who was twirled and held and bounced around by her.

Next was your typical elephant act, followed by trained horses and a fairly small and odd lion display.

Later in the show there was a really good juggler who did some amazing acts of balance and juggling. He was able to place saucers and cups on his foot and flip these up and land them on his head. Here is a photo of him after he was able to land 4 cups and saucers in a row. While this was unique, the most remarkable part of his show was when he was smoking a cigar with a pool cue on his foot. He flipped the pool cue up into the air and landed the narrow end of the cue on his cigar in his mouth. The crowd went wild and you really had to marvel at this talent. 

He was then followed by a clown act of two guys throwing stuff at each other that had the crowd in hysterics. These clowns wandered around through the crowd in between acts to keep the tempo up and keep the crowd busy while they swapped out acts.

This was then followed by a high wire act that was really quite good. At one point the music changed and the two hire wire guys did not connect and one person fell to the net. The crowd gasped, but Jeremy said it was all staged for on the next attempt they nailed the catch. Staged or not, as you look at this person in flight you have to admire their courage and their ability to make this look so effortless.

So while this last act was memorable and inspiring, we saw two more acts that really impressed me. These were so good I in fact had to switch my camera from still pictures to video to capture the full essence of the event. The first act was a young man with a large hoop. At first you had to wonder just how good this might be. Here is a guy with an oversized hoola hoop, so tell me how good can this be. Well watch the video and you decide.

So this was really fun to watch, and while it might be difficult to see on the video he was totally winded each time he stepped out of the hoop. I found this exhibit and his performance really entertaining.

After this though it even got better. At this point the clowns came back out to entertain the crowd and I sat there wondering what might be next. The clowns were traipsing through the crowd, launching these massive beach balls and doing all sorts of moves and gyration to capture your attention. As we waited for the next act to be setup, I truly had no idea what might be next. They setup a trampoline, so that much seemed clear, but as they then setup what looked like a building next to it I was completely confused.

Well I was not disappointed, for the next act was like nothing I had seen before and was the most entertaining act of the entire show. No wonder they left this for last. So take a look and let me know what you think of this amazing wall trampoline act.

BMW World and an Odd Group of Chinese Following Us

The next day was Wednesday and by this point both Rachel and Jeremy were over their time zone lag, so we planned on packing two trips into one day. Even though they were over their jet lag, the two of them still wanted to sleep all day if allowed, so Deb and I first headed into town to do some shopping for our bedroom. In addition to doing many other things differently, the people in Munich also use blankets differently that we do.

First of all they use two instead of one blanket for a king size bed. Each person has their own blanket which is sort of odd but seems to have benefits of its own. They also do not use sheets as we do in that there is no cover sheet as we use in the US. This took some time to get used to, and some time for us to decide if we wanted 2 blankets. Finally we decided upon one blanket and purchased it, only to find out it was not large enough for our bed.


So on Wednesday morning we headed down to the local department store to exchange it for the larger version. We were lucky in that the sales person was very nice and friendly AND we were actually able to find the larger size as these larger blankets are not common here in Munich. As we left we waited at the nearby Tram stop. Here is a photo from the Tram stop near the department store. I just loved this building with its ornate architecture and the strange and wonderful characters on the rooftop. I think you could do a picture book or a blog just about the figures, and gargoyles, and dragons, and other fantastic images you see on the buildings and fountains here in Munich.

So we arrived back at the flat around 11 and rousted the two of them out of bed for a quick breakfast and a busy day. During the early part of the day, Rachel and Deborah went down into the City to shop and buy the tickets for the Circus, while Jeremy and I headed up north to the BMW museum.


The BMW world headquarters are in Munich, just to the north of the city center and directly adjacent to the Olympic Park, so Jeremy and I left the flat, jumped on the U-Bahn and headed north to the BMW center. There are three major parts to the BMW complex. First there is the BMW world headquarters building which is in the center of the photo and is designed to look like a four- cylinder engine. The second major building is the BMW museum, which is the glass fronted building you see at the bottom of the four-cylinder engine, while  finally, the last complex is from where I took the photo. This last building is know as BMW World and is a center for displaying their new cars and, if you like, for coming and picking up your new car. If you happen to buy a new BMW you wait in a large room and the car rises up via an elevator that lifts it up through the floor. I know someone who did this and he was completely blown away by the experience.

Now on to the museum, which is a real treasure trove filled with the BMW history. The company started out manufacturing airplane engines and there are many of these on display, including one of the first jet engines manufactured in 1944 by BMW. You can see the engine below, and if you look closely there is a picture of the WW II plane in the background. Within one part of the museum there is a historical summary of BMW in WW II and it noted that at the end of the war, fully one half of the BMW work force was comprised on concentration camp laborers.

Around the turn of the century, the company branched out and began to manufacture motorcycles. The museum is unique in that you start on the top floor (the fourth) and wind your way slowly down to the bottom floor. As you travel downwards there is a four-story glass wall that displays about 50 or so BMW motorcycles that span their entire history. Some of these are such classic designs and well known to most of us. Here is a picture of one of the early 1930 classics that BMW manufactured. The sleek nature and stylish design, even by today’s standards, speaks volumes for their attention to detail.

One of the other bikes well known to all of us is the James Bond motorcycle from a recent Bond movie. Jeremy took this photo as we neared the bottom floor.

But even with the first jet engine, and their world class motorcycles, BMW is clearly best known for their automobiles. The cars range from the first BMWs built just after the turn of the century, to some of their super modern concept cars just recently built and released. Below are a few photos that span this range and include the fist BMW built, this small red  truck with a 12 hp engine, to the precursor of the BMW 3-Series, first built in the 1930’s to a crazy concept car just recently designed whose body shape changes based upon what the car is doing. If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were looking at a transformer.

There were also many unique exhibits here, including this four-story tall display that had all of the BMW emblems and badges hanging in three dimensional space. At first, you just looked at it and said sure, whatever, but as you saw it over and over and as you descended through the museum it grew on you. You had this feeling of rain, of these emblems falling and cascading downwards and yet, try as you might, just as with a rainy day, you couldn't see all the way through the fog to focus on them all.

On the bottom floor was a broad array of cars including two James Bond cars (in the back row) and several other earlier classic cars. The white BMW in the middle row on the right, is considered perhaps one of BMW’s most classic designs. The Italian company Lamborghini helped with the design and only 250 of these were ever built. These are apparently some of the most highly sought collector cars in the world. What a shame that only 250 were built as this car was indeed a design classic.

A few other truly notable cars were the original BMW 2002, the 2008 version of the BWM M-1, and what I think might be the craziest car of all, the 1955 BMW Lsetta, pictured in photos 3 and 4 below.

After World War II, the bulk of the BMW manufacturing plants were taken over by the Americans and used for manufacturing basic consumer goods. It was not until the 1950’s that the company once again began to manufacture automobiles. Considering that the country was still deep in the throes of recovering from the total devastation of the war, BMW decided to manufacture this cheap, small, crazy car, the Lsetta. To everyone’s surprise, this car caught on and became a huge seller and a big hit for BMW. Note that the car has one door, in the front, and has the rear wheels closer together than the front wheels. While it looks quite small, the car in fact was very roomy. I so fell in love with this crazy little machine that I bought a tiny replica in the gift shop.

We then went across the street to BMW World, as we still had some time left before having to meet Rachel and Deb. Well, I could not believe my eyes but sure enough they had a Lsetta on the floor and you could actually sit in it. All I had to do was fill out an informational marketing postcard about myself. The last question on the form asked what type of car(s) you owned, and I looked up and smiled at the pretty attendant and told her I was sorry to say but that I had to list that I owned 3 Mercedes. She just smiled. I then got my chance to sit in this crazy little machine.

So what of this odd group of Chinese fellows? Well, as Jeremy and I entered the museum there were also four Chinese fellows entering at the same time. Certainly nothing unusual there. As we proceeded around the museum it seemed we ran into them at every turn. Jeremy and I would duck into one or two of the side exhibits (like the jet engines and the history of BMW) and each time we returned to the main flow they seemed to be right there.


You can actually see them in the 2 photos taken on the bottom floor, looking at the large group of cars just as Jeremy and I were. At one point, I actually thought one of them was going to open the door and sit down in the white Lamborghini inspired car.


After the tour we ducked into the gift shop so I could buy my miniature Lsetta and while we had planned to leave, instead we headed into the lounge to get a drink. I ordered a Coke, and Jeremy something else, and as we were sitting there, sure enough, these four guys showed up again. They asked about the price of a Coke, but it seemed it was too expensive (3 euros), so they left. We headed out after a bit and went over to the BMW World to see all the new cars and to get my chance to sit in the Lsetta.


We still had some time to spend, so we crossed the highway and went for a walk in the Olympic Park. Our intent had been to get to the large hill in the park (this is the highest spot in Munich and is actually where they piled up all the rubble from WW II), but we took a wrong turn and the lake in the center of the park thwarted us from getting there. But wouldn't you know it, as we turned to head out, there were our Chinese fellows streaming along behind us. I made a joke to Jeremy at this point that they seemed to be following us everywhere we went.


We finally headed back to the flat to grab a quick bite to eat and then head out to the Circus that night. We left the flat sometime around 7PM and jumped onto the number 19 Tram headed into town. Jeremy was in front of me and quickly gave me an odd look, suggesting that I turn around. When I did, oh my god, the four Chinese guys were seated in the back of the Tram. This was too crazy to believe, and I kept turning and checking, now really wondering if indeed they were following us. Finally, on my last look back they were no longer there. A really strange set of circumstances to see them again and again, in this city of 1.5 million people, at several widely dispersed locations. To be honest, I fully expected to see them at the Circus, but luckily it was to dark to tell.

A Visit to the Residenz Museum Day 2 with R and J

On our second day together in Munich, we decided to head back into the city center to visit the Residenz Museum. This museum was once the central inner city palace for the Wittelsbach family. It is the largest city palace in Germany, and contains over 130 rooms and ten separate courtyards. A couple of pictures of the façade are included below (from Wikipedia).

Next you can see a picture of Jeremy and me, Mark, standing in Odeonsplatz with the Residenz museum in the background. You can also see one of the famous entrances to the palace behind us to the right, with the tall, elegant archway and two royal lions guarding each side of the entrance. It is a Munich tradition to rub the noses of the lions for good luck. A true Munchener will never walk by without performing this ritual. Rachel snapped a good photo showing just how polished their noses are from all the touching.

The Residenz palace is massive; you could spend days just wandering through the various rooms and courtyards. Perhaps one of the most famous rooms in the palace is referred to as the Antiquarium, which is a massive dining hall, arched and sculpted with literally hundreds of Greek and roman busts placed throughout the room. Additionally, the vaults and ceilings are painted with famous historical scenes and images of other major towns and cities in Bavaria. The royal family would eat on a raised dais at one end of the room, while their guests would dine on the lower level below.

As you wander through the museum, the collections and treasures just overwhelm you. While the building itself is truly spectacular, there are collections of porcelain, jewels, coins, and relics that just leave you speechless. We spent quite some time viewing the pottery and porcelain collections. The early European rulers, including the Wittelsbach family, were fascinated by Chinese porcelain, and voraciously collected these items.

It is estimated that the collection at the Residenz museum, combined with the collection at the nearby Nymphenburg Palace, may comprise the single best porcelain collection in the world. In the early 1600’s, when the china trade started to bring porcelain to Europe, the European royal families would  send orders to China to have special pieces made just for them. Thus you see many early pieces with the Bavarian blue and white checkerboard coat of arms.  It is rumored that somehow the Europeans, who lusted after this product so dearly, were finally able to steal the recipe from the Chinese and begin porcelain production in Germany sometime around 1710. Many of the early manufacturers still exist today, and there are both Nyphemburg and Meissen porcelain stores in the heart of Munich, just two blocks from the present Residenz Museum.

After the porcelain collection, you come to a room referred to as Scharzer Saal (Black Hall) due to the four portals of imitation black marble that frame the doorways. However, once you enter the room, your eye is drawn up to the ceiling and the magnificent painting that makes the ceiling look vaulted when, in fact, it is really flat. An earlier name for this room was, fittingly, Perspektiv Saal. When Deborah first came here during her very first visit to Munich, she was truly entranced. As you walk from one side of the room to the other, the ceiling itself seems to move! We do not know how this effect was achieved, but it is spectacular. The ceiling was originally done in 1602 (thank God for Wikipedia), but was destroyed during WWII and later reproduced. No camera can accurately capture the effect; you'll have to come see it for yourself, but I have included a photo taken by Rachel. Another shot, which I like of Jeremy and Rachel, with Jeremy looking very mature and professional, also gives you a hint of the effect. You will notice that Jeremy is wearing a suit jacket! He forgot his own jacket at home and had to borrow one of mine.

The Residenz palace includes large wings devoted to the living quarters for the various family members. The rooms were set up such that you entered at one end of the wing, and depending upon your status and importance, were allowed to move through the rooms and, if important enough, actually get to see the King or the Queen (or the Elector and his consort). This picture sort of gives you a sense for how the wings go on and on.

The collections in the Residenz are almost endless. Two rooms exhibit collections of silver used at various times during the reign of the Wittelsbachs. Below is one of the rooms with the silver serving pieces protected inside plexiglass.

Toward the end of the tour, you come to one of the most amazing Roccoco rooms in all of Germany. This is referred to as the Hall of the Ancestors, and includes paintings of the Wittelsbach family going all the way back to the 1100’s. There are perhaps a hundred or so paintings of the family, all arranged in this garish, glittering, and over-the-top setting.

We also came across two fabulous statues towards the end of the tour, one of Perseus with the Head of Medusa, and the other of Poseidon. Both of these were at one time fountains and existed outside in two of the courtyards at the Residenz. The statue of Perseus is truly powerful with his muscles rippling and his determination evident after cutting off the head of Medusa. As you stand there, you can almost feel the power and the tension in the setting. Rachel took these really nice pictures of this bronze work. When it was in the courtyard as a fountain, the water dripped (or gushed, shall we say)out of Medusa’s head and from her neck as he stands on her.

The second bronze, of Poseidon, is also remarkable in its detail and beauty, but as Rachel said, and captured in her photos below, there is definitely a sadness that seems to emanate from him.

But for all these wondrous riches that the Wittelsbach family possessed, the most important thing in their lives was the Church. Throughout the Residenz are a number of chapels that the family used for their services. The photo below shows one of the private chapels where the family and their guests attended Mass. The family would sit on the altar, while their guests would sit behind them on the lower level.

There also was another chapel, used only by Duke Maximillian I and his wife for private prayer and worship. This was a richly decorated, small room that also held the family's relics. The photos below try to convey the detail and rich symbology in the room. The walls are done in an art style know as Scagliola where tiny pieces of clay are colored and then inlayed to build up a larger picture. The scenes on the walls show Mary and Joseph on their travels to Jerusalem and were inspired by Albrecht Durer's woodcuts of this subject. It has taken Deborah and I a couple of visits to piece together some of this history of the art and architecture. 

But of all the riches they possessed, none of them rivaled the power and reverence that their religious relics signified. During historical times, the Catholic Church would grant to certain wealthy and powerful families the privilege to own religious relics. This privilege was given to Duke Wilhelm V in 1577. His son, Maximillian I, expanded the collection of relics and kept them in the Reiche Kappele (completed in 1607), the chapel you see in the above photos. The relics include the bones of a saint, or the clothing or even something that they owned or touched. Praying in their presence was believed to facilitate a direct, Divine connection with God. Reliquaries are the containers that house the relics. Since the relics themselves were considered "more valuable than precious stones and more esteemed than gold," it was considered only appropriate that they be enshrined in vessels crafted of or covered by gold, silver, ivory, gems, and enamel. These precious objects constituted a major form of artistic production across Europe and Byzantium throughout the Middle Ages. 

Now, however, the Reliquary Room contains the relics owned by the museum. Entering this room for the first time, you are at first uncertain as to the contents and the significance of the items. But, as you look and read about these items you are captured by the history and the potential significance of what you are looking at. The authenticity of these items is always of concern, but nonetheless, you must respect and accept that these items held a powerful sway on the people who collected them and the culture that supported them. To give you a sense of their importance, up until 1969 a relic was placed under the altar stone of every Catholic Church.

Below is a picture of a relic and the elaborate enclosure in which it was placed. If you look closely at the third photo, you can see that it is a skull with a pearl necklace surrounding it. This is said to be a piece of the skull cap of John the Baptist. Perhaps most arresting of all was the central display in the room which supposedly contains the mummified remains of the first born sons killed by Herod. This is the first two photos you see below.

After a long day of touring, we signed the visitors log book and were ready to head back to the flat. As you can see, we lamented Mike's presence on our journey, but he and Christy are scheduled to arrive on Easter Sunday.