Elections around the world...

Before you start wishing Sarah Palin would show up in a dirndl, thank all the gods we don't have to see Joe Biden or John McCain in leather shorts. *shudder*

To make matters worse, the wife of Bavarian governor Günther Beckstein, Marga Beckstein, refused to wear any kind of Dirndl to the opening day of this year's Oktoberfest, breaking a long-held tradition for Bavarian First Ladies.

Her move may be understandable given that she hails from the Bavarian city of Nuremberg where the women don't traditionally wear Dirndls. But it has proved so controversial in Munich circles that it is being referred to as "Dirndl Gate" and could cost her husband much-needed votes in the Bavarian regional election on September 28.

I didn't even like having to see the photos of Obama rising from the surf like a scrawny Venus. But please--someone dress him up in blaze orange. That's the best part of the whole election season, the Dem nominee pretending to be familiar with masculinity, and that they're part of a culture they despise.

(Which reminds me, I have find my orange hat and look up which state parks are having a deer harvest this year...I just don't want my big butt being mistaken for venison.)

Maybe I will relocate...

Global warming at work! Alert al-Gore!

Summer Snowstorm Kills 2 on Bavarian Mountaintop

My kind of climate. I took the cable car to the top, of course...

Do not feed the cows.

Bavaria Part VI: Landshut/Burg Trausnitz

After Schleißheim we went to Landshut, which is on the Isar like München and Freising. We parked a short distance from the Burg and walked through a wooded area with flowers. There was time to kill before the guided tour, so we had a Radler (beer and lemonade--better than it sounds, like a Leinie's Summer Shandy) in the courtyard and looked out over the river.

Burg Trausnitz (my pictures on Flickr) was founded in the 13th century and expanded/redecorated over the next several hundred years by various dukes. The interior was furnished with stucco, fresco, inlaid and carved wood, Majolica stoves, and--exciting!--early 17th century tapestries commissioned by a duke to commemorate some of his military/diplomatic achievements, some of which never actually happened. (Does anyone read this stuff?) And the chapel was gorgeous. But don't take my word for it--take the virtual tour. Note the donkey.

This was quite interesting, because it was a real residence, used by real knights and dukes over time.

On the way back to Freising, Roland bought me the best ice cream bar I have ever tasted in my entire life (I'm not sure I told him why the name cracked me up, heh).

In the evening, we went to the Therme in Erding. I was initially skeptical, because hanging out in a bathing suit is not my idea of a good time, but it was very relaxing. Full of teenagers, but they were easily ignored in the warm water. Lovely warm mineral water. We soaked for hours.

Pictures!! (NOT of the Therme. No one wants to see that, least of all me :)

Bavaria Part V: Neues Schloss Schleißheim

Wednesday after a traditional Bavarian breakfast (Ei, Käse, Brotchen, Kaffee, Orangensaft, Schinken, Nutella) in a cafe next to the abandoned tractor factory in Freising, we went to Schleißheim and rattled around the new palace of Maximillian II Emanuel, who planned on being a ruler of Bavaria in the 18th century but failed. The palace has been mostly restored and houses a lot of paintings from the era. I wasn't able to get pictures of the tapestries or the bedroom furnishings--light degrades textiles--so I went nuts on the paint and plasterwork (photos at Flickr, of course). There's a virtual tour on the official website that shows the paintings and furnishings, including original textiles.

Note to self: learn more about history.

Bavaria Part IV: München Dienstag

Tuesday was foggy and damp, and we got a late start. Indian food for lunch in Freising, then we drove to the U-bahn station near Allianz Arena and took the U-bahn to the Alte Pinakothek.

There are three Pinakotheks, housing art from different periods, and since I can see art after 1800 quite readily in the Midwest I picked the Alte Pinakothek, 14th through 18th centuries. I'm not sure we even got to the 18th century before my brain gave out. Hundreds and hundreds of 14th and 15th century paintings, a room full of Rubens (including one canvas 6m high), saints and flowers, and a whole bunch of naked baby Jesuses. Germans painted skinny baby Jesuses and Italians painted fat ones. Huh.

Gorgeous, all of it. Roland later remarked that he has ruined the MAM for me forever, which was probably his diabolical plan.

Anyway, it was a nasty day and I only took two decent pictures.


Stairs, Alte Pinakothek.


Wieviel ist das Bier in die Fenster? The one with the hop-pity goodness?

Note they are selling MGD for twice what good beer goes for. Windell would be most displeased.

Part III: Salzburg

(Note to self: learn some European history.)

Images of Salzburg include doors, the Dom, Mozart's birth house, and the Salzbach river. Also note the Pieta, which is an empty bronze shroud and caused some controversy when installed.

Food was excellent. Sunday night for dinner I had Wienerschnitzel mit Preiselbeeren, which was translated as "cranberries" but were smaller, softer, and sweeter than the Wisconsin variety. Zipfer beer. Also a Mozart ball, which is a truffle with pistachio and marzipan.

Monday's lunch was a "farmer's salad" of greens, bacon, sheep cheese, and vegetables.



I have the photographs taken at the fortress (Festung) overlooking Salzburg in a separate set.

Bavaria Part II: Freising Domkirche

Photos here.

In the center of the old part of Freising is a church built in the 12th century and redecorated in the 18th century. The pictures don't really do justice to how beautiful the inside is. The nave is surrounded by a cloister containing graveplates of local clerics (I think that's the word) and more beautiful frescoes.

We were also briefly let into the library, which was full of hand-written manuscripts. I boggled.

Underneath the nave was a crypt containing relics from bishops who lived and worked there in years with three digits. They're still venerated with fresh flowers.

The other thing that fascinated me was that the structure of the building was familiar. The (Lutheran, obviously) Chapel of the Resurrection at Valpo, built in the 1950s, also had a worship area with the crucified Christ under the main altar of the ressurected Christ. And they both had "hidden" side worship areas. I used to know the theological background of this layout... Anyway, in the age of big-box churches that seem to make it up as they go along--and worship in buildings that look like banks--I find the tradition reassuring.

Bavaria Part I: Walking tour of Freising

I took too many pictures to upload all at once, so I will upload them in small groups. Today we have the walking tour of Freising. There are descriptions for most photos.

After picking me up at the airport last Sunday, Roland took me for a pizza in Attaching. It was excellent--thin crust, ham, mushrooms--and so was the Spezi. I wish I had taken more pictures of the food throughout the week.

Afterwards, we walked around Freising, Roland's hometown. I stopped about every six feet to take pictures.