Junie's monologues of travel adventures & daily humdrums
In ten mins time i will leave for bangkok. I have a lil spare time so i decide to visit blogger and drop an entry. My left eye is red again. It was clear for two days and now its back the moment i put my lens on. Am worried that i will be offloaded from the plane =( slapping on more red lipstick to counter the red hue on my left eye. i will go still to the airport . we'll see maybe im not meant to make it to bangkok =~(
If you think your job a tedious chore, it really becomes one. But if you imagine it as a good thing no matter how sucky it is, it can be good too.. I wanna think that and be REALLy convinced. Good psyche is necessity for me; like good vitamin for fortifying the will. =) So Im a world traveller! A world traveller spinning great traveller tales on colorful journeys. hey dont burst my bubble i wanna be deluded ;p For all you cuties dropping by at my site occasionally, have i been a good host blogger? Do i entertain you enough for u to come back for a seconds?
Thanks for puttin up with my rambling nonsense. i am such a whinner sometimes i know =) For all you 'listening ears' out there thanks for being my therapists for far. Its a little early in my journey to be saying the thank-you speech I know. But nevertheless we never know when its all gonna end. So at this point in time when im grateful, i must say it .
I know i promised some pics from moscow and Oman. So here they are. No long-winded granny stories just some pictures & narration for your imaginative mind to story-tell.
Camping in oman by the sea. We rented a four wheel drive drove to an empty deserted spot by the sea, made a campfire, set up a nice tent and camped our guts out.
This is us.
We visited the wadi after not showering for a day and soaked & relieved ourselves ( * pun intended) in the incredibly beautiful but algae-filled slippery waters of the rock pool ( wadi)
Here are some nice sights we saw on our trip. by the way 'arabian nights' seems like a really apt song to have blastin in your ears on certain occasions i realized. Occasions such as these.
Ceramic crafted pots at a souk is nizwa. (Traditional market). an arabian door with interesting rust and paint patterns.
picturesque sights like these makes a real holiday! arabian windows on a desert house. Boats parked by by the sea on sand banks.
The mascot of magic carpet ride greets you with salam alekom! Camel we saw in the desert along the way. We fondled, caressed and tickled the adorable animal. And we had lunch together. No we didnt feed it , are you crazy?! We ate our sandwiches he ate his desert grass.
By the way, the animal in the banner of magic carpet ride is him =) He says he loves all you magic carpet ride readers and he hopes you will come back to see him whenever you can! ; )
Thanks for puttin up with my rambling nonsense. i am such a whinner sometimes i know =) For all you 'listening ears' out there thanks for being my therapists for far. Its a little early in my journey to be saying the thank-you speech I know. But nevertheless we never know when its all gonna end. So at this point in time when im grateful, i must say it .
I know i promised some pics from moscow and Oman. So here they are. No long-winded granny stories just some pictures & narration for your imaginative mind to story-tell.
Camping in oman by the sea. We rented a four wheel drive drove to an empty deserted spot by the sea, made a campfire, set up a nice tent and camped our guts out.
This is us.
We visited the wadi after not showering for a day and soaked & relieved ourselves ( * pun intended) in the incredibly beautiful but algae-filled slippery waters of the rock pool ( wadi)
Here are some nice sights we saw on our trip. by the way 'arabian nights' seems like a really apt song to have blastin in your ears on certain occasions i realized. Occasions such as these.
Ceramic crafted pots at a souk is nizwa. (Traditional market). an arabian door with interesting rust and paint patterns.
picturesque sights like these makes a real holiday! arabian windows on a desert house. Boats parked by by the sea on sand banks.
The mascot of magic carpet ride greets you with salam alekom! Camel we saw in the desert along the way. We fondled, caressed and tickled the adorable animal. And we had lunch together. No we didnt feed it , are you crazy?! We ate our sandwiches he ate his desert grass.By the way, the animal in the banner of magic carpet ride is him =) He says he loves all you magic carpet ride readers and he hopes you will come back to see him whenever you can! ; )
How do u tell if u've got an eye infection? I think i most likely have one. Both eyes are blood shot and disgusting green goo is oozing out of 'em at an alarming rate.Am i turning blind? They are tearing too and i feel a little pain.=~( You see i just did an overnight flight with no layover and started wearing my lens at 11 pm last night and now i just got back at 5pm. Not good. i feel almost embarassed talking to pple with my eyes like that.Tried to wipe the goo off constantly but they kept coming back.Im a green gooey eye monster. Exterminate me in mid air please.
Some girl was trying to explain to me the pressurized cabin thing how it has dry air. What?! i dont even hear what she was telling me. feeling sleepy now but trying to keep awake so i'll be able to sleep a little later. Gosh its times like this that i think im battering my body. Did i mention shrivelled skin on the hands and body? Dry cabin air; Everyone knows theres one culprit to blame for all ailments on board. Pressurized dry cabin air. duh. Let me revel in my self pity. oh woe is me. 3 days off starting now. Eye is happy.
Today i will write something about everything. Something about my trip oman. And also something about my moscow trip. And also. There's just too much to write. This is my problem. I have sets of pictures to be posted but everything is outdated. I dont post em' up fast enough; Before i get a chance to post a set another set comes in. So today i will write a super long post one that combines a little bit of everything.
Yesterday i cooked Sinegang. Sinegang is a philipinno soup famous for its very sour and very yummy taste. Its a lil bit like tom yum and a lil bit like kyum chay soup. i got the soup base in a pack and asked the philipinno lady at the super market which veg i should buy to make it. So she picked Green chili, white radish, kang kong and tomato. I had some lemon grass at home already and also bought some prawns . It turned out totally yummy the only thing i lack is rice. well u see im not so much a rice person so most of my carbs are from noodles, bread and pasta. But the sinegang yesterday would have gone down so much better with hot steamy soft pure white palatable rice. mmmm... i digress. But I do miss good rice. Need to get a rice cooker on my next regular pilgramage to carrefour.
Woke up this morning from a nightmare, dreamt about tigers. In that dream i was in an unsafe territory, like a map in counterstrike, with houses and alleys littered all over a savanna grassland landscape. wandered into a dark square lited dimly by the moonlight. was warned about wild tigers roaming in the premise but neither one of us in the group paid attention to the warning and we carried on with our activities. it was then that i felt a sharp pain in my arm. a really sharp pain. In the midst of panic and screams, i tried to run but the tiger's teeth sank deep into my flesh, treatening to crush my bones with its tight grip. somehow i managed to escape just when i thought i was going to die. Arm was ripped into shreds though, then the pain was non existent and so was the arm.
Next scene. i went into hiding in an abandoned room in one of the little houses. I immediately sprang into action. Told the two other persons to close the door bolt it, and close the windows. the windows has a complex frame to close it u have to clamp it down with a sophisticated mechanical lock. But its so complex that the windows wouldnt close properly unless it is properly clamped. My hands were shivering in fear so i could only do the minimal and when we were three quarters done when someone called to me from the other side of the window, it was a little kid. after recovering from the initial shock of that unexpected call i decided to bring the kid in from the other end then closing the windows behind. The kid says, 'they are here now'. we bolted the last windows, switched off the lights and hid under the window frame away from sight. the cats came, pushed at the filmsy window frame i had my other hand holding it down so that it wouldnt give way. Then i woke up in cold sweat. Still sleepy , i remembered that i had to go to bed at 5 pm today cuz i had to wake at eleven tonight for an overnight flight , i had to get up.
on second thoughts i will write about oman & moscow tomorrow tomorrow.
Yesterday i cooked Sinegang. Sinegang is a philipinno soup famous for its very sour and very yummy taste. Its a lil bit like tom yum and a lil bit like kyum chay soup. i got the soup base in a pack and asked the philipinno lady at the super market which veg i should buy to make it. So she picked Green chili, white radish, kang kong and tomato. I had some lemon grass at home already and also bought some prawns . It turned out totally yummy the only thing i lack is rice. well u see im not so much a rice person so most of my carbs are from noodles, bread and pasta. But the sinegang yesterday would have gone down so much better with hot steamy soft pure white palatable rice. mmmm... i digress. But I do miss good rice. Need to get a rice cooker on my next regular pilgramage to carrefour.
Woke up this morning from a nightmare, dreamt about tigers. In that dream i was in an unsafe territory, like a map in counterstrike, with houses and alleys littered all over a savanna grassland landscape. wandered into a dark square lited dimly by the moonlight. was warned about wild tigers roaming in the premise but neither one of us in the group paid attention to the warning and we carried on with our activities. it was then that i felt a sharp pain in my arm. a really sharp pain. In the midst of panic and screams, i tried to run but the tiger's teeth sank deep into my flesh, treatening to crush my bones with its tight grip. somehow i managed to escape just when i thought i was going to die. Arm was ripped into shreds though, then the pain was non existent and so was the arm.
Next scene. i went into hiding in an abandoned room in one of the little houses. I immediately sprang into action. Told the two other persons to close the door bolt it, and close the windows. the windows has a complex frame to close it u have to clamp it down with a sophisticated mechanical lock. But its so complex that the windows wouldnt close properly unless it is properly clamped. My hands were shivering in fear so i could only do the minimal and when we were three quarters done when someone called to me from the other side of the window, it was a little kid. after recovering from the initial shock of that unexpected call i decided to bring the kid in from the other end then closing the windows behind. The kid says, 'they are here now'. we bolted the last windows, switched off the lights and hid under the window frame away from sight. the cats came, pushed at the filmsy window frame i had my other hand holding it down so that it wouldnt give way. Then i woke up in cold sweat. Still sleepy , i remembered that i had to go to bed at 5 pm today cuz i had to wake at eleven tonight for an overnight flight , i had to get up.
on second thoughts i will write about oman & moscow tomorrow tomorrow.
Song of the moment; a hundred years by five for fighting. It was blastin' in my ears as i went solo walking in london, brought a smile to my face, lifted my spirit and i felt better than ever! there's never a wish better than this! ;..When you only got 100 years to live Half time goes by Suddenly you’re wise Another blink of an eye 67 is gone The sun is getting high We're moving on... I'm 99 for a moment Dying for just another moment And I'm just dreaming Counting the ways to where you are..
ah.. life!when u think about it we really do only have a hundred years to live. Maximus maximum! =) check this song out mah fwens.
So. London , t'was 9th to 11th March. Where should i begin. It was a nice flight i had, both going to and coming back. Hotel was nice but it was too far from central london. Was cold & rainy in london, but as we left the hotel we took only a thin jacket ( which i will really regret terribly later ) Thankfully we borrowed an umbrella from the hotel concierge. We thought smugly that we will be able to get through the cold with just that. Hah pride.
So. London , t'was 9th to 11th March. Where should i begin. It was a nice flight i had, both going to and coming back. Hotel was nice but it was too far from central london. Was cold & rainy in london, but as we left the hotel we took only a thin jacket ( which i will really regret terribly later ) Thankfully we borrowed an umbrella from the hotel concierge. We thought smugly that we will be able to get through the cold with just that. Hah pride.
Oh yea folks, i got a companion this time! She's Irene, a fellow singaporean friend from my training batch who happened to swapped to the same flight. We took a train from gatwick for abt 45 mins to central london then took the subway to my first stop-westminister.
Irene didnt feel well the moment we got off the train so she decided to go back to the hotel. She only got to take a couple of pictures with the london eye, the big ben & the westminister abbey and she had to go back. What a pity, she spent all the money on her train ticket! ( it was a signicant 14 pounds plus 10 pounds for the subway) Poor girl!
Irene didnt feel well the moment we got off the train so she decided to go back to the hotel. She only got to take a couple of pictures with the london eye, the big ben & the westminister abbey and she had to go back. What a pity, she spent all the money on her train ticket! ( it was a signicant 14 pounds plus 10 pounds for the subway) Poor girl!That was us on the train in the picture all excited to explore the city.
Looks like im fated to go walking solo again . hahhah fate. Couldn't complain, i got my lovely ipod companion so im all set!
Looks like im fated to go walking solo again . hahhah fate. Couldn't complain, i got my lovely ipod companion so im all set!
London is a nice city with a good subway system, i've got a day ticket so i could go exploring the different stops. The only thing bothering me was the lack of time. As usual.=/ took some great pictures though and i really had a nice time walking.
In this picture u see the Big ben and a little of London eye (a mega ferris wheel) which prides itself as the tallest observational wheel in the world. The Big Ben is one of London's better known landmarks. It is the clock tower of the parliamentary house of london, there's even cells withthin the tower to imprison PMs who breached parliamentary priviledge!
Next in our interest, the westminister abbey.
Went to westminister abbey but to my dismay, the place was close, it was in westminister that the kings and queens were crowned. It has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066 and for numerous other royal occasions. It starting pouring from the grey london sky, wetting my camera and forcing us to seek refuge in a shelter. Shivering from the wind chill, the picture of the westminister abbey turned out blah. ack. I wont show it. Bother! London i'll be back.
Next in our interest, the westminister abbey.
Went to westminister abbey but to my dismay, the place was close, it was in westminister that the kings and queens were crowned. It has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066 and for numerous other royal occasions. It starting pouring from the grey london sky, wetting my camera and forcing us to seek refuge in a shelter. Shivering from the wind chill, the picture of the westminister abbey turned out blah. ack. I wont show it. Bother! London i'll be back.
We made our way to the station and i set off solo for the tower of london. Was examining the subway map and the confusing maze of platforms and tunnels.
this time it was a nice british man who approached me and ask if i needed help. He was making his way home from work. Pple are nice to me! He asked me if im from the far east. Never heard that expression before. Am i from the far east? how far in the east is singapore? Guess if u do look at the map it is rather far east to britain. So yes im a far-eastern girl. sounds exotic. kinda like it.
He led me through the amazing maze of the london subway to the platform i needed to go and he alighted some stops before. We had a nice chat on the train. It was really nice to meet warm helpful friendly pple when u're travelling, makes the journey so much better! Next stop tower of london & tower hill.
Tower Hill ( pic on the left) has been the seat of brit gov & living quarters of monarchs & site of reknown political intrigue. It has a gruelling history of housing and executing traitors , framed members of the court, lords, ministers and clergymen and knights. Again, to my dismay the place is close because i got there too late. Darn. Well might as well, it saved me my pounds.
London is a place we fly to pretty often so hopefully i will go back sometime.
Apparently, the tower of london is the richest historical site of london. Picture on the left, an executioner fashioned like how it really was in the past, bloody axe, hands and masked in morbid black. On the right, traitors gate which the traitors had to pass through to get into the castle.
Top left: My nice walk on the cobbled street with view of the tower bridge on my rightthis time it was a nice british man who approached me and ask if i needed help. He was making his way home from work. Pple are nice to me! He asked me if im from the far east. Never heard that expression before. Am i from the far east? how far in the east is singapore? Guess if u do look at the map it is rather far east to britain. So yes im a far-eastern girl. sounds exotic. kinda like it.
He led me through the amazing maze of the london subway to the platform i needed to go and he alighted some stops before. We had a nice chat on the train. It was really nice to meet warm helpful friendly pple when u're travelling, makes the journey so much better! Next stop tower of london & tower hill.
Tower Hill ( pic on the left) has been the seat of brit gov & living quarters of monarchs & site of reknown political intrigue. It has a gruelling history of housing and executing traitors , framed members of the court, lords, ministers and clergymen and knights. Again, to my dismay the place is close because i got there too late. Darn. Well might as well, it saved me my pounds.
London is a place we fly to pretty often so hopefully i will go back sometime.
Apparently, the tower of london is the richest historical site of london. Picture on the left, an executioner fashioned like how it really was in the past, bloody axe, hands and masked in morbid black. On the right, traitors gate which the traitors had to pass through to get into the castle.
Top right: London's Tower Bridge
umph.* chokes* I shan't bore you further.=p More pictures less words from here.
Top left: View Tower bridge from the cobbled walkway
Top right: On the bridge
Top: Me with umbrella, black baby ( my ipod! what r u thinkin!?!) and map. * picture courtesy of stranger
Top left: an emblem on tower bridge
Top right: tree against the sky
Top left: Time which all the attractions are closed ( when i got there .hmpf )
Top right: Smoke and the setting sun in the distance
Familiarity , routine & pattern can be liken to a black box. It is in this black box that you feel safe, that u feel covered. Imagine now that you are in this black box of routine and familiarity but u know from a little peep hole in the box that there's danger outside but there's more to it than the darkness you face everyday. Will you venture forth? It irks me to be caught in the darkness, it drains my life energy.I desire to light it. From ventures i gain knowledge and experience even if are risks. i wouldnt trade that up for anything. This venture, this search, this journey of knowledge. As i was looking out of the aircraft window from my jumpseat as we land in dubai tonight, i was just thinking about uncertainties and life. I get a little anxious before every flight, there's aways some probability that i will not make it to my next destination. And bad turbulences just reminds me of that everytime. But each time i touch down safely, i heave a sigh of relieve and thank the stars that im still alive and am happy just to be able to get back home to my bed and to my life. I grateful for the fact that im granted life to explore and learn. I want to shed light on my curiousities & sitting in the black box is just not enough for me. Even in the black box the risk of uncertainties will find u as well. so instead of letting it come to you, i'll rather get up and find it before it finds me. make sense? mmm, 4 am. lack sleep. just came back from london, will do my posts soon. tomorrow i will make a trip to oman. Folks, let some light into your darkness & to feel more alive! ( even if it means uncovering yourselves * wink * k-i-d-d-i-n-g aoight? )
Chronicals of Munich
Munich, or munchen, is the capital of Bavaria the largest state of south Germany. And it is here that my first magic carpet ride adventure took place. Munich was covered in a thick blanket of snow when i arrive. It was early morning when i got to my hotel so i turned in early after a hearty glass of german beer at the lobby. It was good cheap german beer. I was excited with anticipation about the exploring which i will do the next day, but from sheer tiredness from the flight i collasped almost instantly when i get to bed. I woke up to a beautiful munich morning and rushed to open the door to my balcony at the hotel. I was bowed over by the prestine white my eyes are taking in.snow was falling from the sky, it felt like time stood still. (yeap it frozed*).Taking it all in, i felt great peace & tranquility. Almost forgetting the cold, i struggled to capture the moment with my trusty camera. 
I dressed hastily, charged with delight at the sight i just saw, knowing i will see more of it when i will make the exploration in the city. The time at the hotel was 8 02 am, i made my way to the concierge , asked her which place i should go and was directed to Odeonplatz. bought a train day ticket and began my lone exploration & adventure. when i got out of the hotel onto the streets the snow was a few cm thick i had to walk about 500 metres to get to the train station. inspired and hyper, my ass was freezing away but my heart was warm ( * hahah couldnt resist this mush*)
I got onto the train at 8 50.got out of the train at Odeonplatz . it was like stepping out of the wardrobe into snowy narnia. Its out of this world. i found myself in a square with an ancient looking building in front of me, it was the Feldhernhalle (1844). I stood in awe of its massive archs and magnificiant statues. Snow was falling onto my camera wetting it making it difficult to operate in the snow. Nevertheless. I had to do it. For my avid carpet readers and my curious heart. I had to document it all.
In the midst of my enchantment i hear a gentle voice. " hello, can i help you? Are u lost? " came the voice.
She was a nice lady, mid 40s or so but very friendly and charming. I told her that im just sight seeing and walking ard and she told me that this is a nice place to walk ard , marienplatz she says, have nice old churches and buildings and it was right in front. I thanked her repeatedly grateful for her hospitality and welcoming warmth in the freezing snow and waved goodbye. Coming back to my preoccupation with the grand building in front of my eyes i walked towards it to get a closer view. I found out later on the internet,nazism was founded in munich. Adolf hitler started off as an orator here, in the 1930s there was great turmoil and unemployment in germany and adolf hitler tired gain control by a coup agains the bavarian government.Hitler made munich the headquarters of the nazi party and took control of the german national government in 1933.
The "spiritual" center of Nazism was no other than Feldherrnhalle on the Odeonsplatz. Here, at the side of this memorial to fallen German military leaders, the Nazi putsch of 9 November 1923 came to an end when Bavarian police fired on the marchers. many died .Many were killed at Feldherrnhalle, Hitler was incarcereted for a few months.
The Odeonsplatz in front of the Feldherrnhalle( the square i was on) served as a parade field for the SS, who often staged nighttime rallies here! New SS recruits took their oath of loyalty to Hitler during these formations. (National Archives, RG 242-HB) http://www.thirdreichruins.com/munich.htm Here's are some pictures i found on the internet of feldherrnhalle in the past.
Just amazing. I walked up the stairs of feldherrnhalle. The magnificient lion greeted my ascent. through the snowy downpour i could still feel the power of the square.
If u look at the archives picture in the middle u can make out part of the lion. This is aslan in the snow. i was in lala land. treading in delight, unaware of the intiruging historical past of the place.
I walked along, to marienplatz after recovering from my elation. On my right is the theatine church. Here are the sights i see along the way.
as i walked on i see more statues of lions. They were everywhere. Though not as magnificiant as the one at feldherrnhalle, they were cute ones. I busied myself with dusting the snow off each statue.They must think im mad. Fingers were suffering from frostbite but i persisted.( I can be stubborn sometimes) But i had to meet these lions buried under the snow blanket! Meet my wonderful new found friends, lions of munich!
Why the lions, u ask? Well believe u me, this was the question raging in my head then. Again thanks to the modern genie ( why, the internet of course) I have found out that the most likely explanation was that munich was founded by Henry the lion. The duke of Bavaria. i love em lions. Did i mention i love em lions?
As i walked further i see more old historical buildings .I came to the church of our lady or frauenkirche. Frauenkirche is a twin towered cathedral built from 1468 to 1488. There were nice legends abt the place.Check the legend out here. http://www.aviewoncities.com/munich/frauenkirche.htm
I stepped in but didnt take any pictures out of respect. didnt see the devils footprint though cuz i didnt do my research before hand =(
As i got out of the church my stomach starts complaning incessantly. At this point i was tired from the cold & the excitement was consuming all of my energry. Plowing my way through the snow i slowly made my way to C&A (btw. a well known chain store in europe) and shopped a little before i finally decided to rest at the restuarant on the top level. Ordered a beer a meat ball. Yup. It didnt look the least bit like one, but it was yummy alrite. I got a great seat with a good window view so my lunching experience was heel lekker, I studied the city map while i eat, stressed out. Theres only a couple of hours left for my exploration but i wanna do so much. i have a terrible sense of direction so i need some time to trace my way back to the station or to find some other station from which i can catch a train back to arabella park. flying carpet goes at a certain time so i gave myself till 4 30pm to walk ard, then i have to go i have to go. I finished my yummy lunch unhurriedly, figured i deserved a lil more rest regardless. I was on my way again at 2 30pm.
On the streets, as i stepped outside, pple were shouting and there was mini parades everywhere. Small informal gatherings of football fans were shouting cheers. Munich was playing against hamburg that day and many were making their way to the olympic stadium. The world cup is going to take place in germany a little later this year and already the football fervour is on in munich. As i walked futher i went to Rathaus, the new town hall in marienplatz. It was built in flemish gothic style between 1867 to 1909 by georg joseph hauberriser.
As i ventured into the building, i found a beautiful courtyward covered in snow. it was a solitary experience; admist the pin drop silence, the quiet sprinkles of white snow from the sky, i felt a quiet sense of calm. My heart smiled from the juxtaposted contrast of excitement and tranquility , both feelings came at the same moment, here in a secluded courtyard in the snow, cornered off from the rest of the world.
The last building i saw before i made my way back was the old town hall. The original Old Town Hall or Altes Rathaus was completely destroyed by fire in 1460. Between 1470 and 1480, the old town hall was rebuilt in Gothic style by Jörg von Halsbach (who was also responsible for the Frauenkirche). It was completely destroyed again during the second world war, but rebuilt afterwards. The last part, the tower, was completely rebuilt in 1972.
I found out later (damnit) that it now houses a toy museum, which traces the history of the toys from the early 19th century toys up to the current modern toys. Should have gone in! darn. next time. Im coming back! This ends my little personal tour of munich as time was running out on me. Where's the witch u ask? this is her. A cute adorable one at that. =p
Munich, or munchen, is the capital of Bavaria the largest state of south Germany. And it is here that my first magic carpet ride adventure took place. Munich was covered in a thick blanket of snow when i arrive. It was early morning when i got to my hotel so i turned in early after a hearty glass of german beer at the lobby. It was good cheap german beer. I was excited with anticipation about the exploring which i will do the next day, but from sheer tiredness from the flight i collasped almost instantly when i get to bed. I woke up to a beautiful munich morning and rushed to open the door to my balcony at the hotel. I was bowed over by the prestine white my eyes are taking in.snow was falling from the sky, it felt like time stood still. (yeap it frozed*).Taking it all in, i felt great peace & tranquility. Almost forgetting the cold, i struggled to capture the moment with my trusty camera. 
I dressed hastily, charged with delight at the sight i just saw, knowing i will see more of it when i will make the exploration in the city. The time at the hotel was 8 02 am, i made my way to the concierge , asked her which place i should go and was directed to Odeonplatz. bought a train day ticket and began my lone exploration & adventure. when i got out of the hotel onto the streets the snow was a few cm thick i had to walk about 500 metres to get to the train station. inspired and hyper, my ass was freezing away but my heart was warm ( * hahah couldnt resist this mush*)
I got onto the train at 8 50.got out of the train at Odeonplatz . it was like stepping out of the wardrobe into snowy narnia. Its out of this world. i found myself in a square with an ancient looking building in front of me, it was the Feldhernhalle (1844). I stood in awe of its massive archs and magnificiant statues. Snow was falling onto my camera wetting it making it difficult to operate in the snow. Nevertheless. I had to do it. For my avid carpet readers and my curious heart. I had to document it all.
In the midst of my enchantment i hear a gentle voice. " hello, can i help you? Are u lost? " came the voice.
She was a nice lady, mid 40s or so but very friendly and charming. I told her that im just sight seeing and walking ard and she told me that this is a nice place to walk ard , marienplatz she says, have nice old churches and buildings and it was right in front. I thanked her repeatedly grateful for her hospitality and welcoming warmth in the freezing snow and waved goodbye. Coming back to my preoccupation with the grand building in front of my eyes i walked towards it to get a closer view. I found out later on the internet,nazism was founded in munich. Adolf hitler started off as an orator here, in the 1930s there was great turmoil and unemployment in germany and adolf hitler tired gain control by a coup agains the bavarian government.Hitler made munich the headquarters of the nazi party and took control of the german national government in 1933.The "spiritual" center of Nazism was no other than Feldherrnhalle on the Odeonsplatz. Here, at the side of this memorial to fallen German military leaders, the Nazi putsch of 9 November 1923 came to an end when Bavarian police fired on the marchers. many died .Many were killed at Feldherrnhalle, Hitler was incarcereted for a few months.
The Odeonsplatz in front of the Feldherrnhalle( the square i was on) served as a parade field for the SS, who often staged nighttime rallies here! New SS recruits took their oath of loyalty to Hitler during these formations. (National Archives, RG 242-HB) http://www.thirdreichruins.com/munich.htm Here's are some pictures i found on the internet of feldherrnhalle in the past.
Just amazing. I walked up the stairs of feldherrnhalle. The magnificient lion greeted my ascent. through the snowy downpour i could still feel the power of the square.
If u look at the archives picture in the middle u can make out part of the lion. This is aslan in the snow. i was in lala land. treading in delight, unaware of the intiruging historical past of the place.
I walked along, to marienplatz after recovering from my elation. On my right is the theatine church. Here are the sights i see along the way.
as i walked on i see more statues of lions. They were everywhere. Though not as magnificiant as the one at feldherrnhalle, they were cute ones. I busied myself with dusting the snow off each statue.They must think im mad. Fingers were suffering from frostbite but i persisted.( I can be stubborn sometimes) But i had to meet these lions buried under the snow blanket! Meet my wonderful new found friends, lions of munich!
Why the lions, u ask? Well believe u me, this was the question raging in my head then. Again thanks to the modern genie ( why, the internet of course) I have found out that the most likely explanation was that munich was founded by Henry the lion. The duke of Bavaria. i love em lions. Did i mention i love em lions?As i walked further i see more old historical buildings .I came to the church of our lady or frauenkirche. Frauenkirche is a twin towered cathedral built from 1468 to 1488. There were nice legends abt the place.Check the legend out here. http://www.aviewoncities.com/munich/frauenkirche.htm
I stepped in but didnt take any pictures out of respect. didnt see the devils footprint though cuz i didnt do my research before hand =(
As i got out of the church my stomach starts complaning incessantly. At this point i was tired from the cold & the excitement was consuming all of my energry. Plowing my way through the snow i slowly made my way to C&A (btw. a well known chain store in europe) and shopped a little before i finally decided to rest at the restuarant on the top level. Ordered a beer a meat ball. Yup. It didnt look the least bit like one, but it was yummy alrite. I got a great seat with a good window view so my lunching experience was heel lekker, I studied the city map while i eat, stressed out. Theres only a couple of hours left for my exploration but i wanna do so much. i have a terrible sense of direction so i need some time to trace my way back to the station or to find some other station from which i can catch a train back to arabella park. flying carpet goes at a certain time so i gave myself till 4 30pm to walk ard, then i have to go i have to go. I finished my yummy lunch unhurriedly, figured i deserved a lil more rest regardless. I was on my way again at 2 30pm.
On the streets, as i stepped outside, pple were shouting and there was mini parades everywhere. Small informal gatherings of football fans were shouting cheers. Munich was playing against hamburg that day and many were making their way to the olympic stadium. The world cup is going to take place in germany a little later this year and already the football fervour is on in munich. As i walked futher i went to Rathaus, the new town hall in marienplatz. It was built in flemish gothic style between 1867 to 1909 by georg joseph hauberriser.
As i ventured into the building, i found a beautiful courtyward covered in snow. it was a solitary experience; admist the pin drop silence, the quiet sprinkles of white snow from the sky, i felt a quiet sense of calm. My heart smiled from the juxtaposted contrast of excitement and tranquility , both feelings came at the same moment, here in a secluded courtyard in the snow, cornered off from the rest of the world.
The last building i saw before i made my way back was the old town hall. The original Old Town Hall or Altes Rathaus was completely destroyed by fire in 1460. Between 1470 and 1480, the old town hall was rebuilt in Gothic style by Jörg von Halsbach (who was also responsible for the Frauenkirche). It was completely destroyed again during the second world war, but rebuilt afterwards. The last part, the tower, was completely rebuilt in 1972.
I found out later (damnit) that it now houses a toy museum, which traces the history of the toys from the early 19th century toys up to the current modern toys. Should have gone in! darn. next time. Im coming back! This ends my little personal tour of munich as time was running out on me. Where's the witch u ask? this is her. A cute adorable one at that. =p
It’s been nearly two months since I’ve been here in Dubai Aviation College
Got my internet connection up yesterday so I can start posting my travels online and start sharing some adventures! I feel very much alive, these two months has been mostly packed with activities and excitement, a stark contrast to the dullness of routine. Reflecting back, my two months have been well spent and well worth the whole trouble of uprooting. Here are some pictures I got from the last two months. * I just found out they block flickr here, FLICKR! My fav photos sharing online application, so folks im still trying to look for a nice alternative to share my arty farts pictures, so if u have any suggestions pls drop me a comment or an email. Will really help to get my pictures online for sharing quickly. 4 02 am in the morning and just got back from a flight.dead tired. Coming up, adventures of munich
Got my internet connection up yesterday so I can start posting my travels online and start sharing some adventures! I feel very much alive, these two months has been mostly packed with activities and excitement, a stark contrast to the dullness of routine. Reflecting back, my two months have been well spent and well worth the whole trouble of uprooting. Here are some pictures I got from the last two months. * I just found out they block flickr here, FLICKR! My fav photos sharing online application, so folks im still trying to look for a nice alternative to share my arty farts pictures, so if u have any suggestions pls drop me a comment or an email. Will really help to get my pictures online for sharing quickly. About me
- Travel blog of Junie
- A design-lover who also loves to create, I blog about inspirations and beauty that i come across in my daily life.
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