As I walk back from the supermarket to the hotel I notice there are people at the top of Peterskirche. I had wanted to climb to the top when I first arrived but the queues were way too long. Maybe today would be a good day. It would be icy up there, but I decide to give it a go. At 1300 after dropping off my supplies I make my way over, pay my €3 and climb the 300+ steps to the top.
And it’s worth every step. Yes, it’s freezing, but the view of snow coved Munich is beautiful.
It’s Thursday and it’s a toss up between going to Innsbruck or Salzburg. Both are just over the border in Austria. I decide on Salzburg because it‘s closer and I have left it a bit late for Innsbruck. But also, there is a big ski jump tournament happening in Innsbruck today and tomorrow; I expect the trains and the city would be busy.
I walk to Munich Hauptbahnhof. It looks like it snowed a little overnight, but not much. I get to the station at 0822 and buy my ticket. Although the Bayern-ticket does cover across the border into Salzburg, it’s not valid until 0900 and my train leaves at 0856. I don‘t want to risk it. As I‘m still early I buy a delicious Rosinschnecke (raisin snail shaped pastry).
The train departs on time at 0856, calling at München Ost, Rosenheim, Bad Endorf, Prien am Chiemsee, Burnau am Chiemsee, Übersee, Bergen, Traunstein, Teisendorf and Freilassing. From Rosenheim there is a lovely old lady sitting next to me who tells me about where to go in Salzburg.
The train arrives at Salzburg at 1042. I decide to make my way to the river. It’s been snowing and the footpaths and roads are icy. It‘s quite treacherous and I have to watch my step and slow down. I don’t have specific plans other than visiting the large fortress on a hill in the town. Everywhere is quite crowded with tourists so I decide to head straight for the fortress. There is a long queue for the funicular railway up the side of the hill, so I decide to walk. It only takes about 15 minutes.
I walk around the fortress. It‘s very interesting, but I‘m mainly there for the views. After a long wait, I get my turn to walk around the insides and up to the tower. The view is spectacular, but the wind is icy cold. I have left my gloves off to take photos and they are freezing. But it‘s worth it. I take my time taking in the panoramic views and taking quite a few photos.
After a bit more walking it’s time to head home. This time there isn‘t a queue for the funicular railway so I take the very quick ride down. I make my way back to the station through some more lovely streets. The train departs at 1415. I‘m feeling quite sleepy now and doze off for a couple of stations. As we get nearer to Munich the cloud cover is breaking a little and I get to see the snow dusted fields in better light
As I have a thing for towers, I decide to visit the tower at the site of the the 1972 Olympic Games. 1972 was the first time I remember being conscious of the olympics and I particularly remember the design of the stadium and roof. A visit to the Olympic park would allow me to explore the tower and the stadium at the same time.
I head out at 1100. I make my way to the Marienplatz u-Bahn station. I catch the U3 to Olympiazentrum. The train is very new and spacious. Some of the stations are also very modern. Others are more in keeping with the age of the line. It’s only a 20 min journey through Odeonsplatz, Universität, Giselastraße, Münchner Freiheit, Bonner Platz, Scheidplatz and Petuelring.
The park is only a short walk from the station and I head straight for the tower. There’s not much of a queue and I get to the top quickly. It’s a great view but the sun is low and casts a haze over the city. It’s hard to see anything but I can make out the silhouettes of the churches. I can also just make out the silhouette of the Alps. What I can see clearly are the buildings that were the Olympic village and also the massive BMW factory.
When I get back down from the tower the queue is much longer. They might be waiting for the restaurant?
There’s a lake by the tower and the stadium. The water in a small part of the lake is beginning to freeze and birds are standing on the ice. It’s such an odd thing to see.
I walk to the stadium. It’s amazing to see the roof up close. It still looks modern even though it’s over 40 years old.
After a walk all around the edge of the stadium I walk back to the station and catch the U3 at 1355. This is a much older train.
Neues Rathaus is the new Town Hall. It‘s an imposing building in Marienplatz. That‘s the main square used for the Christmas Markets and they have been clearing away the stalls in the last couple of days. There is a tower, so naturally I have to go up. This one has a lift, so it is very easy. The views are spectacular and you can make out the Alps in the distance.
When I was writing yesterday's blog post I nearly had a technological meltdown because after an hour of writing, my post wouldn't save. Luckily everything came good in the end, but I've decided it might be smart to break some of these posts into smaller pieces. So here's part 1 of today.
I was exhausted yesterday so had an early night. I still had a restless sleep but managed to force myself to stay in bed until almost 7:00am this morning. Outside the weather was looking promising; a bit brighter than yesterday. However, the weather report looked grim with chance of storm. I decided to believe my eyes and head out. Today I remembered my gloves so I was toasty warm.
My first destination was the tower of the Church of the Savior. We saw it on our canal cruise yesterday and I discovered it opens at 10:00am.
On the way I wondered through some new streets and the area known as Christianshavn.
My plan was to be at the head of the queue for the tower, and I was! From the moment I started climbing I had flashbacks from when Emily and I climbed the cathedral in Florence. It was a long way, though I'm not sure exactly how many steps. 2/3 of the climbing is inside the brick part. The stairs get narrower and steeper as you go up past the bells.
I didn't notice until the way down, but there was a bed on a landing half way up. I have no idea why.
Eventually I got to the top of the brick structure. There is a platform almost all the way around with spectacular views.
Then I climbed the outside stairs, which were actually easier, until I got to the very top. The view was not that much different, but at least I had made it. It was a long way down.
Back on the ground I looked up to see where I had been.
Next stop was Rosenborg Slot (castle).
... all lit up you look so pretty!
Before leaving Australia I purchased two tickets for the Empire State Building with the express purpose of experiencing it in the day and at night. As the skies were still clear I decided tonight was an opportunity not to be missed.
Armed with some wise photography tips from my friend Steve, I headed off at dusk. Unfortunately I miscalculated how quickly the sun would set and consequently got there a little later than I think would have been optimal. But it was still just as breathtaking.
Once again my express ticket ushered me past snaking line after snaking line. I cannot emphasise this enough; if you ever go, spend the little extra for an express ticket. I must have passed many hundreds of people. I can't imagine how long they'd been waiting for.
So this was my first attempt at serious night time photography with this camera and as you can imagine there are a number of parameters to play with. Unfortunately, the small the screen on the camera makes it hard to really tell which are working the best. I should have checked the histograms but I didn't think of it at the time. Now I've seen them on my iPad I feel I could fine tune and do better. But they're still the best night time shots I've ever been able to achieve. Thanks Steve!
On the way back to the hotel I passed the pop-up food stalls in Greeley Square that I encountered on Saturday. I was feeling peckish so got myself some goats cheese and rosemary "mac & cheese". Very tasty.
As it was still 20 blocks to the hotel I decided to take the subway. Unfortunately I caught the wrong line, but luckily figured out my mistake before getting too far off track. Before long I'd made my way back to the right line and the 14th street station safe and sound.
Yesterday was a perfectly clear day in NYC so I decided it was the day to use one of my Empire State Building tickets. The observation deck opens at 8:00 but by the time I'd finished fluffing around I didn't get there until about 9:00. But that didn't worry me because I'd purchased an express ticket online before leaving Australia.
But to my disappointment, I still found myself at the end of the only queue once entering the building. This queue snaked around for a while and it took about 15 minutes to move through; I was starting to feel a bit ripped off about the express ticket.
Then one of the attendants called out for express ticket holders and everything changed. I learnt to have my ticket with the express side showing and that made all the difference. One flash of that and I was ushered past countless subsequent queues and first into the lifts. I really didn't have to wait again. So my advice is pay the little extra; it is SO worth it.
As for the observation deck itself - it was crammed with people and freezing cold but utterly amazing. I've done quite a few towers over the last couple of years but this was the best by far. And being outdoors you had a really clear view as you can see below. I just kept slowly working my way around snapping and feeling totally in awe of this incredible city. It was a real "pinch me" moment. The only downside was that, because it was still early, the light was too low downtown to get good pictures. It ended up looking a bit hazy. But uptown had plenty of shadows and brightly illuminated buildings.
And all the time in my head was a line from "Moments of Pleasure" by Kate Bush - "the buildings of New York, just look like mountains through the snow"
I have another ticket and I plan to go back at night.
The Canadian arrived into Toronto's Union Station around 10:00 which was only half hour later than scheduled. According to some people on the train, that was really good going. The station is undergoing some major works but the main hall is still very grand. It reminds me of Adelaide station.
My map indicated that the apartment wasn't far from the station so I decided to try and walk. I had to make a few guesses, but I got there without too much trouble. The apartment faces Toronto Harbour and Lake Ontario. This is home for the next two nights.
I suppose I can put up with this view?
I only had one activity planned for Toronto. I was going to wing the rest. The one activity was the CN Tower; I'd purchased a ticket before leaving Australia. I decided to do that while the weather was OK.
My ticket gave me access to the sky pod and observation deck. I decided to do sky pod first. It's the smaller ring at the top of this picture; 447m high. Although it was spectacular, the window design meant there was a lot of condensation which occasionally obscured the view.
It was a long way down!
Although this picture doesn't do it justice, you could see autumn colours dotted across the entire city and surrounds.
I could see the apartment building I'm staying in. It's the one in the centre.
Next I went down to the observation deck. It may have been lower, but it was better suited to viewing and photography.
There is a section with a glass floor. I'm not a fan of heights and I wasn't going to walk on it. But the only way to get a decent picture down was to venture out. Those are my feet!
And that was all I could manage today. 4 nights of only partial sleep on the train has taken its toll and I'm exhausted. I decided to get supplies and have an early night in. Hopefully I can recharge my batteries for tomorrow. I'm not sure what the plan is yet, but I'm looking forward to taking my time about it. I have a heap of washing to do too!
Today I had booked to go to the viewing platform of the TV tower I saw the other day.
It was a little overcast but the view was still spectacular. The big park in the following picture is where I spent so much of yesterday.
The church spire in the middle of the following picture is the church at the end of the street where I am staying.
From there I walked to the DDR museum. It's a very interactive museum of what life was like in East Germany. Really interesting and fun. Next to it were these impressive buildings that form part of museum island ... a concentration of museums on the river.
All around Berlin at the moment is an exhibition called Diversity Destroyed which commemorates the decline in diversity and culture at the hands of the nazi regime.
Nearby was this memorial to all those who have died in war. I thought it odd that people were so focused on the sculpture. As good as it was, the space around it moved me more.
From there I decided to just wander. It wasn't long before I found something for lunch and then this gallery dedicated to the documentation of the atrocities of the nazis ... Topographie Des Terrors. By it was another stretch of the wall.
From there I decided to keep walking and check out some of the outer areas of Berlin. Autumn is definitely here.
The walk brought me back to the river which is wider at this point.
My last stop for the day was the East Side Gallery which is another stretch of the wall that artists have been allowed to use as their canvas.
And on the other side is currently a photo exhibition (rendered onto the wall) depicting other walls around the world that divide their communities. You don't realize how many there are.
So once again my feet are sore. I've been walking so much that I've started to get leg cramps. Went to the "chemist" to get some magnesium which should help. Ah, doing everything in a foreign country is interesting. The people are always very nice and usually speak English but I am starting to get sick of being the foreigner.
Today is the approximate half way point in my adventure. On one hand it feels like I've reached half way in no time at all. On the other hand I have done so much that it feels like far longer than two weeks since I left home. This morning I woke up feeling good. I got up reasonably early and booked tickets for some of the sights I want to see. Late morning I headed to the Berlin Wall memorial which was only about 15 minute walk away. On the way I paused to take more pictures of the church at the end of my street.
When I got to the wall I found it very emotional. The whole area has been set up exceptionally well with lots of information that moved me more than I had expected. What tipped me over the edge were the stories of families separated by the wall. All they could do was arrange to meet on opposite sides and wave to each other. All that heartache to what end?
I spent quite some time there reading the stories. From there I had decided to go to the central station (Hauptbahnhof) because I needed to reserve my seat for Warsaw to Krakow and I thought that might be the easiest place to do it. I decided to give the Berlin underground a try out to get there.
I managed to head in the right direction and soon made it to the central station. This is where I arrived on Saturday and will leave next Saturday. It's massive and very new and shiny. My kind of place.
I got my reservation sorted and decided to head into the centre of the city. I hadn't planned to do that until later in the week but when you're on holidays plans are only suggestions. I took the underground to the Brandenburg Gate. An iconic location. When I arrived it was fenced off but later in the day when I returned it was all open. I savored my walk through it.
Next to the gate is the Reichstag, the parliament house. I have a ticket to go inside later in the week so today I just walked by.
Next to the Reichstag is the equally impressive and modern Bundestag.
Both these landmarks are on the edge of a massive park in the centre of Berlin. As I started walking I noticed the onset of autumn.
I walked a while to reach the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, a modern gallery on the edge of the park with an amazing roof.
Nearby there was a bell tower that rang out the time. I'm not sure of the name, if it had one.
In the distance I could see another memorial so I decided to walk through the park to reach it, not quite realizing how far it was. But it was a beautiful walk.
I reached the memorial. Because of the cloud cover my pictures are dark so you can't see it all that well.
I could see detail on the side and I assumed that would be the end of it.
Only then did I realise you could climb to the top. Lots of steps later (Em, I didn't count them) I was greeted by this view.
Spectacular! And then there was the climb down and the walk back to the centre of Berlin. I caught the train the last bit home. I have a strong feeling my legs will let me know how much they hate me tomorrow.
Today I had a ticket for the viewing platform of the Shard so I decided it would be a good day for walking around the city. I woke up feeling OK with no significant effects of jet lag. The weather so far has been mild but very overcast. My first mission was to get to a supermarket for supplies. I think it's fun shopping for normal goods in a new place - everything looks different and slightly exotic, regardless of how ordinary.
After breakfast it was time to move. The apartment is very close to Holborn underground station. But I have resolved to walk as much as I can so I set off in the general direction of St Paul's just taking in the hustle and bustle. Having been here 3 years ago there was a degree of familiarity while still so much I haven't seen. Even St Paul's seemed different because I had approached it from a different side.
I got to the Shard a bit early but was able to go straight up. It was amazing! Unfortunately the grey and misty skies hampered the view but it was still breathtaking.
After the Shard I made my way to towards the Imperial War Museum. Unfortunately it's undergoing some major renovations so I didn't real see all that much. So I didn't stay long and then made my way to Southbank for a refreshing pint. By this time the sun was coming out and the afternoon ended up being gorgeous and perfect for strolling by the Thames.
All in all a perfect day, but my feet are killing me. Time for an early night. Off to visit Bath tomorrow.
