Viktualienmarkt - Beer garden

Viktualienmarkt - Beer garden, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

Tracht

The local traditional style of dressing (or "tracht"). Note the lederhosen and embroidered shirt (hemd). The fleece is a later addition.

Linderhof

Linderhof, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

From the temple looking down the terraces to the fountain and schloss

Fountain at Linderhof

Fountain at Linderhof, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

Linderhof is one of the castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He also built Neuschwanstein.

Stammtisch in the Hofbrauhaus

Stammtisch in the Hofbrauhaus, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

Jemma took this one! I'm feeling jet lagged and I've been ripping through the photos to get them uploaded. We've got more than 650 between us and it's great fun looking at them all and then checking the proper name of where they were taken (and the proper spellings!).

What we did (in brief):

Saturday - Train from the airport to Marienplatz and then a walk round the Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbrauhaus and then the hotel and back out for a meal in the Ratskeller and more walking and then a beer next to the hotel.
Sunday - Nymphenburg and then the Olympiapark and up the tower. Lunch at the Chinese Tower beer garden in the Englisher Garten and then walked through to the Hof Garten. Over to the site of the Oktoberfest where we saw a dray and then back to Sendlinger Tor and up to the Assamkirche which is closed for restoration. Over to the new synagogue and up through Rindermarkt to Marienplatz and then Stachus and a few beers in the Shakespeare.
Monday - Train to Kaufering to meet George who took us round Landsberg and then to the Wieskirche (which neither of us photographed!) and coffee in Oberammergau after visiting the Christ Kindl shop. Linderhof in the rain - gorgeous! Down into Austria passing the Plansee and a walk in Ruette before heading back into Bavaria to Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. Mad bus ride up to the Marienbrücke for great views and then a walk down to visit the castle. Then we flew up the autobahn to Ottobeuren and on to George and Angie's for a lovely meal before catching the train back to Munich.
Tuesday - Dropped the bag at the train station and then hit town for the glockenspiel at eleven o'clock, three churches, the market again, a stroll down Maximilianstrasse to the Maximilianeum, a walk along the river and up Tal and some shopping and a weissbeir before heading for the airport and home.

I'm uploading the photos in lumps and they will form a set on Flickr

Fraunekirche

DSCF5066, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

Lots of photos to sort out and post after the Munich trip. I have over 350 and Jemma has a load too. Yesterday we visited three churches including this one; the Frauenkirche. Loads of photos of the domes which are an iconic part of the Munich skyline but as it's the local cathedral I thought I'd start with this picture. Be prepared to be bored silly with images of Bavaria.

Franziskaner Weissbier

Last beer in Munich (this trip!)

Alte Rathaus

From Marienplatz

Neuschwanstein

We're on the train

Jemma's beer

Finally!

More beer!

Lunch at the Chinesischen Turm

BMW

Allotments

Muenchener gemuse

Map reading over breakfast

Bar

It's called 'Shakespeare' - closest one to the hotel

Augustiner

Gegruendet 1328, getrunken now!

Munich

Are we there yet?

Eeek!

Bad lights :-(

M25

Not moving

Hax'n

Snack

Birthday boy

Cal's birthday meal at Wagamama in RTW

RTW Again

Tenterden again

Don't look back in anger

No mention of the Samaritans setting up a helpline such as when Take That split up.

Buttermarket

For Ian and Angus and Isaac.
There's a band playing riotous Elizabethan music and the usual bustle of people and the sun is dipping behind the buildings - wonderful.

Canterbury West Gate

Here to meet Anna. Train Karma means she is running late :-)

Wheels

It's a year since Cal started working on the railways!

I don't think he's challenging Bob Crow for leadership of the RMT yet but he's getting the railway language. He's usually too tired to talk when I collect him but he'll mention problems with the changeover and he tells a story about a visiting driver running out of steam (literally!) on the approach to Tenterden such that the engine stopped on the level-crossing and they had a few minutes delay while building up enough energy to pull into the station.

I pictured a rainbow

Five happy minutes - this is for Rita

Fifty years ago today

It's the fiftieth anniversary of The Manchester Guardian changing its name to The Guardian. Interesting editorial piece in today's paper which contrasts the world then and now.

"The striking thing about reading the Guardian then and now is how much about the country has improved in the last 50 years, and not just the standard of Test cricket at the Oval. It is worth remembering that things we now think of as modern social ills existed in 1959 too – in Liverpool, the paper reported, "terror children" were hurling rocks at trains and drivers were refusing to work on some routes. Against that, much else has got better; Britain is more tolerant, better educated, healthier, more cultured and richer."

Hard to argue with that except there are still pockets of extreme deprivation in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet. It's harder to get out of poverty now than at any time in the last thirty years and we're locking up more and more people with no real idea about how to deal with the underlaying problems. Here's to the next fifty years of the Guardian!

England win the Ashes

BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Live Ashes - England v Australia via kwout

Editing OpenLearn content

Editing OpenLearn content, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

This is about the screen size I need nowadays............. :-)

Shot shows editing some OpenLearn content in the iSpace at UC Marjon in Plymouth. Lovely place to meet and work and my fourth such place (Digilab, Creativity Zone and Creativity Lab(?)). I can certainly recommend Marjon as a venue if anyone is down that way.

Thoughts about Munich

Forthcoming trip to Munich has got me thinking about when I lived there. At the time one of the TV channels I watched was MTV and this was one of the most often played videos and it's great. Love the song too! Another which formed part of that period is the B52's and "Love Shack"

Power

A collection of powers here. Solar power is reflected off the waves which are created by the breeze, not really strong enough for generating much electricity with the wind today. The tide was coming in and that could also crank out some energy.

And if that lot isn't enough to run all the kettles in Kent........... Dungeness nuclear power station is silhouetted on the horizon.

From Lear

"Come on, sir; here's the place: stand still. How fearful
And dizzy 'tis, to cast one's eyes so low!
The crows and choughs that wing the midway air
Show scarce so gross as beetles: half way down
Hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade!"

(King Lear, Act IV, scene VI)

This is rock samphire; the plant Shakespeare was describing when Lear referred to the dangers in collecting it. It was collected to supplement the diet and is now seen as a delicacy. Check out this blog for a wonderful recipe with a mouthwatering photo of samphire, scallops and black pudding. The samphire in this photo is just coming into flower and I took the shot at Samphire Hoe which nestles in the shadow of Shakespeare Cliff - the Hoe was built using spoil from the Channel Tunnel excavations. Marsh Samphire is eaten now rather than this stuff.

Green stuff

Green stuff, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

Look! Green stuff, fruit! I'd hate anyone to think that we only eat unhealthy stuff when we do a picnic.

Here's the trolley as we headed for the checkout at Waitrose in Hythe.

Note the healthy drink and meat and, under the tissues, Cumberland Sausage rolls (truly wonderful) and the Natural Confectionery Company snakes (scrummy).

Project

Cal and I have decided on a project. We're going to take photographs of 10 things which define Kent. Our list (currently) is

1. Countryside (this is the Garden of England)
2. A castle - which one is yet to be decided, might be Dover or Leeds or Rochester or another one
3. Beaches in hot weather
4. Canterbury cathedral
   
5. A pub - probably a Shepherd Neame house
6. Hops/Oast house
7. Eurostar
8. White cliffs
9. Invicta - the white horse
10. Sheps Brewery

This is a very loose stab and we'll be changing this - anyone who has any suggestions please offer them. The images will be on Flickr and when we've decided on the best ones I'll put them here too. This project has no set end date.

Bill's bit

Shakespeare Cliff from Samphire Hoe.

Dover

Bliss

Olives, salt beef on a fresh roll, Lucozade Sport, The Guardian, sunshine and my son. Nice way to spend some time

Chairs

Cal getting chairs for the picnic. On the beach at Hythe with a gentle breeze and clear blue sky.

On the way home

I was listening to this song - this version is live on TOTP and isn't as powerful as the version I have on the mp3 player but it's still a stirring ditty.

Summing up

To round up the Plymouth trip. The hotel was brilliant and at a very sensible price. It's outside the town and nice and quiet.

I think I mentioned the beer..............

Moroccan Chicken for the main course - very tasty but not as good as the starter.

After a nice English breakfast it was off up the road to Marjon (about a mile?) for a great meeting with people from Plymouth City Council about some work I'm doing. Then home - it's a bit of a way but a smashing trip.

Do they?

HST?

Hormone something therapy?

Shakespeare

Is this where Romeo and Juliet came from?

Starter

Faggots in a Yorkshire pud with mushy peas - as a starter! Mmmmm

Clouds

Clouds over Marjon, Plymouth

Restaurant

Part of the hotel - Mickey D over the road and KFC further down. Brilliant room, Budweiser Budvar on tap. I may not come home!