Long Weekend...Short Trip to Munich Germany

Schloss Fürstenried is where we stayed for the weekend.  According to our friend Wiki:
"It was built by Joseph Effner for Elector Max Emanuel in 1715–17 as a hunting lodge. Two pavilions were added each in the south and north of the main building.
Fürstenried Palace was the residence of the former Electress Maria Anna from 1778 to 1796. The palace served as domicile for King Otto of Bavaria from 1883 onwards until his death. Since 1925 the Catholic Retreat Hostel for spiritual exercises has been housed in Fürstenried Palace."

Walking the cemeteries of Munich seems to be both accepted and popular. It was full of squirrels and strollers...as well as the disobedient bike riders. This cemetery was established in 1563, during the reign of Albert V, Duke of Bavaria, for victims of the plague thus at the time was located outside the city gates. It was also the burial ground of the dead from the Sendling uprising of 1705, in which over 1100 were killed after they had surrendered to the troops of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor. From 1788 to 1867 it was the single collective burial ground for the dead of the city.

This is the amazing spice and herb store of Alfons Schuhbeck. Never heard of him? Neither had we, but the man himself was filming his television commercials in the store while we were there. Amazing how starstruck one becomes when faced with the lights and cameras and adoring fans...even for someone totally and completely unknown to us! Aren't we so easy??!! But the herbs and spices were immaculately displayed under crystal chandeliers. I felt like I was in a 19th century elegant shop. A glance at Herr Schuhbeck's website gives an impression that he is quite a busy man with cooking shows, restaurants, ice cream shops, books and chocolate shops in addition to the spice shop that we visited.

http://www.schuhbeck.de/gastronomie/suedtiroler-stuben.html

I have to admit that one of my all time favorite German words is Rathaus...it is what it sounds like...City Hall...oh you thought rats lived there?? This is actually the new City Hall (Neues Rathaus). The monumental, 79 meters (259ft) high town hall was built between 1867 and 1909 by Georg Joseph Hauberrisser in Flemish Gothic style to alleviate the overcrowded Altes Rathaus nearby.

The Isar River flows from the Alpine region of Tirol in Austria through Munich. The area lining the river is so calm...lined with trees and bike paths giving Munich a much less urban feeling than any other large European city that I have seen.