Thursday, February 28, 2008

Monday, February 25, 2008

I think I have your pilot!

I think I got the same pilot today that one of my friend's got sometime ago.

He STILL cannot find his way from delhi to mumbai.

Sorry about the crappy picture but Blackberry's aren't known for their cameras. No not even the gay looking Pearl.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Vienna here I come!

Breakfast at the airport

Leaving munich for vienna today!

3 hour prior check-in for a 1 hour flight!

Gotta love travel security rules. Thanks to them, I'm here at the airport at 5am and for a 7am flight with NOTHING to do but wait and eat.

German efficiency further compunded the problem because walking into the airport check-in and passport control took 7 minutes. 7.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Hard rock cafe, Munich

Glockenspiel

The marian statue


In the centre of the marianplatz, is a golden statue of the Virgin Mary.
This was erected to commemorate the swedes leaving germany after the 30 year wars.

A day out in Munich


This is The "NEW" Town Hall or the Neus Ratahaus, at Marienplatz, Munich
Platz is basically like - plaza or square and munich has tons of them.
Marienplatz,odeonplatz, karlsplatz.. you get the idea.

Anyway, it is called the NEW town hall because they built it from 1867-1909 and it houses the government houses.
The Altes Ratahaus or old town halls was built in 1474 and rebuilt after it was mostly destroyed in the 2nd world war (the last of many times)

it was finally rebuilt completely and now is a museum with toys etc.

Every day at 12 noon, they have the "glockenspiel" or "the play of bells" basically, lots of bells ring in a nice little tune. There are moving statues in the tower (look towards the top) which depict 2 key historical incidents. One the marriage of one of the dukes and the other shows a famous dance of munich called the schafflertanz which was performed during the great plague epidemic in early 16th century (1515 if i remember right)

What a view!

 


The view from Castle Neuschwenstein, built amongst the Alps by king ludwig II.
It's breathtaking with the snow covered mountains, the river (intermittently frozen) and the trees dropping snow all over you if you so much as breathe under them.

Lovely!
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Beer at the haufbrauhaus

All good things come in small packages?
This "mug" defies that theory entirely!

Just so we are clear, this is not one of those "pitchers" you order at restaurants. This is a drink for one person!!

Monday, February 4, 2008

Neuschwenstein castle

Finally! The castle!

Made by king Ludwig II. This was his 3rd and final castle but he never finished it and died mysteriously.

This is supposedly the MOST visited castle in the world with over 1.5million tourists every year.

Walt disney modelled disneyland on this castle which made it immensely famous.

The castle is fine really. Although the rooms do feel a bit cramped (as palaces go)

The view from the top though is breathtaking. Especially if you (like me) manage to get here in the winters in the snow.

Bavarian cafe!

Hotel Muller below the castle.

You must eat here but eat less on the main course because the speciality is the bavarian cream and you must try that as the dessert.

Its heavy but the 1+ mile climb to the castle will burn them off. If u STILL have some left then the steps in the castle will burn those off.

Ofcourse then there is also the business of climbing those steps down and walking down back to the car park.

Cute little bavarian village

Second stop on the tour to neuschwenstein (I think that's how its spelled) castle.

Notice how the flower pots don't have plants but trees!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Onto the autobahn

On the bus tour

Off to somewhere in Austria to see ludwig's castle amidst the mountains.

Nice clear sunny day today. Hopefully won't freeze to death. Outside temperature an hour ago was zero!

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Allianz arena

The new football stadium. Looks cool!

No kidding abt the snow

All the white bits u see is morning snow!

Apparently even the snow fall in germany is efficient.

All around the road but not on it. Life goes on.

Pickup right on time

And we are away!!

He tells me its been snowing here. Snowing!
Cursing mumbai some more.

You cannot BUY serious warm clothing there!
I looked for 2 days!

Waiting for luggage in the land of BMW

And Audis
And mercedes
And Beer
And ofcourse the Autobahns!

Ah landed without engines freezing

Muncih on the other hand IS freezing. 2 degrees outside and it looks like its been raining!!

Just how cold it really is!

On my way from Vienna to Munich.
It is so unbelievably cold right now that they are actually spraying antifreezing stuff on the aircraft wings!

See you on the other side. Hopefully.