My Travel Philosophy

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Last Day in Germany

Ticket machine for tram system
Tram in Munich
How awesome it was to not set an alarm last night! Slept in this morning and celebrated my last day in Germany with some liverwurst for breakfast. Dropped my luggage and coat in a very small locker at Hbf and jumped on the tram to go to the museums.  I had really wanted to go to the Alte Pinakothek (old picture gallery) as I like old Masters.  However, their idea of old is definitely ancient -- we're talking 12th and 13th century. It was good but not great.  Also, the museum is undergoing renovation so half of it was closed. The good part was the reduced entry fee and free audio guide.

The weather has been really glorious, and today was no exception. There were young people relaxing in the grass all around the museum.

'Munich Beer Garden' by Lieberman
Buckeye
Being still early in the afternoon, I opted to also visit the Neue Pinakothek (new picture gallery) where I expected modern art. Nope! Here's where I found Pisarro, Monet, and Van Gogh. Again, a free audio guide and a museum really well laid out. This one I really enjoyed. I may have found someone new to admire: Pisarro. It's not like I had never heard of him before, but I hadn't paid much attention to his works. Also Max Lieberman; at least his 'Munich Beer Garden'. Loved it. Before coming over here, I watched a documentary on the 'Rape of Europa' or the theft of art by the Nazis and the efforts by surviving family members to recover it.  In the Neue Pinakothek I saw a painting that looked very much like one of the works in that documentary -- a work by Gustav Klimt.

Walking back to the tram stop, I walked under buckeye trees -- another reminder of how Germany is so much like home.

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