Der ganze Tag
I don't even know why I bought the weekly IsarCard. I intended to visit the Musikhochschule this morning, but changed my mind to stay in my school's library (aka computer lab) instead to go through the weekend trip again. I was glad I did - I didn't notice it before, that the journey to Berchtesgaden is so complicated! Apparently the little town is inaccessible by train and after dropping off at Freilassing Bahnhof I'll have to catch a long-distance bus there... Gulp...
I'll see what I can do when I get there.
Er... right.
Am Marienplatz
And the opening match (of the World Cup) being tomorrow, the football fever is totally heating up. Crazy people with painted faces and absurd costumes flooded the open space in front of the Rathaus. I was only trying to get my ice cream! Tja! All mad... All mad...
Reaching my room, I sat down to seriously plan for the trip this weekend. The time management is the most important; the rest I'll leave it to impromptu. The more serious problem happens to be: I have not yet found a hotel in Berchtesgaden. So going to be in deep shit.
In der Scheiße sitzen. Well, the most I think I'll sleep at the train station if there isn't one available. Hee.
Soaked in the bathtub again! This time I managed to fill the tub more than half full. I was always worried that I might take too much time in the bath and my neighbours living in the same floor might get pissed off - so that was why I don't always fill and soak in the tub every evening. But this time was different; I got a little bold, ahaha. I revised my "swimming lessons" during my bath, because I'm mad. If I managed to return to Munich on Sunday around midnight, I'll try filling it to the fullest, kikiki!! Coz nobody will need the bath and I have all the time in the world. Muahaha.
Der Unterricht
Lessons got more boring since yesterday. Today's lesson was TOTALLY on classmates' presentations. I'm going to give a short presentation over Margaret Leng Tan tomorrow. Hopefully things too will get more lively.
Hieber – Musiknotengeschäft :D
Took the Straßenbahn to
National Theater, in search of a music shop I once glanced upon. Walked around the area for almost 20 minutes before I finally located it! Anyway, the store was great! Except, the Liszt scores they have were the norms (ie. no rare scores), so I didn't buy any. I couldn’t find the Liszt Lied (O Lieb, so lang du lieben kannst) also. Very disappointed. But I picked up two second-hand scores of Schubert Lieder (I saved more than 20 Euros!) and got myself Wolf Lieder (his complete Italian and Spanish Songbooks, where you can't get back home)! So happy I found Wolf - one of my favourite Lieder composer.
It was great that the shop assistant speaks really good English. I placed some score orders, such as my Wolf Mörike Lieder. Somebody gave me the 3rd volume of the Mörike collection (Edition Peters) for Christmas and still I was determined to own a complete collection - and hence ordered another publisher's version.
Liederabend
I went straight home after class - going for a Lieder recital with a historical pianoforte (Vienna 1825) an hour later. I left home 30 minutes before the start of the concert because it was just two train stations from my hostel. I regretted making that move. It didn't occur to me then, that I would have difficulty locating the venue, which I did! I asked a total of four person on the street before reaching my destination - I was already five minutes late (8.05pm). And you know how important punctuality is to the Germans. It's my first concert in Munich, so I don't want to be embarrassed...
I got to the building, but searching for the room was a bad experience. Nobody knew the place well! In the end I resorted to hunting for the floor plan - and okay, I entered as quietly as possible. I was lucky that the concert had not started yet, but the Professor of Music was giving a speech. My lousy entrance.
Still, fantastic concert! Only that I think the accompanist was a tat too egoistic. The singer wasn't impressive at first, but got to his best toward the end of the concert. I really enjoyed his performance of the concluding Schumann Lieder. Fantastic interpretation and technique.
The concert took place in the Munich University, and whoa, the architecture of the building reminded me of those scenes from
Monster! I kept thinking "Johann was here, you know? Johann was here!" Crazy brain of mine. The funniest thing happened during the concert. A blond attractive young man (apparently a student from the university) was seated in front of me; he wore a brown coat and has blue eyes. Gosh, I could almost believe that his name was JOHANN LIEBERT. But then, I would either hang myself or get killed by him then. :) Uncanny resemblance.
Arrived home at 22.40! A new record for me. Because of the late hour, I soaked myself in the bathtub for a loooooong, long time. Very relaxing :)
Der Unterricht
So, I think in the second week everyone in class gets more comfortable with one another, including Herr Schünemann. There were always heated arguments about almost
everything! However it was fun to just sit back and listen to them while observing (from the corner of my eye) how helpless Herr Schünemann looked.
And naturally, the class got more rowdy and restless towards the end of the day. ^_^
Olympiazentrum
Went to the
Olympiapark before the World Cup fans flog in. The park was really huge as rumoured. The weather was getting warmer, and that's a good sign. A wide river flows through the park, and a huge number of swans and their "ugly ducklings". Very, very peaceful, the wind, the sun, and the greeneries...
Climbed the 586m
Olympiaberg the dangerous way. There were winding footpaths leading to the top, but I stubbornly chose to climb it the vertical way. There were two steep slopes to conquer. Barely managed the first (wrong shoes and clothes - I was attired for a concert later in the evening!!), and, I wouldn't mention this to my parents - I almost slipped from the last climb. Whoa, wrong shoes. Wrong shoes indeed. The last slope is the steepest. And who knows why I was so crazy to gamble with life. But hey, I'm still in one piece. So all is okay. Lol! Just that I think I gambled too much.
I actually spent €6 just for a trip up the Olympiaturm. I thought I was spenting too much, but the view above were really breathtaking! So much better than the scenery from the
Olympiaberg. The skies were not that clear, but still I thought I could catch a glimpse of Schloß Neuschwanstein. Nyahaha :)
Um kurz vor halb zwölf...
...finally I finished the homework. Going to get into a lot of trouble with my "Meine idealle Welt" short essay. Definitely. And for the oral presentation I've decided to talk about Margaret Leng Tan. Haha. Looks like I can only talk about music and nothing else... Bleh.
Zu Hause
Back from lessons after a trip to the Supermarkt at the Karlsplatz Bahnhof. My first grocery shopping, and it was cheap! Well, I mean the things I bought were cheap. Heh heh. Three bananas and one litre of milk (I chose the cheapest). Together makes 1,43 Euro. Cheap enough in Munich. Whoa, I didn't know that
Karstadt's prices are so high! A one litre bottle of milk costs over 2 Euro, but
Tengelmann is around 0,60 to 1,50 Euro!
It got warmer in the evening, I think. I'm now wearing T-shirt and shorts while typing in my room. Overworked from today's walk...
My window is still open. Cold breeze entering, but I'll wait till I'm freezing before turning up the heater and wearing thicker clothes. And why I'm early back home today instead of scooping around the music shop near the Residenz? Plenty of homework today. Well, not a lot. Only two actually, but they require a lot of time. Firstly a short text and lastly preparation for tomorrow's short presentation. All time-consuming assignment, oder?
Wandern
Nothing doing. I didn't get out of home till 10 plus to exchange a wrong train ticket for a right one. I had to pay an extra 78 Euros, and I found out: I FORGOT TO BRING MY MONEY BELT WITH ME. DARN. So I had to walk back to my hostel (15 minutes) and return back to the Hauptbahnhof to repeat my explanation to a new person at the counter. Phew, what sweat.
With really nothing to do, I intentionally got lost and walked the north of Munich. I wanted to locate any music shops by accident, but I wasn't that lucky. Cz. In the end I got
really lost, and realized, when I found my bearings, that I was walking further and further away from city center! I stumbled on a queer cd shop, but dug out a rare Bach's St. John Passion featuring a couple of well-known soloists (including Fischer-Dieskau, yay!) and Berlin Phil. A good find.
I realized it was already noon, and gosh, was I going to be late for school! Because I had forgotten to buy the IsarCard this week I couldn't take the train to school, which was way faster than by foot. In the end I passed the
Technische Universität, the rear of
Hochschule für Musik und Theatre München and the
Altes Botanischer Garten. Reached Goethe-Institut just shortly before lessons started. Phew! I made it! But I was way tired when the teacher began lesson.
Weimar - Alles ist geschloßen
I went to the music shop I saw on Saturday, but alas, it was the Germans'
Pfingsten (one of their public holiday) and the shop was not opened! Ach,
schade! Then the
Grand-Hotel Russischer Hof Weimar, where people like Liszt and Schumann once passed its doors. It was a five-star hotel, with an extremely long history. Just snapped some picture across the street. Ahaha.
I have
a lot of time before my train arrives, and I was crazy enough to walk to the Hauptbahnhof. Yeah, I was that crazy. It was a loooooooooong walk. In the end I was actually sweating when I reached the garden in front of the station. Go me. My train arrived punctually (as expected) and the train ride took five solid hours. I have slept, written my diary and planned a little for next week's trip to the south. It was such a long ride I was actually glad to reach home.
Weimar - mein letzter Morgen im Hotel Liszt
Breakfast was as great as ever! No more cheese with apricot (guess it was finished last morning), but a new type of cheese, which was as yummy as well! I still had my cornflakes and egg, hehe, and everything else was just so appetizing!
I was leaving Weimar today; my train (direct, with no transit!! Yay!!) via Munich arrives at about noon, so that leaves me quite a lot of time.
Weimar - Entlang die Straßen
To allow my dinner to digest itself, I went for an evening walk around the area near my hotel. I strolled along the entire stretch of
Lisztstraße, which turned out to be rather long indeed, then intersecting it was
Schubertstraße. The next street beside Lisztstraße was, to my dismay,
Richard-Wagner-Straße. Walked along the Wagner street and was deciding to perhaps walk to the Mozartstraße as well but it was getting dark. It was already past 10pm, the sun was just starting to set, but no street lamps! Might be something wrong with the light detector, because they were not switched on at all! It was rather frightening walking down the street when there was no one around. I was really scared. In the end, I reached the start of
Mozartstraße and decided to quickly walk back to Lisztstraße and back to my hotel.
Phew.
Weimar - Abendessen
I was crazy enough to get an ice cream for an "appetizer" when it was under 8 degrees cold. The cold got into me ten minutes later and I was desperately hunting for a restaurant to get out from the shivery cold.
And... dinnertime!! I had another typical German meal - Thüringen sausages, with Kartoffeln Salat and Sauerkraut. I loooooove sauerkraut ever since I touched down in Munich, but this one is rather, too sour. The sausages were, however, great. And you know the name of this restaurant? It's "Shakespeare Café". Dotz.
Weimar - National Theater
My stomach was whining for dinner, but I need to search for the famous statue of Goethe and Schiller, and more importantly, the theater where Franz once conducted in when he was residing in Weimar.
But where was the theater?! I really hate the confusing map... Should have gotten a better map, but too late for that. I eventually wandered from the "Franz Liszt" Musikhochschule into the start of Park an der Ilm. Ja, Goethe's park is that big. Crossed the famous stone bridge across the river - and then down to the small tunnel in the bridge. Haha, it was fun. Did something dangerous there but not going to tell. :P Who knows if Mum actually read these blog entries! I wandered around some more and came across a "Neues Schloß" (New Castle). Okay, it was closed anyway (it was already after five) but the courtyard was still opened to the public. Nothing significant to mention, except that I liked the design of the Schloß pretty much.
And so, after much time I finally found the National Theater. Back in Munich I had planned to perhaps catch an opera in the theater (since Franz was once there!), but I changed my mind. There was an opera (or musical - I wasn’t not sure) playing at the theater alright -
Maria Stuart, written by Friedrich Schiller, but perhaps I should just give it a miss and go have my dinner before heading back to my hotel. It was, anyway, already close to 7pm (the time when the performance starts) and I doubt there will be good seats left.
Weimar - Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt"
Well, no doubt it was closed on Sundays. Still, the music university was slightly huge (I thought the Musikhochschule in Munich was bigger), and I say this with pride - it was founded by Franz! In front of the school lies a huge open space/square, and whoa, was the wind strong! It was close to 5pm, the weather had cooled a lot, and it was whipping up a gale!
I was now very tired, so things didn't go in plan. I gave these a miss: Schillers Haus, Schillers Museum and the grave of both Goethe and Schiller (at the State Cemetery). It was a pity, but most of these attractions close at 5pm, so if I were to visit these places it would be in vain. Really, I regretted spending so much time in the park.
Weimar - Goethes Wohnhaus, Goethes Nationalmuseum
I'm skipping lunch because I'm running out of time. So, the Goethes Wohnhaus and Goethes Nationalmuseum are next.
Goethe's house in Weimar (
Goethes Wohnhaus) was huge, and had more brains put it than Wagner's. The entrance fee, though already subsidized, was rather high, but after the tour through Goethe's rooms, his collections of art pieces, minerals and books, his garden and his horse shed, I thought it was all worth it. Goethe really had good tastes, and once again, the house is designed by himself. Before the tour (unguided), I watched a short clip on Goethe. It was, of course, in German, and I was able to see the fruit of my stay here - I could understand 80% of the video. I spent a long time around the second floor - because I was quite lost and had all along suspected that I had missed out some rooms here and there. There were many rooms, and small secret pathways leading to his personal rooms - that was why. I get an obsessive feeling from his all sorts of collections, ranging from sculptures to rocks and minerals. There were simply too many of them - you wonder what sort of man he really was, apart from being a well-loved writer and poet, and an important political figure.
I purchased the ticket to the Goethes Nationalmuseum next - expensive as well. His museum was... just overwhelming. Three floors of collections - from Goethe and related to Goethe. There was so much to see that after finishing three-quarter of the first floor I was already exhausted. The third (and last) floor was the most intriguing of all - I was glad I persisted till the end. Goethe's collection of fossils and animals. The skull was rather intimidating; I got a bad fright when I wasn't aware of what lies install for me. Haha. And the crocodile, and the flying creatures. Hmm. And experiments and medicine, and so many different genres of things! Goethe is a very exceptional man, I find.
It was already past 4pm when I finished my tour. Bought some stuff on Liszt at the museum shop before I left for the music university which Liszt founded.
Weimar - Park an der Ilm
Since Franz's house was just at the edge of the Park an der Ilm (a park designed by Goethe himself!), I decided to take a stroll in the park to lift my spirits up. It was a big setback for me, that the Liszt Haus was closed when I'm in Weimar for that purpose! Indulged in the greeneries of the park. The weather was great - still cold (but with the amount of clothes I was wearing it wasn't a bother), but sunny and windy as well.
Liszt DenkmalAnd I found it (more like I stumbled upon it) in a short time! A Liszt memorial with his (handsome :p) statue. I climbed up to the same height where he was just to take a photo (thanks to a passerby, of course. However she must have thinking that what a crazy girl this is). Hehe. Can't stop staring at that statue of my Immortal Beloved. So, so beautiful.
Shakespeare Denkmal, Künstliches RuineIf Weimar was the centre of German Literature, I don't see why they can't place a Shakespeare statue in Goethe's park. However, the statue was vandalized! It was so sad, and I couldn't take a picture of it at all. It could only be more insulting to the great playwright if I bring the snapshot home. I could only hint with a sigh of relief that nothing of that sort happened to my love. Behind the statue lie the ruins of a wall of a certain building I don't know.
Die IlmI was on the river Ilm, a distance away from the Shakespeare Denkmal. Lovely, lush scenery. There was a street musician (it was too low-down to call him a "beggar" you see) playing his viola. It suited the peaceful atmosphere while I stayed on the bridge overlying the river Ilm for some time till he finished the piece he was playing. I continued my morning stroll along the paved route, the cold wind blowing strongly against me. Yet, I was at peace.
Goethes GartenhausAnd I walked, and walked, and came across Goethe's garden house. What lovely garden! Goethe sometimes retreated to his garden house when he needed to temporarily run away from his state work (he was a minister) and to work on his literary works. I got free admission after showing the person at the entrance my student card! That was so cool. And Goethe's garden house (which he designed himself) shows that the man had good taste. Simple, yet an exquisite touch. Many of Goethe's own drawing drafts and paintings decorated the walls of the garden house. I saw the original piece of paper where Goethe scribbled his Erlkönig on! So in awe! And others of his letters, drafts (literary and graphic alike), and some of his original furnitures (including his bed).
Römisches HausThe ground floor of this house was rebuilt after the bombing of 1945 (due to the cause of World War II), but the cellar survived the terrible event. Learnt a lot in this house - the history of the park, before and after the bombing. The park was wrecked after the air raid. Goethes Garten Haus and many other buildings (including this house) in the park was damaged. Why many still stand today is because they rebuilt the buildings (and the park) shortly after the bombing. A few was so badly damaged that there was no spark of hope left for a planned rebuilt. Perhaps that explains the ruins behind the Shakespeare Denkmal. In the cellar there were a few artifacts on display - saved and preserved after the bombing. Mostly from the Herrentempel (a temple which once stood in the park), the artifacts include a sphinx statue (the face was terribly ruined) and three headless statue which used to stand on the columns of the temple (why they were headless I don't know. Due to the bombing perhaps? The diagram showed a past Herrentempel with four of such figures completed with heads).
This is irrelevant, but before I left a book about the relationship between Beethoven and Liszt on the rack at the counter caught my attention. It was in German, but I think I bought it anyway to appease my disappointed heart. Hey, perhaps at the end of this year I could really read it at home! I have confidence in my knowledge of German.
HerrentempelAfter learning about the terrible fate of the park, I took a detour and headed for the Herrentempel ruins, which I had missed earlier on. And there it was, the fourth (but headless) statue still standing on the last surviving column of the Herrentempel. Only the front entrance of the temple survived the bombing. It was a saddening sight.
Park HöheIt was close to 1pm, and I walked back to bide farewell to my beloved statue, deciding to leave. Yet I stumbled upon the Park Höhe - a 50 meters deep tunnel under the park. It was incredibly cold in the tunnel, and I believe the temperature to be around 5-8 degrees down there. Some of Goethe's fossil collection on display; many fossils and rare minerals were discovered during the two-year long dig. And more history about the park at the last few exhibits - photos of the ruined park shortly after the bombing. And Franz once again worked his magic! There was this photo showing the overall view of the destroyed park, and far away it showed Franz's statue - still intact and standing!! Blessed, blessed, so blessed! It was an indescribable feeling. I could just shed tears of happiness. The back part of the cave tunnel was quite bizarre since it was rather dark. But for a geography major it would be very enlightening. The different contours and texture of the earth is being exposed for exhibition, which was rather freaky to see in the dark. And still scary to know that the Russian graveyard in the park lies above me, especially when it was such a creepy and cold place.
And so ended my walk in Goethe's park - I took over three hours strolling and exploring the park!
Weimar - Liszt Haus
Headed towards Liszt Haus, where he lived during his later years. Along the way I came across photo shops that sell Liszt's photos. Was quite shocked - is Liszt that popular in Weimar? Because I've always thought that Goethe overshadows every other name here. I finally located the Liszt Haus from the confusing map, but alas, it was closed till (probably) July! What a great disappointment! So I could only get a glance of his gate (which I kissed it; I don't know what brought me to do it), house exterior and his garden.
Weimar - Hotel Liszt
Breakfast at the hotel after 8am before going out. And... breakfast was great. The cheese with apricot was
wunderbar (wonderful), and more: the cornflakes (oooh, I missed the taste of milk!), the salami, the cakes!
Figuring that I still have some time before the Liszt-Haus opens, I ran about the hotel (5 floors, excluding the hotel lobby) looking for more pictures of my beloved. But, none. Only two portraits in the hotel - the lobby, and the one at our door. Sigh...
My love loves me.Ready to leave the hotel, I've changed into something warmer, but the red scarf stays. Lol.
Weimar - Lisztstraße
I checked into Hotel Liszt along Lisztstraße (Liszt Street). Haha, call me a fan girl or anything! But I'm in Weimar for Franz, no arguments okay? Don't laugh at me! I already know I'm hopeless. Lol. Anyway, I can't help but giggling at the sight of a Liszt Apotheke (Liszt Pharmacy). Everything on the Lisztstraße is named after him, haha! There was a huge Liszt portrait in the hotel lobby. Even the hotel name card has the figure of Liszt on it. Trilled, and yet feeling totally weird. I went up to the second floor (where my room was) and voila! Another portrait of Liszt just beside my room!!!!!!!! I swooned, because it was a lovely portrait. The more scary thing is - my hotel room was 22. I may be paranoid, but 22 is the birth day of my love Franz. Aha, haha, hahahaa. Ooooh... I like the thought of it.
And my room was HUGE! However, it was around 10-12 degrees (or even less) outside, and due to the size of the room, it was still very cold through the heaters were turned on (well, the hotel management restricted the maximum limit so the heaters weren't on full blast. Saving on the hotel bills, I guess.)
After settling down, I head out to the street in search of dinner. I had to be crazy then. Most of the shops are closed after 7pm. Same for Munich, same for Weimar. Hence, same for Germany. No luck on the street where the hotel receptionist had directed me to. I wandered around, enjoying my evening stroll at the same time, and stumbled upon a closed music shop. Wow, the scores on display were good stuff! Alas, it would not be opened on Sunday. I'll try Monday.
And I found a restaurant. Had asparagus with potatoes. Great dinner. The potatoes were the best I've tasted! And my first plate of asparagus in Germany! Had always fancied about how Germans take their asparagus, and I got my answers. It was
guuuuuuuut.
Lecker, oder? Hehe. Ordered a cup of hot chocolate with cream in addition to my dinner - haha, sinful food!
Went back to the hotel after 9pm; bathed (gosh, the bathroom was still cold!) and tried to plan for tomorrow's route. But due to lack of sleep this early morning, I can't help but fell asleep with my hair still dripping wet and my travel notes scattered all over my bed. With the lights still on! Well, that was the end of a day long spent on trains.
Weimar - nach Gropuisstraße
Hurray, Weimar! New experiences awaits me - it's now 7.53pm and the sun is still up. I will be staying in Weimar for two nights, and will only be leaving on Monday afternoon. Because Weimar is a Kulturstadt (culture state), not only because of Franz, but also because Weimar represents the centre of German Literature. Goethe, Schiller and other famous German authors/poets once lived here.
Took a bus from the Hauptbahnhof to Gropuisstraße coz it was too far away. Alighted at the right street, but where to go next? There was some difficulty locating the hotel, but a question or two from the people on the street soon solved the problem. This always happen to me - I was actually walking in the opposite direction! Gosh, I forgot to bring my map-reading skills with me before I left for Germany. Tsk.
Von Fulda nach Weimar (Aussteigen)
However, I was lucky. The train waited (for 10 minutes) for me, perhaps because I had seat reservation made. Phew. That was really a relief!!! A RELIEF!!!
Von Nürnberg nach Fulda (Umsteigen II)
Hmm, the second transfer
gemacht. I never imagined it was so difficult to get from Bayreuth to Weimar. It was tension at the Nürnberg station. Firstly, it was really cold out on the platform and I had at first sought shelter in the waiting room when I heard some suspicious announcements in German over the speakers. Darn it! The train will arrive 10 minutes late! You know what that means? I will miss my next and final train!
Schade! I was so worried on the (late) train to Fulda. If I miss this train to Weimar, who knows if the next train will be on the next hour, or the next day...!
Von Bayreuth nach Nürnberg (Umsteigen I)
Caught the train back to Nürnberg around 1pm. Tja, I really hate that tunnel at the Nürnberg Bahnhof! It was always so cold in there!! I shivered just like this morning while making my way to the train I was supposed to get on.
By now I've changed my scarf to a red one. Because I'm heading to Weimar, where Franz lived during his later years!
Bayreuth - Haus Wahnfried
After 11am (I indeed took a long time at the Franz-Liszt Museum!) I head on to Haus Wahnfried - where Wagner and his family lived, and where I bought a postcard of Franz, hehe. I was surprised when the sculpture in front of the house turned out to be King Ludwig II! Hmm... Why? Anyway, when I was in the house (after paying another discounted entry fee), there was this bust of Franz at the entrance, and also on display is the piano where he loved to play on when entertaining Wagner and other visitors.
To sum up the experience briefly, because I have no interest in how Wagner's house is; it was more like for the reason that Franz stepped into it before - the house was bloody big for the filthy rich Wagner. Moreover, I thought the design was rather disoriented. Hmm. There was also a huge garden, where Richard and Cosima Wagner (
AND their dog o_O;;;) was buried.
I met a Liszt fan there and got into a conversation. I remember telling her "if one love Liszt's music, the person will never appreciate Wagner." Lol. My acquaintance laughed, but did not object.
[And something else to add: There was a room exhibit dedicated to King Ludwig II! It was unbelievable, that such exhibit exists in Haus Wahnfried. I was stunned, but okay, King Ludwig II did have some connections with Wagner... Yeah yeah...] So ends my visit in Bayreuth.
Bayreuth - Franz-Liszt Museum
9.50am or so. Reached the Franz-Liszt Museum, which is just beside Haus Wahnfried. I was ten minutes earlier than the opening hour, but the kind lady saw me "loitering around the block" and let me in. Also, since I was the first, I get to choose the music which she will play when the museum officially opens. I chose his sole opera instead of his piano music. I don't know why, but I think I was curious about the opera, of which I've never heard before.
I took my time around the rooms. The exhibits are... just fabulous. Franz's mute four-octave piano was on display in the lobby. While the lady went around opening the windows I took the chance to play on the piano. Just to
more than touch it. I was glad I did so, because I later found out playing on the piano (mute or not) was not allowed. Hee...
Then I stepped into the first room, which theme was Franz's childhood to his youth. Franz's handwriting from his diary when he was young! Wow, it was so different from the later ones. The third stands his
Ibach grand (piano), which was unfortunately closed. What a waste. Franz's leather belt and sandals - what big feet! Franz must have been a really tall man! There was also his life mask on display. A very attractive man indeed.
The second last room is labeled "Liszts Sterbzimmer" (the room where he ____). Sigh... My love passed away here. The room displays items concerning his last years and also his death mask. Sigh... Why do I torture myself like this? I can only tell myself that it's to understand him better.
Around the museum (it was actually his last residence), Franz's letters and other means to show his handwritings can be seen. Rare portraits and photos, some autographed by him. Before leaving I bought a 50 Euro book on Franz at the counter, and will be delighted to share it with anyone who is interested. Rare photos a plentiful, and what shocked me happy is a photo of a smiling Franz. Ooooh... That warmed my heart.
Bayreuth - Zentrum
Instead of making things look gloomy, let's move on. After the long stop at the Bayreuth Stadtfriedhof, I walked back to the city center (near the train station), my next destination being the
Franz Liszt Museum (where Franz breathed his last before being Immortalized). It was after 9-9.30am. The map (another one) which I printed out was deceiving! It was such a long endless walk but my love for Franz kept me going.
Bayreuth - Stadtfriedhof
I shortly found my way to the Stadtfriedhof (State Cemetery), and it wasn't a long walk as I had expected. The cemetery was just fairly huge. I used my instincts to locate Liszt's grave - when I saw the little humble structure, I knew that I have come to the right place. I spent a long time there; it was the moment when he was the nearest to me physically. My only regret was that I did not bring any flowers with me. I should have, but since I know the exact location of my love now, I believe I'll make an effort to visit him every year from now on. But that's all I'm going to tell you. I don't really wish to say more about this...
Bayreuth - Auf der Straßen
I failed at figuring out which bus to bring me to the Stadtfriedhof (State Cemetery), so I decided to walk instead, since I already had the map prepared and printed out even before the journey.
Bayreuth's buildings are a little different from Munich's, but specifically what I cannot tell. Perhaps it was also because there weren't a lot of people on the streets as well, and everything looked more peaceful unlike Munich's busy streets.
Bayreuth – Hauptbahnhof
It was rather cold when we arrived at 7.53am
punctually at Bayreuth! However, my body had gotten used to the cold - well, at least it was better than the Nürnberg station. I did not immediately leave the station - need to check some train information at the counter first regarding the afternoon train leaving Bayreuth. When I was done I left the station, and the sun was surprisingly strong in Bayreuth! I hate it - it reminded me of back home. Yet, what a different weather from Munich's temperamental rainy heavens. It was rather weird (for me) fully clothed for a sunny day. I mean that it was still cold, around 15 degrees, but the sun was also shining quite strongly.
Von Nürnberg nach Bayreuth (Aussteigen)
I was shivering from the cold at Nürnberg for the next train transfer. I instinctively figured out which
Gleis to get to for my next train, and I thought that was pretty cool. It was all a gamble from instincts, lol. Still, I have to repeat this:
it is freezing cold at the tunnel!!! Got onto the RE (Regional Express) successfully, heading for Bayreuth...
Yes, Bayreuth. The resting place of Franz. And the sole reason why I was even determined to get there. I thought of Franz and starting weeping in the cabin. Sigh... I'm always so emotional.
The train ride was equally long, and unlike the ICE, the RE runs slower, and nosier (while the windows in the ICEs are sealed, it is not so for REs). I had the urge to pee. Paid a visit to the toilet, and oh my gosh, the stench! What the…?! I did not "relieve" myself in the end (no way will I do that!) and planned to do it after I alight. Ahaha.
I can't believe I just posted that point.
Von München nach Nürnberg (Umsteigen)
The train arrived before 5am, but since it was my first time boarding Germany's train, the procedures were chaotic. I was all confused and lost at which "Wagen" I should board (I had my seat reserved). I managed to put my German into further use, but it wasn't helping the situation at all. But everything soon came to light and I successfully boarded the correct
Wagen and was seating on the correct seat. In the midst of facing the unknown, I had learnt a lot about their train system. Complicated, but it worked fine for me. Complicated, but systematic.
Kein Problem. And at 5am the train punctually left München Hauptbahnhof; the sky was starting to brighten.
The scenery was rather lovely, but I was having the inner seat and was also too tired to strain my neck for the fast-passing scenery. This train is the ICE (InterCity Express), and yep, the bullet train. My German Rail Pass allows traveling on ICEs, and I was astounded when the speed of the train reaches 128km/h (In my future train rides in the weeks to come, I saw even higher speed readings.) I believe, that because of the fast speed, my fingers were freezing cold. I was dozing in and out of sleep while trying to figure out when I should alight. Announcements on board were only in German. And really, when they managed a few sentences of English, it was an incomplete translation of what they had said in German. I had a great time laughing at their
crappy English as well.
Der Hauptbahnhof
It was a 15-20 minutes walk from my hostel to the Hauptbahnhof, but it wasn't a very safe one. Unlike daytime, when everything seems orderly and safe, after dark was dangerous. I witnessed the bizarre late-night life of Munich. Both on the streets and in the underground paths I sighted men asking passersby for money, some others, mostly drunks, getting into a fight. At that point I rather regret that I understand German. If I didn’t understand a word my journey on foot wouldn't had been that scary.
Still, I arrived (safe and sound) at the Hauptbahnhof way too early though. The train will only leave at 5am! And so I was there more than an hour early. Yet, while there was one "Kehab" stall (hardworking Asians, I'd say!) still opened for business, I persisted on keeping my stomach empty - I have no appetite in the first place, and second, it just wasn't right.
Die Nacht vor meinem ersten Zugfahrt
It was easy to fall asleep (past midnight), but not so waking up! Had to wake up at 2.30am, and the shortage of sleep just made things worse. I planned to leave my hostel by 3am, but it was way past the decided time when I was on the street. I was confused and blur, and wearing very little. I had to wear all black today - so, black pants, black shirt, black coat and black scarf. I have no other clothes that are in black, so imagine walking in the streets in the dead of the night not properly clothed for the weather.
Am abend
After a fun lesson I headed home to pack for my long trip away from Munich. My weekend trip away from Munich - Bayreuth and Weimar. Because Monday is a public holiday in Germany, I've decided to extend my stay in Weimar and only return home to Munich on Monday evening.
In the end I was fighting for more time to pack! I only slept after 12 and have to wake up at 2 plus am!
Fluß Isar
Last U-Bahn trip: the river Isar. Wow. Very wide. But the weather turned cold and my fingers got numb. So, took the Straßenbahn (another first time for this mode of transport) heading back to school across the river. What a delightful sight! During my journey I passed the National Theater. Sighted a shop SELLING MUSIC SCORES!!! I must get back sooner or later, for it is my only hope. Either the case that I can't locate any of the stores, or that there are only so few in Munich...
Englischer Garten
Walked to the Englischer Garten (English Garden), and wow, it is huge! Definitely as said: the largest park in Europe. I barely managed a third of the park (and soiled my pants coz the paths are muddy; wet weather remember?) and was already exhausted......... =___= I've a feeling that I'll suffer from legs cramp tonight. Shit. Hee…
The river flowing through the Englischer Garten has such high speed current! Totally awesome. And waterfalls in the park. Who was it that told me that the Garten is boring? I'm glad I didn't take heed to the person's words. :P Almost got lost while looking for the exit to the main road (it was stated on the map, that even though the Garten is extremely big, there's only three exits to the main road (Königstrasse).
How nice.
On my way back to the U-Bahn I spotted an eveything-Japanese store! Rather big too! I will definitely visit the shop next week when I'm back from Weimar.
Universität Bahnhof
Next, the U-Bahn (my first time taking this mode of transportation!) to the Universität stop. I lost the Munich University, also called the Ludwig-Maximilians University (wanted to see how it looks like, most probably under
Monster's influence), but found my way into the Staatsbibliothek (State Library) instead. Sure, either one will do. In fact, I would have preferred the library, coz it's total coolness! I take back my words on that only a few people researched and wrote about Liszt, because it's not so! A lot of RELIABLE biographies about my Immortal Beloved, and two sets of complete published works by him! One from the Schott publisher, and the best of all: the second one the BUDAPEST edition. What the...?!
*grins like it's the end of the world!!*
Found the song I'm looking for, but alas, no photocopying unless you have a library card. That’s okay, I plan to own the original copy anyway. Flipped through the entire two collections - was there for one hour - and I never knew Franz (Liszt) wrote a Requiem! Wow, so cool! Must look for the recording AND the score, most definitely.
Frauenkirche
First stop, the Frauenkirche. Reachable by foot, and wow... I've always wanted to visit the church, because of its historical past. It suffered its toll from the bombing back in WWII, but it's rebuilt (cool Germans!) exactly like the past building and even some of the old parts are preserved and was used during the building process! I find that really impressive. The interior was so beautiful. And the exterior was rather sad - pieces and pieces that survived the 1945 bombing decorated the outer walls of the church. However, the surrounding of the church is really peaceful. Maybe it’s just early in the morning; maybe it's the presence of the church.
Aufstehen
To make full use of my new IsarCard (Munich's transport pass), I woke up early and left my hostel around 8am. The sun rises before 6am and sets after 9pm here. The weather was actually pretty good! Not freezing cold, but still cold (though I've more or less gotten use to the coldness here).
Die Woche IsarCard
Bought my IsarCard finally, but the bad news is the network is never flexible. Today is Thursday, but my IsarCard expires on next Monday! Darn it, I did not see it coming, so... I should have bought the Card on my arrival day. Or better, I should have bought the monthly IsarCard on my arrival day. Pech.
Oh, and lastly, the pizzas here are great!!!! Had one giant piece (their servings here are really too big...) for dinner at the Karlsplatz Bahnhof. Generous servings of melted cheeeeeeese. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...!
Der Unterricht
Right, back to lessons: it's more enjoyable. I'm feeling more at ease with the teacher now. He's a complete joker who loves to converse with his students! And patient too, so I don't mind making embarrassing mistakes in front of the class. He nails down your grammar, and I really appreciate the effort. And of course, I think he knows that my listening speed is slower than the rest, so that's great as well. And the chapter covered in class today is much more comprehensible and not anything dry.
Neues Rathaus - Glockenspiel - Einkaufen
I went shopping today!! Left the hostel after 10am in an effort to get to the Neues Rathaus before 11am. Light drizzle when I got there, but an umbrella was still essential. Stood in front of the Neues Rathaus,
neck strained, to watch the
figures at the tower dances to the out-of-tune chimes melody at after 11am. Apparently the mechanism wasn't very punctual, ahaha. The figurines only moves three times a day. 11, 12 and 16 hrs. Now that I've finally seen this "famous landmark", I don't see what's so special about it. Really. It only adds to my neck ache. Tja.
No luck on better maps for the whole of Germany. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. Well, I've three more weeks to look and hunt anyway, no panic yet. I shopped for CDs, yay! A lot of classical cds UNAVAILABLE BACK HOME. I was literally drooling, lol... Found the COMPLETE collection (90+ volumes) of the Liszt recordings by Leslie Howard! Was so tempting to grab all, but the prices of the cds are twice the prices back home. Ya. If I can't find cheaper prices in Munich, I've made up my mind to grab them only in my last week here. But still I bought a recording of Liszt's orchestral songs and his Missa Solemnis (coz it was cheap, haha). I SAW THE RECORDING OF HIS ONE SOLE OPERA!!!!!!!!!!!! Alas, the cd booklet looks worn and old and the store doesn't have another new copy. And it cost close to 40 Euros. So I tragically put it back in the rack. Tja. Then started looking for scores along Sonnenstrasse – but no luck. Wasn't able to find Proko's Barenreiter Bach Suites yet. Or my Liszt Lieder. Hmm, I
am really looking at the wrong places.
