Maxvorstadt

landed after a surprisingly comfortable flight by the window next to 2 lovely German guys who have me some great exploration ideas. So i got through the night and having fortified myself with airport pretzels, strudel and hot chocolate I navigated the train and met a lovely young American couple having a two year delayed honeymoon - an internal wince but I enjoyed chatting and left them to their conversation feeling sad and wondering about how to spend this day.

It feels like reinventing myself. I realise that I have spent my life looking after our having to attend to the care of others in some way and now the person in my care is me. It's like I need to attend to what I want and I'm used to stuffing that piece down.

At the same time I also feel in care myself. The meeting of the couple, the nice Dutch lady at dancing, the host at the Havana club sitting me some shoes. Even this amazing technology that enables me to encounter all these different worlds and sources of information and now I'm of to see a real life castle.Read more

The Pinakothek is beautiful. I love art. I rarely understand it, yet like Dance, I always feel wonderful if it has made me feel something - even if the Art makes me sad. Luckily, the Pinakothek Der Modern did not disappoint. There are three Pinakotheks. An old - with historic art, a New, with more-recent art, and the Modern, which celebrates new art and design. I love innovation and art, so of course the Pinakothek Der Modern is my first stop.

Pinakothek Der Modern is a concrete squat building with a UFO outside. It doesn't really look like much itself, yet the UFO set in the park next to the museum makes it stand out. I am always amused at the juxtaposition of old and new, and the new museum with a UFO is next to all the older buildings, including the other Pinakotheks. Inside the Pinakothek is beautiful, white, with a huge exhibit in the centre of the lobby featuring a giant pendulum. My little camera doesn't take good pictures of this, as it is covered in chrome and swings back and forth to the amusement of everyone who enters. Many people take pictures of it. I wander off to the rest of the museum, excited to see design and new art from Munich.

There is pottery from Africa (not very German so I move on quickly), and a feature exhibit of light-art, with a chandelier made of broken porcelain, light-benches and more. A design museum with unique furniture, cars, and motorcycles from the 19th Century to today. Even a shrine to the design of the walk-man (I had one of those!). The walk-man has been so far from my memory that I forgot I loved one for a long time, yet until seeing this exhibit walk-mans are far from my mind. The world has changed sooo rapidly in only the years I've seen! I can't believe how much it has changed in the life of my parents or grandparents.

Of course much of the art doesn't move me. I learn a little of Germany's history in modern art - how the wars influenced it - yet I am moved most by an exhibit that has no words - only examples of art with no description. Much of it passes over my head like an airplane and I wonder what the point is, yet this itself amuses me. How did these artists come to make this art? and why - of all the art that could be - was it selected for here?

I don't understand it, yet many pieces make me smile. Some make me frown. Most make me slightly bemused that humans have come so far in technology and understanding, only to still be making things up and placing made-up values to things.

Some of the art I think my niece could have made. This is also funny, because I don't think the Pinakothek curator would agree.

I have a coffee. I enjoy large windows and a chat with a stranger. Life is beautifully simple here.

I head off to Sunday dinner with Franz after. It is delightful. Moreso for the chats about hiking.Read more