Friday, October 17, 2014

Germany Trip (5): Hofgarden (Court Garden or Court Park)

The original plan for today, not actually specifically for today, the only one left and not done, was first to go to Salzburg, but I decided to cancel that the day before after struggling with myself for a few minutes! Part of me was urging to go because this would be the last time I'm in this region. The other part was resisting and denying for the following reasons:

1- I injured the back of my feet on my trip to Bertchesgaden and hike to Kehlsteinhuas.
2- Tomorrow will be my departure time so I have to be prepared (something happened which I will explain later and in fact it was good that I didn't go).
3- Cost would be too much. I have already spent a lot:
a. There would have been a €22 admission to the caves.
b. Ticket from Munich to Salzburg would have been between €25 to €30.
c. There would have been the cost travel from Salzburg to Werfen.
d. I should add cost of food and beverage as well. The last time when I went to Kehlsteinhaus, I only bought two bottles of water and that cost me €2.5 each!! The funny thing is each bottle of same water, same brand, same volume cost €3 in Frankfurt Airport.

So this is how the trip was cancelled and I decided to spend a little time in the town and do some shopping and photography. The first ting of course was not performed due the cost of the things I wanted to purchase and they were very high. I checked a few souvenir stores for Munich or Bavaria pin and one didn't have what I wanted and a few others had unreasonable prices. So I gave up. Then I came across a small shop which sold medals and pins. I saw a few military medals belong to the Nazis but didn't dare to ask their prices. The guy, a man with white hair and clear English accent was not friendly but I bet anyone else would have been able to get a deal for the items he wanted.
Then I headed for Hofgarten which is a big park close to the Residenz. It took me several minutes to find the damn bus for route 100. I even asked the Tourism Office but the woman just pointed at a corner and said: Get number 100! When I reached there and finished my walk and photography, I realized it was adjacent to the Residenz! Hofgarten had a café in open air which was a favourite place for Adolf Hitler to enjoy a meal or drink. The café still is up and running. The tables and chairs were put outside but nobody was being served due to the weather.
I then walked Ludwig St. up to the university and went back and caught a train back to the Central Station. The University did not seem like a university in the first glance, at all! It is located in an old building which is completely different from the universities I have seen everywhere else.
Then I wanted to book a cab for tomorrow in the hotel so when I talked to the front guy he told me that Bahn people might go on strike tomorrow so I better to check and he gave me a number after finding it on the net. I tried the number a few times and got nothing but busy signal. So didn't waste any more time on the damn phone and walked quickly to the nearby station, Giesing, to get myself to Bahn information desk in Central Station. I saw lines everywhere when I got there and in fact that was the same scene in the morning and as I hate waiting and lines I didn't check. I was told after a few minutes of waiting that my trip to Frankfurt through Manheim is cancelled and instead I should go either one hour earlier or later directly to the same destination. This earlier train is much better for me because I do not have to change which would be a disaster with two heavy suitcases. Secondly I will have enough time for checking in and rest before the plane leaves the ground.
So now I'm here and writing this lines. I have set my wristwatch for 06:00 and the Surface for 06:01 in order to catch a cab at 06:30. I'm hopping everything goes well to the last minute. This will be the last time I travel by myself!
(Picture: This is showing part of Hofgarten beside the Bavarian State building. A memorial site is also here which commemorates the lost one of Munich during the WWI which I hopefully will write about it soon)

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