Tag: Nymphenburg

The Wonders of Google Maps, Take 2

(Edited to include link to the graphic for email feed)

In addendum to yesterday’s post: I keep finding more crazy-amazing stuff on Google Maps. Just for instance, and for your delectation, here’s a Photo Sphere image of the Great Hall of Nymphenburg Palace (click your mouse inside the image and drag it around for a 360° view):

[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1479147263133!6m8!1m7!1sF%3A-BlddJP2m5Ho%2FVis8riqt9bI%2FAAAAAAAAALo%2FHnOc-kCrb-YB_AR9DVjMMLgFxAaJkWb0ACJkC!2m2!1d48.157985!2d11.5034517!3f97.0519623509889!4f17.897323279844414!5f0.4000000000000002&w=600&h=450]

(If you can’t see the embedded graphic, click on the link here)

Isn’t that something?

And now I have to go fix a sentence in my NaNo manuscript – from my own photos, I thought that marble tile floor was black and white…

Life, the Universe, and Research. What did writers ever do before Google? (Write, probably. Hmph. Okay, okay, I’m getting back to it!)

Holiday Slide Show, Part 1

I’ve been trying to think of witty things to say about this trip which Steve and I just got back from. Erudite things, informative ones – but I can’t really come up with anything. So I think I’ll just show you a few pictures, and you can decide yourself what you think of it all.

Imagine yourself in my living room, the blinds drawn, a slide projector set up, and the painting of the West Coast taken off its hook so I can project my pictures against its spot on the white wall. (That, dear children, is why they call it a ‘slide show’ when you put pictures in consecutive order to show to people. It’s how folks back in the dark ages, ca. 1975, shared their holiday experiences with friends, family, and other unsuspecting victims. Depending on the liveliness of the presenter, one was rather apt to want to fall asleep – the darkened room didn’t help. However…)

So here goes, the first slide (chick-chook goes the slide projector):

Germany'15 (02)
Air Canada Jazz planes looking decorative at the Calgary airport, where we switched from a little cloud hopper like this (I think ours had a yellow leaf on in) to one of the big jets.
Germany'15 (03)
Munich, Marienplatz. The towers in the background are those of the Frauenkirche (Our Lady’s Church), the icon of Munich. This is the Fussgängerzone (pedestrian zone), which is roughly speaking a giant outdoor mall. I love Fussgängerzonen. Stroll around on the city streets, with no cars to get in your way – it’s the best shopping and hanging-out-in-the-city experience ever.
Germany'15 (04)
Munich City Hall. What everyone is staring at is the Glockenspiel, the musical bells, where a bunch of little puppet guys pop out of the tower and do a dance. It’s sort of half-way up the tower.
Germany'15 (05)
Weisswurst and a Brezel at the Viktualienmarkt (victuals market) in Munich. They’re an institution. Oh, and Weisswurstsenf – a special sweet mustard which is mandatory to eat with Weisswurst.
Germany'15 (06)
View over the Marienplatz through the ancient window panes of the toy museum.
Germany'15 (07)
Nymphenburg, the baroque summer palace of the kings of Bavaria.
Germany'15 (08)
I did say baroque, didn’t I?
Germany'15 (09)
A selfie the old-fashioned way. The green bed in the background is where Ludwig II of Bavaria was born (the royal nut bar who built Neuschwanstein, that Disneyland castle that Americans are all so terribly fond of).
Germany'15 (10)
Nymphenburg was, and still is, the site of a world-famous porcelain manufactury. These are from the 18th century, by Bustelli (I think). They’re no more than 20cm (8″) high; the detail is astounding.

Excuse me while I change the slide holder. Anybody want another drink of Spezi (cola-orange pop mix) or Apfelschorle (apple juice spritzer) while I do that? No?

To be continued…