My computer is back in action - hooray!
Last weekend, I spent Saturday at the Nymphenburg Palace and Gardens, which is a beautiful estate on the western edge of Munich. It was built by the Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife in 1664, but several annexes and new buildings have been added since then. It reminded me of Versailles in that the layout of the building and the gardens are inspired by French castles, but the parks extending beyond the gardens reminded me very much of estates in England, such as Blenheim Palace (where Winston Churchill grew up).
The day I went was beautiful - when I first arrived by tram and began the long walk up the gravel driveway, the clouds kind of exploded and rain started pouring for about five minutes, then stopped. There were patches of blue sky everywhere so the effect was kind of mystical, and I couldn't help but feel like I had been transported to Narnia. By the end of the day the sky was blue, so after walking through the palace I was really able to enjoy the park, and walked through it for hours.
The palace itself is gorgeous, and the highlight for me was the "Gallery of Beauties." Ludwig I commissioned Joseph Stieler to paint various portraits of young women that caught his eye, and they have since been placed in Nymphenburg, in a wonderful collection. This was a kind of pervert-move at the time, but it has contributed to a beautiful room with an interesting array of women - they range from princesses to blacksmiths' daughters.
In the gardens, there are several different buildings and small palaces that were built for various purposes, such as hunting lodges, grottoes, and one of the most exciting, a huge carriage house. The Marstallmuseum, where hundreds of carriages and sleighs are stored that once belonged to Bavarian leaders, is incredible.
Overall, a wonderful day ... it was gorgeous out, and there were adorable geese and ducks and swans everywhere. I decided to walk almost all the way home (across the whole city, practically), and I was struck (as I am every day) by how beautiful and safe this city is. I love it here! I just need to work on my German ...
For full albums of Athens, Crete, Munich, and Schloss Nymphenburg, check out my links to the right!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment