Mills in Munich

Our Trip to Switzerland

2007-02-26T17:19:00.000+01:00

From February 3rd to 10th we were in Château d'Oex, Switzerland. We drove down on Saturday, the 3rd. It was about a 7 hour drive. Dragonheart was very well behaved in the car. He spent most of the trip asleep, either on C's lap, or curled up on the seat behind her. He had water, food and a litterbox, but he didn't make use of any of them, even when we stopped for a break at lunch (one of us stayed in the car with him the entire time.)

When we arrived in Château d'Oex, we discovered that our chalet was up on the mountainside, and that our chalet was on the top floor of the chalet building. It was a very nice chalet, with a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. There was a bedroom, with two single beds, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room, as well as a fireplace. The living room had a sofa bed, which is where we slept, so that Dragonheart wouldn't have to choose one of us to sleep with.

We had a fire in the fireplace every evening. Although it was very warm while we were in Switzerland, it was still nice to sit in front of a fire. Dragonheart really enjoying the fireplace. He liked the warmth, of course, and seemed to be mesmerized by the flames.

It's a good thing that we aren't skiers, because none of the ski slopes in the village where we were staying were open, due to a lack of snow! The weather was great for us though, warm and sunny for most of the trip. It rained on the Thursday, and the rest of the trip we had great weather.

We went running twice while we were there. It was impossible to find a running route that didn't involve a large number of hills, so we got some good hill training in, which is good for building leg strength. We went horseback riding on the Wednesday (English/hunter seat) for a trail ride through the countryside around the village, and we went paragliding on the Friday.

Paragliding was amazing! Such an incredible experience, to soar through the air like a bird. We each did a tandem paraglide, with an experienced pilot strapped behind us. It was very cool to fly through the air. Just an amazing, incredible experience.

You can check out some photos from our trip below. The first set of photos are all of Dragonheart in Switzerland. The second set are of the entire trip, the chalet, us out horseback riding, and the road from the chalet to the valley below.

by Caylynn

by Caylynn

Munich's Egyptian Museum

2007-01-05T15:35:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday, we visited the Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst (Egyptian Art Museum). They have a diverse selection of pieces from the early, middle and late kingdoms, including several mummy sarcophagi and a papyrus copy of the Book of the Dead. Some of the stone tablets with hieroglyphics were out in the open, not behind glass, so we were actually able to touch them! It was very cool actually touching something that old. It was also neat to see the mummy sarcophagi, and to see the inside of one, with all the decoration inside (you can see it in one of the photos in the collection.)

(Click on the photo below to view all the photos we took during our trip to the museum.)

Munich Egyptian Museum

Happy New Year!

2006-12-31T08:47:00.001+01:00

Wishing our families, and all our friends and their families a Happy New Year! Frohes neues Jahr! Bonne Année !

Christmas

2006-12-28T09:32:00.000+01:00

Here are some photos from Christmas this year. Here is a photo of our Christmas tree. We decided to just buy a small tree for the three years we'll be in Germany. We have a large tree with lights pre-installed, but of course we can't use it here in Munich with the different power supply. So we decided to just go with a small tree.

Here are some photos of Dragonheart in his Christmas sweater (C crocheted it).

For a while, Dragonheart was more interested in watching the birds outside than in opening presents and playing with ribbon and toys.

Dragonheart enjoyed helping us unwrap our presents.

Here are a couple of photos of Dragonheart with his presents. One of them is a rustle tunnel that makes noise when he walks through it. The other is a ball track.

Here's a short video of Dragonheart playing with his new ball track:
(If you can't see the video, click here.)

You can view more Christmas photos by clicking on the small photos below. The first set of photos features Dragonheart, the second set features K and C.

by Caylynn

by Caylynn

Christmas Tree

2006-12-24T14:17:00.000+01:00

Here are some photos of Dragonheart and our Christmas tree. Our large Christmas Tree from Canada has lights pre-installed on it, so it won't work here in Germany, due to the different electrical power system. So we decided to just have a small tree for the three years we will celebrate Christmas in Germany. Not all of the presents are under the tree yet - Dragonheart enjoys playing with the ribbon a little too much!

Happy Holidays

2006-12-19T15:08:00.000+01:00

(Click either card for a larger version of that card)

Dragonheart's Sweater

2006-12-04T11:33:00.000+01:00

(Click on the photo to see a larger version)

So we bought Dragonheart a sweater on Friday. It's not cold enough out yet for him to need it, but when the time comes, he'll have a sweater to help keep him nice and warm. Doesn't he look cute?

Dragonheart's First Day

2006-11-26T19:49:00.000+01:00

Last night was Drake's first evening with us. He slept curled up next to C for about half an hour, and spent most of the rest of the night in his cat tree, with a fleece blanket. He really likes the cat tree - he is quite content to hang out there a lot of the time.

Today he has been quite active, exploring the room, playing with us and with his toys, and then coming to curl up in C's lap for a bit before heading off again to play some more. He really enjoys playing with a peacock feather that we can dangle in front of him, as you can see in the photos.

He is very curious and a lot of fun to play with. He seems to be settling in just fine.

by Caylynn

(Click on the small photo above to see more photos.)

Our new kitten: Dragonheart

2006-11-26T19:47:00.000+01:00

We picked up our Sphynx kitten, Dragonheart, from the breeder today. Dragonheart is a Sphynx, a hairless breed of cat. I posted more about the breed here.

The breeder lives up near Frankfurt, so we drove from Munich to Frankfurt yesterday afternoon, spent the evening in a hotel, and then picked up Dragonheart this morning at the breeder's place. She provided us with some toys, food and litter for him, as well as his vaccination and ID chip papers. Once we have him neutered, we'll send her proof of the neutering, and we'll receive his pedigree.

Dragonheart slept through most of the drive back to Munich, and was quiet throughout the entire trip. Once we arrived at our place, we put him down in the room that will be "his" and that he'll be confined to for the first few days (it's our guest room/office room, and is the largest of the three bedrooms in our place). At first he was meowing quite sadly, and running around, probably looking for his older brother and sister to play with, but after about an hour he settled down. He played with us for a bit, and let us pet and cuddle him, and now he's napping. He's used the litter box once, and we have food and water out for him, so I'm sure he'll take some of that when he's ready.

Dragonheart is the name the breeder gave him - she names her litters according to themes, and this litter was "fantasy" so we have Dragonheart, and his brother was Merlin. We'll probably end up calling him Drake or Drago. (For more pictures of Drake from today, click on the small photo below.)

by Caylynn

Our First German Christmas Decoration

2006-11-17T11:33:00.000+01:00

We've made our first German Christmas purchase. We bought a wooden Christmas pyramid. We purchased a very small, and simple one. They can also be very elaborate, and very large.

So what is a Christmas pyramid? As explained by About.com:

The German Christmas pyramid (Weihnachtspyramide) was first developed in the Erzgebirge (Erz Mountains) in the German state of Saxony (Sachsen) as a low-cost substitute for a real Christmas tree in the late 1700s. A traditional pyramid is made of wood and may have two to five levels (Etagen). The heat from burning candles turns a windmill-like rotor at the top of the pyramid, making the pyramid revolve and ring its chimes.

You can see more Christmas pyramids at the shop where we purchased ours. When you see some of the prices, you can understand why we bought a small, simple one to start!

You can see some more images of Christmas pyramids here (site is in German) including some rather large ones!

Photos of our Running Route

2006-11-06T19:45:00.000+01:00

C. took these photos last week on one of her runs. She brought the camera with her, would run for a bit, stop to take a few photos, run some more, take some more photos, and repeated that for 4.5 miles.

Anyhow, these are some shots of the running paths we take from our place down to the Englischer Garten and the Isar River. You can see some of the beautiful fall colours in Munich. The trees don't get the beautiful reds that you often see in Canada, but there are plenty of yellows, golds, and oranges.

See my Tabblo>

You can view all of the photos that C. took here (click on the small photo to open the album with all the photos in it):

by Caylynn

New Photos of Dragonheart

2006-10-31T10:58:00.000+01:00

Dragonheart's breeder sent us some new photos of him. He'll be joining our family in a couple of weeks. We are very excited to have a new member of our family.

Click on the picture below to see all of the photos in the album.

Drake

Photos from the Paris 20km Race

2006-10-21T17:09:00.000+02:00

See my Tabblo>

Paris - Arc de Triomphe

2006-10-18T15:26:00.000+02:00

The Arc de Triomphe stands in the centre of the Place de l'Étoile, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.

Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, it was not finished until 1836. There are four huge relief sculptures at the bases of the four pillars. These commemorate The Triumph of 1810 (Cortot); Resistance , and Peace (both by Etex); and The Departure of the Volunteers, more commonly known by the name La Marseillaise (Rude).

Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, are to found on the inside walls. Generals whose names are underlined died in action.

The monument stands over 51 metres (165 feet) in height and is 45 metres wide. It is the second largest triumphal arch in existence.

Beneath the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and an eternal flame commemorating the dead of the two world wars.

L'Arc de Triomphe

Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Paris Pages: Arc de Triomphe, Wikipedia: Arc de Triomphe

Paris - Champs-Élysées

2006-10-18T14:36:00.000+02:00

The Champs-Élysées is a broad avenue in Paris. Its full name is "avenue des Champs-Élysées". With its cinemas, cafés, and luxury specialty shops, the Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world. The name refers to the Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed in Greek mythology. The Champs-Élysées is also called La plus belle avenue du monde, French for "The most beautiful avenue in the world."

Every year on Bastille Day, the largest military parade in Europe passes down the Champs-Élysées, reviewed by the President of the Republic.

The Champs-Élysées is also the traditional end of the last stage of the Tour de France.

Champs-Elysées

Champs-Elysées

Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Wikipedia: Champs-Élysées

Paris - Place Vendôme

2006-10-18T14:22:00.000+02:00

Place Vendome was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The sqaure was named after the residence (hôtel) of César, duc de Vendôme, the illegitimate son of Henri IV and his mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées. It is octagonal in shape and surrounded by buildings with large arches on the lower floor. Famous buildings on the square include the Hotel Ritz (no. 15) and the house where Chopin died in 1849 (no. 12).

In the centre stands a column erected by Napoleon, modelled after Trajan's Column, to celebrate the victory of Austerlitz. Its spiralling veneers of bas-relief bronze plates (by the sculptor Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret) were made out of cannon taken from the combined armies of Europe, according to his propaganda. After the Bourbon Restoration the statue of the Emperor was pulled from the top of the column and refinished as a statue of Henri IV. A replacement statue of Napoleon, however, was erected by Louis-Philippe, and another classic statue of Napoleon I by Louis-Napoleon.

Place Vendôme

Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Wikipedia: Place Vendôme

Paris - Opéra de Paris Garnier

2006-10-18T14:08:00.000+02:00

The opulent Opéra de Paris Garnier was designed by Charles Garnier for Emperor Napoleon III. It is the most important symbol of the 19th century Second Empire baroque style. Construction of the opera building started in 1862, but it wasn't completed until 1875, partly because an underground lake was discovered during construction. The small lake still exists under the opera building. It was the hiding place of the 'Phantom of the Opera' in Paul Leroux's famous play (and in the musical based on that play by Andrew Lloyd Webber.)

A large building, it has a total area of 11,000 square metres (118,404 square feet) and a vast stage with room for up to 450 artists. The auditorium itself comprises roughly half of the total space, most of the rest being used to house necessary logistical support so that the stage demands of any opera can be met and even surpassed. This can include live horses running on a rotating stage. The opera seats only 2,200.

Legend has it that the Empress Eugénie asked Garnier whether the building was to be in Greek or Roman style to which he replied "It is in the Napoléon III style Madame!" It remains an ornate building richly decorated with friezes, columns, and winged figures among other statues and embellishments.

This richness continues inside with velvet, gold leaf, and nymphs and cherubs. The auditorium's central chandelier weighs over six tons, and its ceiling was painted in 1964 by Chagall.

Paris Opera House

Sources: Les Cars Rouges, A View on Cities: Opéra de Paris Garnier, Paris Pages: Opéra Garnier

Paris - Palais de Justice

2006-10-18T13:59:00.000+02:00

The Palais de Justice is located in the Île de la Cité in central Paris, France.

It is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis, of which the Sainte Chapelle remains.

It houses various courts, including the Paris correctional court. It also houses the Conciergerie, a former prison, now a museum, notable because Marie Antoinette was imprisoned there before being executed on the guillotine.

Palais de Justice

Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Wikipedia: Palais de Justice, Paris Pages: Sainte-Chapelle, Paris Pages: Le Palais de Justice

Paris - Notre Dame Cathedral

2006-10-18T09:52:00.000+02:00

The Cathédral Notre-Dame de Paris is considered by many to be the most beautiful and the most famous monument of the Ile de la Cité.

Preceeded by a Gallo-Roman temple to Jupiter, a Christian basilica, and a Romanesque church, construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII. Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. The idea to replace the Romanesque church occupying the site - the Cathedral of St. Etienne (founded by Childebert in 528) - was that of Bishop Maurice de Sully (who died in 1196). Construction was completed roughly 200 years later in about 1345.

During the reign of Louis XIV and Louis XV, at the end of the 17th century, the cathedral underwent major alterations as part of an ongoing attempt to modernise cathedrals throughout Europe. Tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed. The North and South Rose Windows were spared this fate, however. These two windows of Notre Dame were built between 1250 and 1260, and were designed in the style of the High Gothic period. This is evident by how they sit flush with the wall rather than being recessed, unlike the rose window on the Western Façade which was built during the Early Gothic period. The rose window on the South wall depicts the "Triumph of Christ" along with scenes from the New Testament. These rose windows are notable for being one of the few stained glass windows in the cathedral, and indeed in all of Europe, that still have their original glasswork.

In 1793 during the French Revolution, the cathedral was turned into a "Temple to Reason" and many of its treasures were destroyed or stolen. Several sculptures were smashed and destroyed, and for a time Lady Liberty replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars. The cathedral's great bells managed to avoid being melted down, but the cathedral was used as a warehouse for the storage of food.

A restoration program was initiated in 1845, overseen by architects Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The restoration lasted 23 years and included the construction of a flèche (a type of spire) as well as the addition of the chimeras on the Galerie des Chimères.

In 1939, it was feared that German bombers could destroy the stained glass windows. As a result, on September 13, 1939, they were removed. They were restored at the end of the war.

In 1991, a major program of maintenance and restoration was initiated, which was intended to last 10 years but is still in progress as of 2005, the cleaning and restoration of old sculptures being an exceedingly delicate matter.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral: Official Site
Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Paris Pages: Notre Dame, Wikipedia: Notre Dame de Paris

Paris - Musée du Louvre

2006-10-17T18:40:00.000+02:00

The Louvre has been a Medieval castle, a palace of the kings of France, and a museum for two centuries. The architecture of the Palace du Louvre developed over 800 years.

The Louvre currently contains one of the world's most famous and most important art collections. It is famous for holding several of the world's most prestigious works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, The Virgin and Child with St. Anne, Virgin of the Rocks and Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo.

The Louvre's collections are divided into 7 departments: Oriental antiques, Egyptian antiques, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiques; Paintings, Sculptures and Objets d'Art from the Middle Ages to 1850.

Musée du Louvre

Louvre Museum Official Website
Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Paris Pages: Musée du Louvre, Wikipedia: Louvre

Paris - Place de la Concorde

2006-10-17T14:32:00.000+02:00

The Place de la Concorde is the largest public square in Paris. Originally named Place Louis XV, the square was designed by Jacques-Ange Gabriel, Louis XV's architect, for the purpose of showcasing an equestrian statue of the King — which had been commissioned in 1748 by the city of Paris and sculpted by Edmé Bouchardon. Construction of the square began in 1754 and was completed in 1763. It is actually in the shape of an octagon, and was once bordered by large moats which no longer exist.

Several decades after its construction, this square was to serve as a focal point for the bloodiest political upheaval in the history of France: the French Revolution. When the hordes of revolutionaries seized power, they renamed the square Place de la Révolution, tore down the statue of Louis XV and replaced it with a guillotine. Between 1793 and 1795, more than 1300 people were beheaded in public executions, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

At the North end of the square are two identical stone buildings, separated by the Rue Royale. The eastern one houses the French Naval Ministry, and the western one is the Hôtel de Crillon. The Rue Royale leads to the Église de la Madeleine.

The center of the square is occupied today by a giant Egyptian obelisk decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the pharaoh Ramses II. It once marked the entrance to the Luxor Temple in Egypt. The viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali, presented the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk to France in 1829. King Louis-Philippe had it placed in the centre of Place de la Concorde in 1833. The red granite column rises 23 metres high, including the base, and weighs over 250 tonnes. Missing its original cap, believed stolen in the 6th century BC, in 1998 the government of France added a gold-leafed pyramid cap to the top of the obelisk. The obelisk is flanked on both sides by fountains constructed at the time of its erection on the square.

Place de la Concorde

Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Paris Pages: Place de la Concorde, Obélisque de Luxor, Wikipedia: Place de la Concorde, Discover France: Place de la Concorde, Obelisk of Luxor

Paris - Grand Palais and Pétit Palais

2006-10-17T14:12:00.000+02:00

Across from the Pont Alexandre III in Paris are the Grand Palais and Pétit Palais.

The Grand Palais was built in 1900 for the World's Fair. The construction began in 1897, following the plans of architects Deglane, Louvet and Thomas. The building measures 240 meters wide and 40 meters tall. Currently the Grand Palais houses the 'Palais de la Découverte', with interactive exhibits, a planetarium and other temporary exhibitions. Next to it, the Pétit Palais, houses the 'Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris' (fine arts museum).

The Grand Palais consists of stone, glass and steel architecture. The Pétit Palais was built in the Art Nouveau style.

The Pont Alexandre III connects the Grand and Petit Palais on the right bank with the Hôtel des Invalides on the left bank. The bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses at either end, was built between 1896 and 1900. It was named after Tsar Alexander III (father of Nicholas II) of Russia. It was Nicholas II who laid the foundation stone in October 1896.

The construction of the bridge is a marvel of 19th century engineering, consisting of a 6m high single span steel arch. The design was subject to strict controls that prevented the bridge from obscuring the view of the Champs-Élysées or the Invalides.

The bridge was built by the engineers Résal and Alby and inaugurated in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition.

Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Pont Alexandre III

Grand Palais
Galeries nationales du Grand Palais
Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Virtourist: Paris, Wikipedia: Pont Alexandre III

Paris - Hôtel des Invalides/Tombeau de Napoléon

2006-10-17T14:04:00.000+02:00

One of our next stops was l'Hôtel des Invalides and le Tombeau de Napoléon (Napoleon's tomb).

In 1670, Louis XIV - the Sun King - founded Les Invalides near what was then called the Grenelle Plain. An old soldiers home, it was funded by a five year levy on the salaries of soldiers currently serving in the army at that time. The first stones were laid in 1671, for what was to become a complex providing quarters for 4,000. Construction followed plans drawn up by Libéral Bruant, and was completed in 1676. The Esplandade was layed out by Robert de Cotte.

Construction of the dome began in 1706. It was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed by de Cotte after Mansart died in 1708.

Many of the arms used by the mob when it attacked the Bastille on 14 July 1789 were taken from Les Invalide on the morning of that day. Despite resistence by the posted sentries, they were overwhelmed by the mob which finally entered the underground rifle storehouse. Roughly 28,000 arms were taken.

Les Invalides houses the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) in the crypt under Mansart's dome. Napoleon was initially interred on Saint Helena, but King Louis-Philippe arranged for his remains to be brought to St Jerome's Chapel in Paris in 1840. A renovation of Les Invalides took many years, but in 1861 Napoleon was moved to the most prominent location under the dome at Les Invalides.

A popular tourist site today, Les Invalides is also the burial site for some of Napoleon's family, for several military officers who served under him, and other French military heroes.

Hôtel des Invalides/Tombeau de Napoléon

Les Invalides: Musée de l'Armée
Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Wikipedia: Les Invalides, Paris Pages: Les Invalides

Paris - Eiffel Tower

2006-10-17T13:55:00.000+02:00

Our bus tour in Paris started at the Eiffel Tower.

Conceived in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be the temporary master piece of the Worlds Fair, which marked the centennial of the French Revolution.

But it was not dismantled as foreseen, and for over 40 years, it was the tallest building of the world, with a height of 301.80 m.

Consisting of 18 000 elements, linked by 2 million rivets, it has become one of the most famous monuments in the world and the symbol of Paris.

To view more pictures of the Eiffel Tower, click on the picture below.

Eiffel Tower

Official web site of the Eiffel Tower
Sources: Les Cars Rouges, Wikipedia: Eiffel Tower

Trip to Paris

2006-10-17T13:15:00.000+02:00

This past weekend we were both in Paris. C was running a 20 km race and meeting a bunch of running friends, and K came along for the ride, since he had never been to Paris before. He was originally supposed to be in Ottawa the weekend of the race, but when his business trip was postponed, he decided to make the trip to Paris. Unfortunately, the race entries had already closed by that time, but buying another airplane ticket on the same flights was no problem.

We flew to Paris from Munich on Friday, took a taxi to our hotel, checked in, grabbed some lunch, and then headed to the race expo to pick up C's race kit (timing chip, number, etc.) The race expo was held right at the base of the Eiffel Tower. It was very small compared to the race expos we're used to in Canada, but picking up the race kit was very quick and easy.

At the Eiffel Tower, we saw a bunch of tour buses, and we decided to do a tour of the city. It was a great way to see many of the major tourist sites of Paris, without actually having to do a lot of walking. We didn't have time to go into any of the buildings we saw, but we saw a lot.

Went back to the hotel, grabbed a bite to eat, and tried to get in contact with the other European ladies running the race that C was supposed to meet up with. No luck. Two of the other women were supposed to be staying at the same hotel as us, and one of the ladies was a Paris native. However, she was on vacation the week before the race, and only due to arrive back in Paris late that night.

The next morning, we hear from the Paris native (Magali). It turns out there are *two* Mercure Tour Eiffel Hotels in Paris, just a few blocks from each other, and the other two ladies (Ammi and Martina) are staying at the other hotel. Thank goodness we found each other! Planned to hook up at the race expo, where the other ladies would pick up their race kits.

So we met up, then planned to meet at the Musée d'Orsay to view some art. We (K and C) jumped on the bus, and the other ladies decided to walk. Got off the bus at the Musée d'Orsay, went and grabbed some lunch (C had some absolutely decadent and delicious chocolate crepes), then waited for the gals at the museum. When they showed up we went inside, and viewed some beautiful paintings by Monet, Degas, Cezanne, Manet, and Van Gogh. Chatted for a while outside the museum, then we jumped back on the bus, with plans to meet the others for dinner at 6:00 pm.

Well, we never managed to hook up for dinner. We must have just missed each other, because we left at 6:40, and the others said they had arrived at 6:30. So we went to have some pasta to carbo load for the race, then headed back to the hotel to relax, and then sleep.

Race morning met up with the others at their hotel, which was spitting distance from the Eiffel Tower. The race started and ended in front of the tower. The crowd was immense, with 20,000 people running the race.

We'll be posting some pictures of each of the major tourist attractions we visited in Paris, but for now, you can view the photos of the race, as well as all of our photos from the Paris trip. Just click on the photos below to view all the pictures in each collection.

Paris

Paris 20K and FE

Our new car!

2006-10-09T18:19:00.000+02:00

So we picked up our new car today - a four door Smart car. Since it's a four door, it's bigger than the tiny Smart cars you see in North America. It's still a small car, but has room for luggage, which will be important as we begin to travel around Europe, and room for a decent amount of groceries.

Smart cars can also be driven either as automatic or standard. Since the default for most cars here in Europe is standard, we had a hard time finding any automatic. Fortunately the Smart cars can be driven either way (but if they are driven as a standard, there is no clutch, just the gear shifting).

You can see pictures of our new car below. Just click on the picture to open up a photo album with more photos. C chose the colour - she liked the pale blue.

It's a great little car so far, and although the public transit system in Munich is wonderful, it's nice to have wheels again.

Our New Car

Aug 23, 2006 - 10 Photos

New Photo of Dragonheart

2006-10-06T18:42:00.001+02:00

Dragonheart's breeder, Hair 'N' Skin, sent us this new photo of him. She also said he's going to be a big cat - he's bigger than his brother, and he has big paws. She thinks he will take after his grandfather, who is a 15lb cat.

Drago doesn't look very happy to have his photo taken, but he is adorable.

For more information on Dragonheart, you can check our this blog entry.

Dragonheart

2006-09-12T19:03:00.000+02:00

In a couple of months, we are going to have a new member joining our family: an adorable Sphynx cat named Dragonheart. Now Sphynx are unique, in that they don't have any hair. Some people think they look odd, because they don't have any hair, but we think they are adorable, and that Dragonheart is very cute. Sphynx are said to be very companionable, intelligent, and friendly.

The pictures below were all taken by the owner of the cattery Hair 'N' Skin, where Dragonheart was bred, born, and where he will live until he is old enough to join us. We should be able to pick him up in November. The pictures in the album go from the oldest (therefore when he is the youngest) to the most recent. Click on the photo below to view the entire album.

Dragonheart

Sep 9, 2006 - 12 Photos

If you want to learn more about the Sphynx breed, you can check out the following sites:

Munich City Tour

2006-09-05T07:21:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, we went on a tour of Munich, then had dinner at a Bräuhaus (restaurant that serves many types of beer, and traditional Bavarian food, along with other dishes.)

You can check out our photos of the tour below, and I'll provide you with some added informatio on the various sites.

Nymphenburg Palace we've already visited, so no need to provide you with more information. However, this time, we obtained a photo of the magnificent fountain out front.

You will see some photos of the Staatliche Antikensammlungen at Königsplatz in Munich, hosting a collection of Etruscan and Roman art. The collection was started by King Ludwig I, who also, in 1838, instructed architect Georg Friedrich Ziebland to design this temple-like building. Destroyed during the War, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1967.

We went by the Munich Residence, which we had also already visited, and then made our way to Munich's famous Hofbräuhaus, a beer hall, where the beer served is from the Hofbräu München, the Bavarian State Brewery. The original Hofbräuhaus was built in 1589 by the Bavarian duke William V.

We then made our way to Marienplatz, where you can find Munich's New City Hall, Munich's Old City Hall, and the Mariensäule, a column erected in the centre of Marienplatz in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation. The City of Munich has a Marienplatz live webcam.

Munich City Tour

Sep 4, 2006 - 18 Photos

The Englischer Garten

2006-09-03T15:25:00.000+02:00

We ran 8 miles today, along the Isar river, and through the Englischer Garten. The Englischer Garten is a huge park in the middle of Munich, much like Central Park in New York City. There are lots of trails through the Englischer Garten - trails for pedestrians and runners, cyclists, and even horses. We saw a group of horses out while we were running, and they were covering what looked like a cross-country course, with jumps along the trail. C is planning on checking out the riding stable that is next to the Englischer Garten, so that she can start horseback riding again.

Schleißheim Palaces

2006-08-24T19:41:00.000+02:00

Today we visited the Schleißheim Palaces - they are in a suburb of Munich, so accessible via the S-Bahn (light rail service, like the O-Train in Ottawa). Unlike our previous excursions to palaces, we were allowed to take photos of the interiors of the buildings, so we have quite a few photos to share.

There are three palaces at Schleißheim - the Old Palace, the New Palace, and the Lustheim Palace (which was originally built as a hunting lodge). The Old Palace was unfortunately destroyed during the Second World War, but was rebuilt/reconstructured in 1972. The New Palace, including a Baroque court garden, was completed in 1719. Four wings were originally planned, however, one one wing, the main wing, was ever built.

You can learn more about the Schleißheim Palaces at the following sites:

You can check out our photos of Schleißheim here (click on the photo below):

Schlossanlage Schleißheim

Aug 23, 2006 - 26 Photos

Nymphenburg Palace and Park

2006-08-21T19:20:00.000+02:00

Today we visited the Nymphenburg Palace. There is also a huge park, and several other buildings on the grounds. As with Neuschwanstein Palace, we were not allowed to take photos inside, so you'll have to visit these sites for some interior photos:

The Nymphenburg Palace was built from 17th-19th century as a summer residence for the Bavarian Electors and Kings. Although it is now right in the city of Munich, back then, it was a country estate, outside of the city.

Again, you can click on the picture below, to see our photo album of Nymphenburg Palcace:

Schloss Nymphenburg

Aug 16, 2006 - 5 Photos

Schloss Neuschwanstein

2006-08-16T18:15:00.000+02:00

Today we visited Neuschwanstein Castle. This is the castle built by "mad" King Ludwig II, and was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland.

We were only allowed to take pictures of the outside of Neuschwanstein, so you'll have to visit these sites to see photos of the interior (which is just gorgeous!) Again, we used the word "wow" a lot!

We went to Neuschwanstein with an English tour company, that we can highly recommend: Radius Tours. We hope to do some of their other tours during our time here in Munich.

The climb up to the Palace was quite the workout! The trail was quite steep in places. There were buses available (for a small charge) but most of our tour group decided to hike up. After visiting the castle, we took an alternate route down, through one of the gorges surrounding the castle. Just beautiful scenery.

We also hiked up to the Marienbrücke, a bridge over one of the gorges, from which you have a stunning view of the castle.

Before hiking up the mountain to Neuschwanstein, we were able to take a look at the outside of Hohenschwangau Castle where Ludwig II spent a great deal of his childhood. We didn't have time to go inside this palace, however.

You can click on the picture below to see our photos of Neuschwanstein:

Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Palaces

Aug 16, 2006 - 9 Photos

Our first stop in Munich: The Residence and Treasury

2006-08-14T15:59:00.000+02:00

Our first tourist stop in Munich was the München Rezidenz (Residence) and Schatzkammer (Treasury). The most common word in our vocabulary seemed to be "wow". *grin*

The Residence served as the seat of government and residence of the Bavarian dukes, electors and kings from 1508 to 1918.

The Treasury houses a collection of jewelry, royal regalia, and many other priceless objects, that were collected by the various rulers of Bavaria. The statue of Saint George, killing the dragon, that you can see here, was just incredible.

You can see some samples of the priceless works of art in the Treasury here.

Webrings

2006-08-01T09:01:00.000+02:00

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