Slow start to the week: run along the Isar in the early morning, puttered around at home, then took some packages to UPS and met my friend, EK, from the Himmelfahrtskirchen Chor for lunch. It's Spargelzeit! Yum. In the evening I went to Frauenchor rehearsal. The "lasts" are starting soon, but not just yet.
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| Bayerisch specialty: local white asparagus (Spargel) steamed, roasted baby potatoes, herbs and a vinegar dipping sauce. |
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| Our concert venue for next Sunday is this church with brand new organ (we're part of the celebratory organ installation celebration) out in Moosach, northwest of the city center. |
Tuesday, April 30th
I spent some time researching which shipping method would be most economical for shipping home some of the treasures we've accumulated this year. It's looking like shipping with Deutsche Post (DHL) will be the best option since they'll still stick it in a container on a ship and it takes its fine old time getting there. Still makes me nervous to put my favorite gifts, scarves, mugs, art, and music in a box and trust that it will find its way across the ocean to our place in VA! Then I took the U-bahn to the city center to meet with the MIWC German conversation group one more time. On the way home I picked up a few groceries as stores will be closed tomorrow for a holiday.
Wednesday, May 1st
Maifest! It's a holiday for schools, so the older two slept in and this one wanted to come on my run with me. She kept up (I kept it slow and easy, a walk/run).
After rousting the older girls out of bed, we rode our bikes through the gorgeous morning to the city center for some Maifest celebrating. The Marienplatz was full--some sort of political gathering in addition to the festivities. We wandered through the Viktualienmarkt to see if there was anything happening there, but the city of Munich had installed its new Maibaum last year, so this year the market was quiet--or at least had the normal, run-of-the-mill tourist traffic. So we biked over to one of the neighborhoods across the river: der Au. On the Mariahilfplatz there is an annual Maifest celebration called Auer Dult. It's like a Weihnachtsmarkt but for spring! There were trinket stalls, food, and rides.
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| My jewels in front of the Fischbrunnen on the Marienplatz. |
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| Signs at one of the trinket stalls in the Auer Dult ("And then he said, 'I'm not a real lion at all!") |
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| In front of the Mariahilfkirche |
ME had a birthday party to go to later in the afternoon, so she split off from us to find some gifts and then rode her bike home to change clothes and go. The little girls and I stayed a little longer, taking in some rides and some sweet treats.
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| In true Bavarian fashion: dad in Tracht, kids in Tracht, riding a well equipped bicycle! |
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| The other 2/3 of the Theresienwiese that is not used for the Frühlingsfest (but is full to capacity for Oktoberfest in the fall!). |
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| Can you make out the snow capped peaks in the distance? |
Thursday, May 2nd
Standard operating procedures: early morning run in the park along the Isar, a few errands in the neighborhood, then a lesson with Stellario after lunch (I'm polishing the Argento songs that I'll be performing in June for the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in Harrisonburg and when there is extra time we do Verdi). Tomorrow our former exchange student, AS, is coming to visit with her parents for the weekend. Fingers crossed the weather stays this spectacular!
Friday, May 3rd
J returned from his trip to Australia for a conference in the wee hours of the morning and went straight to bed for a while. I got groceries in the morning and got soaked on the way back! A storm cell moved in and unloaded right as I was leaving. Thank goodness I didn't have far to go. Amazingly that has happened very rarely in our year here despite Germany's reputation for being rainy.
I did some laundry and then some food prep. After the kids got home we met our friends (AS and her parents) downtown to explore the Altstadt a little and then had dinner together in the Ratskeller.
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| J's Brotzeit Bret |
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| Another presentation of the traditional Bavarian Spargel, this time with herbed, boiled potatoes and a side of shaved prosciutto. Delicious! |
Saturday, May 4th
The S family came over to our apartment and then we went together by bus and Tram to the Bavarian Filmstadt in Grünwald for a tour of the studios. ME's friend JA joined us. Fun to see where some famous movies were filmed! From there we went to the Theresienwiese, managing to get in a few snacks and a couple of rides before the weather became truly miserable: temps dropping, wind, and on and off rain. When we determined it was no longer worth it to stay, we retreated to the Paulaner Bräuhaus for some warm drinks and food.
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| Look who's on the movie screen! |
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| Future weather woman?! |
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| One of the set streets where Tatort is filmed... I can now say I've died on a Tatort film set. |
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| HR and GE in the yellow and white car. It was a cold ride! |
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| After this we said good-bye and went our separate ways until the next time! AS, come visit!! |
Sunday, May 5th
After the packed weekend and with J still heavily jetlagged, we spent the morning at home. It's cold and rainy--how quickly I miss the sun and warm spring weather! I still squeezed in a walk/run between rain showers, cooked a little for the week ahead, and then took the subway out to Moosach for the Frauenchor concert (for the organ installation celebration).
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