Brussels, I am back - to rain and cold temperatures, around 8 degrees in the mornings. So no skirts and self-tanned legs, but socks and jackets and grumpy children, who freeze at the busstop in the morning.
In Munich there was rain too, but not ALL the time. In the mornings some heavy-douche-happenings, in the afternoon you could sit again happily outside in the café and people-watch - one of the favourite pasttimes of the munich population. I join in whenever I can! Better than a movie.
I just was there for a little bit more than a day - not much time, indeed, but if you should be one of the Lucky Ones, here is a small bite of things to do in good old Munich. First thing, after being picked up by my friend Lilli at the airport - alone this was already pure luxury, was a coffee and snack in the Glypthothek - a museum with only antique sculptures, a peaceful place and most inviting for a stroll. There is a café, inside and in the patio, where we used to sit during our times as students, as the History of Art Institute and the Musikhochschule are very near. Still the same peaceful and out of space and time atmosphere - only that nowaysdays access to the café alone costs 1 Euro ( well spent I would say) and if you take a card valid a whole year, you have to spend 2,5 Euro. Bavarian generosity.
I did not have too much time for a stroll in the city, as I was seeing friends, but had a quick look around on friday morning. The obligatory look at the Residenzstrassen shop of Eduard Meier was a success - they are already in soldes and I found a great pair of shoes, in green! Not far, in the Theatinerstrasse, is right now a beautiful exhibition about Otto Runge, very pratically settled between all the shops we like. Had a good look at Hugendubel, the bookshop in Munich, right next to the exhibition and enjoyed, once again the peaceful atmosphere of people sitting and reading in the huge old hall of the former Hypo bank.
Lilli and I went also to buy some little presents for the young girls in our lives at Thomas Sabo, toast of town right now - he does little braclets with charms in silver. My daughter got one with a pug!
In the early evening a dear old friend schlepped me to Schumanns, which formerly was on the Maximilianstrasse, but now has been for quite a while already at the Odeonsplatz. A must is a lunch ( only during weekdays) at the backpart of the bar, inside the Residenzgarten. Lovely place to watch tout Munich having the famous Fleischpflanzerl mit Kartoffelbrei ( meatballs with potato mash - horrible translation of the most delicious comfort food !!) - anyway, they are famous for their good cooking and their Bratkartoffeln are really the best in town. There is still this feeling of "Schickeria" simmering - a mixture of old money, wannabees, starlets and sensible down to earth people, elegant but kitschy, easy but artificial - something very special and only found in Munich.
Had a look at the Theatiner Kino - one of the few cinemas, where you can watch films in the original languages - unfortunately, the film I wanted to see as I had missed it here in Brussels, Potiche with Catherine Deneuve in a smart nicky gym outfit, had started already at 17.00, so no chance. Alternative: off to one other favourite place: Ludwig Beck am Rathaus Eck. Just celebrating their 150th anniversary and looking very much alive.
Had a good good look at the music shop in the 5th floor - they have the most amazing choice of classic music and jazz - also films and dvds - really an Aladdin´s Cave. Could spend hours there. Another must there is always the groundfloor cosmetics department - with all the really nice salespeople, always ready for a chat or a make over, never pressing you to buy. They seem to like their job. After some soulsearching - they have Jo Malone, which is not (yet) available here in Brussels - I left this paradise for another amazing place, a couple of houses further: Manufactum. This is a phenomenon, which is worth some contemplation: you find here only the "good old things", very expensice, very exclusive and very crowded. The typical well earning intellectual is buying here old models of bicycles, creams of Santa Maria Novella ( the place has even some rare scents, which are not to be found anywhere else, like Aqua di Genova!), organic bread and apple juice, biological soda powder for cleaning the toilets and gardentools, specially made bedlinen, etc - the choice is fascinating and I never miss an oportunity to have a look around.
For a good sun-downer, after so much walking and seeing and digesting, the place to be on a sunny day - so I am told, but there was no time - is the roof terrace of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. Next time. In the later evening we popped into a bar called Tabbaco - apparently a renegade of Schumanns - looks like having been there for years too. Nice cocktails in all shades and good food, too.
I did not have time to stroll the Maximilianstrasse up and down, but then this has little interest: those streets of high luxe start to look all the same all over the world. So boring. The agglomeration is amazing and gives some fun, but then I do not really have to see the same clothes again hanging on the same hungry looking mannequins as I do in Brussels? I am more for the Only-in-Munich-to-find shops. One of them is certainly the Zechbauer Tobacco Shop - opposite of the Opera. Please do stop by and have a look, inhale and enjoy. The atmosphere is a last twinkling of the 1950s and will hopefully not change so soon. Right next to this last of the Munich Jewels is the Meiser Hat shop - also well worth a good dwelling - I found at least 2 headgears, which would have propelled me straight into the jetset orbit - and without having to pay the prices of London or Paris - hope the next wedding is on the horizon, so I have an excuse to come to Munich to buy my hat there - so chic! Coming back to the Weinstrasse, there is for the cosmetic and scent friend one place of veneration: the Parfumerie Brückner - for already three generations and a friendly and cosy place in our eternal search for the right scent. Amazing choice!! Not only Castle Forbes, but also Nicolay. Real niche stuff. Wonderful!!!
And this was already the small slot I had for Munich - otherwise friends and family and wonderful bavarian landscape, trees and sky. Some pictures will come soon...
No comments:
Post a Comment