Lowdown on the Netherlands

Henry visited a colleague in the Netherlands earlier this week, and gave a talk at the technical university in Eindhoven (by train, about an hour and a half southeast of Amsterdam). He was very thoughtful to suggest that I leave Munich the day before him so I could visit Amsterdam. That gave me 27 hours to have my fill of the city. The last and only other time I visited Amsterdam was 39 years ago. Although some of my memories of the city and its sights remain intact, I still had a number of "do overs" on my checklist. I made advance reservations at the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, purchased an "I amsterdam" (cute, huh?) card (covers transportation and admission to most of the museums), and hit the pavement. Of course, I took the obligatory canal ride, but did it at night when the canals are not as crowded, and it allowed me to take a break from my rapid pace. Rather than stay in the downtown hubbub near the central train station, I picked a hotel in a quiet area nearVondel Park, the Rijksmuseum, and Van Gogh Museum. Not only did I have the benefit of a quiet night's sleep (at my age, that's important!), but it also enabled me to get a head start the following morning.

For those of you who know me as notoriously late, I am proud to say I arrived at the Rijksmuseum before it opened. The Rijks was a repeat for me, but it was well worth seeing the collection of "greatest hits". The museum is currently undergoing a massive renovation, so it is exhibiting its "masterpieces" (the most famous of which is Rembrandt's The Night Watch) together in one open wing of the museum. This made life easier for me; I didn't have to choose what to see among thousands of paintings.

The Van Gogh Museum didn't open until 1973, so I could not have been there before. I was fortunate enough to be visiting during the special exhibit, "VanGogh and the Colors of the Night", which is being staged with the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. The exhibit brought together a number of paintings in which VanGogh worked with twilight and night coloring. With or without the special exhibit, the museum has an excellent collection of Van Gogh pieces. I knew that Van Gogh committed suicide at the age of 37, but I had not realized he did not take up painting until just over ten years before he died.

The Anne Frank House was another repeat for me, but was still well worth the return visit. I had not recalled that the Franks came to Amsterdam from Germany in 1933, expecting to be free of Nazi oppression. One tenth of the population in Amsterdam was Jewish (a relatively large percentage), and Jews had long been welcome there. Unfortunately, the Nazis ignored the Dutch assertion of neutrality, overran the Netherlands in one week, and eventually killed over 100,000 of Amsterdam's 130,000 Jews. After reading and listening to some of Anne Frank's words as I moved through her family's hiding place, I have added her diary to my re-read list.

The Portuguese Synagogue, also well worth a visit, has been in operation since the 1600's. Miraculously, it survived World War II intact and still houses a congregation today. Four other synagogues, just a block away, met a different fate, but have been restored and now house the Jewish History Museum. The Dutch Resistance Museum, in the same area of the city, received only a half-hour run through from me, but it was interesting in its portrayal of at least a few actions taken by plain folk to "protest" the Nazi occupation, e.g., a two-day strike during which trams, schools, and businesses were shut down.

I must have walked through the canal side flower market when I was last in Amsterdam, but I nevertheless walked through again this time around. What I found were not only thousands of tulip and other plant bulbs, but also the ultimate in kitsch souvenir shops. It was not difficult for me to pass up the wooden shoes, wooden tulips, and knock off delftware.

I was disappointed that the Hermitage on the Amstel will not be open until the middle of June. The Hermitage in St. Petersburg has such a large collection that it has satellite exhibition sites, including in Amsterdam. Apparently, the Amsterdam site is currently being expanded--bummer for me, but I had no trouble finding several other options. Since I still had a vivid memory of my prior visit to the Rembrandt House (lots of Rembrandt etchings on display at his home), I skipped a visit there and went to some "new" spots--the Amsterdam Historical Museum (good snapshot of Amsterdam's history as well as an outstanding special exhibition of Old Masters (e.g., Rembrandt, Bol, van Ruisdael) and three other museums that were "period" homes open to the public (Van Loon (a founder of the Dutch East India Company in the early 1600's),Willet-Holthuysen (a canal house containing, among other things, paintings collected by the husband with his wealthy wife's money--cynical on my part, but apparently she did not mind!), andGeelvinck Hinlopen (later 18th century patrician home with a very attractive courtyard garden between the coach house and family house).

Considering the museums close at 5PM, I had no choice but to bid farewell to Amsterdam and catch the train to Eindhoven to meet Henry. Eindhoven, a city of over 200,000 people, is home to Philips, the electronics company. The city does not appear to be prominent on the tourist radar screen, but a lot of business people pass through. Watching bike riders passing our hotel each morning in the direction of the train station and seeing the station parking lots filled with hundreds and hundreds of bicylces, I surmise that Einhoven is also a commuter community. After getting "museumed" out in Amsterdam, I elected to take it easy in Eindhoven. That means I biked instead of walked! I rented a bicycle at the train station and headed south through a park bordering the Dommel River. Before taking off, however, I visited the Wednesday outdoor market in the square just outside our hotel, and collected fresh fruits, veggies, cheese, and bread for a picnic lunch. Actually, a very interesting aspect of this market, which I saw again the next day at the outdoor market in Maastricht, was that the large majority of stalls were for selling either bolts of cloth or sewing notions. In addition, Muslim women, wearing long robes and head coverings (but without their faces fully covered), constituted a relative large percentage of buyers at these stalls.

Unfortunately for me, no sooner did I begin my ride when it started to rain. Convinced I would be riding toward a location where there was still blue sky overhead, I continued on. Probably more to the point, I refused to let my plans be dampened, even if I could do that only in a figurative sense. In any event, a nice thing about riding a bike in the Netherlands is that you don't have to worry about hills. As a result, I was able to ride at a fast pace until I arrived at a nicely shaded, quiet, and relatively dry lunch spot bordering the river. Well, it was relatively dry for about two hours, until the rain got really serious. It was a good thing I was wearing fast drying clothes, but that wasn't much help while it rained. I had not bothered to bring an umbrella, because I would not have been able to hold it open and ride the bike at the same time. After not having ridden a bike (except stationary ones at the gym) for I cannot remember how many years, it was difficult enough for me, with two hands, to maneuver the bike around cars, pedestrians, and other bikers. As does Munich, the Netherlands has separate bicycle lanes, but that's not always the place where cyclists ride! In any event, I am looking forward to more bike riding days, especially in the Englischer Garten in Munich. I doubt I'll wait until Henry agrees to go with me; otherwise, I might be waiting all summer!

Maastricht, about one hour south of Eindhoven by train, was my next destination. Still museumed out, I elected to take a self-guided walking tour along the old city walls. The walk through and around the old city was pretty, despite the very overcast weather. I was glad to have a step-by-step guide in English, so I could appreciate some of the history. It also helped me imagine what no longer exists along the wall, but was described in the guide.

Kudos to Eindhoven for the dinners we were served. They went from good (de Verdi), to better (Antonio's), to best (Fens). Actually, Fens was truly outstanding. No, it was not a Michelin Red Guide find (we did not have that guide), though it may well be in there. The restaurant was recommended by the colleague Henry visited. The restaurant offered a three-course surprise, with wine pairings. Thank goodness I didn't have to worry about being surprised with the current local specialty (white asparagus is still in season here) or other vegetables that are not in my repertoire. The restaurant permits its customers to nix in advance unwanted culinary offerings!

We are now back in Munich for just over a week. We leave on a drive to Florence next weekend. We had the pleasure of our friend Rod Franklin's company this weekend, and celebrated Henry's birthday (5/31) at Terrine, a Michelin Red Guide one-star restaurant two blocks from our apartment. Terrine was another outstanding find, though, at the prices charged, our visits will have to be limited to VERY special occasions. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HENRY!!!!!

A Plethora of Palaces in Potsdam

Another set of meetings for Henry generally means another trip for me. Although I initially thought that Potsdam would not offer enough to keep me occupied for two full days, I apologize to whomever I might have offended by such a thought. I did not realize that Potsdam is home to a plethora of palaces, as well as a plethora of parkland. The parks are largely the remains of the grand estates on which the grand and mini (but equally grand) palaces sit. To start my tour, I opted for the four-hour boat ride along the Potsdam waterways. I had no idea there was so much water in and around the city. I could see from my map that we traveled along a canal for part of the round trip around what is now a large "island" on which Potsdam is situated. Unfortunately, since I was unable to understand the German commentary provided via loudspeakers, I did not learn whether the numerous connected lakes on which we also traveled are naturally connected or are the result of dams or other man-made canals. Nevertheless, the scenery spoke for itself, and I was able to view it in its best light--abundant sun light!

The boat ride took us by a number of castles/palaces. There's nothing like having a modest (NOT) summer house overlooking a lake. It is quite amazing how little expense was spared in the buildings, inside and out, as well as the surrounding gardens. After World War II, the Soviets (Potsdam was in the former DDR) removed many of the palaces' treasures, and used some of the buildings as administrative offices and officers' clubs. By the time renovation and restoration activities began for turning these palaces into museums, some of the treasures had "disappeared" while in Soviet storage. Although much has been restored, work continues, not only on the palaces, but on other public buildings and churches. I watched as one worker painstakingly cut pieces of tile and laid them one by one to match up with areas where floor tiles were missing. The Church of St. Nicholas, whose large central dome was bombed out during World War II, now sports a dome matching the original, but the building remains scaffolded as more work is done.

Wasting no time after the boat docked, I went to the New Garden, where the Cecilienof Palace is located. This is the palace where the "big three" powers (United States, Great Britain, and USSR) met in July-August 1945, to follow up on the Yalta conference held in February 1945. Germany was divided and borders were reset, but by the end of July 1945, Stalin held the advantage. I was reminded that he was the only one of the three leaders present at Yalta who remained through the entire Potsdam conference--Roosevelt died in April 1945 and Churchill had the misfortune of being voted out of power just one week into the Potsdam conference. Despite apparent promises for democratic elections, the USSR proceeded to solidify its hold over the Soviet Bloc.

Down the lake a piece (well, same park, but maybe a different lake), King Frederick William II decided he "needed" to build a modest summer residence, which became known as the Marble Palace. Surprise, surprise, the palace is chock full of marble, both inside and out. Also, I believe I now have at least a bit more understanding of "neoclassical" style.

The evening was topped off with a gathering of Henry and his meeting-mates at Albert Einstein's summer home, in Caputh, just a few minutes south of Potsdam. The home was built in wood (rather than the more common stucco) to Einstein's specifications. His tiny bedroom doubled as his office, and to my own personal taste, it appeared cramped, dark, and drab. But, genius emanates from individuals who work most effectively where they are most comfortable. Einstein could also walk to the lake (yes, another lake, south of the New Garden), and engage in one of his true loves--sailing.

The following day, I tackled Sanssouci Park, starting from Schloss Sanssouci and moving on to the various "out buildings" speckled around the huge park. Sanssouci was Frederich II's summer palace, a mere 12 rooms, but they are exquisite. Although not as well known as the Sanssouci Palace, the New Palace, built by Frederick the Great, sits at the opposite end of the park and has over 300 rooms! One of the more memorable rooms is the Grotto Hall, which is a large, domed hall decorated with designs made of real shells. One of Frederick the Great's successors "improved" the hall by inserting minerals in place of some of the shells. Either way, it was not at all to my taste! Although the New Palace is many times larger than Sanssouci, its surrounding gardens do not hold a candle to Sanssouci's terraced gardens, which reach down to a lovely fountain. With an "all the palaces/monuments/"out" buildings you can find time to visit in a single day" ticket, I pretty much "hit for the cycle" (baseball fans will understand) in Sanssouci Park. Other highlights included Charlottenhof Palace, Orangery Palace (great view of the park from the palace's tower), New Chambers (for royal guests), Chinese House (cute, little, two-story circular building, decorated in Chinese style), and the Historic Windmill (offers another good view, as long as I did not look down through the open and creaking slats of the deck flooring around the top floor of the windmill).

I still missed out on visiting other parks and palaces in Potsdam, but now I have reasons to return there. I would also return to Restaurant Juliette, another Micheline Red Guide find. Contrary to my pre-trip expectation that I would be spending a day in Berlin, Berlin will have to wait--but not too long! Two trips to Berlin are already on this summer's schedule.

We arrived back in Munich with enough time for me to do laundry and pack up for our next trip--to the Netherlands. In between, I also went to the newly opened (May 21st) Brandhorst Museum which was offering free entrance for the first four days. My visit confirmed, again, my lack of interest in most modern art. I simply could not understand other people's fascination with Cy Twombly's 12-painting opus recalling the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 (the Venetian/Papal/Spanish alliance defeated the Ottomon Empire in a bloody sea battle). One huge room was dedicated to this single work, which to me looked like scribble and dripping paint. Religious themes aside, I prefer the "Old Masters" any day. No wonder I enjoyed my romp through Amsterdam's famous Rijksmuseum (see my next blog!).

I felt like I was dating myself (but thankfully still not feeling my age), when Henry and I participated in Die Lange Nacht der Musik (The Long Night of Music) last Saturday night. Munich has a wonderful program in which on a single night, from 8PM until 3AM, about 100 venues hold a total of about 400 concerts. Tickets for the entire night cost 15 euros--this includes as many performances as you want and are able to get to, and regular shuttles buses on four different routes throughout the city. The music ranged from Classical to Klezmer, Opera to Salsa, and Rock to Gospel, to mention just a few. We started out in our home area of Schwabing, then extended our range to find music that was not so deafening. As it turned out, most of the offerings in Schwabing catered to the "younger" crowd--some of the songs were old favorites of mine (yes, I am a Neil Diamond fan), but not at the decibels performed. Nevertheless, I did get a kick out of some of the German accented singing, e.g., "When I vas seventeen, it vas a very good year . . . ." We ended our tour with a delightful sax and bass guitar jazz combo. The evening is a great idea--I wonder whether it would work in New York. I read that Munich also has a long night of museums later in the year. Unfortunately, it is scheduled after we complete our Munich sojourn.

Our weekend also included a short trip to Murnau and the Staffelsee, about one hour by train from Munich. There was nothing earth shattering about the trip--it was just a very nice, pleasant, little journey to a town at the south end of the lake, from which we took a 40-minute boat ride to Uffing, at the north end of the lake, where we had an excellent lunch at the Alpenblick Restaurant (not in the Michelin Red Guide, but still very good), and then walked to the train station in Uffing for our return to Munich. No car, lots of sunshine, mild temperatures, good company, good relaxation, pretty scenery, good food (and I didn't have to cook), and an all around good time.

More of Munich

As long as I put aside the lingering truth that Munich is where Hitler got his start, I am enamored with Munich. The city is vibrant and beautiful, though I admit it rains here, just as in Zurich, and it surely snows in the Winter as well. Granted that Munich is 3-4 times bigger than Zurich in population, but there is also a lot more to see and do here, much of it in the city itself. This past week, I visited:
(1) an art museum--the Neue Pinakothek (18th-20th century art). I was disappointed in the limited collection of Impressionist paintings, but was very impressed with paintings from the preceding periods. This museum is one of several that are just a few blocks from our apartment;
(2) a castle--Schloss Nymphenburg (phenomenal, and this was just the "summer house"!); the adjoining carriage (actually, it was fancy carriages AND sleds) museum and porcelain collection (Nymphenburg porcelain is still being manufactured and is sold at strikingly exorbitant prices in a shop on the castle grounds); and the vast gardens around the castle (Versailles'ish, but perhaps bigger (I can't be sure, as it has been a long time since I visited Versailles), with canals, statues, a waterfall, and several smaller structures constructed for one love or another (e.g., a special woman (Amalienburg), a special pastime (hunting--Amalienburg, again), swimming and games (Badenburg, which contains an 18th century indoor, heated swimming pool), Far Eastern motifs (Pagodenburg), and a hermitage (Magdalenenckause, built as a ruin, with a grotto and chapel inside));
(3) a huge city park--the Englischer Garten, which is just a few minutes' walk from our apartment. The park is so big that bike riders, joggers, walkers, beer drinkers, and picnickers have plenty of room to roam or relax as they wish. Little brooks run through the park, and there's a decent sized lake where I exercised for a half hour in a pedal boat (I had a choice of giving my arms and shoulders a workout in a row boat, or giving my feet more of a workout in a pedal boat). Several beer gardens are conveniently situated throughout the park (I stopped for lunch at the beer garden by the lake);
(4) large and small squares, passages, and other "no cars allowed" streets, many of them cobblestoned and decorated with at least one statue and/or fountain;
(5) several churches (for the history and art), and a small Progressive synagogue (for Shabbat observance and Kaddish for my mother) on Friday evening. When I called the synagogue to find out where it was located and when services are held, I was questioned intently by the person who answered the phone, even more intently than when I first telephoned the synagogue in Zurich. The person with whom I spoke apologized for the interrogation. Unfortunately, because of security concerns, the synagogues have to be careful to whom they give information. Indeed, a police car, with police inside, was openly sitting near the entrance to the synagogue, and the synagogue had its own, additional security system, to help ensure the safety of the congregants. Once we were inside, however, the congregants were extremely friendly and welcoming. The need for this extra security is a sad commentary on the world today. Nevertheless, I do not view this as a reflection on the German people in general;
(6) the German visa office--What should have taken about ten minutes at 8:00 on Tuesday morning took the entire day, but by 5:00pm, we finally had our German visas duly pasted into our passports. I'll refrain from adding the exasperating details. Suffice it to say, we have been certified as legal; and
(7) a couple of local eateries--Cafe Puck for Sunday brunch (the Sunday brunch tradition begun in Zurich continues), and Piccola Osteria (across the street from our apartment, the restaurant has outdoor seating in a quiet courtyard away from the street and serves very good risotto (we'll have to try other items on the menu on a return visit)).

Our weekend escapade took us to Landshut today. It's a 50-minute train ride from Munich, and has a nicely laid out old town. The building facades are the most striking feature--they are brightly colored and have a variety of articulation. Michelin served us well again--we lunched at Restaurant Bernlochner--the venison ragout and duck breast were excellent, and Henry assures me the spargel (asparagus) soup was outstanding. For those of you who are familiar with my love (NOT) of asparagus, you will be surprised to know I took a taste, but alas, it was not big enough for me to appreciate the flavor. By the way, it is the middle of asparagus season here--fresh white asparagus is the big seller at all the vegetable stands, and restaurants regularly list spargelsuppe as their soup special and serve asparagus as a main course (with potatoes) or as a side dish. The restaurant today offered asparagus with seven different sauces. I didn't have to check the German-English dictionary for a translation of any of those items!

A few more observations/comments:
(1) I cannot pass for a European--Aside from my limited German, spoken haltingly with Schweiz-Deutsche pronunciation and an American accent, I still have not mastered eating with my fork in my left hand and knife in my right. Cutting is one thing; eating what I've cut without transferring my fork to my right hand is something entirely different, and so far beyond my array of motor skills.
(2) For joy, for joy, Munich restaurants do not permit smoking inside!
(3) Not only do many Muncheners ride bicycles through the parks; they also use them as transportation. Living near the university, we see "parking lots" filled with bikes, all bunched together. Also, painted bicycle lanes can be found on almost all streets or sidewalks. When the lanes take up part of the sidewalk, I sometimes feel like I am in the middle of an obstacle course. The other day, while Henry and I were walking, one bike rider was passing another in the sidewalk bike lane; Henry moved toward me to stay out of the way of the cyclists; Henry's move forced me closer to the curb, which in turn, forced me into a direct line with a lamp post; to avoid the lamp post, I moved further toward the curb, which brought me directly in line with another bike rider who had created her own lane between the lamp post and the curb. If I were to end up in any accident while we are in Munich, it would more likely be a collision with a bicycle than with a car!
(4) We have found our Munich version of the mom and pop market we frequented while in Zurich--no hausgemachte fondue; it's a wine store (Wein & Mehr) a half a block from our apartment. We were disappointed to discover there are shops with the same name in other cities in Germany (don't know their relationship with each other), but we get friendly, personalized service whenever we enter the store. We might have to try one of their wine tasting events! German white wines are good, but we are still looking mostly to Italy for reds.
(5) We are taking advantage of the various activities the apartment building management offers the tenant visiting scholars and their families. Henry and I met six or seven couples at a once-a-month reception last week. Henry had met one of the scholars, a physicist from Israel, 40 years ago, and they remembered each other! Pilates is offered once a week, and I was there bright and early last Thursday, the morning after we arrived in Munich. Unfortunately, I misread the notice and showed up an hour early. With my jet lag, I could have used the extra hour of sleep! I was there again this week, and can see there is a core of regulars that take advantage of these offerings. Most of the same group also showed up at the bi-weekly "speak German to each other" session held every other Wednesday.

We begin our more expanded touring (i.e., touring for me, some work for Henry) on Monday, when we fly to Potsdam. Ah, it feels good to be caught up on my blog again!

Munich in May

After a week and a half in New York, where, despite the accents, I could understand most of what was being said around me and to me, Henry and I began the second leg of our European journey. Munich already has a leg up on Zurich, because we're here in the Spring and Summer rather than the Winter. Other than a little Spring rain, the weather in Munich has been glorious--mostly blue sky, little wind, relatively little humidity, and temperatures in the 70-75 degree range. Perhaps people tend to close up (figuratively) in the cold of the Winter, but, Winter aside, Muncheners tend to be more open and friendlier than Zurichers. (Actually, just as the "u" in Zurich has an umlaut, so does the "u" in Munchen (Munich in German, duh).) Zurichers avoid eye contact with strangers passing on the street. Although Muncheners are not as open and friendly as Americans in that context, they are definitely way up the scale from Zurichers. As in Zurich, our apartment is in a university area of the city. However, in Munich, we are in the midst of a lively, commercial area. Two or three stories of apartment units sit above the many cafes, restaurants, and stores. As we look out the windows of our apartment, we see a bakery/cafe, an Italian restaurant, a Japanese sushi restaurant, and an art gallery across the street. Munich is big into ice cream/gelato--so far, I have seen four ice cream shops within two blocks of our apartment. It's a perfect afternoon snack!

Our apartment is smaller than in Zurich--we have one bedroom and one bath. Nevertheless, it is roomy enough, though our dueling laptops take up most of the table space and it's too noisy when both of us are on Skype at the same time (no, not with each other). In our Munich apartment, we get double the number of English channels on our TV--CNN and BBC News. We also get an assortment of other language channels, including Al Jazeera in Arabic. Although the cost of goods, especially food, is a lot higher in Zurich than Munich, the "super" (only in a relative sense) markets near our apartment in Zurich are bigger and offer far more variety than the "super" markets near our Munich apartment. This may well be a function of the respective neighborhoods; in fact, the "super" market in the suburban area (Martinsried) where Henry is working is 4-5 times larger than the ones near our apartment. We haven't been in that market yet, but our problem is solved--Henry can shop on his way home from work!

We are set with our various transportation passes, but Munich does not offer an "all the museums in Germany you can possibly visit as many times as you want in one year" pass, as was offered in Switzerland. Nevertheless, I began my German museum trek last Friday. (Thursday, our first full day in Munich, was dedicated to getting my bearings, visiting the large, mostly outdoor, Viktualienmarkt (yes, I am partial to farmer's markets), and collecting literature at "the i," the tourist information center. My visit to the Munich Residence, which includes the Residence Museum, the Treasury collection. and the Cuvillies Theatre, took most of the day. The Residence was the home of the Wittelsbach dynasty (various Maximillians and Ludwigs and others) in Bavaria for four hundred years, until 1918. Nearly a hundred of the rooms are open to the public, showing off Renaissance, Rococo, and neoclassical design, furniture, and artwork. The Treasury houses the dynasty's treasures--crowns, insignia, swords, jewelry, and the like, made of crystal, gold, precious stones, and ivory. Spread through ten rooms, the items are displayed to maximize the "wow" effect. I was duly impressed. Of course, there were other types of treasures spread through the Residence Museum, not the least of which was a huge, banquet-size set of silver place settings; not just the forks, knives, and spoons, but the plates, bowls, and many serving platters as well. The Cuvillies Theatre is just that, a theater, but what is most impressive about it is the fact that, although the building was destroyed during World War II, the entire Rococo interior had previously been removed and safely stored away. After the war, the interior was reinstalled in another restored building, and the theater once again operates as a theater. It is also amazing how much of the Residence was destroyed during the war, but has since been restored.

Our first German weekend outing took us to Passau, a lovely city near the Austrian border, about two and a half hours northeast of Munich. It is known for its location at the confluence of three rivers--the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz. Only the Danube continues, gaining speed and flowing all the way to the Black Sea. Those of you who think only of Pittsburgh when you hear about the confluence of three rivers can now add another city to your list! I finally got my "cruise" on the Danube--a 45-minute boat ride showing off the three rivers. We also enjoyed lunch at a secluded garden restaurant (Heilig-Geist-Stift-Schenke) and a leisurely walk along the foot/bicycle path that borders the small peninsula between the Danube and Inn rivers. It's a wonder how much more enjoyable a stroll can be when the sun is out and it's warm enough that only a single layer of clothes are required. In the afternoon, while Henry sat outside the town hall and serendipitously watched the before and after of a small wedding, I visited the city's glass museum, a fine collection of Bohemian glasswork from the 17th to the 20th centuries. We both equally enjoyed ourselves!