My Travels

End of an era?

2006-12-21T22:54:00.000+01:00

Today was graduation day! Iam now officially an alumni of the INSEAD Dec 2006 batch and it felt like it was the end of an era... This year in my life was packed with everything and it was emotions in full swing. Thankfully I made it through the evening with no tears. Had a cosy dinner with R & his cousin in Paris and then headed out to the last hurrah party of the year. (Oh, K decided to skip so that he can spend housr chatting with his fiance on Skype ;-)).

As for travelling, it did not stop this year, saw lot more of Paris, a surprise trip to Barcelona at the end of P2, thanks R! I love you too :-), Berlin, Pisa, Verona and Venice with parents. Oh yeah, not to forget the tip to Pennsylvania as an exchange student at Wharton and all the US trips while I was there. Next off to Madrid to spend christmas and then to Sicily for a great way to begin the New Year!!

Great year, great memories and now ready for making some new memories!

Versaille

2006-12-21T22:15:00.000+01:00

The afternoon was graduation at Versailles Palais Le Congress and this morning we decided to spend some more time exploring the chateau as this is R's cousin K's first time here. We stayed at Le Versailles literally few yards from the chateau so as to not waste any time getting to the chateau :-) It was nice to revisit the place again and this time around we also did a tour of the garden in one of those buggies that seem to travel slower than a man with a limp but hey it was still better than walking in the cold.

Will put up some pictures hopefully soon!

Gay Paree!!

2005-11-11T18:25:00.000+01:00

Well, the good news is I did like Paris but it took me a day to warm up to the city. But I am not sure why the city receives so much adoration! It is definitely a beautiful city but for whatever reason, I am convinced that there is something better out there... Frankly, I am not that excited about living near Paris next year but hey everyone seems thrilled by the news. I just give them the biggest smile my face can muster & go "Yiiipee!!!". Who knows may be by next year, I would grow to love the place.

Now to the real content... R & I decided to drive to Paris, it was a long 8hr drive and I have to say the drive along Germany was prettier. In our hotel we were greeted by a view of the Eiffel tower glittering at night, quite pretty I should admit.

Partnach Gorge

2005-11-01T19:25:00.000+01:00

Falls at Partnach Gorge
Well, Nov 1st was holiday here in Bavaria. While the Bavarians were celebrating All saints day, it was Diwali for me. It was also such a lovely weekend and thanks to the holiday tuesday felt like an extension. It was a little cloudy but still the weather was great to get outdoors. After having a heavy Diwali meal we dedcided it was time to burn all those calories.

Once again the Garmisch area (about 60 miles south of Munich) came to our rescue. This time it was a trip to the Partnach gorge. The drive to Garmisch was so plesant with the fall colors all around us, burnished copper, bright yellows, browns and the sunlight falling just so against the backdrop of the majestic mountains. I was feeling so humbled and in awe at the beauiful setting. Nature never ceases to work its magic on me, when I see the beauty around me, I feel so blessed to have a chance to see and experience everything. I cant help but use superlatives :-P

From the chair lift

Once we reached the Olymic ski stadium, R & I took the chair lift to the top of the Eckabuer peak and then started downhil, a one hour hike to the Partnach gorge. On the way ofcourse R felt obliged to stop and have a Weiss Beer at the Hacker Pschorr brewery along the way :-).

The view on the hike down

As we got closer to gorge the path got a little slippery from the recent rains. Once we reached the gorge, we were walking through tunnels and along a narrow ledge with the Partnach river flowing below and sometimes behind waterfalls.

The river and the entrance to the gorge

If anyone ever visits Bavaria, they should definitely see the gorge. I have also heard (and seen pictures) that this is an absolute delight to visit in winter when the it is supposed to be a "magical place of ice & snow formations". As you might have guessed already, I am thinking of going there again in winter :-)

Zugspitze

2005-10-30T22:02:00.000+01:00

The Summit
The villages of Garmisch-Partenkirchen look like a post card that came alive. It is a wonderful alpine resort with views of towering mountains and lakes. Infact, Germany's tallest mountain, the Zugspitze lies right here. It is also a major ski resort and was the location for two of the Winter olympics. Standing 2960m (9720 ft), the view from the top of the peak is a feast to the eyes. You can see the alpine mountains extending into Austria, Switzerland, Italy and ofcourse Germany.

We took the cog wheel train from Garmisch station to Zugspitzplatte, a plateau that offers some stunning views.

The Cog wheel train
After a bit of strolling at Zugspitzplatte we took the cable car to the peak. While we were waiting to take the cable car, we actually saw hikers coming down frm the peak along a path which did not even seem to exist and not too mention way too steep. I have no other explanation for their action, other than they were just plain "verrückt" (that's Crazy in Geraman!).

At Zugspitzplatte

The view of the peak from Zugspitzplatte

Snow in fall, ski slope

Two people hiking down!!

Can you see them now?

After taking in the sprawling views, we decided to dine at the restaurant that is at the highest elevation in all of Germany ;-)

People trying to get to the summit

The sprawling Alpine mountains

From the top

We then descended through the Eibsee cable car all the way to the base.

More mountains

Eibsee lake

At the train station at Eibsee to get to Garmisch

Check this out for more info on Zugspitze.

Königssee at Berchtesgaden

2005-10-29T22:41:00.000+02:00

It was decided that R & I were going to go to Berechtsgaden with two of our friends to see the (in)famous Eagle's Nest. It was a gift of Bormann to Hitler for his 50th birthday and is considered an engineering marvel. But unfortunately, they closed down earlier this year due to maintenance. However, we had made up our minds to not waste the beautiful day (who knows how long it would last, November was just around the corner.)

Once we reached Berchtsgaden, we hit the Tourist information center to figure out the plan for the day. It was decided that we were going to hike at Konigsee lake (ofcourse only after filling our stomachs with the much needed fuel ;-). This lake is considered to be the most beautiful in Bavaria (or according to some Germany) and the water is supposed to pure enough to drink (it was cyrstal clear, but I probably wouldn't recommend it). The emerald green water of the lake is surrounded by steep mountain walls especially on the eastern shore.

We were quite adventurous (?!?!?) that day and decided to go along a not so unchartered territory which for me including once walking without my shoes on in ice cold walter one way and with my shoes on, on the way back. I would strongly discourage anyone from trying both methods. Apart from the fact that the water is extremely cold to the point that you may not feel your feet, you wont even know that just hit a rock and broke your nail and are bleeding :-( Well, this was just the beginning of the fun.

The next part involved climbing quite steep mountain sides which was not as daunting as sliding down on your derriere on the way back down. Thanks to our friend, I was holding a long stick for support and R promptlt informed me that I was walking like Dronacharya. Being the optimist that I am, I now look at it as, "well he atleast compared me to a well famed guru of Mahabharatha and not a cripple". But ofcourse, considering that I was wet and numb from having just slipped and fallen into ice cold water by the water falls (thanks largely to the well intentioned actions of R), I was in no mood for this comment.

Inspite of my frequent interludes with ice cold water that day, it turned out to be quite memorable, thanks in large part to the natural beauty of the place. Next time I visit konigsee may be I should try the less exciting method of taking the ship across the lake...

Dachau & Andechs

2005-10-24T20:10:00.000+02:00

This past wekend reminded me a lot of our Vienna trip because we started with the concentration camp on saturday and ended with the monastery on sunday.

Dachau Concentration Camp

On the gate : "Arbeit macht frei" - "Work frees"
The charming and idyllic town of Dachau that lies just 10miles north of Munich is a sad reminder of the bygone days of the Nazi era. While a gentle breeze blows and the town has a charming feel to it, there stands KZ Dachau with high walls and electric fencing - so glaringly out of place. Dachau holds the sad distinction of being the first town to ever have concentration camp established by the Nazis. Soon after Hitler's rise to power, Himmler and the SS converted what used to be the remanants of a armaments factory of World war I into a concentration camp. During its notorious history, between 1933 and 1945, more than 206,000 prisoners from 30 countries were imprisoned at Dachau, perhaps a lot more.

The Memorial

The Krematorium

Inspite of having a gas chamber disguised as a shower it was never really used. This however, did not mean that no killings happened here.

The Shower (of death)?

The gas pipes disguised as showers

Numerous other methods had been devised for the purpose. The short movie that is screened is definitely worth the time and opens your eyes to the suffereing of the prisoners. Dont be surprised if you leave the place with a dreary feeling. The treatment metted out to the prisoners goes beyond one's imagination. I cannot believe how one can treat a fellow human being in such a grossly inhumane manner.

The barracks that held prisoners almost 5 times their capacity

The new crematorium - in an effort to keep up with the death rates

The old crematorium

To learn more about the camp visit the official site.

Andechs Monastery

The Andechs Monastery

Andechs, a Benedictine monastery close to the Starnberger see was such a delight after the grim trip to Dachau the previous day. R & I made the trip with a friend of ours and her mother. The monastery is set on the mountain of Heiliger Berg (meaning Holy Mountain). While the pilgrims visit to venerate, the not so devout make the journey for the beers and cheeses produced by the monks. Yes, you read it right, MADE by the MONKS :-). Several monateries in this region seem to have that trend. The monateries had to be self sufficient and the money from the products were used to sustain the place. There is a huge biergarten and a restaurant that sells Andechs beers.

The chapel

Yes, they are beer bottles!!

Once inside the monastery, you can climb all the way to the top of the structure which involves very narrow and steep steps. I should add here that the steps are constructed in a manner that is very discriminating for the vertically and horizontally endowed (for those less refined, I mean tall & stout). The view from the top is quite amazing and one can see both Ammersee and Stanberger see lakes.

The narrow stairs

The view from the top

The Stanberger see

The Ammersee

To learn more about the monastery, visit the official site.

Neuschwanstein - An inspiration to Disney

2005-10-16T15:10:00.000+02:00

Yesterday R & I took off to visit one of Bavaria's most famous castle - Neuschwanstein in the town of Hohenschwangau with two of our friends. If you have not heard already Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for Disney for the Walt Disney castle (dont ask me if its the Cinderella castle or the Sleeping beauty castle, there seems to be some debate on that! :-)

Enroute we stopped at the Wiesskirche (which basically means the "White Church") an old barouque church and witnessed an authentic Bavarian wedding in progress. The church is surrounded by beautiful landscape and the interior has beauiful frescos and gilded walls.

Do you see the bride & the groom?

Off to the fairy tale castle, along the way I wondered if it would live up to its high expectations & personally it not only met but also exceeded those expectations. Perched on a cliff, the castle was an enticing sight. The fall colors just added to the beauty of the castle. The castle was commisioned by King Ludwig II and construction began in 1869. It was one of three castles commisioned by Ludwig II, the other two being Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. The castle built in neo-Romanesque style was never completed following the mysterious death of the King who was found drowned in the Stanbergersee lake near Munich. It is a 20-30minute hike up to the entrance and at certain points you are offered scintiallating views to the castle.

A view from Marienbrucke (or Marien Bridge)

The interior has been well maintained to this day and so unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside. The interior was decorated with frescos from Richard Wagner's operattic themes and you see a good repition of the swan motif through out the castle (from pipes that are hidden in the swan's mouth to door handles in the shape of the swan). By the way, "Schwan" means Swan in German and the nearby lake is also called Schwansee. While you have a beutiful view of Schwansee and the city of Hohenschwangau on one side, you see the mountains and a spectacular waterfall on the other. The Marienbrucke offers a splendid side view of the castle

Ludwig II was declared insane during his reign and was imprisoned in Castle Berg near Starnbergersee and 5 days later he was found dead in the lake. While he may or may not have been insane, he definitely knew how to live in style! If you are interested in learning more about the king click here.

Hohenschwangau Castle
The Hohenschwangau castle perched on top of another hill was restored by built by the father of Leopold II, Maxmillian II of Bavaria. Unfortunately we did not have the time to take the 35minute tour inside the castle but here are some of the pictures taken from the outside.

A view from Neuschwanstein

The outer gardens

A modern bath in the garden

Kochelsee & Walchensee

2005-09-24T21:04:00.000+02:00

R & I went hiking around the town of Kochel am See with 4 other friends today. Located about 60km south of Munich it is a picturesque town surrounded by several mountains (known as "voralps" or Pre-Alps) and home to two lakes - the Kochelsee & Walchensee. We left around 9:30am and after a 45 minute drive reached the parking lot of the Herzogstand gondola ride at Walchensee. Considering that one of friends had a knee injury, we decided to take the gondola up the mountain. After a brief stop at the restaurant to refill our bodies with some fuel, we proceeded to do the 45 minute hike up Mt. Herzogstand.

See the hut on the top?

View on the hike up
While the hike up was very scenic by itself , the panaromic view from the top of the 1700m high mountain was quite breathtaking. One could see the Kochelsee on one side of the mountains and the Walchensee on the other side. One thing I am beginning to realize in my stay in Europe is that the camera does not do any justice to the natural beauty of the place. It is just a teaser of what the location has to offer!

Walchensee

Kochelsee

To the left you can see the Heimgarten. Herzogstand & Heimgarten are seprated by approximately 5kms. There is a hiking trail between the two but certain parts of the trail are supposed to be very narrow with steep drops on either side. Unfortunately we were not able to try it out today but I hope to do it sometime in the near future. I have heard the view from Heimgarten is well worth the hike.

The trail between Herzogstand & Heimgarten

A close-up of the trail, do you see the people?

Oktoberfest Parade

2005-09-17T22:37:00.000+02:00

This morning R & I went to the Oktoberfest Parade with a few other friends. The parade started just a few blocks from our apartment! Unfortunately it was a pretty cold day :-(. I also forgot to bring my camera, so I will post the pictures after I get a copy of it from my friends.

If you have not heard already, Oktoberfest (also referred to as "die Wiesn" basically is a huge beer drinking party held here in Munich every year. It ends on the first weekend of October. A brief historical background: the first Oktoberfest was held in the year 1810 in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race.

Now, if you are wondering why it is called the Oktoberfest if it happens in September - This why...
In the following years after 1810, the celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into September. By moving the festivities up, it allowed for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents. Historically, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in October and this tradition continues into present times.

Coming back to the parade happens every year at the 1st Wiesn sunday. This is the official prelude to the opening of the Oktoberfest and involves about 1,000 participants. The parade is headed by the Münchner Kindl--the little Munich city's coat of arms. The mayor arrives in a festive coach followed by civic dignitaries and horse-drawn brewer's carts (there are six big breweries in Munich) decorated with flowers. This colorful ceremony with elaborate floats, beer bands and men, women and children wearing traditional costumes (lederhosen and dirndls) dates back to 1887. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that Austria & Switzerland participate in the parade as well.

Lowenbrau

Spatenbrau

Hacker-Pschorr Brau

Paulaner

Hofbrau

Augustinerbrau
You can read more about the big breweries here and about Oktoberfest in general here.
Lowenbrau

Garda & Drive Back

2005-09-13T22:20:00.000+02:00

On the 11th, R & I took a trip along lake Garda or as the Italians call it "Lago di Garda". It was very scenic and we wanted to visit some of the wineries along the region but unfortunately most of them were closed being a sunday. Since we did not stop much, we did not take many pictures and we also we forgot to take pictures as we were driving :-( But, some of the towns we visited along the way were Moniga, Desenzano del Garda, Sirmione (the most beautiful, its a peninsula, literally a narrow strip of land, just a street in some places with water on either side) and Pescheria.

At Desenzano

That was followed by a safari ride at the wild animal park close to Verona. It was the closest I have come to an African Safari. It was quite exciting to look at lions and giraffes with nothing else but the safety of my car (??).

We wrapped up our sight seeing activities for the day with a stop at Valpolicella a well known winery to the east of Verona. I have to admit that I did not understand any of the wine making process that was explained in detail in Italian! Though we have visited quite a few vineyards and wineries in the state of New York & California, the set up here was so different that all I was able to was take a few pictures. :-(

While our drive to Verona on friday night was through the picturesque town of Innsbrook in Austria we were not able to see much as it had gotten dark by then. The way back to Munich was a different route however but was no less scenic. We drove back now via Villach & Salzburg in Austria.

Verona Part 2

2005-09-12T22:55:00.000+02:00

After a brief nap, the second half of the day was continued at CastelVecchio (or The old Castle). It was commissioned in 1354 by the Scaligeri warlord Cangrande II to serve the dual role of residential palace and military stronghold. The castle now serves as a museum displaying the artifacts of Scaligeri dynasty.

CastelVecchio

Entrance to Museo CastelVecchio

Fortress CastelVecchio

Another view of the fortress CastelVecchio

The walls of the castle was covered with decorative paintings and motifs.

View from Ponte Scaligeri the bridge from CastelVecchio

The next stop was at the Teatro Romano and Museo Archeologico. This Roman amphitheater was build in the first century during the reign of emperor Augustus. And, as you can see in the picture is used to this day for holding open air concerts and plays. Unfortunately, I was not feeling too well that night or else we would have a caught a concert that night.

View of Roman Amphitheater

The Roman Amphitheater

Courtyard in the archeological museum

The pillars seen near the Roam amphitheater

Inside the Archeological museum. In the Roman days, small peices of tiles were assembled together to form murals and were commonly laid on the floor.

We wrapped up the sight seeing for the evening at the famous Giardino Giusti gardens. This multi-tiered garden date back to the 16th century and even has a tiny labyrinth. There were two wedding parties at the garden when we visited them. Unfortunately, we were not able to visit the Castel S. Pietro as they were closed for renovation.

Giardino Giusti Gardens, Verona

The beautiful symmetrical layouts were seen all over the garden

In the distance is the Castel Pietro - A view from Lamberti tower

Verona Part 1

2005-09-12T21:28:00.000+02:00

Verona lies right smack between the two more famous cities of Italy - Milan & Venice. Verona's claim to fame is through the city's well known lovers Romeo & Juliet immortalized by Shakespeare. Though there are markers indicating the houses of Romeo & Juliet, historians have not been able to say for sure if the lovers did ever really exist outside of the famous author's imagination. Infact, I read that it is widely believed that Shakespeare never even set foot to Italy!

Anyway, coming to my story - R had a business meeting near Venice on the 12th and so we decided it might be a good idea to spend the weekend in Italy. Taking into account that it was a last minute plan and our not so vast budget for the trip we decided that Verona would be a better choice. It was a really nice & relaxing weekend in Verona & Lake Garda.

Also, thankfully an Italian girl in my German class who happened to be from Verona, gave me a very comprehensive list of the "Must See" places in the area. First on the list was the "Arena", a Roman Colliseum that is used to date as a concert hall. Infact the following there was going to be a pop concert. Built in AD 100, the elliptical colliseum in Verona is considered to be one of the best preserved Roman amphitheater in the world and the best known in Italy after Rome's and has a seating capacity of over 22,000! The outer wall of the arena was destroyed by an earthquake in the 12th century. The arena sits by the well known Piazza Bra (Piazza basically means "Public Square").

The arena - rennovations being done on the exterior

Inside the arena, stage set for a pop concert - what acontrast to the gladiatorial events of the Roman days

The only peice of the outer wall still in existence after the earthquake

A close-up of the outer wall

The pathway before entering the arena - imagine gladiators lined up here ready to enter

Exit stairways of the areana used in the Roman days, now just a rubble

'Palazzo Barbieri', the Town Hall finished in 1883

Our next stop was Piazza Della Erbe (ofcourse we got sidetracked on Via Mazzini looking at all the gorgeous designer stores on the way, Dolce & Gabana, Gucci, Armani - to name a few.) Piazza Erbe is a bustling marketplace and sits on the former site of the Roman Forum where chariot races once took place. It is also quite close to some of the attractions of the town namely "Casa di Giulietta" or Julliet' house and the Piazza dei Signori containing the Arche Scaligeri (Scaligeri tombs) and the Lamberti tower.

Piazza Erbe

The 'Palazzo Mafei' is a 1668 work. On the top of it you can see the six pagan divinities sculptures (Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Apollo, Hercules and Minerva). The winged lion is a symbol of the Veneto rulers of Venice. Though an independent state, Verona eventually suurendered to the rulers of Venice.

Arche Scaligeri - The tombs of the Scaligeri clan

Piazza dei Signori -You can see here Dante’s Sculpture and, behind, the ‘Loggia del Consiglio’ building.

Juliet's house - the balcony from which she is said to have first laid her eyes on Romeo.

Tegernsee

2005-09-05T10:35:00.000+02:00

Place holder for Tegernsee hike...

Munich - Along the Isar

2005-08-27T09:06:00.000+02:00

St. Luke's church along Isar river

Last saturday R bought me a spanking new all terrain bike. But unfortunately I was not able to use it until this wednesday when the weather finally cleared. Its been raining non-stop and as you may have read in the news several parts of Europe such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria have been flooded. On the otherhand Portugal is plagued by wildfires due to drought. The weather sure has been freaky this year.

Anyway, the extension of the English garden along the banks of the river Isar is just a block away from my apartment and it has wonderful walking/ hiking / biking trails. When I took my cycle for a spin there, I noticed that the Isar river was/is flooded as they opened up the gates to lower the water level from the neighboring lakes. Yesterday morning when I went for my ride, I decided to take the camera with me to capture the scenes along the river. I still cant get over the fact that all this wooded area is right smack in the middle of town. All I have to do is walk/ bike down a block to get away from all the traffic & the congestion.

The following pictures show the flooding of Isar. (Click the pictures to enlarge) To see more pictures of the flooding, check out this blog.

The Angel of Peace

The Angel of Peace- Close up

The base of the "Angel of Peace" pillar

A view of the city near the statue. Do you see my favorite mode of transportation - my bike?

Sound of Music & Austria

2005-08-22T17:40:00.000+02:00

Ok, did you know the Sound of Music was shot in Salzburg and the neighboring Salzkammergut area? The movie is loosely based on the true story of the von Trapp singers. The movie was filmed in Austria in 1965 and guess what, it was a big flop in Austria! A non-sound of music enthusiast would probably not care much about this post. I do have to confess that the beauty of the place capivated me more than the ties to the movie. Before you read on, you might also want to read this!

Anyway after a morning of wonderful classical music, I thought we should continue the journey of music with the "The Sound of Music bus tour". To be honest, it was not as great as I had hoped it would be. The tour guide however did tell us it would be impossible to cover all the places shown in the movie in a 4 hour trip. Oh well, its a good thing that Salzburg is just 130kms from Munich, I guess R & I will have to cover the places on our own.

Our first stop was at Hellbrunn Palace. Remember the kids hanging from tree tops in an alleyway after the picnic with Maria singing Do-Re-Mi? Well, you can see the alleyway below...

Below you can see the gazebo (located in Hellbrunn palace grounds) where Rolf & Liesl sing "16 going on 17". Talking about the post boy Rolf, he was not the Nazi, it was their butler who was.

The Leopoldskron castle was used to represent the rear of the von Trapp family home. remember the scene were the kids fall off the boat and come into the backyard dripping wet, or the lemonade scene ?

While Leopoldskron castle was used for the rear, the Frohnburg Palace was used to show the entrance to the von Trapp family home. This is the location were Maria comes in singing "I have confidence".

The church at Mondsee in Salzkammergut region was used to film the wedding of Maria & Captain von Trapp. Btw, did I mention that "see" in German refers to a lake? All the words that end with see imply they are a lake and sometimes the cities bordering the lake go by the same name like Mondsee.

The church seen from a distance

The interior of the church

Other areas used for filming in the Salzkammergut region was the Fuschlsee, Wolfgangsee and St.Gilgens. Also, St.Gilgens is the village where Mozart's mother was born.

Wolfgangsee

St.Gilgens Village

Ofcourse there are lot more sites in Austria tied to the movie and I hope to see them the next time I visit the Salzburg area.

Bis bald, yaathri

The Vienna Philharmonic

2005-08-22T16:00:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we got ready to head to Salzburg. We had made reservations for the Vienna Philharmonic concert playing in the Grosses Festspielhaus (large Festival Hall) in Salzburg for the annual Salzburg Music Festival. The conductor was Valery Gergiev, a Moscow born conductor associated with the Mariinsky theater of Russia. He had won the Herbert von Karajan conducting competition in Berlin at the age of 24! Frankly, I was not sure what to expect as I had never been to a full blown western classical concert before. R's excitement in seeing the combination of a great philharmonic and a great conductor was definitely rubbing off.

The concert begins

But truly, nothing could have prepared me for the concert, it was absolutely stunning. It started off with Rachmaninoff's Die Toteninsel (The Isle of Dead) followed by Toshio Hosokawa's Circulating Ocean (this piece was written in 2004-05 to a commission from the Salzburg Festival for Vienna Philharmonic) and closed off with Sheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky Korasakov based on the Arabic fairy tales of The Thousand and One Nights. To me, the highlight was definitely Sheherazade, a 50 minute piece that just blew me away with the peaks and the crescendos. It definitely made me wonder if I could appreciate it even more if I understood classical music :-(. Circulating Ocean was also a beautiful piece which combined Japanese musical elements with western classical. This piece was also welcomed with thunderous applause when the composer himself made his appearance on stage.

The Finale

Thanks R for exposing me to this wonderful experience!! On a side note, it was definitely a lot of fun people watching too. All the women in their fancy evening wear, some even in dirndls (a traditional Bavarian and Austrian dress) at 11 in the morning! I think the next time I go to a concert, I am gonna "kick it up a notch" with a fancy sari or a ghaghra. That should definitely match the glitterati...

Salzburg

2005-08-22T12:42:00.000+02:00

I was quite excited about our trip to Salzburg, even though it was just for a day. I had seen a glimpse of the beauty of the area on our way to Vienna and the eastern end of Alps in Salzburg had definitely caught my interest.

The city Salzburg and the river Salzach get their name from the salt mining that happens along the river. "Salz" means salt in German. Until 1800 Salzburg remained an independent state when it fell under the French rule of Napolean and followed by a brief period of Bavarian rule. In 1816, Salzburg became a part of Austria. Salzburg's well known resident Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born here in 1756. Thanks to the Mozarteum, a music school and the Salzburg Music Fesival conducted every year since 1920, Salzburg has become a well established center for Western Classical music. The city's geographical features coupled with its rich history and culture make it truly a feast to the eyes, ears and the soul.

Below are some pictures of the city and the countryside...

View of the inner city

River Salzach

View from Hofstallgasse

View of Hohensalzburg Fortress

View from Getreidgasse

Hellbrunn Palace Gates

The country side...

Well, well, look who's starting a blog!

2005-08-16T12:35:00.000+02:00

When R was talking to me about the benefits of moving to Munich, he said "look, within a 4hr drive you will be in countries like Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic." Good move R, in our marriage of 3 years you have definitely figured out that I am a sucker for travel :-). I replied, "In that case, I will move to Munich if you take me to a different country every weekend."

Here in Munich, he has definitely kept his word! These last two weekends we were in Austria, visiting Vienna, Salzburg and the environs. These trips have been like teasers making me wanna soak in the spectacular scenery these lands seem to be been blessed with. I decided to start a blog not necessarily for public viewing but more as a repository of our travel and to remember the feelings and the thoughts these trips evoke in me.

Soon, yaathri