Comments on: Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Munich: Part Infiniti

By: Fred

Fred — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:49:54 +0000

Hmmm…sorry to hear, as noted, that the replicas are so shoddy… I have to go through my old photos – SOMEWHERE I have a 126 (square – remember them?) format color slide of the bomb-shattered chapel or theatre of the Residenz, at sunset, terminating an axis of what I think was the Englischer Garten….I doubt that the barbed wire/chain link and strung-out Jim-Morrison-esque druggies will show up in the picture, but I would like to scan the image and have it – it was, as noted, most evocative and romantic. I can remember driving (well, riding – my mother was driving) through little towns between Stuttgart and Munich where strategic street corner builldings were still eroded away by obvoius machine-gun fire… I suppose one would have to go to East Germany now to see such things, and only in the poorer parts… It’s a bit like how all the fun ruins and grit have been eliminated from Boston due to affluence (so I had to move to Providence to get ‘em – grin).

By: Karl

Karl — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:06:06 +0000

Hi, Fred!.

Oh yeah, that Pavillion is still there (we have some pictures). And the faux ruin still exists, except that it’s more of a ruin now since it’s being remodeled. Apparently it was the first time something was intentionally built to look like a ruin.

The Residenz has definitely come a long way since the 70’s (no druggies, nothing bombed out). Personally, I think it would have been a cool./educational addition to the museum if they left one win in a state of ruin. That way, you can authentically tour the property throughout it’s history.

Instead, they just put up shoddy replicas.

By: Melody

Melody — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:24:18 +0000

Welcome Back Karl! Glad to hear you had such a good time globe trotting. Can’t wait to see some more pictures.

By: Fred

Fred — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:15:01 +0000

Heya Karl – welcome back! Sorry to hear you found Nymphenburg a disappointment – I saw it when I was a little kd (1975) and really kinda loved it – but I didn’t see Versailles until the next year… What Nymphenburg has is the finest baroque pavilion, arguably, in the world – the Amalienburg – out in the gardens – I hope you got to see that (there’s also a fun mock ruin out there) – it’s really the garden pavilions that steal the show there… When I was in Munich at the age of 5, half the Residenz was still bombed-out – very romantic as such, though there were kinda strung-out looking druggies all over the ruins and graffiti everywhere…evocative, really…

Sorry to hear the faked the city up so much in subsequent rebuilding…I’m rather surprised, as, usually, the Germans are so thorough.