Munich Part II on Film

Hi Film Friends! Quick pick up where we left off last week! We’re in Munich with Thomas and Alphie wandering the streets and shooting our film cameras. Ahhh… What a life. After picking up some affordable Kodak Gold 200, we made our way to the Englischer Garten (English Garden), which was really a park. Along the way, we stopped at Haus der Kunst for a quick toilet break and some art. Local tip! When in Europe, more often than not, you’re required to pay an entrance fee for using the public toilet and it can be quite costly. Anywhere from €0.50-€2. And they might not even be clean! What you can do, is to use the toilets in restaurants and museums/galleries. They are free. You can thank Thomas and Alphie for this tip!

Anyway, Haus der Kunst was built in the Nazi era in the Nazi architectural style. So if anyone of you want to see what a Nazi building looks like, look no further than Haus der Kunst.

Nice yellow autumn leaves. I think autumn might just be my favourite season!

Crunch, crunch, crunch as we stepped through the autumn foliage.

After our quick toilet break, we headed to a unique spot in Munich. It was a spot where people would go to surf. That’s right. To surf. In a park. It was the coolest thing I have ever seen. How many inland cities can claim they have a surfing spot? We spent a good 20 minutes just watching different surfers taking turns riding the waves and we weren’t the only ones. There were so many people just watching in fascination. Have I mentioned how cold it was? It was probably 16-18°C plus wind chill and the water? It must’ve been freezing cold for these surfers yet they were still doing what they love. That is dedication right there.

As we continued on the path, we had discussions about travel, photography and food. I learnt so much from Thomas and Alphie. Thomas is actually French but was working in the banking sector in Munich. Alphie is a Thai-German and was a medical student. I love their look so much and I’m so thankful for having them show me their side of Munich.

Soon, we reached the Friedensengel (Angel of Peace) and the general Maximiliansanlagen (omg German names) park area. Palatial buildings, statues and water features dotted the stunning landscape and we just had a lot of fun walking around and snapping photos. Have I mentioned how green Munich is? So many trees along the pathways!

Alphie snapping a photo of the Friedensengel.

How stunning is Munich? You can spot the twin domes of the Frauenkirche in the distance.

Next on the agenda was the spot where Oktoberfest just took place a few days earlier. We wanted to see the aftermath of this huge folk festival famous for having a ton of beer and tourists dressed up in the traditional Bavarian Dirndl dresses and Lederhosen. Even though I had just missed the celebrations, I felt that I was lucky. The prices of accommodations were said to be thrice the prices pre/post Oktoberfest. Also, I didn’t fancy a Munich filled with drunk tourists.

We had to take the U-bahn there and I was just happy to have a chance to experience the metro system.

They were tearing down the tents for Oktoberfest but we were lucky to see part of them still up.

More walking and snapping happened and soon it was dinner time. Originally for dinner, Thomas and Alphie wanted to bring me to a Japanese spot but it turns out, eating out in Munich is quite tough simply because the places tend to be fully booked or at full capacity. In the end, we managed to get a booking at a cool burger place called München 72. It’s decor was filled with memorabilia from the 1972 Olympic summer games held in, you guessed it, Munich. The space was very small and cosy and the lighting was more like that of a bar than a restaurant. We ordered our burgers and man, German burgers are so huge and juicy. I had trouble finishing it only because it was so big.

After dinner, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. I couldn’t have asked for a better first time experience meeting someone off Instagram in person. Thomas and Alphie were really gracious hosts and I enjoyed my time so much in Munich that it would turn out to be one of my favourite cities of the whole Europe trip. Thomas and Alphie, if you guys are reading this, please come down to tiny Singapore soon and allow me to return the favour of hosting you guys! Also, thank you so much for taking time to show someone whom you met online your version of Munich. I really appreciate it! See you two in Singapore soon!

The next day, I had a booked a tour to Neuschwanstein Castle (Inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle) via my hostel. It was a guided tour and on that day, it was really just a group of Indian nationals and I, making it more or less like a private tour. We met up at the hostel and our guide brought us to München Hauptbahnhof where we took a 3 hour train to Füssen which was really close to the border of Austria and Germany. From there, we took a bus to where Neuschwanstein Castle was near and we had to hike up to a viewing spot. On the way up, our guide shared with us a story closely associated with the castle. The story of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, which I find very fascinating.

Photos up till now were shot on the Contax T2 with Kodak Colorplus 200. Developed and scanned by Photocity Lab in Bangkok, Thailand.

King Ludwig II was an eccentric Bavarian king. He wasn’t interested in being king instead choosing to focus his money and energy on the arts. He was a patron and close friend of Richard Wagner whose operas he used to listen to when he was a kid. He also commissioned and designed many castles, the most famous being Neuschwanstein Castle. These grand projects were not financed by the state but instead paid for by himself. He was soon in debt and he borrowed money from his family in order to complete his fantasy projects. This, coupled with his eccentricities caused the government to be very nervous because instead of attending to state matters, the king was more interested in building castles. He was however very popular with Bavarian people, sometimes stopping in the countryside to chat with famers and labourers.

The government plotted to depose of him by declaring he was mentally ill and unfit to rule. They commissioned a panel of psychiatrists to write a report declaring the king’s insanity but they never met the king. With the deposition in hand, a commission went to Neuschwanstein to detain the king but he was tipped off by one of his servants and had ordered the local police to protect him. The first commission was unsuccessful in retrieving King Ludwig II. This was when the king tried to rally his people by writing a letter which to be published in the newspapers. The government however, caught wind of the matter and managed to stop it from getting published, dispersing the king’s supporters in the process.

The second attempt to depose of King Ludwig II was successful and he was transported to Berg Castle. One evening, the King went on a stroll accompanied by the head psychiatrist. That was the last walk he went on however as he was found dead in the lake with the psychiatrist later that night. The official report ruled that it was a suicide by drowning but in an official autopsy, no water was found in his lungs. There were theories that he was assassinated while escaping but it wasn’t conclusive and the real cause of King Ludwig’s death was never found.

What a fascinating and tragic story about a misunderstood king.

With that story in mind, we saw this castle in a new light. Instead of just being beautiful, we were faced with the tragic legacy of an eccentric king. Funny thing was, King Ludwig II was deposed for spending too much money on these lavish castles but after his death, it was these castles that brought in tourists and boosted the economy.

We were given free time to roam and explore the forest surrounding the castle when we reached the top and after that, we made our way down and back to Munich. Anyone who’s hesitating on visiting Neuschwanstein Castle, I can only say, it is more stunning in person than any photo can make it appear.

Photos up till now were shot on the Contax T2 with Kodak Gold 200. Developed and scanned by Photocity Lab in Bangkok, Thailand.

Following our return to Munich, I had dinner in a beer hall called Augustiner Keller where I drank the biggest mug of the best beer I’ve ever tasted and munched on the tastiest pork knuckle. Picked up my bags after dinner and boarded an overnight bus to Venice. Munich was such a pleasant surprise for me because honestly, I didn’t have any expectations for the city and that’s one thing I realised about traveling. Don’t have too much of an expectation of a place and have an open mind. That will usually lead to you having an overall better experience and impression when you’re actually there.

Having friends to show you around and good weather helps so much as well. Munich, I’ll be back for more! That’s all for this week. Next week, Venice! Till then, keep shooting film friends!