Day 34 October 3, 2025
We spend time last night sorting out why my Orange E-Sim is no longer working. Yes, another technical problem! You know the saying that you need to laugh or you would cry? Bob calls the help line and he finally figures out what happened. My E-sim needed to be registered to extend its use beyond 30 days, which we did, but apparently we needed to do this within 20 days of buying the E-Sim. There were no messages from Orange that said that this had to be done within 20 days. It took two phone calls, and purchasing another E-Sim, but now my phone is working again.
I spend the rest of the day at home and Bob goes back to Frankfurt because there is a Jazz Festival this afternoon. He didn’t take any photos of the Festival but these are from his walk around Frankfurt. Some of the modern high-rises in Frankfurt.
The Marshall Fountain has three bronze water nymphs that represent the maidens of Goethe´s classic novel “Faust”.
The Old Opera House had been bombed down to its foundation walls during WWII, and was rebuilt to the original design.
The MyZeil is a shopping mall has a unique design, a hole in the wall.
We saw this same shopping mall yesterday from the top of the bell tower we climbed.
These two figures represent East and West Germany. Today was a holiday for the Reunification of Germany.
Two buildings, one old and one new and then home.
The cathedral’s organ is impressive and has a different layout of pipes.
This store carried some interesting merchandise.
I think I may have mentioned that there are big trees in Europe? This hollow tree was cut down, I presume for safety. Can you see me in the other end?
We had our picnic lunch on a bench beside the church, overlooking the town far below, then walked back uphill to the park. We hear a lot of laughter and screaming so decide to find out what is going on. Just a short distance away there is an enormous Tree Climbing Adventure Park that covers several acres.
This platform high in the trees…
The kids liked that I was taking photos.
We stroll down some narrow streets on the way back to our car.
There are a maze of tunnels and we are free to explore as we wish. That is Bob peeking around the bend in the tunnel.
We pass this lovely garden on the way to visit Trier’s cathedral.
and many huge sculptures with multiple figures. We walk up these stairs for a view of the nave.
This beautiful blue and white Baroque stucco work decorates the choir loft of the Cathedral. It is stunning and unusual. This is the first time we have seen anything like this in a cathedral.
These carved decorations are still in remarkably good condition.
I liked this one of the young man with the bandaged nose.
Our drive to Vienna was long and uneventful. We stayed on the freeway and it still took us about 5 1/2 hours. We had to wait about an hour for our Airbnb host to meet us, but we found a parking space just outside the apartment and our car was warm, so it wasn’t too bad. It took forever to figure out how to pay for street parking but we finally sorted it out. We take our rental car back tomorrow so we just need parking for one night.
The next room is the Antiquarium which was built in 1568 as an exhibition room for Duke Albrecht V’s collection of antiquities. The room is 66 metres long and the ceiling is decorated with paintings of 102 views of towns, markets and palaces in Bavaria. It is truly a remarkable room.
The faux painted ceiling in this room is an optical illusion. In this photo you can see that the ceiling is not very high.
But when I stand right under the chandelier in the centre of the ceiling this is what I see… a high domed ceiling!
We see many furnished rooms, including this throne room, and lavish bedrooms.
One of the Electoral rooms was decorated with lots of paintings…
including these two of the summer residence of Nymphenburg painted in 1761, which we just visited last Thursday!
The Court Church of All Saints was destroyed during the Second World War and was only opened again to the public in 2003. It was left undecorated and it is now used for concerts and other functions.
This small room, or Cabinet, was decorated with 18th century pastel portraits which I am particularly interested in.
Here is a model of the palace. It really is huge and sprawling so it wasn’t the easiest to navigate, 
The Trier rooms were built as guest apartments.
Here is a close up of one of the tapestries. They are amazingly well preserved.
All the rooms in the palace are connected by a series of doorways lined up in a row. I think this must have made it difficult to have any privacy as people would have to walk through the rooms to get from one to another. 
This is one of the Ornate Rooms that were used for diplomatic meetings and court ceremonies.
The Green Rooms are an art gallery. Here is our reflection in one of the tall mirrors.
The chandeliers are reflected in the mirror on the end wall of the room. We were surprised when a door was opened in this end wall and a tour group disappeared into what seems to be a secret room.
The walls in the Cabinet of Mirrors have many blue and white vases sitting on little shelves.
The Cabinet of Miniatures has red lacquered walls inset with many miniature paintings from floor to ceiling..
I think this was called the Queen’s staircase. In any case, it is very grand.
Yet another Throne Room, this is the Queen’s Throne Room…
and some more rooms in the Queen and King’s apartments.
The floors in these apartments are inlaid wood, each room has a different ornate pattern. It must have taken a very long time to build these floors. The seams between the pieces of inlaid wood are perfect.
There are rooms full of table settings that were used in the palace. The table with the gilded plates on the top right is set for fifty guests!
The small chapel was the private place of worship of Duke 
We thought we were finished, but realized we missed a whole wing of rooms but we couldn’t figure out how to get to the. A very helpful guard escorted us back into the palace and directed us to the rooms. 
We also saw these paintings which were painted on enamel panels. They are copies of famous paintings, and we have seen the originals of many of these on this trip. It was a surprise to see the copy of the Mona Lisa.
This Hall of Ancestors was being cleaned and restored.
This woman was using a tiny paintbrush to touch up the gold gilded frames. It is painstaking slow work.
Here is the museum, and it is drizzling when we emerge.
On the way to the metro we walked past some of those high end shops we saw yesterday. The stores are still open so the widow displays are complete. Notice the prices on these two watches, 160,480 euros and 239,450 euros!! 
It is only one euro admission to the Bavarian National Museum on Sundays. The first rooms we enter have incredibly beautiful wooden sculptures, many of which still have their original painted colouring. The sculpture of Christ is from 1200, the Apostles are from 1505, and the woman with children is from1300. All the pieces are in amazing condition…it is hard to believe that they can be this old.
These were two of my favourite pieces. The Mary on the left is from1300 and is larger than life size, while the second Virgin Mary is from 1500. Notice how her finger marks her place in the book she was reading when she is surprised by the angel. She is much smaller, probably about 30 ” tall. They were both exquisite.
This dancing fellow from 1490, is exceptionally animated for such an early carving. The detail of the hands and drapery in the group of figures was so beautifully done. I have a heck of a time drawing drapery, and I can’t imagine how anyone can carve it so well.
We don’t know what this skeleton astride the lion is about but it was interesting. Unfortunately most of the signage is only in German, 
There is a room full of armour…
and another room with models of many towns. This is Munich in 1580 and we are able to recognize some of the buildings that are still present in modern day Munich!
There are enormous detailed tapestries on the wall. We are amazed at the excellent condition of these tapestries.
This small panel from the mid 1500’s is only about 6″ tall and is made with intricately inlaid wood. It is incredibly detailed.
The child’s outfit is from 1547 and the dress from 1630. I wonder how these have survived all these years. Their tiny hand sewn stitches are visible and there is some wear and tear but they are really very well preserved.
The next room is filled with amazing cabinets. I love boxes and cabinets with lots of drawers, and I have never seen anything like these. The coin cabinet of Maximillian I was made for his collection of gold coins. Each of the rows is a shallow drawer with fitted spaces for the coins. It is made of ivory, lapis lazuli, silver and enamel, so of course it must have its own storage case! The case on the right hinges open in the middle so the cabinet can be inserted for safe keeping.
This cabinet was built for the Electress Maria Ana. The ivory cabinet is gorgeous with lapis lazuli panels, but then I walk around to the other side and it is even more beautiful, with silver and enamelling. This cabinet has 176 drawers and secret compartments for storing precious objects! Wow!
These huge globes were interesting..
and then we walked into the next room with these monumental wooden figures!
Don’t you love the faces on these sandals?
Downstairs there are several rooms that appear to be taverns. We aren’t sure, because all the signage here is German. I think the domed object in the corner is a stove to heat the room.
Back upstairs, there is gallery of about 1,000 ivory objects and I wonder how many elephants died so these could be created? This ivory carving was one of fifty or so. The background sky is so thin that the light shines through it.
The Rape of Proserpina on the left is carved in ivory, and the porcelain centrepiece on the right depicts Neptune being drawn by seahorse and tritons. They were both completed in the mid 1700’s.
I thought this tapestry was particularly colourful and beautiful. Notice the details in the close up of the pelican.
Some of the musical instruments on display are rather strange. Bob is wondering how to play the double layer of 19 strings on this one… 
and check out the crazy wind instruments.
There is a wonderful display of clothing from the mid 18th century. Even the pet monkey had stylish togs.
But take a look at the undergarments women wore! 
I love doors and this museum has many. The front door opens automatically when we approach. Seems weird for such an ancient door.
We walk along the river on our way to Maximillianstrasse, where all the fancy expensive shops are located.
On the way, a firetruck pulls up and the firemen check behind bushes and in garbage cans, then drive away. We wonder what they are looking for.
We window shop where the wealthy people shop! The two outfits on the left are only 42,400.00 euros! The red outfit is only 26,300 euros! At today’s exchange rate that is over $100,
The stores are closed so they only leave the ‘cheaper’ watches in the windows. Notice the empty stands for the more expensive ones.
We pass more very loud, very energetic Chilean protesters on our way home.
We thought that the rooms weren’t staged as well as our IKEA at home. The rooms seemed cluttered and not as appealing as the IKEA displays we are used to.
This central four-storey building was the beginning of the palace and was built in 1644. Over the years numerous additions were built until it reached its present configuration in 1776.
The Nymphenburg Palace was originally a summer residence for the Bavarian rulers. This is the Great Hall. Musicians would entertain guests from the gallery.
One of the many rooms with original furnishings.
Many of the rooms are not that big and seem to serve as connecting passages to other larger rooms.
The south apartment bedroom of the Electress, who was the consort of the king.
Our reflection in the bedroom mirror.
Every palace has to have a Chinese inspired room.
The audience room of Queen Caroline…
and her bedroom have their original furnishings. This room is where King Ludwig II was born in 1845. The bed is hidden by a cover on a high frame which was spread over the bed during the daytime.
The official Hall of Beauties is under restoration but the paintings are on display in a corridor. From 1826 to 1850 King Ludwig I had a series of 36 portraits painted of what he considered to be the most beautiful women. Beauty was considered to be an outward sign of moral perfection!
We finish our tour of the palace rooms, and go explore the grounds. Unfortunately we realize that the park pavilions closed for the season a week ago. I do manage a peek inside the Magdalene Hermitage, which was a pavilion used for contemplation.
Much of the grounds are in the style of an English park, with paths…
and little bridges over water features.
This creek was so covered with fallen leaves that the water was barely visible.
This shows just how long the canal water feature is…looking towards and away from the palace on a bridge that crosses the canal. At one time gondolas sailedd these waters. Neat reflections too.
Walking back towards the palace along a tree lined path.
I liked the reflection of the palace in the water.
Looking out towards the garden from the Palace steps.
It is almost closing time, but we manage a quick peek inside the Carriage museum, which is one of the most important museums of court carriages, travel and equestrian culture in the world. The Coronation coach of Emperor Karl VII is here…
We can only begin to imagine how much these coaches cost!
Besides dozens of coaches there are numerous sleighs on display.
Parades and competitive games with these carousel sleighs were a popular winter amusement at court. Women would sit in front of a male driver and try to hit rings or paper maché figures with a lance or sword. Notice the rear view of the sleigh in the mirror.
Just a few of the many coaches on display in one of the halls.
One last selfie before we leave.
and one last look back towards the front of the Palace…
with a photo stop at the swans.
I have life drawing tonight, so we head toward the metro and after checking out my route, Bob heads for home and I head towards my drawing session. I have a bit of time so I sit at the Sheraton Hotel having a cup of tea and doing a bit of sketching.
These were a bit better.
Sketches from the Sheraton Hotel.
My first drawing at the Meetup session. Still having some issues with proportions and the head placement in relation to the body.
I started again after our break and did this portrait which was better. Bettina, our model, really liked it and said that it looked like her. 
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