Last few shots of Munich. It was my favourite spot on the European tour – the beer, the weather, the very German signage, the beer, the architecture, the metro (clean and punctual) and the fact that every green space contains a beer garden. I’ll go back.
And finally – lederhosen, sex and falafel all under one roof. So German
Ricoh KR5 and Agfa APX
Munich was worth the wait after a three week tour around Europe. It’s one of the more photogenic cities I’ve visited with plenty going on. Here’s a few more shots
Ricoh KR5 and Agfa APX100 from DM
As a central square and meeting /arrival place, Marienplatz is hard to beat. There’s the large Rathaus, S-Bahn station, shops, all the beer you can eat and all the tourist tat you can buy.
In the Rathaus courtyard there is a pricey restaurant (I didn’t) and plenty to photograph.
Visiting the Eagle’s Nest.
The Kehlstein, site of the Eagle’s Nest and the Nazis’ Bavarian getaway outside Berchtesgaden has always held a bit of fascination. Is it a case of considering whether even the most evil of humanity needed the odd vacation or a natural curiosity to visit a significant historial site which happens to be in a spectacular location? I’ll go with the latter.
The Kehltstein can be reached on foot (long and very hot in summer) or you can get the bus from the train station and use the path (about 40 mins climb) or you can get the lift via a dark and cold tunnel.
Once up, it’s time to enjoy the views from the top and have an enjoyable walk as well as a suitably priced coffee at the Kehlsteinhaus.
When travelling it’s always a pleasure to check out a local football club. On a visit to Düsseldorf, the grandly named Fortuna Düsseldorf were playing the lowly 1. FC Heidenheim 1846. Or Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 to give the home side their full unedited title. (The book Tor! by Uli Hesse explains the background to the glorious naming conventions of German football).
As to the match itself, it was a cracking 2-2 draw ending up with a mass brawl between both teams, coaches and substitutes – and a referee who clearly lost control and the general ability to referee a football match.
From a photographic point of view however, armed with a 1970’s Ricoh KR-5 and a few prime lenses, it was going to be some documentary shots to give a flavour of the matchday experience.
The Espirit Arena is a big multi-function trade fair venue (Messe) and sports arena in an anonymous looking industrial estate. It does however hold over 54,000 and the Rolling Stones have played here. For a 2nd tier yoyo club, it’s an impressive home stadium.
And with typical German efficiency, getting to the ground and around the stadium couldn’t be easier.
The regular train service connects the city centre and the stadium with a loop to get the train heading back out again while the next train comes in.
Unlike many city centre stadia, there’s plenty of space when crowds start to arrive – ticketing and queing is all very efficient.
Of course, being in Germany the onsite food and drink is top quality and decently priced.
The last pre-match task – the Club Shop. For a hat.
Kit: The robust and utilitarian Ricoh KR5, 50mm f2 lens and a roll of Kentmere 400
