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.
Shopping for the Touristenquality tatPeter’s church ticket boothwindowsMezzo Mix – the genius of adding coke and fantaFrauenkirchequiet beer drinking areafountain headsa quiet part of Munichsuch wonderful signagethe PalaceDoor of MunichValentin Museum
And finally – lederhosen, sex and falafel all under one roof. So German
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
stylish boy bandder Petanquearchways of Munichtwo oul blokes and a fountainone oul bloke and a fountainTrachten rauchen
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.
You are here.cycle toursMarienplatzthe new Rathaus on the leftFountainsMarienplatz SpiresTat and the Giant PretzelMarienplatz from the Galeria cafe
In the Rathaus courtyard there is a pricey restaurant (I didn’t) and plenty to photograph.
the new old RathausRestaurantTwo lionsInner RathausContrastyRathaus restuarantRathaus Photo exhibition spaceWindowsRatskeller
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.
Berchtesgaden Bahnhof
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.
Entrance to the Eagles Nest Tunnel – built in 1938long dark cold tunnel of the Nazis
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.
Kehlsteinhaushigh altitude buskingbrave manMan on a rockThe high altitude priced KehlsteinhausKehlsteinhausView of the Kehlstein from the Romy Schneider Haus, Königsee
Shot on the Vivitar V3000s (before it died) and Fomapan100
Toni Turek. Fortuna’s most famous player – and goalkeeper in the 1954 Miracle of Bern West Germany world cup winning team
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.
Industrial estate setting
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.
Fortuna Station (ESPIRIT Arena / Messe Nord)
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.
End of the line – train heads straight back out again
Unlike many city centre stadia, there’s plenty of space when crowds start to arrive – ticketing and queing is all very efficient.
Pick your seatThen buy the ticket
Of course, being in Germany the onsite food and drink is top quality and decently priced.
My Club, My Stadium, My Sausage.
The last pre-match task – the Club Shop. For a hat.
Fortuna Fan Shop
Kit: The robust and utilitarian Ricoh KR5, 50mm f2 lens and a roll of Kentmere 400