all about chemistry

Gang aft agley.

To begin, there is, of course, a bit of prerequisite work, all of which can be found more or less in a here direction. Yes, there are a lot. Yes, I still do have much larger versions of *all* of them, so if you see a picture of, say, YOU, and want a beautiful hi-res version which you can send to your parents, or if you see a picture of particular beauty and elegance that you simply cannot live without seeing posted on your wall, or if you see one that is just fuzzy from the Photoshop resize algorithm (trust me, the big version is just gonna be fuzzier) and want it to blow up to make fun of me, just toss me an email, lads and/or lasses.

What may this/these email address/addresses be/be?

Well get savvy to

benjahen@umich.edu

or

b.h.kienman@gmail.com

But anyways. Onwards we go, where last we met the wary traveller, he was standing on a platform at the central train station in Munich, with two duffels, a backpack, an iPod, and a thoroughly frazzled look about him. He is soon to find that his room, his home for the next ten weeks, is the size of a foot locker...





Oh the humanity. And to think, the traveller had expected to be done with community showers. Such sad misunderstanding.

The following days were uneventful. Such things as a Deutsche Bank account and residency permit were obtained, but the traveller's spirits sank low. Low, he felt, as the gravel beneath his feet as he approached the castle at Nymphenbourg, a mere twenty minute walk from his pittance of a room. However, the gardens captivated him. He looked to the grand facade...



to the long, majestic canal...



and to the waterfowl, which included such an odd looking gander as such...



The palace at Nymphenbourg sports a facade longer than Marsailles, which I suppose says something, and what it says is, "Loooooook at me, and all the money I have, and all the money you have not." Still very pretty.

Happily walking around to the back - where an immense park awaits, spat in the middle of Munich - I find the following:

1.) The back of the house



2.) I am Neptune, King of the Sea! I loose storms and sink ships!



(No you are not. I am. And you know nothing of my work.)

3.) More waterfowl



Mallard mallard mallard mallard.

The path leads for a great distance around another canal such as the one stretching out from the front facade; the combined effect of the two leave Nymphenbourg, on maps, to have a queer sattelite-like appearance. Several other buildings of architectural significance litter the grounds as well, like this, oddly deemed the "Pagoda", evidently:



Statues also stand, recline, and generally make themselves quite at home among the trees, bushes, and fountains as well. The grounds staff was doing their best to provide them with new bulbs to watch grow and bloom while I was observing, as well.

All in all, it was an enjoyable afternoon - probably the first that I had been able to enjoy in Munich. I mean, who could not enjoy such a view from their back porch?



Far be it from me to be the first.

The rest of the pictures, as well as the source for those you already see, can be found more or less here.

As always, do enjoy.

BHK

posted by Ben @ 5:52 PM