Comfort

Today I want to show you a couple of pictures of more home improvements. Greg and I bought the black chair, ottoman, and lamp (at Ikea of course) while he was here, and a colleague is loaning me the cream-colored chair/sleeper. Both are very comfortable! Now I have a place to sit and knit--I can put my feet up, and there's plenty of light. Also, I can finally have company over because now there is someplace to sit.

The cafe curtains in the kitchen give me a bit of privacy. As you can see, there are apartments all around, and I was feeling rather exposed every time I walked into the kitchen. I'm not sure they will be the permanent kitchen curtains, but they will work until I find something I like better. They are actually table runners that I bought at Kaufhof for only 5 Euros a piece.

Bird's Eye View and Market Day

This picture of the Marienplatz makes me dizzy! Greg and I climbed the 92 meter high tower of a church (Peterskirche) to enjoy dazzling views of the city. The Peterskirche was built in the 1300s, and the staircase is so narrow that if someone is going up or down in the opposite direction, you have to squeeze by each other to get through. But it's worth the effort to make it to the top. Below is the view towards yet another Munich landmark, the Frauenkirche.

Afterwards we headed over to the Viktualienmarkt with its delightful flower, fruit and vegetable stands.

Still Knitting

Greg took this photo of me today modeling my current WIP--I'm hiding the unfinished second sleeve. This project was started last year sometime, and I am now determined to finish it. I won't allow myself to even look at yarn (there's a lot of gorgeous wool here in Germany) until I've finished this sweater!

The yarn, called Sierra Quartro, is made by Cascade Yarns and is a worsted weight, cotton and wool blend. The pattern is from Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits.

Greg's Visit and Really Nice Art

Greg is here for a two week visit, and it's been wonderful! We have been seeing a few sights together, in our leisurely way. The photo above was taken at the art museum called the "Neue Pinakothek." This museum has many gorgeous paintings like this one by Lovis Corinth, a member of the Expressionist movement "Der blaue Reiter." Here's a link to more pictures we took, including a van Gogh "Sunflower":

http://picasaweb.google.com/juliewinter6/NeuePinakothek?authkey=Gv1sRgCOalqMTFtc78Uw&feat=directlink

The White Rose

When I taught German, I liked to tell students about the German resistance to the Nazi regime. One resistance group, called "The White Rose," consisted of a small circle of friends organized around the sibling pair Hans and Sophie Scholl. The members wrote flyers urging the German people to rebel against the Nazi agenda, and they distributed the flyers throughout Munich and even in other parts of Germany. They were eventually caught by the Gestapo and executed--by guillotine. There's a German movie about this group called The White Rose that's very well done and easy to find at video stores or in libraries.

The photo above shows the main building of the university here in Munich that now has the address "Geschwister Scholl Platz" in honor of Hans and Sophie Scholl. The building is shown in the movie, and there's a memorable scene where Sophie Scholl throws thousands of the illegal flyers over the balcony inside the building, just before being apprehended. Today I stood in that spot and then took the picture below. It's remarkable to be able to see such a place where history was made.

Home Improvement

One of the problems in trying to live like a student at my age is that my body just won't go along with it. I was desperate for a decent desk chair with a bit of back support--below you see what I found for 19 Euros at Ikea. I even assembled it myself! (Ikea makes it idiot proof.)



The main room is looking a bit more cozy, thanks to Ikea.



I haven't purchased anything for the kitchen, but you can see that it's getting some use.

Bad Toelz

This past Easter Monday I was invited to spend the day in nearby Bad Toelz. This picture shows the view from the hotel I visited with the Alps in the distance. Here's a link to more pictures of the day:

http://picasaweb.google.com/juliewinter6/April09BadToelz?authkey=Gv1sRgCKaPz6DYwaPKPg#