Baroque and Rococo

We started late, savoring our morning coffee over memories of the concert Friday night.   Then we headed off to the center of town to find a new battery for Ben's Swatch.  Easily done, no charge!  Marienplatz, though, is busy on Saturdays.  Everything in Germany shuts down on Sunday so Saturday is the "must" shop day. Ben and Pat checked out several clothiers while John collected truck and tram pictures for his grandson.  Then we decided to head off to the Residenz, the home of the last Bavarian kings, the Wittelsbachs, who were deposed in 1920, having ruled since 1180.  It's a huge palace, rebuilt mostly after WW2.  

Cuvilliéstheater

Our first stop was the Cuvilléstheater, a gem of a baroque theater, rebuilt entirely with pieces saved from the bombings during WW2.  From what we learned the king sat in the royal box.   The nobles had the orchestra seats, with the better off middle classes in the tiers above on the second floor, and the less wealthy in the third and fourth levels.  Mozart performed here when he was in Munich. 

Antiquarium--seen from the Royal dias

This rococo chamber even has infinity mirrors

Well-lighted

We decided from there to head into the Residenz' rooms themselves. They start relatively (and we do mean relatively) simple with the huge

Antiquarium, built as a place to keep the royal collection of Roman and renaissance busts and statues.  it's huge and was turned at one point into a state dining room.  From there it's a long walk through up to 90 rooms (John thinks we saw over 40 on the short tour).   Some, such as the rooms used by the Bavarian royals when they were electors of the Holy Roman Empire (medieval times through Napoléon who abolished it about 1806) to the grand rooms that exceed excess in their rococo style.  After walking through well over a dozen of these rooms John remarked: "We are over-palaced."  Pat and Ben agreed.


After the Residenz we walked back to Pat and Michael's home, stopping for a very good wurst sandwich at a street corner. John felt better.   We have yet to have a beer, perhaps today.  

Last night we enjoyed breast of duck at home with an aglianico del vulture from italy, purchased at Eataly, the local branch of the international Italian food chain.   Pat was taken with it as were we.  We had had our first bottle in Pittsburgh last year.

Today we are off to the German-language performance of "Hair" with the songs in English.  We will see what we will hear.