Munich Friday 6/15/18

Thursday morning we went to the “art district” of this great city, which is near many schools. The Alte Pinakothek highlights included masterpieces by Durer, Cranach, Rembrandt, Rubens, Leonardo, Poussin and many others. Then we visited the Neue Pinakothek, which houses art from the 18th and 19th centuries, with major works by Manet, Monet, Friedrich, Bucklin, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. After a short walk to Lenbach Haus, we had an Italian lunch at café Ella, before seeing the Lenbach’s collection of early 20th century German and other Expressionist paintings by Mark, Kandinsky, Gabriete Munter, Klee and more. After a hotel rest, we visited the Assam Kirke. (St. John Nepomuk,) an explosion of Baroque exuberant decoration. As Jim said, “this is indescribable in words, and the most ornate church anywhere.” Then we walked to the center of town, the Marienplatz, and saw the less ornate, more restrained St. Michael’s church (see photos.) An organ playing filled the elegant space with aural atmosphere. Then we saw the sad remains of the cathedral, restored after extensive WWII bomb destruction. It's towers are the tallest in Munich. We capped off the afternoon with a lavish Japanese dinner at Koi. - Dan