This morning our tour guide shared some fun facts about Munich and, before I get into my day, I thought I would indulge you with a few. The name München comes from the German word "mönchen", meaning monks.  Making his first visit at six years old, Mozart went on to visit  München a total of 5 times.  This morning we went to the Schloss Nymphenburg- in this case Schloss meaning "palace" and not "lock"!  As soon as we got off the tour bus we immediately smelled the lilac trees, which, combined with the stunning view of the palace created an incredible experience- even at 9 in the morning! The palace was rich with artwork from Renaissance, Rococo, and the eighteenth century periods.  It was amazing to contrast the different styles and characteristics between rooms.  The artwork on the ceilings, rich textiles in the bedrooms, and chandeliers were my favorite parts!(pics to come!)

I watched the glockenspiel at 11, which was a lot of fun. I can say that is probably the biggest coo-coo-clock I will ever see, and the figurines were quite entertaining. (Pic!)

By law, no building may be built higher than the  Frauenkirche in Munich.  We were lucky enough to sing in this incredible space.  The ceiling is about 120 feet high, so you can only imagine the incredible sound in the space. 

Afterwards, I thought a visit to Munich would be incomplete without visiting the Hofbräuhaus. This was the Bavarian court brewery, and having a liter of their beer with wollwürste and pretzels on a long wooden table created what felt like a true German experience. It was so delicious, and the the tuba and accordion in the um-pa-pa band were wonderful!   After a quick visit to the city opera house called the"Bayerische Staatsoper",  we headed to our next performance in Erding.  Here I finally got a picture with a linden tree- a tree referenced in German poetry and lieder. (pic!) The audience at our concert was super responsive and it was a great way to kick off our European tour. What a day! I'm looking forward to getting into my hotel bed and waking up early.  Tschüss!