yk's trip to Nürnberg, Bayreuth, Bamberg & Würzburg - with lots of spargel!
May 5th, 2007, 07:01 AM
#21
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True, still quite a few places without foreign tourists. Even better ;-), they don't go there no matter how beautiful it is there. Looking forward to read more of your report (and if you made it as far south as the Altmühltal).
May 5th, 2007, 09:26 AM
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Logos,
"Why would american army bases in a foreign country make locals learn English."
Local shops and restaurants are more likely to speak English in tourist areas and where military bases are located. They do it for the money and also as an act of friendliness.
The US Military required a very basic conversational German course upon entering the country. Further, the University of Maryland (UM) offered formal Deutsch language courses. My wife and I both studied Deutsch in these UM courses because it was personally rewarding. You do feel freer in where you can travel with a some knowledge of the language.
However, monetary facts prevail. In some heavily touristed areas I noticed that our Deutsch would be answered in English.
Regards, Gary
"Why would american army bases in a foreign country make locals learn English."
Local shops and restaurants are more likely to speak English in tourist areas and where military bases are located. They do it for the money and also as an act of friendliness.
The US Military required a very basic conversational German course upon entering the country. Further, the University of Maryland (UM) offered formal Deutsch language courses. My wife and I both studied Deutsch in these UM courses because it was personally rewarding. You do feel freer in where you can travel with a some knowledge of the language.
However, monetary facts prevail. In some heavily touristed areas I noticed that our Deutsch would be answered in English.
Regards, Gary
May 5th, 2007, 09:38 AM
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<b>Day 2 - Day trip to Bayreuth</b>
I became interested in visiting Bayreuth after attending my very first Wagner opera (Lohengrin) earlier this year. Bayreuth is most famous for its <b>Bayreuth Festival</b> which is held annually playing Wagner's operas. It is also home of the Wagner Museum.
The first train to Bayreuth after 9am is at 9:50a. This gave me a leisurely morning to enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
The train ride took 1hr 5 mins. A 10-min walk from the train station took me to the historic center. I stopped by the TI (tourist info) on the way and picked up a free map.
http://www.bayreuth.de/
The first sight I went is the <b>Margravial Opera House</b>. It was built in the 1700s by the Margravine Wilhelmine, and was the attraction for Richard Wagner to move to Bayreuth. At that time, the opera house boasts the largest stage, and Wagner thought it would be a great venue to stage his opera. In the end, he didn't find it suitable and instead used his own funds to build a new opera house in Bayreuth.
The facade and the foyer of the Margravial Opera House are somewhat underwhelming. However, when one steps inside the auditorium, it is an explosion of rococo decoration. During the day, the opera house features a "sound-and-light" show, so I stayed for that. There were a total of 3 tourists (myself included) during the show. It was a huge disappointment. The "light" part consists of a spotlight moving aimlessly around the ceiling. The "sound" part consists of dialogues in German and some music. I believe the show details how Margravine Wilhelmine plan the building of the opera house, but of course, I really couldn't understand anything at all.
http://tinyurl.com/38z38k
My next stop is the <b>Neue Schloss</b> (new palace). When Margravine Wilhelmine was in power, she found the existing palace too old, so she went ahead and built a new one. One can tour the rooms inside the Neue Schloss. All the descriptions are in German, but fortunately my guidebook has some explanation. Anyway, it wasn't particularly memorable.
http://tinyurl.com/2trg3f
Behind the Neue Schloss is the court garden. It isn't impressive either, but a nice walk which led me to <b>Richard Wagner Museum</b>.
Wagner lived there for the last 9 years of his life, and his grave is in the back garden. Even though the house doesn't look too big from the outside, inside contains lots and lots of memorabilia. The largest room on the ground floor is a small concert hall. To the right is a room with photos of the house after WWII bombing and rebuilding. To the left are a series of room with changing contemporary exhibits - works by artists who are inspired by Wagner. Upstairs is room after room of memorabilia. Sheet music, costumes, and lots of lots of photos of various Wagner opera productions. One of the photos is of a very young Wolfgang Sawallisch, who later took up the post of Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra in the 1990s.
I spent well over an hour at the Wagner museum. I think I was the only visitor during that time.
http://www.wagnermuseum.de
Around the corner is Franz Liszt Museum. [Wagner married Liszt's daughter.] It was close for lunch, so I decided to grab a quick lunch also. I found Cafe Wundertüte just down the street. I had a plate of spaghetti with pesto and a glass of water. Lunch was €5.
Cafe Wundertüte
Richard-Wagner Strasse No.33
95444 Bayreuth
After lunch, I returned to <b>Franz Liszt Museum</b>. It is much smaller in size, and I breezed through it quickly. All description was in German. Some memorable exhibits included sandals worn by Liszt. Again, I was the only visitor.
I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets. The city center is quite small and not busy. I did some window shopping, until I came across a chocolate store, <b>Confiserie Klein</b>. In the window display were boxes of <i>Spargeltrüffel</i>. Yes, truffles made with spargel spirit. Or cousre I had to buy some!
http://www.confiserieklein.com/
Since my Bayern ticket covers local transportation, I caught a bus back to the train station as my feet were getting tired. I took the 4:01p train back to Nürnberg.
I planned to visit the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nürnberg that evening (opens until 8p on Wed), so I went back to my hotel room for a 1-hour nap before going to the Museum.
The <b>Germanisches Nationalmuseum</b> is huge and covers the cultural history of Germany from the origin of man until present day. But of course, I went there for the artwork. It was a nice surprise to find out the museum is free after 6pm! One section of the museum houses paintings by the German Old Masters - Durer and Altdorfer. I also searched for the modern art section and saw some German Expressionist paintings.
http://www.gnm.de/index_en.html
For dinner, I headed towards the southwest section of the old town for Zum Gulden Stern - claimed to be the oldest bratwurst restaurant in the world (since 1375). Of course I had to try the Nürnberg bratwursts there, with a side of sauerkraut (Nürnberg bratwursts are the smallest sausages in Germany). I was surprised to find no English menu and the waitress speaks no English. Anyway, I thought the bratwursts are very greasy. A Finnish man on business shared the table with me, so we spent our dinner swapping travel tales. My dinner was €10,50.
Zum Gulden Stern
Zirkelschmiedsgasse 26, 90402 Nürnberg
http://www.bratwurstkueche.de/
Even though I did not ingest any spargel today, don't forget that I bought spargeltrüffel!
I became interested in visiting Bayreuth after attending my very first Wagner opera (Lohengrin) earlier this year. Bayreuth is most famous for its <b>Bayreuth Festival</b> which is held annually playing Wagner's operas. It is also home of the Wagner Museum.
The first train to Bayreuth after 9am is at 9:50a. This gave me a leisurely morning to enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
The train ride took 1hr 5 mins. A 10-min walk from the train station took me to the historic center. I stopped by the TI (tourist info) on the way and picked up a free map.
http://www.bayreuth.de/
The first sight I went is the <b>Margravial Opera House</b>. It was built in the 1700s by the Margravine Wilhelmine, and was the attraction for Richard Wagner to move to Bayreuth. At that time, the opera house boasts the largest stage, and Wagner thought it would be a great venue to stage his opera. In the end, he didn't find it suitable and instead used his own funds to build a new opera house in Bayreuth.
The facade and the foyer of the Margravial Opera House are somewhat underwhelming. However, when one steps inside the auditorium, it is an explosion of rococo decoration. During the day, the opera house features a "sound-and-light" show, so I stayed for that. There were a total of 3 tourists (myself included) during the show. It was a huge disappointment. The "light" part consists of a spotlight moving aimlessly around the ceiling. The "sound" part consists of dialogues in German and some music. I believe the show details how Margravine Wilhelmine plan the building of the opera house, but of course, I really couldn't understand anything at all.
http://tinyurl.com/38z38k
My next stop is the <b>Neue Schloss</b> (new palace). When Margravine Wilhelmine was in power, she found the existing palace too old, so she went ahead and built a new one. One can tour the rooms inside the Neue Schloss. All the descriptions are in German, but fortunately my guidebook has some explanation. Anyway, it wasn't particularly memorable.
http://tinyurl.com/2trg3f
Behind the Neue Schloss is the court garden. It isn't impressive either, but a nice walk which led me to <b>Richard Wagner Museum</b>.
Wagner lived there for the last 9 years of his life, and his grave is in the back garden. Even though the house doesn't look too big from the outside, inside contains lots and lots of memorabilia. The largest room on the ground floor is a small concert hall. To the right is a room with photos of the house after WWII bombing and rebuilding. To the left are a series of room with changing contemporary exhibits - works by artists who are inspired by Wagner. Upstairs is room after room of memorabilia. Sheet music, costumes, and lots of lots of photos of various Wagner opera productions. One of the photos is of a very young Wolfgang Sawallisch, who later took up the post of Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra in the 1990s.
I spent well over an hour at the Wagner museum. I think I was the only visitor during that time.
http://www.wagnermuseum.de
Around the corner is Franz Liszt Museum. [Wagner married Liszt's daughter.] It was close for lunch, so I decided to grab a quick lunch also. I found Cafe Wundertüte just down the street. I had a plate of spaghetti with pesto and a glass of water. Lunch was €5.
Cafe Wundertüte
Richard-Wagner Strasse No.33
95444 Bayreuth
After lunch, I returned to <b>Franz Liszt Museum</b>. It is much smaller in size, and I breezed through it quickly. All description was in German. Some memorable exhibits included sandals worn by Liszt. Again, I was the only visitor.
I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets. The city center is quite small and not busy. I did some window shopping, until I came across a chocolate store, <b>Confiserie Klein</b>. In the window display were boxes of <i>Spargeltrüffel</i>. Yes, truffles made with spargel spirit. Or cousre I had to buy some!
http://www.confiserieklein.com/
Since my Bayern ticket covers local transportation, I caught a bus back to the train station as my feet were getting tired. I took the 4:01p train back to Nürnberg.
I planned to visit the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nürnberg that evening (opens until 8p on Wed), so I went back to my hotel room for a 1-hour nap before going to the Museum.
The <b>Germanisches Nationalmuseum</b> is huge and covers the cultural history of Germany from the origin of man until present day. But of course, I went there for the artwork. It was a nice surprise to find out the museum is free after 6pm! One section of the museum houses paintings by the German Old Masters - Durer and Altdorfer. I also searched for the modern art section and saw some German Expressionist paintings.
http://www.gnm.de/index_en.html
For dinner, I headed towards the southwest section of the old town for Zum Gulden Stern - claimed to be the oldest bratwurst restaurant in the world (since 1375). Of course I had to try the Nürnberg bratwursts there, with a side of sauerkraut (Nürnberg bratwursts are the smallest sausages in Germany). I was surprised to find no English menu and the waitress speaks no English. Anyway, I thought the bratwursts are very greasy. A Finnish man on business shared the table with me, so we spent our dinner swapping travel tales. My dinner was €10,50.
Zum Gulden Stern
Zirkelschmiedsgasse 26, 90402 Nürnberg
http://www.bratwurstkueche.de/
Even though I did not ingest any spargel today, don't forget that I bought spargeltrüffel!
May 5th, 2007, 10:05 AM
#24
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I love the details and the way you organize your report with all the helpful links. The Munich train station has a little stand of Nürnberg wurst - something like 3 on a bun - absolutely delicious.
How extensive would you say the collection of German Old Masters in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum is?
How extensive would you say the collection of German Old Masters in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum is?
May 5th, 2007, 10:28 AM
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noe- The collection of Old Masters is not that impressive. There are several oil paintings by Durer - which I guess are quite rare. I think there aren't too many paintings by Durer exist. Anyhow I'm not really a fan of German Old Masters... I much prefer the Flemish Primitives. 
May 5th, 2007, 11:16 AM
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yk, are you talking about van Eyck, van der Weyden, van der Goes? I like their work very much also. I had a great month of March - was able to visit the National Gallery in London, the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and the Old Masters museum in Dresden, so got a good dose of early painting. I've been to Vienna several times, and love the collection at the Kunsthistorisches.
May 5th, 2007, 11:54 AM
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noe - Yes, exactly! Went to Belgium twice in recent years. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels is a gem, with not only lots of Flemish Primitives, but also Bruegels which I really like. Also went to Bruges which has 2 great museums (Groeninge Museum & Memling Museum); and to Ghent to see the van Eyck Mystic Lamb alterpiece.
Was in Vienna last November and thought I went to heaven when I walked into the Bruegel room.
I visited Berlin's Gemäldegalerie in 2003, but back then I wasn't that much into art, so I have to go back to Berlin at some point. The only painting that I remembered was Bruegel's Netherlandish Proverbs.
Have not been to Dresden yet. Will have to save it for the future (I know there's a Vermeer there, and of course, the Green Vault).
Was in Vienna last November and thought I went to heaven when I walked into the Bruegel room.
I visited Berlin's Gemäldegalerie in 2003, but back then I wasn't that much into art, so I have to go back to Berlin at some point. The only painting that I remembered was Bruegel's Netherlandish Proverbs.
Have not been to Dresden yet. Will have to save it for the future (I know there's a Vermeer there, and of course, the Green Vault).
May 5th, 2007, 12:27 PM
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<b>Day 3 - Day trip to Bamberg</b>
Bamberg gets lots and lots of raves here on Fodors, and therfore is a must-see for me on this trip. Afterall, its old town is a UNESCO site.
After a leisurely breakfast, I caught the 9:45a train to Bamberg. The ride is only 45 minutes. The train station is located NE of the old town. It is a good 20-25 minute walk to the town. The walk is very uninspiring. The streets look like any other modern German cities. I kept wondering, what's so great about Bamberg?
Finally, I arrived at the entrance to the old town. A beautiful building, <b>Altes Rathaus</b>, welcomes me. It is absolutely gorgeous. Okay, now I know why everyone loves Bamberg.
Bamberg escaped WWII bombings and is nicely preserved. I found the TI and rented a PDA English audioguide for a self-guided citywalk (€8,50 for a 4-hr rental). I enjoyed it quite a lot, and finished the walk in about 2 hours. It covers the main historic sights of the town. I highly recommend this tour.
http://tinyurl.com/25tyrs
After I returned the PDA, I went in search for lunch. I chose <b>Scheiner's Gaststuben</b>. It was a beautiful warm day, so I sat outside. I ordered <i>Spargel mit Kartoffeln</i> again. Lunch was €12.
Scheiner's Gaststuben
Katzenberg 2, 96047 Bamberg
http://www.scheiners.de/
After lunch, I walked up toward the <b>Dom</b> (which I had visited earlier on the self-guided tour) and headed to <b>Neue Residenz</b>. It can only be visited with a guided tour, which leaves every 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the tour is in German only. Non-German speakers are given an English translation sheet, but of course, it is much appreviated. My tour had 5 people, and 2 were Germans. Compared to the Neue Schloss in Bayreuth which I visited the day before, Neue Residenz is slightly more impressive, but still rather disappointing. A lot of the rooms are in dire need of renovations. Paint is peeling from the ceilings, wall coverings are worn out.
http://tinyurl.com/2735qh
After the guided tour, I visited a series of rooms that display Renaissance and Baroque paintings. Most were by not-so-famous artists. I perservered and finally when I reached the very last room, I saw several paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
On the ground floor of the Residenz is the <b>State Library</b>. Supposedly it holds manucripts and prayer books from the Medieval period. I looked around and only found an exhibition on Faust. I gave up and went to the <b>Rose Garden</b> instead. The rose garden of the Residenz provides a nice view of Bamberg. Unfortunately, the roses are not in bloom yet.
I decided to walk up to the hill where <b>St Michael's</b> church is. It was a nice hike, and the view from up there is worth the walk. On the chruch grounds is a little outdoor cafe, where I decided to break for coffee and cake. Not able to understand the menu, I ordered a piece of cake called <i>Papsttorte</i>. I didn't really enjoy it. Can someone here tell me what it is???
I had pretty much seen all the sights in Bamberg, so I headed back down, stopping by the "<b>Little Venice</b>" section. I don't see the resemblance though. I caught the bus back to the train station and took the 4:37p train back to Nürnberg.
After a short rest in my room, I set off for dinner. I finally decided on <b>Goldenes Posthorn</b>. The sun was still up and it was still warm, so I sat outside. I ordered a light beer in the smallest size possible (200ml). I don't think any Germans ever order such a small beer, but that was just perfect for me. For dinner, I had <i>Spargel mit Kartoffeln</i> again, with a side order of 6 Nürnberg bratwursts. I liked the bratwursts here better than Zum Gulden Stern the night before. Dinner was €14. My waitress spoke very good English, so I commented on that. It turns out that she has lived in the US for 12 years.
Goldenes Posthorn
http://www.die-nuernberger-bratwurst.de/index.php?id=3
The sun was just about to set when I finished dinner. I decided to take a stroll in town and stumbled upon <b>Trödelmarkt</b>. It is a square on a small island in the Pegnitz River with historical buildings. It was absolutely beautiful.
I'm really glad that I took Fodorites' advice to stay put in Nürnberg for 3 nights and take daytrips. I found myself liking Nürnberg a little more each day I stayed there.
Total ingestion of <i>Spargel</i> today: 2 meals
Bamberg gets lots and lots of raves here on Fodors, and therfore is a must-see for me on this trip. Afterall, its old town is a UNESCO site.
After a leisurely breakfast, I caught the 9:45a train to Bamberg. The ride is only 45 minutes. The train station is located NE of the old town. It is a good 20-25 minute walk to the town. The walk is very uninspiring. The streets look like any other modern German cities. I kept wondering, what's so great about Bamberg?
Finally, I arrived at the entrance to the old town. A beautiful building, <b>Altes Rathaus</b>, welcomes me. It is absolutely gorgeous. Okay, now I know why everyone loves Bamberg.
Bamberg escaped WWII bombings and is nicely preserved. I found the TI and rented a PDA English audioguide for a self-guided citywalk (€8,50 for a 4-hr rental). I enjoyed it quite a lot, and finished the walk in about 2 hours. It covers the main historic sights of the town. I highly recommend this tour.
http://tinyurl.com/25tyrs
After I returned the PDA, I went in search for lunch. I chose <b>Scheiner's Gaststuben</b>. It was a beautiful warm day, so I sat outside. I ordered <i>Spargel mit Kartoffeln</i> again. Lunch was €12.
Scheiner's Gaststuben
Katzenberg 2, 96047 Bamberg
http://www.scheiners.de/
After lunch, I walked up toward the <b>Dom</b> (which I had visited earlier on the self-guided tour) and headed to <b>Neue Residenz</b>. It can only be visited with a guided tour, which leaves every 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the tour is in German only. Non-German speakers are given an English translation sheet, but of course, it is much appreviated. My tour had 5 people, and 2 were Germans. Compared to the Neue Schloss in Bayreuth which I visited the day before, Neue Residenz is slightly more impressive, but still rather disappointing. A lot of the rooms are in dire need of renovations. Paint is peeling from the ceilings, wall coverings are worn out.
http://tinyurl.com/2735qh
After the guided tour, I visited a series of rooms that display Renaissance and Baroque paintings. Most were by not-so-famous artists. I perservered and finally when I reached the very last room, I saw several paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
On the ground floor of the Residenz is the <b>State Library</b>. Supposedly it holds manucripts and prayer books from the Medieval period. I looked around and only found an exhibition on Faust. I gave up and went to the <b>Rose Garden</b> instead. The rose garden of the Residenz provides a nice view of Bamberg. Unfortunately, the roses are not in bloom yet.
I decided to walk up to the hill where <b>St Michael's</b> church is. It was a nice hike, and the view from up there is worth the walk. On the chruch grounds is a little outdoor cafe, where I decided to break for coffee and cake. Not able to understand the menu, I ordered a piece of cake called <i>Papsttorte</i>. I didn't really enjoy it. Can someone here tell me what it is???
I had pretty much seen all the sights in Bamberg, so I headed back down, stopping by the "<b>Little Venice</b>" section. I don't see the resemblance though. I caught the bus back to the train station and took the 4:37p train back to Nürnberg.
After a short rest in my room, I set off for dinner. I finally decided on <b>Goldenes Posthorn</b>. The sun was still up and it was still warm, so I sat outside. I ordered a light beer in the smallest size possible (200ml). I don't think any Germans ever order such a small beer, but that was just perfect for me. For dinner, I had <i>Spargel mit Kartoffeln</i> again, with a side order of 6 Nürnberg bratwursts. I liked the bratwursts here better than Zum Gulden Stern the night before. Dinner was €14. My waitress spoke very good English, so I commented on that. It turns out that she has lived in the US for 12 years.
Goldenes Posthorn
http://www.die-nuernberger-bratwurst.de/index.php?id=3
The sun was just about to set when I finished dinner. I decided to take a stroll in town and stumbled upon <b>Trödelmarkt</b>. It is a square on a small island in the Pegnitz River with historical buildings. It was absolutely beautiful.
I'm really glad that I took Fodorites' advice to stay put in Nürnberg for 3 nights and take daytrips. I found myself liking Nürnberg a little more each day I stayed there.
Total ingestion of <i>Spargel</i> today: 2 meals
May 5th, 2007, 03:41 PM
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<b>Day 4 - Würzburg</b>
Today I leave Nürnberg and move on to Würzburg. I took the 8:05a RE train. From the Würzburg train station, it is an easy 7-minute walk to <b>Hotel Schönleber</b> where I'll stay for one night. My room wasn't ready yet, so I left my luggage at the front desk. The staff was very friendly and helpful. He gave me a map and directions to Markt where the TI is located.
http://www.hotel-schoenleber.de/
The TI is housed in the <b>Haus zum Falker</b>, a beautiful rococo building. Next to it is the <b>Marienkapelle</b>. The statues on the outside of Marienkappelle are by Riemenschneider. After wardering around the Markt for a while, it's time to head to the <b>Würzburg Residenz</b>.
http://tinyurl.com/33skrb
One can visit the Residenz on your own, but twice daily is an English guided tour. I arrived to join the 11am tour. Our group has 7 people - I was the only American.
We began with the staircase - the largest in Germany. Above it is Tiepolo's fresco, <i>The Four Continents</i>, the largest fresco in the world. The next stop is the Kaisersaal, supposedly to be very impressive also. However, the entire room was covered with scaffolding for restoration.
The benefit of the guided tour is being able to visit the South Wing, which is not open to visitors not on tours. The South Wing has your usual palace rooms such as bed chambers, drawing rooms etc. However, one of the rooms, the <b>Spiegelkabinett</b> (Mirror Cabinet), is jaw-dropping. The Residenz was vastly destroyed in WWII (90% of Würzburg was destroyed) and the people painstakingly rebulit the Residenz. The mirror cabinet was successfully reconstructed thanks to a small fragment of mirror that had survived. The workers analyzed the mirror (and some old drawings) and was able to reproduce the rest of the room using the ancient technique (back then, mirror was made with optical lenses). The cost to rebuild this room alone cost $9M DM back in the 1980s. The "wow" factor for this room is equivalent to the Porcelain room at Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin.
Click the following link for info and pic of the Mirror Cabinet:
http://tinyurl.com/33adxv
After the South Wing, the tour ends and we are free to tour the North Wing on our own. The most memorable room is the <b>Green Laquered room</b>. The wall color is of a shimmering green. This effect was achieved by painting a layer of silver paint as background and then the green layer. The floor was made of 7 different kinds of wood in a 3D pattern.
Compared to the palaces I had visited in Bayreuth and Bamberg, the Würzburg Residenz is vastly superior. It well deserves its UNESCO appointment.
Emerging from the palace, I made my way to the <b>Hofkirche</b>. It is a chapel full of rococo decor. Around the corner is the entrance to the <b>Hofgarten</b>. It's nothing like the Versailles garden, but I find it very lovely. It is my favorite spot in Würzburg.
I took so many pictures in the Hofgarten that my camera battery was running low. I had to head back to the hotel to recharge it. Luckily, the hotel is only 5 minutes from the Residenz. I stopped by a bakery shop on the way to pick up lunch (salad and slice of cheesecake) to eat in my room while charging the battery. Lunch was €3,80.
An hour later, I was back out. First I visited <b>Dom St. Kilian</b>, which is huge. Then I headed to <b>Rathaus</b>, which now houses a restaurant. On the side of the Rathaus is a small room with WWII bombing displays. There is a model of the city showing how much of the buildings were destroyed after the bombing, and plenty of photos of streets lined with rubbles. It was such a strange experience to step out of that room back into 2007 and see people sitting at cafes drinking beers and coffee.
I continued on to <b>Alte Mainbrucke</b>, the Old Main Bridge, lined with statutes of saints. When I reached the other bank of the Main River, I began my hike up the hill to <b>Festung Marienberg</b> (Marienberg Fortress).
http://tinyurl.com/26plrb
The Fortress was where the prince-bishops had lived for centuries, until they decided to move down to the town and built the Residenz. I walked around the grounds, then visited the <b>Mainfrankisches Museum</b> (Main-Franconian Museum). It has the largest collection of Riemenschneider's work (80) in the world. After seeing the sculptures, the museum route went on and on and on. I had no idea the musem is so big! One area is the Folk Art section which I found quite fascinating. On display are period furniture, period rooms, costumes, and even an entire woodwork workshop!
I spent a good 2 hours at the Fortress, and then headed back down to town. I decided to return to the Residenz Hofgarten to enjoy the ambience. I could hear the birds singing, and could smell the fragrance of the spring flowers. It was just absolutely wonderful.
For dinner, I went to <b>Bürgerspital</b>. It started as a home for the elderly in the 1300s, and got vineyards as an endowment. Now it sells wine and operates a restaurant. It still has a nursing home.
I was given an English menu, so I waved down my waiter to request the Spargelkarte. I ordered my usual, <i>Spargel mit Kartoffeln</i>, plus a side order of a pair of Frankische bratwurst. Given the fact that Bürgerspital is famous for its wine, I ordered a glass of Riesling. Dinner was €21.
Bürgerspital Weinstuben
Theaterstrasse 19, 97070 Würzburg
http://www.buergerspital.de
I very much enjoyed my day in Würzburg. Overall, it has impressive sights. However, I find it a lot more crowded than the other towns. Also, the town is more modern, with lots of shops selling everything one may need. I prefer the quaintness of Nürnberg and Bamberg.
Today I leave Nürnberg and move on to Würzburg. I took the 8:05a RE train. From the Würzburg train station, it is an easy 7-minute walk to <b>Hotel Schönleber</b> where I'll stay for one night. My room wasn't ready yet, so I left my luggage at the front desk. The staff was very friendly and helpful. He gave me a map and directions to Markt where the TI is located.
http://www.hotel-schoenleber.de/
The TI is housed in the <b>Haus zum Falker</b>, a beautiful rococo building. Next to it is the <b>Marienkapelle</b>. The statues on the outside of Marienkappelle are by Riemenschneider. After wardering around the Markt for a while, it's time to head to the <b>Würzburg Residenz</b>.
http://tinyurl.com/33skrb
One can visit the Residenz on your own, but twice daily is an English guided tour. I arrived to join the 11am tour. Our group has 7 people - I was the only American.
We began with the staircase - the largest in Germany. Above it is Tiepolo's fresco, <i>The Four Continents</i>, the largest fresco in the world. The next stop is the Kaisersaal, supposedly to be very impressive also. However, the entire room was covered with scaffolding for restoration.
The benefit of the guided tour is being able to visit the South Wing, which is not open to visitors not on tours. The South Wing has your usual palace rooms such as bed chambers, drawing rooms etc. However, one of the rooms, the <b>Spiegelkabinett</b> (Mirror Cabinet), is jaw-dropping. The Residenz was vastly destroyed in WWII (90% of Würzburg was destroyed) and the people painstakingly rebulit the Residenz. The mirror cabinet was successfully reconstructed thanks to a small fragment of mirror that had survived. The workers analyzed the mirror (and some old drawings) and was able to reproduce the rest of the room using the ancient technique (back then, mirror was made with optical lenses). The cost to rebuild this room alone cost $9M DM back in the 1980s. The "wow" factor for this room is equivalent to the Porcelain room at Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin.
Click the following link for info and pic of the Mirror Cabinet:
http://tinyurl.com/33adxv
After the South Wing, the tour ends and we are free to tour the North Wing on our own. The most memorable room is the <b>Green Laquered room</b>. The wall color is of a shimmering green. This effect was achieved by painting a layer of silver paint as background and then the green layer. The floor was made of 7 different kinds of wood in a 3D pattern.
Compared to the palaces I had visited in Bayreuth and Bamberg, the Würzburg Residenz is vastly superior. It well deserves its UNESCO appointment.
Emerging from the palace, I made my way to the <b>Hofkirche</b>. It is a chapel full of rococo decor. Around the corner is the entrance to the <b>Hofgarten</b>. It's nothing like the Versailles garden, but I find it very lovely. It is my favorite spot in Würzburg.
I took so many pictures in the Hofgarten that my camera battery was running low. I had to head back to the hotel to recharge it. Luckily, the hotel is only 5 minutes from the Residenz. I stopped by a bakery shop on the way to pick up lunch (salad and slice of cheesecake) to eat in my room while charging the battery. Lunch was €3,80.
An hour later, I was back out. First I visited <b>Dom St. Kilian</b>, which is huge. Then I headed to <b>Rathaus</b>, which now houses a restaurant. On the side of the Rathaus is a small room with WWII bombing displays. There is a model of the city showing how much of the buildings were destroyed after the bombing, and plenty of photos of streets lined with rubbles. It was such a strange experience to step out of that room back into 2007 and see people sitting at cafes drinking beers and coffee.
I continued on to <b>Alte Mainbrucke</b>, the Old Main Bridge, lined with statutes of saints. When I reached the other bank of the Main River, I began my hike up the hill to <b>Festung Marienberg</b> (Marienberg Fortress).
http://tinyurl.com/26plrb
The Fortress was where the prince-bishops had lived for centuries, until they decided to move down to the town and built the Residenz. I walked around the grounds, then visited the <b>Mainfrankisches Museum</b> (Main-Franconian Museum). It has the largest collection of Riemenschneider's work (80) in the world. After seeing the sculptures, the museum route went on and on and on. I had no idea the musem is so big! One area is the Folk Art section which I found quite fascinating. On display are period furniture, period rooms, costumes, and even an entire woodwork workshop!
I spent a good 2 hours at the Fortress, and then headed back down to town. I decided to return to the Residenz Hofgarten to enjoy the ambience. I could hear the birds singing, and could smell the fragrance of the spring flowers. It was just absolutely wonderful.
For dinner, I went to <b>Bürgerspital</b>. It started as a home for the elderly in the 1300s, and got vineyards as an endowment. Now it sells wine and operates a restaurant. It still has a nursing home.
I was given an English menu, so I waved down my waiter to request the Spargelkarte. I ordered my usual, <i>Spargel mit Kartoffeln</i>, plus a side order of a pair of Frankische bratwurst. Given the fact that Bürgerspital is famous for its wine, I ordered a glass of Riesling. Dinner was €21.
Bürgerspital Weinstuben
Theaterstrasse 19, 97070 Würzburg
http://www.buergerspital.de
I very much enjoyed my day in Würzburg. Overall, it has impressive sights. However, I find it a lot more crowded than the other towns. Also, the town is more modern, with lots of shops selling everything one may need. I prefer the quaintness of Nürnberg and Bamberg.
May 5th, 2007, 03:53 PM
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My husband was stationed in Germany while in the Army and he found English to be very common near post. As others have said, people who work in service positions learn or improve their English in order to serve their customer base. Many soldiers who stay in country for awhile learn a fair amount of German, but this is the military - people are reassigned all the time. New soldiers come in frequently and it takes time to learn a new language.
May 5th, 2007, 04:01 PM
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Where are Wagner's operas staged in Bayreuth? Were you able to visit? Did I miss your description? I understand that the pit is specially constructed for "optimal" integration between singers and orchestras -- or so Wagner thought, anyway.
May 6th, 2007, 02:56 AM
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Hi YK,
I really enjoyed reading about your trip through the cities ;-)
Especially Nuremburg is a nice place - have a look at http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/nuremberg.html
there you find lots of impressions in a photo-slideshow...
Greets,
sume
I really enjoyed reading about your trip through the cities ;-)
Especially Nuremburg is a nice place - have a look at http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/nuremberg.html
there you find lots of impressions in a photo-slideshow...
Greets,
sume
May 6th, 2007, 06:50 AM
#34
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111op- The Wagner operas (and the Bayreuth Festival) are staged at the Festspielhaus. Wagner finanaced to build this opera house himself. No, you didn't miss it on my report because I didn't go there. It is a bit outside of town and I didn't feel like making a trek there. Also, I wasn't even sure if it's open for tours or not.
sume - Thanks for posting the website. The pics are fabulous.
noe - I'm afraid I won't post my picture link here, but I'll post a few individual pics here:
http://tinyurl.com/2nkte4
http://tinyurl.com/2wcxsz
http://tinyurl.com/2qd2e3
sume - Thanks for posting the website. The pics are fabulous.
noe - I'm afraid I won't post my picture link here, but I'll post a few individual pics here:
http://tinyurl.com/2nkte4
http://tinyurl.com/2wcxsz
http://tinyurl.com/2qd2e3
May 6th, 2007, 09:19 AM
#35
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<b>Day 5 - Frankfurt</b>
It's time to head to Frankfurt, the last part of my journey. I have been to Frankfurt before, and found it rather boring. However, I didn't visit the art museums there last time, and that's the main reason I'm heading there.
I took the 8:56a ICE train. The trip took about 1 hour. At the hauptbanhof is a TI, where I bought a <b>Frankfurt Card</b> (€8 for 1 day). The woman who works there is the grumpiest person I've met on this entire trip. A vast difference from the TI agents in all other towns I have visited. The Frankfurt Card is a reasonable deal as it allows unlimited use of public transportation, and 50% off admissions to museums.
http://tinyurl.com/pbqsj
Then off I go to the <b>Frankfurt Marriott</b>. It is located across from the Messe, the convention venue in Frankfurt. It is a short tram ride from the train station. Even though it was still early in the day, my room was ready.
On one hand, it is great to stay at a nice business hotel. My room has a King-sized bed, and all the 4* amenities one would expect of a Marriott. OTOH, being in this hotel, I have no way of telling which city I'm in, as it is just like any other Marriotts I have stayed before. American English is heard everywhere in the hotel.
After I dropped off my luggage, I headed out to <b>Römer</b>. Frankfurt's public transportation is really great and easy to use.
Around Römer I went to Kaiserdom, and the <b>Kaisersaal</b> where 52 portraits of past Holy Roman Emperors are displayed. The Römer is also the Frankfurt city hall, and I saw several newly-wed couples there. At 12 noon, the nearby Nikolaikirche's carillon bells played for about 5 minutes.
Afterwards, I went to the <b>Museum for Modern Art</b>. It was a nice visit. Instead of the modern art museums in the US where all seem to have the same pieces by the same artists, the Frankfurt one has a more varied collection.
http://www.mmk-frankfurt.de/#
Then I walked northward to Konstablerwache and west along the <b>Zeil</b>, which is a huge pedestrian shopping street. It was Saturday and sunny & warm, so it seems that every Frankfurter is out shopping there. It was way past lunch time then, so I found a bratwurst-and-crepe stand where I ate standing up a bratwurst and a nutella crepe. Lunch was €6.
Next stop was <b>Städel</b>, the main art museum in Frankfurt. It was probably 3pm when I arrived. I couldn't believe it when the ticket agent told me that they had run out of museum maps!
Fortunately, the museum isn't that big nor confusing. I was able to locate Vermeer's <i>The Geographer</i>. This painting is the reason for me for visiting. The rest of the collection isn't really that great. There's a Bosch, and a van Eyck. I didn't like the lighting in the museum, and also thought the €10 admission is a bit steep (I paid €5 with the Frankfurt Card). Overall, I find the Städel somewhat disappointing.
http://www.staedelmuseum.de
As it was a nice day, I made my way to <b>Palmengarten</b> (also 1/2 price entry with Frankfurt Card). I was unimpressed also. Compared to the gardens I have visited in the US, the Palmengarten is much less manicured. There are sections of the garden where weeds are growing.
http://www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
I made my way back to the hotel. My feet were tired from all the walking I had done this past week. For dinner, I was too lazy to venture back out to town, so I ate at the French restaurant on site. There are 3 restaurants at the Marriott - a French, a Japanese, and Champions (American sports bar). Since I saw quite a lot of travelers at the hotel, I thought the French restaurant would be crowded. I was wrong. I was the only diner there that night. Prices are high, so I ordered a <i>Spargelsuppe</i> (cream of spargel soup) and a salad with spargel. The soup was heavenly, but the salad was not. Dinner was €30, the most expensive meal on this trip.
<b>Day 6 - Home</b>
There's not much to say about my return trip. I took the tram from the Marriott to Hauptbanhof, then the train to the airport. I spent about 30 minutes at the AA Admirals Club and ate a quick breakfast there. Alcohol is free at the AC, but I didn't have any. The AC is located landside, so I had to leave plenty of time to get through security and immigration. Lines were long, and I made through with no time to shop (which is a good thing, I guess).
Arrival at DFW was very speedy. I was through immigration and customs in less than 15 minutes.
I will post hotel reviews next.
It's time to head to Frankfurt, the last part of my journey. I have been to Frankfurt before, and found it rather boring. However, I didn't visit the art museums there last time, and that's the main reason I'm heading there.
I took the 8:56a ICE train. The trip took about 1 hour. At the hauptbanhof is a TI, where I bought a <b>Frankfurt Card</b> (€8 for 1 day). The woman who works there is the grumpiest person I've met on this entire trip. A vast difference from the TI agents in all other towns I have visited. The Frankfurt Card is a reasonable deal as it allows unlimited use of public transportation, and 50% off admissions to museums.
http://tinyurl.com/pbqsj
Then off I go to the <b>Frankfurt Marriott</b>. It is located across from the Messe, the convention venue in Frankfurt. It is a short tram ride from the train station. Even though it was still early in the day, my room was ready.
On one hand, it is great to stay at a nice business hotel. My room has a King-sized bed, and all the 4* amenities one would expect of a Marriott. OTOH, being in this hotel, I have no way of telling which city I'm in, as it is just like any other Marriotts I have stayed before. American English is heard everywhere in the hotel.
After I dropped off my luggage, I headed out to <b>Römer</b>. Frankfurt's public transportation is really great and easy to use.
Around Römer I went to Kaiserdom, and the <b>Kaisersaal</b> where 52 portraits of past Holy Roman Emperors are displayed. The Römer is also the Frankfurt city hall, and I saw several newly-wed couples there. At 12 noon, the nearby Nikolaikirche's carillon bells played for about 5 minutes.
Afterwards, I went to the <b>Museum for Modern Art</b>. It was a nice visit. Instead of the modern art museums in the US where all seem to have the same pieces by the same artists, the Frankfurt one has a more varied collection.
http://www.mmk-frankfurt.de/#
Then I walked northward to Konstablerwache and west along the <b>Zeil</b>, which is a huge pedestrian shopping street. It was Saturday and sunny & warm, so it seems that every Frankfurter is out shopping there. It was way past lunch time then, so I found a bratwurst-and-crepe stand where I ate standing up a bratwurst and a nutella crepe. Lunch was €6.
Next stop was <b>Städel</b>, the main art museum in Frankfurt. It was probably 3pm when I arrived. I couldn't believe it when the ticket agent told me that they had run out of museum maps!
Fortunately, the museum isn't that big nor confusing. I was able to locate Vermeer's <i>The Geographer</i>. This painting is the reason for me for visiting. The rest of the collection isn't really that great. There's a Bosch, and a van Eyck. I didn't like the lighting in the museum, and also thought the €10 admission is a bit steep (I paid €5 with the Frankfurt Card). Overall, I find the Städel somewhat disappointing.
http://www.staedelmuseum.de
As it was a nice day, I made my way to <b>Palmengarten</b> (also 1/2 price entry with Frankfurt Card). I was unimpressed also. Compared to the gardens I have visited in the US, the Palmengarten is much less manicured. There are sections of the garden where weeds are growing.
http://www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
I made my way back to the hotel. My feet were tired from all the walking I had done this past week. For dinner, I was too lazy to venture back out to town, so I ate at the French restaurant on site. There are 3 restaurants at the Marriott - a French, a Japanese, and Champions (American sports bar). Since I saw quite a lot of travelers at the hotel, I thought the French restaurant would be crowded. I was wrong. I was the only diner there that night. Prices are high, so I ordered a <i>Spargelsuppe</i> (cream of spargel soup) and a salad with spargel. The soup was heavenly, but the salad was not. Dinner was €30, the most expensive meal on this trip.
<b>Day 6 - Home</b>
There's not much to say about my return trip. I took the tram from the Marriott to Hauptbanhof, then the train to the airport. I spent about 30 minutes at the AA Admirals Club and ate a quick breakfast there. Alcohol is free at the AC, but I didn't have any. The AC is located landside, so I had to leave plenty of time to get through security and immigration. Lines were long, and I made through with no time to shop (which is a good thing, I guess).
Arrival at DFW was very speedy. I was through immigration and customs in less than 15 minutes.
I will post hotel reviews next.
May 6th, 2007, 11:01 AM
#36
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Well I guess if you become a Wagner fan, you will have to visit Bayreuth again. But of course tickets are impossible to come by, but someone told me that he started queuing for "Tristan" the night *before* and got in.
May 6th, 2007, 04:06 PM
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<b>Hotel Review</b>
Gasthaus Pillhofer, Nürnberg
http://www.pillhofer.net/hotel.htm
This place is suggested by fellow Fodorite MarkvonKramer.
I had 2 requirements for the hotel:
1) Proximity to the train station; given I was taking 2 daytrips
2) Cheap
I had looked into recommendations by Rick Steves and Fodors, and also looked at listings from the Nürnberg tourism website. The hotels in guidebooks are either too expensive, or no website (I didn't want to bother with calling.)
There was some snafu when I tried to book Pillhofer. It is listed on the Nürnberg tourism website, so I booked it through the website. I got an automatic reply email from the tourism website, but never a confirmation from the hotel.
So, I emailed the hotel directly and reiterated my booking dates. I received a reply, but saying that there are only doubles available. I wrote back and said No Thanks, as I couldn't afford the double. The next day, they emailed back and said the single is available.
I then wrote to ask if they need my CC info to confirm my reservation, and I never heard back from the hotel.
1 week before my trip, I called the hotel to confirm my booking, and it was good.
The rate was €54/night inclu Breakfast.
I was somewhat concerned about the size of a single room. My past experience with European single rooms is that they're tiny. I didn't want to stay in a tiny box for 3 nights.
Anyway, the single room is HUGE. It fits a single bed, a closet, a desk, a chair, a small single sofa, and a small coffee table!
The is quiet as it faces the back. The hotel also provides a free bottle of water every night, which I thought was a very nice touch. As I've mentioned earlier, there is no elevator in the hotel, and the guest rooms begin on the 3rd floor. There is minimal service, my room was not cleaned during my entire stay except for trash being emptied. The bath towel is the roughest I've ever used. I felt like I was getting an exfoliation treatment everytime I dry myself.
Amenities are at a minimum. There is bath/shower gel; not sure about hairdryer (I don't use one). My room has a full length mirror which is nice.
Overall, the guesthouse is more of a restaurant than a hotel. There is no front desk, and certainly no one to provide maps or sightseeing suggestions.
The location is perfect for me. It is a 1-minute walk to the train station. It is also just across the street from the Tourist Information center (opens 9-7). Inside the TI are 2 computer terminals with internet access (free; 15-minute lockout).
Breakfast spread is limited. There's different kinds of bread rolls and 3-4 kinds of cold cuts. 3-4 kinds of cheese. 1 choice of cereal, and don't think there was yogurt. No hard-boiled eggs.
The hotel seems empty during my stay. I hardly saw any other guests at breakfast.
I would not hesitate to stay there again in the future.
Gasthaus Pillhofer, Nürnberg
http://www.pillhofer.net/hotel.htm
This place is suggested by fellow Fodorite MarkvonKramer.
I had 2 requirements for the hotel:
1) Proximity to the train station; given I was taking 2 daytrips
2) Cheap
I had looked into recommendations by Rick Steves and Fodors, and also looked at listings from the Nürnberg tourism website. The hotels in guidebooks are either too expensive, or no website (I didn't want to bother with calling.)
There was some snafu when I tried to book Pillhofer. It is listed on the Nürnberg tourism website, so I booked it through the website. I got an automatic reply email from the tourism website, but never a confirmation from the hotel.
So, I emailed the hotel directly and reiterated my booking dates. I received a reply, but saying that there are only doubles available. I wrote back and said No Thanks, as I couldn't afford the double. The next day, they emailed back and said the single is available.
I then wrote to ask if they need my CC info to confirm my reservation, and I never heard back from the hotel.
1 week before my trip, I called the hotel to confirm my booking, and it was good.
The rate was €54/night inclu Breakfast.
I was somewhat concerned about the size of a single room. My past experience with European single rooms is that they're tiny. I didn't want to stay in a tiny box for 3 nights.
Anyway, the single room is HUGE. It fits a single bed, a closet, a desk, a chair, a small single sofa, and a small coffee table!
The is quiet as it faces the back. The hotel also provides a free bottle of water every night, which I thought was a very nice touch. As I've mentioned earlier, there is no elevator in the hotel, and the guest rooms begin on the 3rd floor. There is minimal service, my room was not cleaned during my entire stay except for trash being emptied. The bath towel is the roughest I've ever used. I felt like I was getting an exfoliation treatment everytime I dry myself.
Amenities are at a minimum. There is bath/shower gel; not sure about hairdryer (I don't use one). My room has a full length mirror which is nice.
Overall, the guesthouse is more of a restaurant than a hotel. There is no front desk, and certainly no one to provide maps or sightseeing suggestions.
The location is perfect for me. It is a 1-minute walk to the train station. It is also just across the street from the Tourist Information center (opens 9-7). Inside the TI are 2 computer terminals with internet access (free; 15-minute lockout).
Breakfast spread is limited. There's different kinds of bread rolls and 3-4 kinds of cold cuts. 3-4 kinds of cheese. 1 choice of cereal, and don't think there was yogurt. No hard-boiled eggs.
The hotel seems empty during my stay. I hardly saw any other guests at breakfast.
I would not hesitate to stay there again in the future.
May 6th, 2007, 04:22 PM
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<b>Hotel Review</b>
Hotel Schönleber in Würzburg
http://www.hotel-schoenleber.de
I found this hotel on Rick Steves' guidebook. I had tried 1 or 2 other hotels but they were booked. Booking it via email was very straightforward.
The hotel is at a great location. About a 5-7 minute walk from the train station. And 5 minutes to Residenz, or 5 minutes to Markt/Dom.
The staff (I met 2 during my stay) was very friendly and helpful. The hotel has an elevator and has about 50 rooms.
My single room is on the top floor (aka attic). It has a small window and somewhat slanted ceiling. It'll be a problem staying there during the summer (no A/C, small window).
The room is much smaller - the expected size of a European single. No full length mirror. No SOAP (well, it is provided at front desk upon request)!
My room faces the main street, but at night it is very quiet. There is almost no street noise during the night.
Breakfast options is more varied: bread, cheese, jams, cereals, hard-boiled eggs, fruit etc. The morning I was there (Sat) it was very busy, but the staff managed to keep the food repleted.
My single (en suite) room rate was €60 inclu breakfast.
FYI, there is a hotel located right next door called Hotel Altstadt. I have no idea what the quality of the rooms are, but the rates are much lower. €44 or €49 for single (without and with bathroom), and €64/69 for double. I don't know if Hotel Schönleber's prices are higher because it's in Rick Steves, or is it better in quality.
Overall, I was pleased with my brief stay (except for the SOAP upon request).
Hotel Schönleber in Würzburg
http://www.hotel-schoenleber.de
I found this hotel on Rick Steves' guidebook. I had tried 1 or 2 other hotels but they were booked. Booking it via email was very straightforward.
The hotel is at a great location. About a 5-7 minute walk from the train station. And 5 minutes to Residenz, or 5 minutes to Markt/Dom.
The staff (I met 2 during my stay) was very friendly and helpful. The hotel has an elevator and has about 50 rooms.
My single room is on the top floor (aka attic). It has a small window and somewhat slanted ceiling. It'll be a problem staying there during the summer (no A/C, small window).
The room is much smaller - the expected size of a European single. No full length mirror. No SOAP (well, it is provided at front desk upon request)!
My room faces the main street, but at night it is very quiet. There is almost no street noise during the night.
Breakfast options is more varied: bread, cheese, jams, cereals, hard-boiled eggs, fruit etc. The morning I was there (Sat) it was very busy, but the staff managed to keep the food repleted.
My single (en suite) room rate was €60 inclu breakfast.
FYI, there is a hotel located right next door called Hotel Altstadt. I have no idea what the quality of the rooms are, but the rates are much lower. €44 or €49 for single (without and with bathroom), and €64/69 for double. I don't know if Hotel Schönleber's prices are higher because it's in Rick Steves, or is it better in quality.
Overall, I was pleased with my brief stay (except for the SOAP upon request).
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