There are other reasons to visit Bonn. It is the birthplace of Beethoven and was the capital of West Germany before the fall of Berlin wall. There are also a cluster of top notched museums in Museumsmeile (Museum Mile) south to the town center.
A short walk from the train station brought me to the Municipal Hall and tourist center (closed). Nearby is the Stentor, an ancient gate wall that stands out quite uniquely among other modern buildings. Just around the corner is the Munsterplatz with the 13th century Munsterbasilica and Beethoven Monument (1845). I attended the morning Christmas service in Munsterbasilica but was not able to take any photograph inside the church. The Altes Rathaus(old townhouse) is located at the Markt. From there, I walked to Beethoven Haus where Beethoven first saw light. Inside the house is Beethoven's last grand piano and large ear trumpets but it was closed of course.
Beethoven Haus
Next is Oper Bonn (Opera House) which is just situated next to Rhine River. I walked along the Rhine River and reached the Egyptian Museum and Statgarten. Down the road is the Bonn University (1818) and the massive Hofgarten with the Academisches Kunstmuseum (Academic Art Museum).
It was a very long walk from the city center to Poppelsdorf and Museumsmeile. But the beautiful apartments that line the Meckeheimer Allee (means avenue) made the journey more enjoyable. The Schloss Poppelsdorf ( Poppelsdorf Palace) was closed but the view of the palace and the river that runs in front of it was good enough for me. Then it was another half hour walk to the Museum Mile. I was cold and hungry but there was no place to stop. My fingers were freezing cold to the point of being painful the moment I removed my gloves...winter sucks! But I found a shade at the junction of Reuterstrasse and Willy Brandt Allee and ate half sandwich there (only half because my fingers started to ache!). The first museum I visited was Haus de Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Forum of Contemporary German History). The title of the German museums almost always a mouthful of words. The admission is free of charge but I should have known better... Any free museums in Germany are mainly for people who are either locals or know the language. It was the most stress-free and relaxing museum I have ever been to mainly because I cannot read German...hence just browsing through the exhibits. I especially enjoy the exhibits of old design of BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen. That I can relate ..he he. I wish I could take photo of a very old car where there are only 2 seats and the only way to exit the car is through the bonnet! But no photography is allowed and the museum staffs are patrolling with watchful eyes. I need a camera with silent shutter. My Sony Nex is just too noisy.
Kunst Museum was closed so I went to the Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. This museum has several exhibitions at the same time including exhibition on Afghanistan, The Trauma of Napoleon and Modern Art. To see all exhibitions, one is required to bleed euro 16 but I was tired hence paid euro 8 to see Modern Art. It is expensive...since it is of very small scale compared to Ludwig Museum in Cologne but is still worth a visit. The exhibition entitles Vibracion Modern Kunst Aus Lateinamerika shows work of Latin American artists like Jesus Raphael Soto and Mira Schendel with interesting collection of kinetic art, optical art (which can make you dizzy) and the mesmerizing suspended sculptures (Reticuláreas series) of Gego (Gertrude Goldschmidt).
Just outside the museum is an outdoor ice skating rink but I need to get back to train station before sunset at 430pm. Walking back, I passed by the Palais Schaumburg and Museum Koenig. It was about half an hour later that I reached the train station.
Back in Cologne, I met Yenna and a group of China mainland men heading out for dinner. I invited Yenna for Christmas dinner the night before hence I joined them instead. But the Chinese men wanted to eat Chinese food! Yenna and I wanted to eat German cuisine so we sheepishly went on separate way. We dined in my favourite pub: Cologne style fried kale with large wurst and Roast goose leg with sauerkraut and potatoes (the food was so good that we forgot to take photo before attacking the food). To finish in style, we ordered an apple strudel. A very satisfying Christmas dinner indeed! After the dinner, we walked around Hoho Strasse. The streets were deserted but it was the best time to appreciate the Christmas window decor that I missed on the first day there.
Apple strudel...
Hansel and Gretel, made of real cookies and chocolate
Adorable battery operated bears
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