The English Beat: July 2012

Friday, July 20, 2012

She Loves You: Munich

Munich was our last stop on our Grand Tour of Germany. We arrived in the morning from Augsburg and spent most of the day visiting the Van Treeck workshop that has been creating stained glass and mosaic masterpieces for many generations. It was another highlight of the trip to see this fantastic studio! Munich was a colorful and wonderful city, but we only had the one day there before we flew out in the evening to return to England.

Munich, I love you!

Colorful Architecture Abounds!

Munich Ginderbread

The Van Treek Studio

Founded by Gustav Van Treeck and still operated by his descendants.

Stained Glass Doors

Conservation Work

Modernismo!

Love, Love, Love Mosaics!

Mosaic in progress...

Mosaic Glass before broken into pieces

The New Town Hall

The Last Supper.

Good Bye Germany, until we meet again, which I promise we will!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Lady Madonna... in Augsberg

Augsburg was as lovely as the rest of Germany! We began our day at the Dom Augsburg, which is dedicated to the cult of the Virgin Mary and dates back to the 10th century. Later we toured the famous Fuggerei, a privately funded housing development, which was first built in the 15th century by the wealthy Fugger family of local merchants. It has been managed and funded by the family to this day, and still houses persons who are poor "through no fault of their own". One of the stipulations of living there is that tenants must pray three times a day; one of those times must be for the Fugger family.