Bucolic Bavaria: Not Exactly a Travelogue

The flurry of news coming from Schloss Elmau, where the G7 Summit is being held today and tomorrow, reminded me that I had not yet posted anything about my trip to Germany with my son last month.While we went to Germany to attend a wedding, we were very close to where the Summit action/inaction is happening. The hordes of government officials, journalists and protesters that accompany modern summitry are no doubt trampling the bucolic landscape as I type. For that reason alone, I'm grateful that our trip didn't coincide with the Summit. I'm sure it would have been more difficult to get around. 

Still, it would have been interesting to be there at the same time as the Summit. I'm curious about what the leaders of the world's biggest economies might accomplish, or not, at their latest gathering in Bavaria. And what the thousands demonstrating in the streets of nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen might draw attention to, as well. Canadian readers may wish to note that the Germans weren't building any godawful gazebos in the Summit run-up period, as was done in Muskoka; apparently wasteful schlock is not a requirement of the host country.

Regardless of timing, my teenaged son got a political booster shot on his first trip to Europe. With our German friends we discussed the state of surveillance and the surveillance state; the Greek-EU financial crisis (an argument ensued--and for politicos, an argument is a welcome event, as happy as a wedding); Canada's genocidal treatment of First Nations people (also much in the news this week); and more. On our own, we visited historic sights in Munich, Nuremberg, and Dachau and considered them through the prism of current events. We even had a chance encounter in a cafe, where a stranger seated near us, an older man, opined at length, unprompted, about American foreign policy. He said that Germans are truly shocked by US actions (Iraq, the spying episodes, drones) and concerned about rising fascism. I was polite but noncommittal, which I thought best as a visiting foreigner, not knowing anything about this guy. His demeanor remained solemn and measured throughout. But after a bit, he backpedaled. One should be careful, he said, when speaking of such things. Too late, I wanted to say. A strange politically-charged moment.
 
So besides the many churches we entered--and my kid reached his saturation point on gilded rococo cathedrals early on--politics emerged as our traveling theme. In case you're feeling sorry for him just about now, know that we also viewed beautiful art and very cool technology exhibitions, took the high-speed train, drove on the Autobahn at 220 km/hour (or rather, were driven; I certainly couldn't drive that fast), ate rich food and even hiked in the Alps one afternoon, but I'm afraid the chatter among our multinational group of hikers was mostly about...you know.

I guess we'll see what happens at Schloss Elmau, but the Reuters photo of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel embracing as they begin bilateral talks in advance of the Summit could not be more entertaining, given two countries very much at odds at the moment. I can't help imagining Merkel whispering in his ear, "Tell me you've destroyed my mobile phone records, Barack" or sweetly challenging him to find the edible nano-recording device hidden in the lunch they will soon have. At the press conference he makes a lederhosen joke (check out the video link (scroll down)--the lederhosen-clad fellow standing behind him is not amused). At some point they repair to a welcome-to-Germany luncheon, which the BBC faithfully reports on, even using the subheading "Sausages", for Ludwig's sake. Breaking: the Chancellor and POTUS enjoyed sausages and beer in the Bavarian sunshine.

What a coincidence. We, too, enjoyed sausages and beer in the Bavarian sunshine. In addition to the weisswurst and rostbratwurst typical of the region, we were served a local dish called sausage salad, which I had never had before. It consisted of shredded sausage, a mayonnaise-based dressing and, I was told but could not discern in the mix, cucumbers. Nano-particle vegetables stealthily dropped into the salad.

Following are a few more highlights.

Transit: the S-bahn suburban transit system connecting Munich to outlying villages is genius. Cheap, easy, and reliable, with seamless connections to the city subway. The honor system prevails--no one checks tickets, although there were warning signs about fines for those caught without one. And, of course, every station has parking for hundreds of bikes. The bike lots are full.

Nuremberg subway station entrance--go into the tower

On the train to Munich

We stayed in a village called Wolfratshausen, which is 1000 years old. Munich, in contrast, is *only* 800 years old.

The whole trip I had been waiting to see this image--on a t-shirt, was what I expected--and here it was stuck to the back of a traffic sign in Wolfratshausen. Perhaps our cafe friend was responsible for this bit of political speech calling for "Asyl" for Snowden.

"Arbeit mach frei" (work makes you free)--on the entrance gate to Dachau and other concentration camps.There must be millions of variations on this picture floating around the world--I had to wait as people lined up for this shot the day we were there. It's a horrific and chilling place, but also a place of learning and remembrance.

International memorial at Dachau

In Nuremberg, we happened upon this  monument, which is the Way of Human Rights. Inscribed on each pillar is an article of the UN Human Rights Declaration, in German and another language. The effect is quite moving, given Nuremberg's history as the site of the biggest Nazi rallies, and then mostly destroyed by bombing during World War II.  

A key to the languages used for each article of the Human Rights Declaration.

Our friend took us to this chapel, which overlooks lush rolling hills and in the distance, the Alps. It also has a war story, which has to do with downed British bomber pilots who were given proper burials contrary to Nazi orders, and the village was subsequently spared from devastation by Allied troops.

 

The site at Lake Starnberg where King Ludwig II, having been declared insane, deposed and imprisoned, either committed suicide by drowning or was murdered in 1886

Heiliggeistkirche (Holy Ghost Church) in Munich.I don't know the details about this cloud of paper doves hanging from the ceiling, but it's probably at least partly about peace, no?

(re)visiting New York

It seems I took a long vacation from this space. Don't worry, it was an unpaid vacation, full of busy business. Post-blur, a few choice events stand out as worth revisiting in the coming days. Let's hear it for time travel--and what else is reading, anyway? 

The best blogs feature selected shorts, quick hits of significance. That brevity is precisely what I find hard to achieve on this blog, my labor of love. I have to remind myself that the LOG in BLOG signifies crisp daily entries. Like a ship's log, which I've never had occasion to keep, darn it. Or how about an annotated timeline of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's dealings with petty criminals? That would make a great search-engine-optimized hunk of writing--Oh wait, it already exists, thanks to the judge who released hundreds of pages of police findings (*unproven allegations*) on October 31st and today ordered that more information should be made public. Cheers for him! By the way, anyone wishing to buy a limited-edition Rob Ford bobblehead, you are too late. CBC Radio reported this afternoon that, after finally admitting he purchased illegal drugs, the Mayor spent five hours (!) outside signing the wobbly effigies. No shame. And I noticed something while stuck in the car with the radio playing fresh Ford allegations: the CBC used the term "sex workers", while our small-city local station preferred "prostitutes". That cultural shift is not yet a done deal throughout the land. Perhaps the word prostitute will eventually disappear like other pejoratives we once hurled freely but now frown upon. I do hope, however, that a usage will be retained for those senators and others holding high public office who simultaneously sit on corporate boards. Until the Senate expense scandal hit, I didn't even know that was allowed. Why is it allowed?

Behold a digression of Fordian proportions. Sorry, but everyone is fixated on political scandal here in the true north strong and free.

Back to the recent past we go, to my trip to New York in early September to attend a writing conference (weird and wonderful) and visit my brother in his natural habitat. It's his birthday today, so what better time? Also, these photos, all taken in Brooklyn, suggest the higher calling that public service can be.    

Borough Hall

Borough Hall, a massive municipal building, anchors a long stretch of parkland. I wish I'd taken this picture when the steps and plaza were filled with screaming, sign-holding Bill DeBlasio fans rallying for the Democratic mayoral primary race (runup to the general election on November 5th, which DeBlasio won, of course). The same weekend, I passed a Christine Quinn rally (smaller) in Manhattan and saw Anthony Weiner on TV trying to defend himself--but look, at least he doesn't smoke crack. 

This bronze bust of Robert F. Kennedy sits atop a granite pedestal. On each side of the base, an RFK quotation is inscribed. Here are two of them:

FEW WILL HAVE THE GREATNESS TO / BEND HISTORY ITSELF, BUT EACH OF US / CAN WORK TO CHANGE A SMALL PORTION OF EVENTS, AND IN THE TOTAL OF ALL THOSE ACTS WILL / BE WRITTEN THE HISTORY OF THIS GENERATION.

WHAT WE REQUIRE IS NOT THE SELF- / INDULGENCE OF RESIGNATION FROM THE / WORLD BUT THE HARD EFFORT TO WORK OUT / NEW WAYS OF FULFILLING OUR PERSONAL CONCERN / AND OUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Here stands Christopher Columbus in marble, created by sculptor Emma Stebbins in Rome in the 1860s, donated to the city but not displayed until the 1930s, and then moved to the newly named Columbus Park in 1971. The city's blurb mentions an emphasis in public lore on CC's "discovery of the Americas, as opposed to colonization of the area"...speaking of cultural shifts.

Henry Ward Beecher

This bronze grouping, dedicated in 1891, honors the charismatic and controversial 19th-century preacher, abolitionist and supporter of women's suffrage Henry Ward Beecher. His sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. 

One park blends into another, this one dedicated to that poet and celebrant of the common man, Walt Whitman. Interestingly, there are no statues here, only a large, circular plaza with Whitman quotations carved into the stone--sprinkled by a hidden fountain? There were puddles near some of the quotations, but it hadn't rained the day I was there. And why close at 1 am? Does someone actually come around and lock gates in the middle of the night?

lines from To the States: "resist much, obey little"

lines from Crossing Brooklyn Ferry: "slow-wheeling circles and the gradual edging toward the south", which is about seagulls but also reminds me of my walk that day

Be Not Offended: Images

First things first: Happy St. Patrick's Day (late now that I've had some technical difficulties posting this). The Bizarro comic can be found here along with an amusing holiday post from 2012 entitled "Drunk Driving Reptiles" by Dan Piraro, genius cartoonist.
 
Many Catholics are no doubt seizing the opportunity to drink, since Sundays provide a free pass releasing the devout from whatever form of Lenten discipline seemed like such a good idea back on Ash Wednesday. Add a saint's feast day to the mix and you've got double prizes. Another reason to opt for alcoholic oblivion, of course, is the saturation media coverage we've endured this week about the election of Pope Francis.

Wasn't it awful? Wasn't it fabulous? I'm feeling whipsawed by the competing images of the former Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina, now Pope Francis. The mainstream media generally ignore everything the Pope has to say (unless it has to do with scandals) but cannot resist the spectacle in Rome: the antiquated charm of smoke signals, pomp and pageantry, tourists and faithful alike rushing to St. Peter's Square to hear the new leader's first words. It's a cultural happening, meaning that even the non-religious are attracted, especially when the chosen one appears in simple garments and invokes Saint Francis of Assisi, who renounced his family's wealth for a life serving the poor. Maybe this new pope will sell some art, we can be forgiven for thinking.

It's worth remembering the 2009 Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, or "Charity in Truth", which critiqued the excesses of capitalism as a cause of human poverty and misery. Moreover, the Catechism states: 

2439. Rich nations have a grave moral responsibility toward those which are unable to ensure the means of their development by themselves or have been prevented from doing so by tragic historical events. It is a duty in solidarity and charity; it is also an obligation in justice if the prosperity of the rich nations has come from resources that have not been paid for fairly.

Pope Benedict was elected in 2005. This week, amidst the online tug-of war, I found myself wondering how the message of his elevation was received and circulated among virtual "communities" of the time. Certainly the Internet was in full swing eight years ago, but Facebook, established just the year before, was still the playground of college kids. Twitter didn't exist yet. Nor were clutches of cardinals trying to hold press conferences, surely.

There's no need to take the temperature of the Internet today: the weather's perpetually blistering. A place--a space--of  fevered attack and counterattack, on bad days the Internet could be our newest metaphor for Hell. Among the many, many photos and comments circulating, three struck me hard.

Exhibit 1:

This undated photo shows the organization Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo protesting in the hope of finding loved ones lost to atrocities committed during Argentina's Dirty War. The sign says, "Where are the hundreds of babies born in captivity?", referring to infants born to jailed dissidents, stolen and given to families loyal to the military dictatorship then in power.    

The caption that went with the picture (posted on Facebook) attributed the following statement (my translation) to this group: "The church that collaborated with the dictatorship, that lied, that turned its back on us, is the church of Bergoglio and the right."

It is impossible not to feel the suffering of these women, and the questions raised about official church complicity--leaving aside for now Cardinal Bergoglio's individual role, which has been investigated--are troubling indeed. This NYT report gives some useful background information and seems fairly balanced.

And I'm reminded of a powerful Argentine film that dramatizes the plight of a stolen child and her adoptive family. The Official Story won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 1986. It's available on YouTube in its entirety here.

Exhibit 2: 

Another photo, which I've chosen not to reproduce, shows then-Cardinal Bergoglio giving communion to General Videla. The image has been altered with red spatters meant to represent blood. The caption states: "The future Pope giving communion to General Videla, the leader of the fascist generals who ruled Argentina in the late 1970s (and disappeared more than 20,000)."

I find it disturbing for its crude and lazy sloganeering. Equating giving communion--the essence of a priest's existence, after all--with political conspiracy shows, at best, a lack of understanding of the basic tenets of the religion in question. This image undermines its own tragic cause, and that is a shame.

Exhibit 3:

Finally, this undated photo of Pope John Paul II with then-Cardinal Ratzinger (later to become Pope Benedict XVI) and then-Cardinal Bergoglio, found here. The caption claims that this is a rare photograph of Pope JPII and his two successors together, and further commentary suggested that the existence of this particular image amounts to some kind of divine foreshadowing. That's probably when I should have stopped reading and looking, because my bullshit meter hasn't stopped spinning yet.

As a record of a moment in history, fine. But do not cardinals flock together? What I can't abide is when the church acts like a government. Official photographs of every significant meeting must exist. I'm willing to bet that the Vatican archives are stuffed with photos of popes posing with individual cardinals and various permutations thereof. If someone else had been elected, another photo would have been discovered.

Pope Francis has a daunting task ahead of him and only time, not instant images doctored and zapped around the Internet, will reveal who he is. Those who can pray should.