Schnee!

We took the day off today, and started it by walking out to Nymphenburg Palace. It had snowed overnight but the paths were largely well gritted, and it was an enjoyable walk, including an impromptu Glühwein along the way.

But by the time we were a mile away from the palace, though, the snow was coming down again, thickly and settling on the ground. 

Fortunately, at the point where carrying on became too much like hard work, we found ourselves by a taxi rank. Good news for us, but not, it transpired, for the driver, who had a good old grumble about short fares and how we should have taken a taxi from further back in the rank*.

Anyway, once he'd finished he must have felt bad about being such a grouch because he switched to being friendly and helpful.

Having reached the palace, we had a little look around the entrance and gift shop, but, given the weather, there seemed little point in paying to go around the grounds, although the weather was better as soon as we left!

We spent the part of the afternoon in a café overlooking a market, and then went back to the old Löwenbräu brewery, which has a fine restaurant where we had our dinner before proceeding to the cinema. 

The Minx had found one, the Arean Filtheatre, showing 'Conclave' ('Konklave') in English but with German subtitles. It was a great little cinema, and we enjoyed a drink in the bar before going in to see the film. 

For starters, let me just say that it's a great film and I woulld wholeheartedly recommend it. It's beautifully shot, with a great script, and superb performances from Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow.

It was weird watching it with the subtitles: firstly, because if I couldn't understand the German, I'd find that I'd missed the English, but secondly because despite my 'O' Level, I'd never have followed the parts in Latin but, handily those were subtitled. 

The other great thing, which the Minx and I noted independently, was how much the German audience enjoyed the very dry humour. 

* He claimed this is common practice in all countries, but I've never heard of it before, not even in Germany.