Munich

The second trip I took with my mom was with Chrisopher to Munich, which is a straight 3.5-hour train trip away from here and yet we never visit. 

I did not do a particularly great job of planning this trip but I figured we'd manage, and we did, though there was probably more random-walking and puzzling-over-what-to-do-next than necessary. The 25 Hours Hotel was hip and comfortable and ideally located next to the train station, a good base and a convenient retreat when we needed a break. We checked off some tourist boxes: the glockenspiel at Marienplatz, a meal at the Rathaus, the Viktualienmarkt. Shamelessly partook in that kind of consumer capitalism that just doesn't exist in Switzerland. And visited two solidly B-list tourist attractions appropriate to the interests of my son: the eclectic and rather run-down Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum, which if nothing else saved us from getting soaked in a downpour (and Chris did love it), and the Museum Minerologia, which turns out to be the displays around the geology department at the university (there's a woman sitting in an office in the corner who will gladly take your entrance fee [cash only please] but it was unclear to me whether anyone cared if you paid). 

The surprise theme of the trip was...drum roll please...DIORAMAS. Not making this up.

In each of the hotel elevators there was one of these dioramas by artist Sandra Havemeister. Tiny people doing normal and improbable things! You'll have to click through to get an idea of the detail involved - in this one, for example, there's a devil chasing the ice skaters in the cave on the bottom left. 

The hunting and fishing museum is located in the former Augustinerkirche and has all sorts of accessibility issues. Among other things, the bathrooms are up three steep flights of marble stairs. But on your way up you can enjoy depictions of hunting through the ages, including this gripping diorama of a wild boar hunt at the Schleissheim Palace.

...and my very favorite, in the entrance alcove of the Theatinerkirche. "Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, 'Lord do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.' The Lord said to her in reply, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.'" (Luke 10: 40-42). It is not recorded whether Jesus followed this statement with a hearty “Prost!” but you can draw your own conclusions.

Also, less surprisingly: dachshunds (ooh that plural sounds so wrong to my German-addled brain: Dachshunde!) - the spirit animal and Olympic mascot of Bavaria and also my mom has a soft spot in her heart for them because she grew up with one. Named Gretchen, I think? Which it only occurs to me right now is such a perfect name.