Inner Voice

There are times when I would get into my deep thinking mode and have a conversation with my inner voice.  These are times when a part of me knows that something isn’t quite right and I need to look at it from the outside ….. as if I’m looking in at myself. 

There is something about my current ‘obsession’ that I’m trying to figure out.  Am I devoting too much time and energy to it, and living my life around it?  Even if it’s something I love, has it become unhealthy?  I think I do know the answer as my inner voice can clearly see what I might not choose to see.  

Perhaps it is time to stop living my life around it ……
 

Bridging That Gap

Image taken from:
http://www.northbostonperioimplants.com/dental-implants-north-andover/dental-implants.html

I had heard of dental implants but didn’t really know much about them until I had to have one done recently.  I didn’t realized my first lower left molar had a bad crack until it got infected and I had made an appointment for a root canal treatment.  I was advised against proceeding with the root canal treatment as the infection would recur.

I was given some options …… have the tooth extracted and live with one less tooth, replace with a bridge or get an implant.  Of course the cheapest and simplest option was to just have that troublesome tooth extracted. But chances were the bone in that gap might get weakened (resorbed) and the teeth on either side might ‘move’.  The 2nd option with that bridge would involve having to ‘cut’ the teeth on both sides so that the bridging crown could fit over them snugly.  3rd option with the implant would involve surgery to plant a titanium screw into the jaw bone.

Tough ….. if I don’t replace that teeth, I can only chew on the right side.  I don’t want both my healthy teeth to be cut either and I dread the thought of having that screw fixed into my jaw bone.  Both the 2nd and 3rd option will also be costly.  But still I have to make a choice in the end.  An implant it shall be though it’s going to burn a hole in my pocket.

That troublesome tooth was finally extracted and it felt rather strange to feel that empty space between my teeth.  The tissue healed nicely and after a couple of months, I was back for another appointment. 
A scan had to be done to determine the depth of the implant so as to avoid touching that nerve below.  

Finally that dreaded day arrived ….. my usual dental appointments are bad enough as I hate that screeching in my mouth and the thought of that scaler digging into my gums.  Now I’m really going to get my gums cut into and have a screw drilled into my jaw bone!  Can I cancel the appointment?

Sigh, I will have to go through with it.  Just visualize having a beautiful replacment tooth and being able to chew normally again.  Just get through this hour and it will all be over ….. though not quite as this is only the initial part.  As can be seen from the picture above, there will be a second procedure to attach that other piece (abutment) to the implant so that the final crown can then be attached.  Though it will be less traumatic, it will still involve a bit of ‘cutting’ into my gum to open up the top of the implant which was sutured up after the first procedure.

I’m really glad my eyes were covered too as they prepared the area for the surgical procedure, leaving just my nose and mouth exposed.  At least I couldn’t see what was going on though I would have kept my eyes tightly shut anyway.  Prior to that,  a local injection had been made at a few sites around the implant area to numb it.

When he made the first cut and started scraping at the site, I could hear him explaning to someone that it was to remove the periosteum (thin covering over the bone).  Could that be some attachment dental student who had come in to observe the procedure?    

Of course I could still feel the pressure on my jaw bone during the drilling but at least not the pain. 
I had been earlier briefed that different drill sizes would be used as the hole was gradually widened.  
I was asked not to move at the critical moment when the implant went in.  Finally it was done and the site was sutured up.  I was given a few days supply of painkiller and antibiotics to take.  Immediately after the procedure was over, I could feel a slight tinge of that implant area ‘pulsing’ but fortunately did not feel the pain as I started on the painkiller.  Just had to be really careful when brushing around that area.

So at which stage am I currently?  At least the worst part is over and I’ll be next going for that 2nd step to attach the abutment in a couple of months time.  This interval is to allow the implant to integrate with the jaw bone.

Didn’t realize how troublesome and costly a single tooth can be.  But it’s definitely an experience. 

     

Day Trip From Munich (Nueschwanstein Castle)

Nueschwanstein Castle from Marien Bridge

2nd Day Trip from Munich (21st November 2011)

I had joined the same tour agency for both day trips so we again started out from the Munich Hauptbanhof that morning.  We had a different guide whose name I cannot now recall.  It was another 2 hours train ride, this time to Fussen.  On the way, our guide related the story of King Ludwig II and the history of the castle.  By the time we reached Fussen, he was up to part of the King’s  mysterious death.  We would hear the rest of the story on our train ride home.

From Fussen, we took a bus up to Hohenschwangau (I think that’s what it’s called) where we were given the options of getting up to the castle ….. either by a 30 min walk uphill or by bus.  A short distance up the hill from where we were, we could see the Hohenschwangau Castle which we were told was the childhood residence of the King. 

Since it was already lunch time, we proceeded to a nearby restaurant for a meal.  There was a beautiful lake nearby where we were able to snap some photos before we made our way to the stop from where we would be taking the bus up to Nueschwanstein Castle.

Hohenschwangau Castle

The other option up to the castle by horse buggy ride

We were told to meet by the Marien Bridge from where we would get a great view of the Nueschwanstein Castle and the beautiful Swangau area.  I suppose this wasn’t the peak season for visitors so we were lucky the queue for the bus wasn’t very long. 

The bus dropped us off near the Marien Bridge which gave us a breath-taking view of the Castle and the vast plain surrounding it.  There were not many visitors on the bridge at that moment so we managed to get quite a number of photos before another group arrived.  A pity one side of the Castle was covered by scaffolding which I suppose must be due to the on-going renovation and maintenance (as can be seen on the Castle’s left wall in the top photo).  The bridge was built over a waterfall which we could see right below us.  After we had our fill of the view, we then proceeded to walk down to the Castle.  We had another beautiful view of the surrounding Swangau plain and lake on the way down.  Finally we saw the Castle just ahead.

Right side of the castle with on-going construction at right
of this picture

Main entrance into the Castle grounds.

Our guide got our tickets while we waited in the courtyard.  Admission was by groups and according to the selected guided tours which were available in multiple languages.  Whether one visits the castle on one’s own or by tour, admission into the castle is strictly by guided tours conducted by the castle staff. 

Finally our group number came up and we each tapped our tickets on the reader at the entrance gates.  We then proceeded to the top floor where we met our castle guide who brought us to the various rooms while giving us a commentary of its history.  Unfortunately photography was not allowed.  I cannot now recall each room exactly but we were brought through the King’s bedroom, dining room, the throne room and the music room.  What struck me about these rooms were the very elaborate carvings, rich tapestries and beautiful paintings which adorned each and there was even an artificial cave along the way.  It seems the King was a great admirer of the composer Richard Wagner as all the paintings were of scenes from his plays.

The castle tour lasted about 30 mins which I thought was a bit short and we didn’t get to see other rooms beyond the few we were brought to.  On our way down to the exit, we passed by the kitchen where we could see all the cooking utensils displayed in the roped off area.  Just before we exited, we passed by a couple of souvenir shops selling items related to the Castle.   And that was the end of our castle tour.

Our guide next brought us for a hike down from the Castle to the bottom of the gorge.  It must have lasted about 30 mins as we trooped all the way down through the various paths and steps, and at one part we had to walk along a narrow bridge built against the rock face of the gorge.  This hike would not be possible for those with bad knees.  

Catching a glimpse of the Castle as we made our way down to the bottom of the gorge.

 After what seemed like a long time, we finally reached the place from where we had first arrived, where we had taken the bus up to Marien Bridge.  Our bus then took us back to the train station for our ride back to Munich.

Finally it was time to head for home the next day.   I suppose each trip teaches us something and opens up our eyes and mind to things which can be fascinating or not depending on one’s outlook. 
I have learnt much.

The foggy view outside as the train made its my way to Munich airport.
Auf wiedersehen.
  

Day Trip from Munich (Salzburg)

Day trip from Munich (20th November 2011)

This would be my 2nd last day in Germany before I head for home.  A friend had suggested that I visit the Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen, saying that it looks just like the Disney castle.  Noting that Salzburg too was just a short distance from Munich and about an hour’s train ride across the border to Austria, I decided on joining a day tour to both these places.  With my none too good sense of direction when it comes to unfamiliar places, I think joining a guided tour is probably a wise choice for me. 
The trade-off was of course a limited time for a proper exploration of the places.  

Salzburg, Austria (2oth November)

Salzburg Hauptbanhof

Most of my photos of Salzburg turned out bluish as I had forgotten to readjust my camera from the fluorescence setting I had used for the previous indoor night shoot.  The bluish tint somehow gives the effect of a wintry feel to them, doesn’t it?

Our starting point would be from the Munich Hauptbanhof where we would be taking a 2 hours train ride to Salzburg.  I suppose the 1 hour train ride mentioned on the Bahn site must be for the more expensive express.  Among our group was a father-daughter pair from my home country …… what a small world indeed. 

We were each given an area map of Salzburg with some of the places on both sides of the Salzach River marked out by our guide Allun …… Mirabell Gardens, Mozart Geburtshaus (Mozart’s birth house), Getreidegasse, St Peter’s Church, Dom Cathedral and Hohensalzburg Fortress.  He would first take us around to these various points, after which we would have about 3 hours to wander about on our own.

On arrival at the Salzburg Hauptbanhof, we trooped across the road to the bus station for a brief ride to our first stop …… Mirabell Gardens.  I suppose spring or summer with the pretty flowers in bloom would be a better time for photo shoots, and which should be taken from a distance to include the full grounds.  Since we were in the garden itself, my pics were limited to small areas which didn’t do justice to the place. 

Mirabell Palace on the left currently houses the offices of the Salzburg mayor
and the municipal council.  Mirabell gardens in the foreground which stretches
into the distance.

Mozart’s Residence which is now a museum

Mozarts Geburthause in which he was born

Walking along the Getreidegasse which is flanked by shops on both sides.
The Hohensalzurg Fortress can be seen in the far distance.

As mentioned, most of my photos were limited to the immediate vicinity which doesn’t give a good view of the places.  Due to the limited time we had, I did not go up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress where one could have a great view of the town.  I suppose that alone would have taken up much of the time we had so I decided to join the father-daughter pair to explore the Christmas market which had been set up in front of St Peter’s Church.

A pity we were not told about the catacombs carved into the rockface above the church cemetary which we were not aware of.  I’m not sure too whether we could have entered the church but judging from the photos of its interior which I’m now looking at on the web, it’s lovely.  But again due to the limited time, we did not explore it beyond its grounds.

Giant chess set.  A bit of the Fortress captured at top of the photo.

Carriage rides for visitors.

Entrance of the Dom Cathedral.  The date 774 on this left entrance grill marks the date when the Abbot and Bishop Virgil consecrated the first cathedral. The centre and right entrance grills are marked with the dates 1628 (consecration after its rebuilding due to its destruction by a fire) and 1959 (restoration completed after the destruction of its dome by a bomb during World War II).
Find out more  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzburg_Cathedral

The beautiful interior of the Dom Cathedral.

A similar pic to the above was mistakenly posted in my other entry on Munich due to a mix up between the photos of this cathedral and the Theatinerkirche.  I only realized the mistake when I went through the photos of Salzburg.  Error corrected.

The 3 layered Mirabell balls with pistachio, marzipan and chocolate.  I did not get
this from Salzburg itself but back in Munich.  Now I’m wondering whether this is
the genuine product.  The cut surface looks a bit moist as these had been kept in
the fridge and by the time I got the required shot, the choc had already partially
melted.

Final post will be on my other day trip to Nueschwanstein Castle in Fussen.

Germany (Munich)

Glockenspiel @ Marienplatz

Frankfurt – Munich (19th November 2011)

Prior to the trip, I had decided on joining the Sandeman guided city walking tour for Munich.  As it would take around 3 hrs by the ICE (Intercity Express train) from Frankfurt to Munich, I had to make sure to take an early train so as to reach Munich before the stated meeting time of 1pm at Marienplatz. 

The hostel I would be staying in is also located within a short walk from the Munich Hauptbanhof, on a side road opposite the station.  This time there was no unnecessary detour and I found the place without difficulty.  This hostel was much better with its larger and nicely furnished single room, and with good wifi reception within the room itself.  Its breakfast and bar area was also much more spacious.  Would have been perfect if the room had an attached bathroom, but I was quite happy with the facilities overall.   

As it was too early for check-in, I left my luggage with the reception and made my way to the meeting point for the guided city tour.  I still had an hour so took a leisurely walk while noting some of the eateries and shops along the way.  Just as in Frankfurt, it didn’t occur to me to take the U-Bahn. 

My first sight of the Glockenspiel was a ‘Wow!’.  It’s such an impressive and lovely building.  Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the chime display which re-enacts stories from the 16th century. 
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus-Glockenspiel )

Some of the places our guide Peter brought us to while giving us an enlightening account of its history.

Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady)

A peek inside the Frauenkirche

The path marked in memory of those who were arrested and
sent to the concentrations camps

Hofbrauhaus (Beer Hall)

A peek inside the beer hall where these musicians were probably having a rehearsal

National Theatre

Lovely Christmas displays in the shops

Beautiful music

Germany (Frankfurt)

St Batholomew Cathedral

Frankfurt  (18th November 2011)

Continuing from the previous post on my trip to Rudesheim, I suppose it could hardly be called that as I did not see much of the town before jumping on the train back to Frankfurt. 

As I exited from Frankfurt Hauptbanhof, I tried to get my bearings from my printed map.  In which direction should I go to get to Romerberg?  I’m not sure why it just didn’t occur to me to take the
U-Bahn which was indicated in the map.  It’s always on hindsight that I wonder why sometimes I wasn’t even thinking.  

I suppose it must have been pretty obvious to someone that I’m a visitor.  A man standing next to the City Hop-On Hop-Off bus was beckoning to me.  He then showed me the city map highlighted with the routes and various points of interest where the bus would be bringing visitors to.  With my earlier disappointment of not having seen Rudesheim, I thought perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea.

It had been one of my options earlier to join a guided city walking tour I had come across online during one of my searches.  I would have to be at the stated meeting point at a certain time in the morning but which at that moment had already passed.   Fine, let’s take the City bus then.

I cannot now recall much about the city tour and did not get to take many photos as I was on the bus.  But I do remember that giant sculpture of the Hammering Man.

 http://www.thehighrisepages.de/hhanhang/ffmmesse.htm

Some photos from various sites

http://germany-vacations.com/frankfurt/
Romer Square

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Frankfurt_am_Main_Alte_Oper_Opernplatz_West-Fassade_Foto_2005_Wolfgang_Pehlemann_Wiesbaden_PICT0044.jpg
Alte Oper (photo by Wolfgang Pehlemann)

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Frankfurt_Am_Main-Paulsplatz_mit_Paulskirche-Ansicht_vom_Domturm-20101024.jpg
Paulsplatz (photo by Eigenes Werk)

 

Germany (Rudesheim)

Frankfurt - Rudesheim (18th November 2011)

Did I mention Rudesheim in the previous post?  Yes, I did try to make my way there but without carrying out a proper search for more information, it resulted in a wasted trip.  I suppose I was sort of going about with my usual assumption mode expecting to find on arrival all the information I needed at some visitors info booth.  Now back home and googling again on Rudesheim, I’m filled with much regret that I’ve missed out on a lovely place.  

http://www.europeupclose.com/article/rudesheim-am-rhein-germany/

Why is it when I had googled on it earlier, I did not see what I’m now seeing?  All these lovely streets and houses and that famed Niederwald Monument?  What I could remember from my earlier search was a vague reference to taking a cable car up the hill and getting a lovely view of the town and the Rhein.

So there I was, getting off the train at Rudesheim station after about an hours train ride from Frankfurt.  What first struck me was the extreme quietness as I walked out of the train station …… where were the visitors I had expected to see?  The shops that I passed along the way were closed and the place felt deserted.  It was such a strange feeling and I was wondering whether I was in the right place.  I was wondering too where the visitors info centre was but there wasn’t anyone around to ask. 

On hindsight, I now realised I had reached there much too early in the morning and the shops were not opened for business yet.  Could it be the off peak season for visitors?  From the map I’m now looking at, I was probably merely wandering around the Oberstrasse and not anywhere near the more popular main street Drosselgasse which was further inland.     

As I walked around the very quiet streets, I could see some people busy setting up their stalls for the coming Christmas market.  What also struck me were the pretty houses along the narrow lanes.  But feeling rather disappointed with the quietness and not really certain at that moment where to go next, I was not in the right mood to enjoy the place.   Wished too that it wasn’t so cold and was glad when I finally came upon a small cafe where I could warm up with a hot coffee.  

Again on hindsight, I had made too many assumptions …… expecting the place to be bustling with visitors, being able to get the area map and information at some visitors counter and somehow knowing where to go.  I really should have done my homework prior to the trip but it’s too late now for regrets.  I’m not sure when and if I’ll be back there again.

I might have been to Rudesheim but did not really see the place. 
So this was what I had missed:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Niederwald_memorial_1.JPG   by Moguntiner  

http://www.titantravel.co.uk/

http://www.wi-taxi.de/usrheingaurundfahrt.htm