Bad Tourist in Munich

If you follow me on Instagram (where I post all sorts of random pictures that have nothing to do with style or fashion),  you probably noticed I was in Germany a while back. It was a very quick visit, just a couple of days. And even that short weekend visit was split between Munich and Dortmund.

Why these locations? Well, hubby was in Munich for a conference or something, and Dortmund is where we visited family. In other words, I had a day to go sightseeing shopping in Munich by myself, and then the two of us spent another day running like crazy around Dortmund…

Yes, this pretty much sums up how we travel: we’re in a hurry, and without a clue as to what we should be seeing. There’s a reason I call myself a Bad Tourist…

Anyway, what can a bad tourist do in Munich?

Well go shopping, of course. Unfortunately, I’m not just a bad tourist; I’m also not much of a shoppaholic, it seems… Yes, I managed to spend an entire day there without buying anything.

I tried my best, though: I lost count how many pairs of trousers and jeans I tried on. And because most of them made me look like a stuffed sausage, I came away from the experience convinced all fashion designers are conspiring against me. It’s either that or my thighs are seriously misshapen. For now, I’m going to go with the conspiracy theory…

But that’s not what you want to read about; this is supposed to be a travel post, after all. So, let’s go sightseeing, the Bad Tourist way:

A bad Tourist doesn’t read tourist guides and has no interest in popular tourist attractions. Instead, she takes random pictures of all sorts or weird and wonderful (or just interesting) details, without any effort to put them in context.

Because, well, details are inspiring. And if travel is supposed to broaden your mind, then you’d better let you mind wander.

That sounded better in my head.

OK, let me explain. I’m an obsessive thinker: I intellectualize and analyse everything.  Over and over again, and from every possible (and impossible) angle. I also have a hard time shutting my brain down (yes, it does affect my sleep, too).

So, when I travel, the last thing I want to do is absorb tons of new information. I simply have no energy for it. And, to avoid overloading my brain, and to de-stress, I often make a conscious decision to keep sightseeing to a minimum and skip the usual ‘must-see’ attractions (I also hate crowded places), and just walk around aimlessly, exploring whatever catches my eye.

This approach allows me to engage the creative side of my brain (instead of the more neurotic, obsessively intellectual and analytical one). It’s very relaxing.

So, now you know why my Instagram feed looks the way it does: taking photos of the little details I see around me helps me de-stress…

But I’m digressing here.

What caught my eye in Munich was the intricate wall decorations:

But it’s not just old buildings that are covered in artwork. This wall reminds me of macramé:

See, I’m doing it again: analyzing everything…

Perhaps I should just post pictures and let you draw your own conclusions.

Besides, I have no idea what these little statues are all about. Lots of buildings had these: they’re not very large, and they’re usually high up, on the corner of  the building.

In my opinion, there are interesting details everywhere. It has nothing to do with art or design or  even architecture in the traditional sense. It’s a matter of perspective.

This is a lighting fixture in a shopping centre. And the passers-by probably thought I must be crazy, taking dozens of pictures of it…

What do you look for when you go sightseeing?

Tiina

Linking up with:

Not Dead Yet Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Garay Treasures, High Latitude Style, The Pleated Poppy, Style Elixir, A Labour of Life, Doused in Pink, Curly Crafty Mom, Fashion Should Be Fun, Rachel the Hat, Sincerely Jenna Marie, More Pieces of Me, Color and Grace, The Wardrobe Stylist, Not Dressed As Lamb, Style Nudge, Coco et La Vie en Rose,  Living on Cloud Nine, A Well Styled Life, Elegance and Mommyhood. Posh Classy Mom, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Shelbee on the Edge Over 50 Feeling 40 A Pocketful of Polka Dots Style Splash, The Fashionista Momma, Tina’s Pink Friday, Fake Fabulous. Lazy daisy Jones, Vanity and Me, Sheela Writes, Jodie’s Touch of Style, Glass of Glam