Spider-man and racism, or dinner with my kids

I have thought about writing another post dealing with some of the issues, as I see them, with racism in the US many times over the past few months as riots have broken out in St Louis and Baltimore, and more and more news reports of deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police surface (at least a few of which seem to very, very clearly show an officer behaving entirely the wrong way).  I never could decide quite how to go about it, or what of the myriad of things in my head to put down in one little blog post, and I do not want to necessarily repeat the same things being said over and over by so many (though I am sure this post will also rehash what at least some have said, I am not vain enough to think my thoughts on this are totally unique).

It was a conversation over dinner with my kids tonight that has finally given me a starting point for something I want to say and that I think is limited enough in scope to cover in a blog post.  So I hope you do not mind if I jump on another soapbox and rant today, instead of posting pretty pictures.

It all started innocently enough with my teens obsessing over the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as they so often do.  Disney, who owns the rights to make and distribute films involving The Avengers and several other Marvel characters, has recently obtained the film rights to Spider-man as well.  And so it was that tonight my kids were discussing who they would like to see play Spider-man in a reboot.  None of us had any trouble naming many young male actors who might be considered for such a role.

Then Marika said she'd love to see a reboot center around Miles Morales, rather than Peter Parker--which has been done enough already.  So we started trying to think of young male actors who might be cast in that role, which is of a black, hispanic character.  WOAH!  it is a dang lot harder to think of anyone.  There simply are not that many very well known actors who qualify.  Even trying to think of just a hisapnic or just a black actor of the right age who is known was tough.  Jaden Smith was the only name we could confidently come up with (and none of us think he is really all that right for the role).  It just feels wrong that there is such a lack of diversity in the big names in Hollywood, doesn't it? Gina Torres was the only actor at all, of any age or gender to quickly spring to mind otherwise when thinking of a black, Hispanic name that appears on the big screen.  And it is about as hard to think of young actors of Asian decent as well.  Not that there are none, but so many fewer overall, much less than makes sense given our population as a whole.

This got the kids to wondering why is it that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all of the major characters, all of the big time super heroes, are white?  There is plenty of diversity in the supporting cast (and among the villains), but the top players are all one color, hardly representative of New York City, where many are from and most of the action takes place.  (or so I understand from listening to the kids tonight).  Funny thing is, the Marvel cast is considered diverse when compared to DC, which doesn't even have one female as a major lead in one of their motion pictures (there is a lot of fan desire for a Wonder Woman film, but so far that has not happened).

I doubt that anyone, at any point, made a decision to intentionally portray all of these heroes as only white or even as mostly male.  Similarly, I doubt anyone in Ferguson intentionally decided to create a police force that was much whiter than the population it represented.  We, as a culture, are just so very used to that being the picture we see, to whites guys as the good guys and as the leads and the main characters, that time and time again we continue to cast movies, and hire police officers and teachers, and so many other things with this slant in favor of one race, that the story just continues to be slanted and this insidious and almost unnoticeable and mostly unintentional racism is allowed to stay put and keep festering.

Yes, yes, of course I know many of these comic book characters have been around for decades and were from a time when white heroes were the only heroes that would sell.  But we do not live in that time any more, and it is well past time that our movie heroes, our police officers and our CEOs reflect the full diversity of our nation.  In an ideal world this would happen without thinking about it.  It would just be natural to cast a range of characters with no bias (for or against any race or gender or sexual orietnation at all), but in practice it does not occur.  At this point we have not moved far enough along the continuum to simply not think about it and have things work out as they should--which means we (all of us) need to consciously watch out for this and work at balancing things out, until it DOES become the norm.

This is not the only solution to many of the problems (especially as they relate to high incarceration rates and police brutality) but I think it would go a long way--and it is something that every single one of us can do to be a part of the solution.

--Hadley

Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles--fairy tales come to life

So, the reason for my little jaunt south last week was that we had a couple of visitors out from the states, and they had requested a chance to see the most well known of German attractions, the castle that inspired Disneyland's castle and the company logo: Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Neuschwanstein, as well as the lovely Hohenschwangau are in the tiny little town of Schwangau, which really only contains the castles, gifts shops and restaurants which go with it.  Nearby Füssen is the nearest town which feels like a town and where many people stay overnight when visiting these Bavarain gems--it is also, by virtue of being next to this huge tourist attraction, a pretty pricey place to stay--which is why we stayed an hour away in Garmisch the night before.

The castles, which are still privately owned by the Duke of Bavaria and his family, are run very smoothly and more business-like than virtually any other attraction in Germany.  Arriving in town, tourists who drive themselves are first directed to whichever parking area is currently being filled.  Parking is a one time fee of 6 Euro which is good all day.

From your parking lot, follow the crowds or signs towards the centralized Ticketing Office /stopping along the way to ooh and aah and take some photos of the castle sitting up on the hill if you have the same good fortune we had and are there on a clear day).

We arrived at the ticketing office around 9:45 and there was already a line of about 100 people.  It moves quickly though: there are several stations and they have a good system.  We were at the ticketing window by 10:00.  We bought tickets which included English language tours of each castle (you can only go inside as part of a guided tour) and all day access to the Museum in town for a total cost of 28€ per person.  We were given a 10:55 tour of Hoheschwangau, and a 12:50 at Neuschwanstein.  

This was just about perfect timing, allowing us to walk at a comfortable speed from one castle to another. There is normally a shuttle bus up the hill to Neuschwanstein, but it is not running right now due to construction on the road, so you need to walk about a mile and a half up a steep hill to get there.  Access to Hohenschwangau is always via a short 5-10 minute uphill walk.  You do have the options to pay for a horse drawn carriage as well, lines were long.  

Hohenschwangau was the summer home of King Maximillian II and his family, built on the ruins of a much older castle.  Ludwig and his younger brother Otto spent many of their childhood days in this lovely, almost homey castle.  Unlike most castles, this one feels like a home (a huge one, but a home nonetheless).  No photos may be taken inside either castle (except for a view out the window of the guest room), the interiors are copyrighted!  So, you'll have to be content with exterior shots.  

Here is Hohenschwangau from below (in town, looking up):

Once up at the castle, we had just enough time to use the (free and clean) restrooms before our tour number showed up on the television screens and our tickets would activate the turnstile.  Tours were running every 10 minutes (as opposed to every 5 minutes for the star attraction) and can have up to 100 people in them.

Here is the one picture that I was allowed to take from inside--looking out of the guest room window.  Man, what a view the guests had!

The tour was enjoyable.  The castle is quite pretty and I really like hearing about Queen Marie of Prussia (mother of the famous Mad King Ludwig).  She was a founding member of the precursor to the German Red Cross and a big outdoor enthusiast.  The tour lasts about half an hour.

Following the tour we poked around a bit in the gift shop (which also houses the former castle kitchen, you can see the display through a Plexiglas wall, so duck in to see that even if you do not want to buy any trinkets), and then took a few photos in the small garden area around the front and side:

Heading down from the castle, you are directed to a different path than on the way up.  This more round about path has a great stopping place to take some photos of the lake:

Once down, we had just under an hour until our next tour, so we started up the longer, steeper hill to Castle Neuschwanstein.  We had just enough time to walk up, stop to grab Marika a wurst on a roll to hold her over until our late lunch after the tour (only 3.50€ right there on the road to the castle with a captive audience), and check our backpacks in the gatehouse gift shop (per signs--they give you a key to a locker for a 2 euro deposit, otherwise you may wear your backpack in front of you on the tour).

Our tour appeared to be the full 100 people.  It was fun though and easy enough to hear our guide.  Once again, no photos are allowed.  I have to say I get a major kick out of the "cave" Ludwig had built up on the second  floor of his fantasy castle.  This castle was built in the late 1800s but designed to look more medieval and to highlight Ludwig's power and make him seem more important (at a time when his power had waned to nearly nothing--something that greatly bothered him.  I can't help but thing that his ego would be thrilled to know that thousands of people trek to see his masterpiece every day, and that much of the world's image of what a castle should be is based on Neuschwanstein, thanks in no small part to Walt Disney).  

After the tour, we headed further up the hill towards the Marienbrücke, stopping along the way for some nice photos:

The Marienbrucke ("Marie's bridge") is the spot where all of the classic photos of Neuschwanstein are taken from.  The view is incredible.  It is also VERY high and feels awfully fragile (even the boards underfoot wobble in many places).  Do you recall me saying in the Ulm post that heights frighten me? They do.  A lot.  Open bridges like that freak me the heck out.  But there were views to be had and blog photos to be taken, so I headed out onto this (note, the photo of the bridge is not mine, it was taken from Wikimedia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marienbr%C3%BCcke_(Schwangau).jpg)

Marika said I should show my readers what I put myself through for them, so there you have it!  And here is the payoff, oh the view is spectacular:

See, there I am on the bridge, trying hard to look like I am

NOT imagining myself plummeting to my death.

Here's the view looking back the other way:

AND, looking straight down--GULP!

Finally, something not so pretty--the "love locks" fastened onto the bridge.  This love lock thing is a trend that has gotten hugely popular.  The idea is to lock the lock on some famous bridge (or other landmark) and throw away the key and as long as the lock is not opened your love will last.  Yeah, yeah, I am sure it sounds all nice and pretty, but what people fail to realize is that the locks build up fast (in the hundreds, in some places thousands in a day in high season).  They destroy views, mar the look of the architecture of the bridges themselves, and weigh so much that they can cause significant damage.  It is nearly a full time job cutting the dang things off at many locations (based on how few were on the bridge by 2:00 pm and the number or tourists visiting and how many I saw clamped on in the short time we were there, I would guess Schwangau has them cut off daily).  It is just as much vandalism as painting your names on the bridge would be, so please, please do NOT do this at any place you may vacation.  Find other ways to express your love (Paris is asking people to take selfies instead:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11024317/Paris-asks-couples-to-post-selfies-not-love-locks-on-bridges.html )

JUST SAY NO TO LOVE LOCKS--there is nothing lovely or loving about vandalism

OK, I will jump off of my soapbox and go down from the bridge now.  

Back in town we had a late lunch, which was tasty and reasonably priced, and then headed over to the museum (stopping to take more photos of the lake first--the museum is right on the edge of it):

The museum, like the castles, does not allow any photography inside.  It was quiet, with only a few other visitors, and fairly low key.  It traces the history of the Bavarian royalty.  I enjoyed that many of the stories include Heidelberg, Mannheim and Weinheim.  If you have the time it is worth stopping in, but nothing to worry about missing if not.  Last time we were in Schwangau we hiked down on on the gorge hiking trail, which is a much better use of your time if it is open (it was not this time).  

I hope you enjoyed the photos--Marika and I sure enjoyed getting to see the castles again.

--Hadley

Garmisch in photos

After stopping in Ulm, we arrived in Garmisch to spend a night so that we'd be much closer to Neuschwanstein the next day for a visit.  We stayed at the chain hotel, Mercure at the great rate of 65€ per night for double rooms.  The rooms were nice and roomy and very clean, parking was ample and free and the location was perfect for walking into town.  My only complaint was that the internet was very slow, but that was quite minor.  We'd happily stay there again:

Garmisch is a cute little ski town, right at the base of the Zugspitze (the tallest peak in Germany).  Here is one of the early train cars that took people up towards the slopes: it was on display in town:

The town is adorable, so we walked around for about an hour before dinner, it was raining on and off but we enjoyed getting a little exercise and taking photos of the little storybook town.  I hope you enjoy them:

--Hadley

Ulmer Münster--tallest church in the world

Through our years in Germany, we have driven past the city of Ulm dozens of times (mostly on our way to Legoland), but last week is the first time I actually stopped for a visit to the city, or more to the point, to their famous cathedral--the Ulm Minitster.

The "Cathedral" (it's not really a cathedral as it was never the seat of a Catholic bishop and it has been a Lutheran church since 1530) was built primarily in the 1400s, though construction began in 1377 and it was not fully completed until 1890.

It is a huge, Gothic, building which totally dominates the square of mostly modern buildings (it is one of very few medieval buildings in the city to survive bombing during World War II).

There are a couple of people in this one to give you a sense of scale

Here is some detail from the exterior:

It was much prettier and less dark inside than I was expecting.  So many of the older churches are very dim and also full of brutal imagery.  This one is really quite pretty and less dark in tone as well as color.  Perhaps the longer build time allowed more modern ideas to seep in?  In any event, it was nice and I enjoyed looking around:

I should note that you can climb to the top for a charge of 5€   I am fairly uncomfortable with heights and it was a cloudy and foggy day, so I knew the view would not be all that great and chose not to climb.  We were with friends who did go up.  They said it was very pretty but also that it feel extremely open as you climb and even they, who are not normally nervous about heights, were both nervous with the climb, so I think it is good I didn't go. 

Climbing or not, if you are near Ulm it is worth stopping in for an hour or two to see this magnificent old building; I'm glad I finally got a chance to do so.

--Hadley