October was again a month with an unexpected number of bicycle friendly days. It's getting colder for sure, the challenge is now to find the right time of day and the right kind of clothes that make for an enjoyable ride. Or else go for a walk.

Mixing business with pleasure, we first cycled to Janos's doctor to pick up some prescriptions, then went for lunch and a ride in the English Garden. Nothing exciting, but it doesn't have to be exciting to make me happy,  just a slow bicycle wander with frequent stops to take pictures.

Today all pictures were taken with the Sol 45 Lensbaby lens, mounted on a Sony Nex 6.

It seems Janos and I are now less often on the bicycle saddle and more often in our walking shoes. I still contend that cycling somewhere is easier than footing it, but when the air is nippy, walking has some convincing advantages. Since walking is more effort, it heats you up more. Cycling might be easier and faster, but the wind drives the cold air up your sleeves and down your collar. Not to mention the chill factor for your fingers, toes and nose. Good reasons not to take our bikes to Münchner Freiheit this morning. And of course, walking is good for you.

We hoofed it through the same streets we have passed through so often, took some pictures and were hungry for breakfast when we reached our chosen cafe. More awake after our morning dose of caffein, we took a walk through the English Garden, again cameras in hand, and then caught a bus home.

The grounds are hidden behind bushes, trees and a few inconspicuous buildings facing the street. But if you follow the path at the end of Hess Strasse, you find yourself in a deserted section of Munich. Old buildings suggest former small industry as do rusty railroad tracks. It seems some of the buidlings are inhabited, there are names on a few doorbells and here and there light in the windows. However, the premises are used primarily for theater and concerts, a place where non-mainstream musicians, artists and actors can perform. Today the grounds are deserted except for a few people out walking their dogs and some cyclists taking a short cut on their way home from work.

It's also a place where aspiring graffiti artists find free surfaces for their work. Our walk was in the late afternoon, the light was fading fast. Was it the low light that made the graffiti look more sinister and portentous than on a sunny day?

Dreary and grey Saturday and Sunday, rain, rain, rain. The shortest walk was the best walk. Yet even on the block between home and the Old North Cemetery there were some eye catching bits of foliage decorated with rain droplets, and in the cemetery the rain added drama to the graves' statues and monuments. The dreariness was appropriate for the end of October and All Souls' Day. So aside from having to protect my camera from getting wet, I enjoyed the moody weather.

As the season advances, we feel we want to catch every ray of sun. It was sunny alright, but cold as well, 5°C when we left and 10°C when we returned. I dressed warmly but my fingers and toes felt the nip of the cold air.

The plan was to cycle south along the Isar. From home we have about two kilometers to the bike path along the bank of the Isar. Following the river is an easy and pretty way to exit the city. In the summer and on weekends it is popular which means congested and no fun, but as today was neither we looked forward to the ride.

Our path returned to the river at the bridge at Höllriegelskreuth. There aren't too many bridges cross the Isar so we decided to cross the river here and return on the other side. But first we stopped for something to eat.

It was a beautiful ride and on paths that I was no longer familiar with, although I think I rode some of this part of the Isar years ago.

Took a ride to Westpark to see what autumn is doing there.

• The rose garden wasn't what it was but the blossoms weren't completely finished yet. Some other autumn bloomers were still showing their colors, too.
• There were no more turtles sunning on the stones in the lake.
• It didn't smell like autumn, it smelled like grilled sausage. There were still a good number of Turkish families out for a Saturday barbeque and picnic, almost as many as in the summer months.
• The beer garden was closed.
• Lots of families out, children on their trikes and scooters and little bikes or seated in a cargo bike.
  

Altogether a friendly scene, nothing sensational to take pictures of, but certainly warm enough still to stroll leisurely with camera in hand and enjoy a Saturday afternoon in the park.

The Botanical Garden isn't just about flowers, particularly in October. It is also about trees. Today we were regaled with all shapes of leaves in all shades of autumn.

I like the Cafe at the Botanical Garden and it was getting time for lunch.

Today's destination wasn't a pretty park, a palace or an interesting cafe - it was to the junkyard. More precisely, I rode to the nearest hazardous waste disposal and recycling center. I didn't have a lot to get rid of, it was very easy to transport on my bicycle. The battery on my electric toothbrush had died. I didn't want to just throw it in the garbage but the appliance was too big to put in the usual battery disposal boxes located in various supermarkets. I decided the recycling center was as  good a goal as any for a bicycle ride and was off.

The ride to the north was about five kilometers on a bike path, but not very interesting or pretty. I didn't take any pictures. At the "Wertstoffhof" or Recycling Center, I planned to get some interesting shots of all the things people throw away. I got just one shot of the bin for electric appliances when I was approached by a man in orange overalls. No photographing allowed! Verboten! He didn't know why, but at least he was friendly. I put my camera away - reluctantly.

On the way home I looked for a different route since the ride out hadn't been very attractive. I saw some bike lanes that looked new and thought I should try them out and see where they went. Then I followed my nose. Sometimes I followed other cyclists who seemed to know where they were going, and discovered some new bike paths.

I thought a refreshment would be a nice finish for my ride. I gave Janos a call and asked if he would like to join me for an aperitif somewhere. He liked this suggestion much more than a ride to the junkyard and was downstairs in no time. We went to a nearby cafe and had a drink reminding us of our tour in Italy.

Just a late afternoon walk - sunny and warm in the middle of October. Can't stop marveling at this balmy autumn.
Playing with my cameras - a while back I bought a Sony Nex 6 second hand through E-bay. It was a good buy, but I never got to like the camera that much although it was smaller than my Canon, which was the point of buying it. Small is important on walks and traveling by bike. But now I'm back to the Sony. It has a feature that helps find the optimal focus point that the Canon doesn't. So I'm trying it out again and having fun. Today I had the Sony Nex 6 with the Lensbaby Sweet 80 lens with me.

We walked past Edeka and I snapped a few pics.

Two unrelated events took place today: the Bavarian Landtag elections and the Munich Marathon. What do they have in common besides the date? There will be winners and losers, laughter and tears. But will the best man or woman win in either of the competitions?

On my walk around the city today, after going to the polls, I snapped some shots of the posters of the various political parties and also of some of the participants in the Marathon.