I didn't want to do it: on a cold and snowy day
Friday April 28, 2017, 2 km - Total so far: 32 km
I looked out the window and was in for a rude awakening - snow. I didn't want to ride.
I looked out the window and was in for a rude awakening - snow. I didn't want to ride.
But the Goddess made me. I quote from the rules: "you MUST go on a ride...you MUST contribute to the local economy...you MUST write accounts of your rides..." I had no choice. I hope the Goddess is willing to let two kilometers count as a ride.
Ready to roll - this is where my bicycle lives.
More or less as a last resort, I chose Munich's Old North Cemetery as my destination today since it is the very closest spot of green I can reach and I wasn't willing to cycle any farther than necessary. Very funny - a cemetery as my last resort.
Bikes not allowed, I know, but I'll just push.
The Old North Cemetery is an interesting place, even if it isn't much of a ride to get there. I think I'll just edit some text that I lifted out of Wikipedia. You can read it or skip over it, as you wish.
Until the middle of the 19th century, the city of Munich had only a single public burial ground. This was growing too small however for the rapidly growing city, and planning therefore began for a new burial ground in the north of the city and the Northern Cemetery ("Nördlicher Friedhof") was built between 1866 and 1869.
The cemetery with a chapel and various service buildings was originally divided into 16 fields of equal size. A large cross stands in the middle. In its geometrical ground-plan it resembled the idea of the Campo Santo, at the time a popular style of burial ground in Germany.
With the rise to power of the National Socialists in 1933 the entire existence of the cemetery was thrown into doubt: the new regime, in the context of the re-building of Munich as the capital of the movement, wanted to construct a spectacular boulevard but the Alter Nördlicher Friedhof stood in the way. For this reason burials ceased in 1939. After that time the cemetery was badly damaged by air raids and was closed altogether.
After the war it was decided not to reopen the cemetery for burials. Many graves were subsequently cleared: of the total capacity of 7,272 burial places only about 700 were kept. On the site of the previous chapel a playground now stands.
Until the middle of the 19th century, the city of Munich had only a single public burial ground. This was growing too small however for the rapidly growing city, and planning therefore began for a new burial ground in the north of the city and the Northern Cemetery ("Nördlicher Friedhof") was built between 1866 and 1869.
The cemetery with a chapel and various service buildings was originally divided into 16 fields of equal size. A large cross stands in the middle. In its geometrical ground-plan it resembled the idea of the Campo Santo, at the time a popular style of burial ground in Germany.
With the rise to power of the National Socialists in 1933 the entire existence of the cemetery was thrown into doubt: the new regime, in the context of the re-building of Munich as the capital of the movement, wanted to construct a spectacular boulevard but the Alter Nördlicher Friedhof stood in the way. For this reason burials ceased in 1939. After that time the cemetery was badly damaged by air raids and was closed altogether.
After the war it was decided not to reopen the cemetery for burials. Many graves were subsequently cleared: of the total capacity of 7,272 burial places only about 700 were kept. On the site of the previous chapel a playground now stands.
Looks like I was in a deep, dark forest, far far away from the city. Right?
Today the cemetery is popular with joggers or people just out for a walk or a quiet place to read a book on a summer day. The inscriptions on the remaining graves, some of prominent citizens of their day, are interesting to read.
Some nice grave statues in this old cemetery.
This morning my bike's main role was more posing than prancing.
Exiting the cemetery - and no one said anything. I just would have told them the Goddess made me do it.
On the way home along the outer wall of the cemetery.
Got some groceries on the way home - locally produced goods to support the local economy.
If I want to get seven rides in on six days, I am going to have to do two rides one of these days. Will it be today??
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