PARIS, _July 5, 1865_.
I was beginning to fear that you had been struck by lightning, like
Madame Arbuthnot, or that that you had been devoured by some bear. I
thought you certainly in the heart of the Tyrol, when your letter
arrived from ----. In my opinion it is preferable to travel in the long
days rather than in autumn; but let nothing prevent you from seeing
Munich in September. You must be careful only to provide yourself with
warm clothing, because the weather changes very suddenly in that broad,
ugly, high plain of Munich.
Nothing is easier than to make this journey. You may go to Munich by way
of Strasburg, or, if you prefer, by Basel. I think that there is now a
railway as far as Constance. You can, in any case, reach there by
steamboat. At Constance you take the lake boat for Lindau, which is a
pretty little town; and from there to Kempten you will see a succession
of admirable views. You may go to Munich direct by train, or you may
stop on the route between Lindau and Kempten. From Kempten to Munich
there is nothing but flat, unattractive scenery.
You must go to the Hotel Bavaria, and not to Maullich’s, where I was
robbed of my boots. A valet or an official guide will show you
everything worthy of attention. The paintings at the palace, taken from
scenes of the Nibelungen, are rather interesting, but you will need to
obtain special permission to see them. All the rest is open to the
public. Examine carefully, that you may tell me about them, the new
propylons of my late friend Klenze. In the Museum of Antiquities you
will see the pediments of the temple of Egina, and the marble group of
which I have told you. The Grecian vases are extremely curious, and the
paintings of _Pinacothèque_ equally so. The frescoes of Cornelius and
other imitations of originals will cause you to shrug your shoulders.
Go and drink some beer in the public gardens, where, for a few sous, you
may enjoy excellent music. If you have the time, it will be worth your
while to make a few trips into the Bavarian Tyrol, to Tegernsee, and
elsewhere. When you go to Salzburg (on which I congratulate you) you
may go to see, if you like, the salt-mine of Hallein. At Innsbruck there
is nothing to see but the landscape and the bronze statues of the
cathedral. In all this country you may stop at any of the smallest
villages, sure of finding a bed and a tolerable dinner. I should be glad
to share the pleasures of the journey with you.
Here there are stories afloat of the most scandalous nature possible to
imagine....
This is all highly edifying, and gives rise to fear that the end of the
world is at hand. Buy yourself some green stockings at Salzburg or at
Innsbruck, if you find any that fit you. Bavarian legs are as big as my
body.
Good-bye, dear friend. Take good care of yourself and enjoy yourself. Do
not forget to let me hear from you.