#2,796

Whereas my old flat was situated in a part of Munich which has always been favoured by those of a Bourgeois/Bohème disposition, my domicile is nowadays is in a neighbourhood which I could never have imagined calling home. It is a mere hop, skip and a jump distant from the  Residenz in central Munich the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs of Bavaria.

The chapel is quite splendid but fortunately, there is no pressure to espouse the Catholic faith and inmates are free to furnish and accessorise their allotted space as they see fit. In my case, it means that my Gabriele Mucchi lounge chair has followed me to my little room beneath the eves.

From the top floor window, I have a splendid view of the skyscape beyond the horizon. And I have discovered a fascination for the condensation trails etched in the deep blue of the Bavarian heaven by high-flying aircraft.

It seems that 30 to 40 thousand feet above Munich two airway tracks, one predominantly for eastbound traffic, the other for planes heading west, cross. From my earth-bound vantage point, this can cause very rarely the drawing of a perfect St Andrew's Cross, or for Scots a Saltire, in the sky. The fact that this is a benediction of extremely limited duration makes this a phenomenon which is somehow Scottish indeed.

There is also an ephemeral and evanescent aspect to this celestial display. Only certain combinations of high-altitude and low temperature mean that the contrails will be visible in all their transient glory. (I think I have understood that correctly).

While on the subject of things I can observe from my window, I'd not want to forget the sedate appearance of the Zeppelin NT.  The blimp conducts sightseeing excursions offering a bird's eye view of the city which is doubtless a further improvement on the clever virtuality provided by Google. It so happens that when the Zeppelin approaches the city centre, the change of heading takes place directly above the Vincentinum. Very impressive!