...say like next Thursday when we’re back in the States.
Our first full day in Munich (actutally Hallbergmoos, which is on the outskirts of Munich) started at 4am, thanks to Rosa who was too excited about being in Europe and couldn’t go back to sleep. The very early start to our day began with a delicious German breakfast of museli with 3 1/2 % milk - we’re pretty sure we saw the cow tied up behind the restaurant. The coffee is, of course, fantastic. Maybe not as good as Italy (says Rosa), but pretty darn close. They even serve cheese and meat slices with hearty pieces of bread.
So, with our belly’s full (and Rosa carrying the bags) we took a train to the heart of Munchen. It was on our train ride that we decided it would be a good idea to learn some common German phrases like “I don’t speak German.” “Do you speak English?” “Where is the toilet?” “More beer please.” - you know the usual stuff. Ok, we probably should have learned this before we came to Germany, but it gave us the opportunity to work on our gesturing skills.
Even though it was a gloomy, rainy day in Munich we were still able to do a lot of sight-seeing and stay mostly dry. In the afternoon, we took a short train ride to Dachau to see the concentration camp memorial site. Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp and was the model for all the other concentration camps - every horrific thing that happened in concentration camps began here. It was quite the experience - to be in the rooms where these people ate and slept, to stand where they stood naked waiting to die in a gas chamber. Sure, we knew what went on at concentration camps from history classes, books, and movies, but when you’re there it’s almost like you can still hear the distant cries of these people calling out for someone to save them. The memories are forever locked in the walls, in the grass, in the leaves of the trees - they’re there forever.
By the time we left Dachau our shoes and pants were soaked. It was still raining and we couldn’t wait to get back to our hotel. So, after a hot shower, a power nap and dry clothes we headed out again for some German food and beer. On our way to dinner we saw more of the city because Mike took the “scenic” route. But, it was worth the long walk - the food and beer were excellent. Don’t ask us what we ate because we’re not really sure. Mike chose a place that was far away from the touristy sections of town, so our waitress didn’t speak English and there were no English translations on the menu. We were so glad we practiced our gesturing skills, if not we would have been those dumb Americans who didn’t know the universal sign for beer. We think Rosa had some kindof risotto dish with spargel (which we found out later is white asparagus) and Mike had some type of chicken brat with bacon in the middle and these yummy potato things - they’re like a tater tot but with mashed potatoes. Whatever we ate, it was good and we were ready for sleep, all that walking (and beer drinking) wore us out. Back at the hotel Mike was actually dozing off between beer sips. And there you have it . . .
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