The Highs and Lows of Germany

Good Morning. We must have been jetlagged because we planned to wake up at the crack of dawn to go on a tour of Dachau. Then after eating early, leaving the hotel and starting the drive we realized that we didn't have to go on the tour we could just do it ourselves. Not thinking straight. So after driving around Dachau at 8:15 on a Sunday morning we decided to stop and see Dachau palace before going to the camp.

This is not the palace. As much as this pains me to show this photo, you have to share all the stories, both good and bad right? So this is a perfect example of how blindly stupid I can be sometimes. It rained all night. You can obviously tell it did everywhere. Todd says to me, why don't you go and sit on that bench and I'll take your picture in front of that little shop. So I march right over and sit on the bench which lasted about 10 seconds until the COLD wet rain from the bench seeps through my jeans!! I didn't even look or anything, just marched over and sat on the rainy bench. Wet jeans rank among the things I dislike most which as you can see was the end result of my lovely situation. Again, not thinking clearly this morning.



This is the Dachau palace and the gardens.


When we arrived at the Dachau concentration camp we parked and started to follow two other people in through this tiny entrance. It happened to be the private entrance of the nuns who live next to the former camp. It was however, the perfect introduction to the camp. Besides the other two people, who lagged behind, we were the only one's there having arrived through the back entrance before the opened to the public. It was overcast and silent. It's hard to describe the feeling that you get there especially in the way we were able to see it. Rows of foundations from the barracks, the memorials, and total silence except for the birds.

After we made our way to the proper entrance we rented the audio guide and went out on a proper tour. Above you see the front gate that the prisoners came through. The second photo is a statue depicting the prisoners throwing themselves against the electrical fence. The third is art showing the jewish star that the Jews were required to wear among other symbols. The fourth is one of the cremation ovens. (The feeling in that room was horrible, it gave you a pit in your stomach). The fifth photo is the bunks in the barraks. The last photo is taken near where we had entered earlier and shows some of the rows of foundations where the prisoners were forced to "live". We were glad to be able to visit, but can't say that it was the most happy part of the day.

Here is the interior of a random church that we stopped at. Each little town has a church in it. This one was extremely ornate inside. Germany is so green and lush in this part of the country. Lots of fields and trees and wonderful mountains.

So our next stop was Fussen a 700 year old village. The first castle is the Hohenschwangau castle. A fun little summer home for the Bavarian royalty.

And across the valley, King Ludwig the II built his own "little" castle. This is the castle that Walt Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty's castle after. Funny things inside like a cave, all kinds of rooms based on Wagner's operas, swans everywhere.



This last photo is a shout out to my Dad who loves to chop wood. All the houses have these perfectly done firewood stores. Now that's what we call a proper wood pile!!

The Kickoff!!

We'll call this the Kickoff for a number of reasons. I haven't updated this in too many months and what better motivation than the start of this trip to Europe. It'll also serve to let our kids see photos of us so they don't forget us.....

Welcome to Germany. This was our first greeter at our hotel in Freising, which is 20 mins. outside of Munich.
It's a little bit rural out there so understandable.




Dinner. After a long flight, renting the car, etc. we needed dinner. So off we went in search of dinner in Freising, Germany. It was a little rainy and so we didn't take many photos. As we were walking around we came upon a funny sight. It was an open air market in the town square. These trucks had pulled in and they were selling all kinds of things from the trucks. It was almost like a travelling circus of sorts...



We opted for a German/Greek restaurant. I ordered the "special" meatballs and was brought rice, salad and a HUGE meat patty filled with cheese (meatball?). Todd played it a little more safe and got a less "special" dish. I feel really bad for our waiter. When he came to check on us after we finished he was concerned, asking "Did you not like?" We tried to explain that it was good, but it was so much food. We then declined having it boxed up to take (what were we going to do with it?) which concerned him even more. He then diappeared. We had to get someone else to bring us the check. I think we really hurt his feelings....

A few things from our after dinner stroll....

The names of a Jewish family who it appears had a store in the town and were taken to a concentration camp during the war, where many of them perished.


Bears. There were all kinds of funny bears throughout the town. Lauren, this pink one is for you!!

Off to sleep!!!