April 14 2013

April 14 2013

LAT report

We met for breakfast at 0715 in the hotel restaurant.  We then proceeded to the S-Bahn which is the Munich subway system.  Not very many people around..as it it Sunday... Lots of shops ate closed.  We ran into two Americans from Colorado who work some of the time in Munich.  We told them we were going to Dachau for a tour and they gave us the directions we needed to head and what train to catch.  Once you understand the system it is pretty easy to get around...so they gave us a five minute lesson.  They said we needed to catch a city bus once we took the Dachau stop and that the ticket we purchased was good for both the train and the bus...how easy is that?  We met some nice gentlemen from Brazil that were also going to Dachau and snow all wen together and it was smooth a clock work.  Dachau is in a town of its on with nice houses and parks..very homey.  Then you get to the concentration camp and the have a nice Visitor center ..which leads you into the camp.  The camp is huge...three football fields if not more.  The gate going in is very ominous with rod iron enforcements.... Then you see the huge yard were the Jews were made to stand upright at attention for hours on end ..even if they were dying... You go into a museum that layers out the entire history of this place.... Just gruesome ...and unbelievably inhuman.   It gives you shivers to walk this same ground.  It was a very humbling experience ...I could go on and on but you will have to see the pictures.
     In the afternoon we headed for the center of Munich to the Hofbrau Haus to have lunch.  It is an fun place with at least seating for 300.  It is loud and gay and delightful..a live five piece band plays German music while waiters serve you a beer that is so huge you cannot believe it!  I had apple strudel with cream and it was to die for...my travel partners had lunch items..we sat with a Russian couple who were very nice w all had a great time.  We walked across the street to the Hard Rock Cafe and did a bit of shopping and then strolled around for awhile ..most shops were closed as it is Sunday.  We made one last beer stop before jumping on the S-Bahn to go back to the hotel.  The weather is incredible ..mild and no rain...did not have wear a coat...and I wished I had my sun glasses wit me! Tomorrow we are leaving for Obergammerau. ... A small Bavarian town..that will be a huge contrast to Munich.   We are sorry we did not have more time here but could not get hotel reservations.   More to follow.    

LMR report

Day 2 in Munich.  Man's inhumanity to man- Dachau - truly awful!  Took the S-train from hotel to Dachau.we were there at 0900 opening and stayed till about 1230.  Toured all the exhibits, watched a movie and videos.  Met several nice people including nice young men from Brazil.  On the train trip out we met two men from Colorado who helped us understand the trains and schedules.  Very easy to get around the city.  Most people are very quiet and respectful.  The town of Dachau is much larger then I expected.  I would love to have talked to some of the long time residents to hear what they or their parents recollect of that era and location.  Got back to central Munich most shops were closed.  Found our way to the Hofbrau house and The Hard Rock Cafe right across the street from each other.  I had the worst meal of the trip (for me).  I ordered meat loaf and got a slab of something that tasted a bit like bologna.  Asked hop on hop off if there was a loud speaker system like before with only German.  The answer was "yes"!  So we skipped it and saved €20.  Made our way back to the hotel, had a beer and a glass of wine and a cheeseburger (much better then this afternoon)!  Off to Oberammergau in the morning.  More to follow.