Munich…history, a mad king, and beer

MarienPlatz and the glockenspiel

There is never enough time in any place I end up…I always leave wanting more.  I guess that's why I just have to keep going back.  After our week in Austria we headed back into Munich to hang out for a few days.  The kiddos went to stay with grandma and grandpa and Michael, Diana and I stayed in Michaels flat downtown.  I was basically on holiday since grandma and grandpa had the kids so I started planning a few things to do to tick off some more boxes on my "to do in Munich list"  Our first night I just needed a regroup night…did some washing, skyped with the family and just planned out the next few days.  One thing I have gone back and forth on doing is visiting a concentration camp.  I always have been torn on whether or not it would be a good thing for me to do but this time I finally decided that it was something a person can't fully grasp unless they experience it.  With the decision made I booked my self in on a tour for the next morning.  Michaels flat is in a prime location and I was able to walk to just about anywhere I needed.  I headed out towards MarienPlatz and met up with the tour group.  Now before I get into the actual tour I just have to say going on the tour made me really miss my new

Portrayal of death on the electric fence.  

place every few days travel time.  All the people on the tour were talking about all the places they had just come from and where they would be going next.  How many weeks they would be traveling for and how much they didn't want to go home.  Everyone was from different places and we all instantly started taking because that's just what you do when you are in that traveling mindset.  Especially if you are traveling alone.  It took me a few minutes to get back into that but I got there and it was great fun chatting with everyone.  Ok…back to the tour.  So it took some walking a train and a bus ride to get to Dachau concentration camp.  Upon our arrival I knew it would be a bit intense and when our guide started to talk I felt my self trying to really connect in to what it must have been like.  As he explained all the horrific stories and experiences these people had been through it just made me feel felt horrible.  Now Dachau was not a death camp technically.  It was more of a training camp for the SS and also a work camp however they did have a gas chamber and crematorium.  It is said it was used but not regularly and they have no idea how many people were actually killed in it.  Writing about it now and thinking that I walked in

Crematorium in Dachau

the same spot these poor people walked.  Placed my feet in the same room where they were tragically killed makes my heart ache.  The worst part about it for me is how open the Germans were about all these work camps and that people accepted that this is what they were.  Everything is the camps was run so orderly and intelligently.  Even from the way the death shower buildings were laid out.  Changing room where they were handed soap, next room gas chamber which had shower heads so people walked into their death voluntarily next room with outward opening doors (because if they were inward opening they couldn't get them open because of the dead bodies of all the people trying to escape) next room crematorium for immediate disposal.  Other people in the camp would have no idea what was going on.  It is such a truly sad part of history that you can't wrap your mind around with out experiencing.  I also learned on this tour that the German government has been talking about destroying all of the remaining camps.  I can understand their desire to wipe the slate clean so to speak and get rid of all evidence that this ever happened but I don't agree with it.  I have heard people argue that maintaining them is

Roll call At Dachau painted by a someone who was there

supporting what happened.  I understand where people are coming from with that but completely disagree.  What we learn in history books can not even compare to what you learn when you experience this horrific piece of history.  Destroying it would be taking a teaching tool away from people.  I know after seeing this combined with my experience in Nuremberg and Anne Franks house I will never be the same and have a new level of understanding and pain for what these people went through.  I also think about how hard it must be for Germans who are living with the fact that this is a part of their history but we

Drink big beers…it's just what you do in Germany

all have black marks on our chart…every country…none of us are perfect and we just have to learn from the past and not repeat it.
Now remember how I told you I was on the tour with a bunch or travelers well there happened to be a group of OC girls who I got on with and we ended up doing dinner and drinks that night.  Ended up being a super fun night involving a lot of really big beers and some random people from Arizona.  There were also some really big pretzels…not quite as big as the ones Kelsey and I had while we were there, which were the size of our face literally, but still good. It was a super fun night out and much needed.  The next day was a lazy day hanging out with Diana and going to a few towns in the area and also I was missing the kiddos a little so went with her to visit them which was nice.  In the evening I joined Michael and Diana for dinner with a few of their friends.  It was a really nice evening.  Tons of languages happening at the table though.  We were at a french restaurant so there was some french happening along with the German and English.  It was all I could do to keep up.  I truly enjoy it all though.  I love being surrounded by it all.  I have gotten so

A foggy day just added to the mystery of this castle

used to sitting at a table and just taking in all the conversations and working out what is being said.  I know eventually I will be joining in the conversations…baby steps.  My next tour I decided to take was ticking another box on my to do list.  I took a visit to the Neuschwanstein castle… or fairy tale castle as it is also known.  Unfortunately it was a rainy foggy day but it was still impressive.  Before I get to the castle bit I again had a cool experience with one of the people on the tour.  I ended up sitting on the train with a girl who was just out of the Peace Core.  I mean literally just out a few weeks.

Felt a little like I was at Disneyland

She had been living in Mozabique Africa with no running water, closest shop was 70 miles away and she was the only one who spoke english in her small town.  Gave me a whole new perspective on feeling lonely.  I know everyones situations are different and all our feelings are valid but I could not imagine what the last 2 years had been like for her and then to be thrown back into mainstream culture.  I know I went through culture shock my first time back to the states because I felt like a different person…she will have it times 100.  Anyway, it was a cool meeting and fun to let her talk all about everything she had been through because I don't think she had been able to do that and be really honest about how she was

Yep…walked on that bridge…crazy high!

feeling.  We kinda buddied up and cruised through the castle together.  It was such fun. Ok…back to the castle…So the story goes that mad King Ludwig had this castle designed in a very theatrical style and wanted it very elaborate however he had no intention of sharing it with anyone.  He was a bit of a recluse and lived only in the front bit of the castle.  He would not even let his servants look at him in the eyes.  We did get to walk through the castle which unfortunately was only 1/3 finished because Ludwig died before it was completed.  everything was beautiful and eclectic but made sense.  The room that got me the most was his theater.  He had a banquet style room made with a stage at one end which was gorgeous however we were told that he had no intention of ever putting on a play there.  He just wanted a stage.  I personally thing he would go in there and put on his own plays for himself but that's just my thoughts.  After we finished out walk through the castle we headed up to the view point bridge.  This bridge was crazy high and the planks were wobbly.  Well worth it for the view I got.  Even though it was rainy and foggy it was still beautiful.  So the castle was my last stop on my Munich adventure..

View from the crazy high bridge

The next morning we packed up.  Diana was taking the kids to her parents house for a visit and I was headed off to my next stop on my adventure…London here I come!  Stay tuned for my crazy times in London in the next post.