Our bus left early this morning for Reutte. The traffic in Germany can be a bear and we unfortunately got trapped in several traffic jams or a "Stau" in German. This truly isn't a problem as Karoline kept us busy telling us all about Germany, our next stop in Reutte and teaching some basic German language lessons - plus there is always the plus of the different styles of music that our guides play while we are traveling.
The first stop we make today is at Dachau concentration camp. This is a stop that I have really looked forward to. The history and pain associated with this camp are beyond description. It is a must see for anyone that visits Germany.
If you would like to see more pictures of Dachau - CLICK HERE.
Our journey continued although the atmosphere on the bus was much more subdued. I think everyone was deep in thought and busy sorting out the feelings that the camp had inspired.
Because Karoline has lived for quite some time in Munich,
she decided that we should stop for lunch at an outdoor market and
Biergarten.
Our assignment was to get some food, find a table and meet a local!! I
grabbed the table, using hand gestures and one of the few German words that
had stuck in my head (bitte = please) and my husband got in line for the food and, of course,
beer. I had lucked out in finding a table with only one gentleman sitting
at it, and this place was PACKED!!! We also linked up with Bruce, Barbara
and Jeff from our group. Once we were all seated, we discovered that our
tablemate actually spoke English so we introduced ourselves and explained we
were with a group. He told us he was actually American but had been living
in Munich for quite some time and small
world that it is, he graduated from the same
Alabama college
(Auburn University) as
my husband and married a lady from the place where I grew up in Alabama.
After lunch we had some free time to wander around the market and then gathered to take a quick hike over to see the Hofbräuhaus. This is one of the oldest breweries in Munich and the first public tavern. It is a huge tourist attraction with a lively atmosphere, free-flowing steins of beer and a vomitorium (men's restroom only) for over-indulgers.
