Hop on Hop off

Add a Seat was definitely one of my favorite experiences. McKenzie and I were grouped together to eat dinner with an Italian student and their family. We really didn’t know what to anticipate, other than wonderful food. As the entire “Add a Seat” group walked outside we discussed our hopes of what this dinner would be like, our hosts arrived. McKenzie and I were introduced to an Italian student who was in his last year at school. We were driven through beautiful mountains where we could see the lights of the town flickering below us.

At dinner we met the entire family and had some absolutely delicious food. Risotto was the first dish followed by vegetables, salad, mashed potatoes, and a plate that I can best relate to steak. It might be one of my top experiences so far. We talked about some culture differences and similarities. We hopefully made an international life-long friend as well!

Munich was beautiful! My travel group, Lindsey and Taylor, kept ourselves very busy. We booked a place at AirB&B that had a perfect location to the center of the city. We made it there flawlessly as well.

Our first stop was Dachau Concentration Camp. It was the most powerful destination I had ever been to. The clouds were heavy in the sky but the temperature was just frigid enough to see your breath. White gravel presented the path that we took to begin the tour. It smelled very odd. Not awful, but strange- a very distinct almost rubber like smell. The three of us got an audio tour that went over the historical significance of what had happened at specified areas of the camp. I know most of us have learned about World War II and the horrid acts that were committed, but actually being there made it that much more real. To see where the Nazis forced innocent people to live and the psychological games and tricks they had done to them is inconceivable. I really appreciate that Germany does not hide their history. The most powerful image for me was actually in the museum.

They showed photos of men before they were imprisoned and tortured. To see healthy and happy human beings, was unexpected- I guess I would say. No matter how many photos I’ve seen of people that were in these camps, I always had this disconnect, whether it be as simple as the time period or the blatant difference that I have never known the feeling of torture. Seeing what most of us would describe as the ordinary family man or some contributing member of society on that poster left me with this feeling that was confused even more by each how, what, and why. There were statutes and stones that acknowledge the suffering and pain that was experienced in the prison. To read the messages on the art and to feel the etching within the stones made me feel this bond- a human connection that regardless of which social group you fit into today, this should have never happened. As we all know too well, what’s done is done and all we can do is learn from our past and, prepare for the future, and acknowledge that the present is fleeting so make it worth every second.

I have always been an advocate for reflection and to hear what happened here just through facts and stories second hand, is enough to never let this happen again.

That night we walked around the city and found ourselves at Hofbräuhaus. We met a German couple while we were there that suggested what to drink and eat. It was a really fun atmosphere, a little chaotic but in the “exactly what you’d imagine” in a beer hall sort of way. Let me tell you they charge a lot for those pretzels! We stayed there for some time. The German couple left and our table became halfway empty, so naturally a target for every passerby to claim. We couldn’t hold it down that much longer…so we were off! After an exhausting day we huddled in the corner of our room and at least I feel asleep in seconds.

Day Two: hold on to your seats.

Woke up, got coffee and breakfast, and then the Olympic Park! So we took the wrong train at first, but hey, we hopped back on. The center train station is called Hauptbahnhof so we naturally called it “hop on hop off” courtesy of Lindsey. The Park was beautiful! We all decided that if we lived here we would be some of the fittest people in the world….but we don’t so…it was a nice thought.

The sky was particularly blue and the grass perfectly green. It was fun to just walk around….and roll down hills. Lindsey and Taylor weren’t up for that apparently. It was totally worth the wet grass.

We walked over to the BMW Welt. I thought it was really cool and I’m not really interested in cars…so please enjoy these photos:

Next stop lunch! Augustiner Großgaststätten Restaurant.

It was delicious as well! We asked the waiter for advice…and thank goodness. The lunch crowd was a lot less chaotic, as expected.

As I told you before, this was a busy day- we’re halfway! The Residenz München. These royals really don’t know what to do with all their money! I couldn’t even tell you how many rooms I walked in or how many walls I saw that were covered in some form of gold. Absolutely beautiful!

We stopped by the Englischer Garten München and caught some surfers. There’s this canal in the park that has endless waves, and these guys surf. Right in the middle of the park- a city surf session. It was one of those situations in which you couldn’t look away. Mesmerizing maybe.

We were so tired after these quick two days in Germany. We were lucky too to hear the glockenspiel. I feel like we did a bit of everything and it kind of felt like it. What a weekend. Munich in two days is possible, but it is certainly draining.

We have our travel week coming up! CRAZY ADVENTURES TO BE ANNOUNCED