Munich Day Trip to Dachau

We awake to a lovely view of munich.  A bit cloudy, but we see the sprawling city from our bed.  Up for a day trip.  We walk the neighborhood looking for coffee.  We find pastries, coffee, and the right train to get us to Dachau.  

How do you prepare for a trip to Dachau? 

The short answer is you don't.  We arrive at station, and look for our bus.  We seem to be getting the hang of public transportation and connections.  Although we must still look like we need help.   A local sees us looking for right bus, and says "english, USA?, Bus 792 for Dachau.  Then you come by and see our city, its very nice, not just a concentration camp".  It is an interesting situation, that the community some 70 years later, will always be in the shadow of this horrific thing, yet has become a desirable neighborhood to build a life.  

The day continues to get more solemn, the walk from the bus to the camp gate.  The feeling, scene and details are unexplainable.  We spent 3+ hours here.

It is something we are very happy that we experienced, and worth our trip, and to learn more of the holocaust, and the history of WWII.  But is it the most horrible thing we have witnessed, seen, or experienced.  As we leave the camp, and find our way back to our bus, we are quite, sad, and overwhelmed with emotion.  

As we board the train, we notice the couple sharing our seats, were on the train with us headed to there, and we remember crossing paths, noticing them, throughout the tour, and day.  Something to know about us is our draw to our elders.  As an adolescent years of loving Jonny Pike, grandparents, adopted grandparents.  For Trish this extended to her days of serving the coffee clutch at JGs, to bartending days at Eastgate (the elders were only 40ish) to the days at the Breadboard of friending Margaret York, Frank York, all the retired folks in the county. So it is not surprising that we both remembered this one gentleman, while on the train to Dachau, , that we had met eyes, and connected with this gentleman, dressed in a wool coat, hat and smile.

A few time during the tour of museum and grounds we crossed paths with them. On the train we spark up conversation. They are from US, we chat. They from Michigan (Grosse Point and Royal Oak). We chat about Michigan, beer,travel and eventually wine. With me it all comes back to wine. He says, we own a winery in Oregon, My son Felix is the vintner! I say, I was just there for girls weekend. Him "Carlos and Julien" me, "I know people you know! My friends brother is related, do you know Noah?" Him, "yes Noah is married to my granddaughter" hugs, laughter, connection!!!

What a small world it feels.  And how surreal, as we are across the globe, eploring new places, people, and cultures.  We are so happy we grabbed this train out, we picked this train car, and sat in these seats.  For only a moment it changes our mood, and brings some laughter and friendship to our day.  We move on to our next stop, slightly more thankful, and somber.  

Germany

As a nation Germany is less than 150 years old. Imagine in medieval times 300 countries in what is now Germany. Half the size of Texas, or the size of Montana. We look forward to exploring even a small piece of the country. Munich, Dachau, Rothenburg, Bamberg, Frankfurt, Cologne. Let the adventure begin.

Munich seems to be nestled between art and beer like a village between hills.
As much as we love art, the beer and Christmas markets bring us to Bavaria.

If every beverage has its true home- whiskey belongs in Scotland, wine to France and beer to Bavaria. Dark and wheat, bock and dopplebock, light and smoked: it would seem Bavaria has a beer for everyone. Prost!

Amsterdam to Stuttgart

Well we finally got up early. Last day for the next ten, to enjoy Amsterdam. Make it count.  Jumped on the bicycles to find laundry. Wet clothes do not pack well. We may have been the only bikers yesterday, today we are in rush hour.  Bike commuters all around, a bit intimidating for sure. I thought we were in trouble but we handled it well. For breakfast, savory pancakes at Sarah's. An interesting fact discussed with Michael and Bryan is the height  of the Dutch. They are so damn tall. Although average height in US,  I have stand on tip toes to use urinal.

Back to the apt, to pack up our bags. The last day of the city and I am totally dialed in with directions and fell for the city. Just as we are leaving. Off to ride the canals one last time, and find a bier. We found a quaint, warm, cozy, bar to get internet, checking for flight and update blog. The bar keep was a darling young girl that welcomed us. We enjoyed a cubby by the window, to watch the Dutch getting rained on with no care. It is fascinating the lack of rain gear.  In the USA it is a excuse to have more gear, and hunter rain boots, not here.  And it rains a lot here.  The waitress recommends a walnut, Brie and honey pannini and more bier. The first Kriek of the trip for Trish.

 Ahh vacation. Our room and flight dialed in, and we are back on bikes. Drop bikes, walk to Svens, he invites us to come again, and tells us about this other apts, and that he prefers to rent his places through air bnb. We are big fans. We will add a link to his places for future reference. Grab a tram through city center, Goodbye Amsterdam.

It is an interesting thing to travel outside of US. The security at Schipol was a breeze, they barely check our passport. We love the properness of the Dutch, they say things like, "mind your step" and
"Kindly request to stay seated". Just makes you want to abide!

We will arrive late in Germany ,so a bier and some food. For me some traditional food, toasted ham and cheese with fried egg. For Trish onion rings, with a salad. Only in Europe do you see onion rings served with a salad. Get to Stuttgart and our hotel could not be more convenient. Above train station. Great draft beer to take to our room.  Stuttgart is also rainy, but great. Koffies and croissants for the walk to the Weihnachtsmarkt. We have a borrowed umbrella from hotel, that should keep the rain away.  We are down two umbrellas after our Amsterdam rain and wind adventure.

Annette the owner of the apt in Munich has given us many recommendations, as this is the city of her birth. Really good Swabian food can be found at Lausterer at the Rarthausplatz. Expect a wait, it is tiny and delicious. Restaurant vetter at bopserstrasse 18, is said to also be very very good. Those will be for a future visit.

We stroll to the Kunstmuseum, a large glass cube, which looks out of place yet unique in the old town. We stroll the first of many markets.  The gifts, food, ornaments, greenery, are all beautiful.

We begin the list of gifts. And now here we are on a train to Muchen.

We get final correspondence with Annette, apparently we have missed our check in time, for her to personally show us teh place, and give us any more tips.  She will just leave the keys at the Hacker -Pschorr downstairs.

The train winds through the wine region, hill covered with grape vines, into forests. This place must be really spectacular in the fall. Quaint villages, little homes with gardens, great scenery for our two hour train. A baguette, cheese and bier to kill the time. Prost!

Rotterdam

Up late, not gonna lie, a little hungover.  Up, shower, quick coffee and off to train station to go to Rotterdam. Biking in Amsterdam on a Sunday morning is surreal. No traffic, quiet city, sleepy. Different from our past days of bicycles. Yogurt and croissant save us both. A little late for train but we do make it. Time to relax and enjoy the ride.  Beautiful countryside, so green.  Rotterdam is big and confusing to the Americans.  Looking for old brewery( Stradsbrouwerij Dr Pelgrim), take the tram, which one?, any tram we can stop and recalculate from there.  Not sure where we are but it is cool, although windy. Checking out the boats on the canal, very cool, wind mill.  Trish gives a couple guys a show as we pass a bar and a wind gust takes her skirt, embrace Europe and vacation!

Find the brewery, crazy old place. They are hand labeling their bottled beer. A couple rounds of beer and gin rummy in the cozy pub.  Score wasn't close but there is a chance Trish cheats.   Back onto the tram to hit the Markthal. Or tram back to the train station. Now we got the right tram to Marktal. Or maybe not. Hop off tram ,catch tram in opposite direction. Yeah, now we got it.  Find the Markthal. Wow, cross between a open air inside market and a food court.

Crazy. Stop for drinks and a huge plate of medditerrian Pappas fair. Way too much but a great call. Getting dark I guess back to Amsterdam.  Intercity train but direct, fast. I barely have time for a nap.  Back in town, searching for our bikes we find advertisement for canal light cruise. Alright we are in. Time for a quick beer, maybe a take out beer as well and off to boat. So it's raining pretty hard. No one has rain coats in this
city? Why?  We get a beer in a cafe that ironically Trish and I had been to 5 years ago, crazy. As,we left to get boat the sky opens up and rains so hard it's nuts. I mean we are soaked, we have gortex on top but from waist down soaked. Well what can you do? Boat ride was cool at night, artist have done "light " sculptures. The theme of the festival is friendship. From refugees, to kites, northern lights, chandeliers. 300+ artists compete.


The boat is packed and wet but a great time.  The sculptures are amazing, some we have seen from canal shores around town.they bring to life what friendship can mean to many. Near or far, close or not, friendships come in many colors.

Off the boat and off to home. Or maybe with the rain we should stop for an Irish coffee, and dessert.  Not sure this ranks as our best trip, not enough desserts. Need I say this is Chris writing this blog not Trish?  Just about to leave when rain really starts. Ok, 1 more drink, just to wait out the storm.
Here's the break in the storm, make a run for it. Quickly on the bikes for home. So, I have a great sense of direction and get my bearings quickly but some times it takes a little luck. And tonight luck is on my side.  I am ducking and weaving through the straats like a local. Unfortunately as misstep by a tourist almost takes me out. Stepping in front of a bicycle is virtually the only sin you can commit in Amsterdam. And even worse a I just miss disaster, Trish takes a hard fall on the bike.  The tip from a guide book is top of mind now, careful you don't mis bicycle tires with tram rails. Yikes! As usual she is a trooper and keeps on riding to home.  Let's get dried and to bed. Crazy night.