Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Munich Germany


We arrived in Munich about 3:30 PM. We traveled by surface train from the airport to our hotel. We really looked like a bunch of tourists as we tried to find the right one, get on, and find something to do with our luggage. After checking in, we found our way to the restaurant in the Hilton to get a meal.


Our first full day in Munich found us in the Marienplatz, home of the famous Hofbräuhaus (the most famous pub in the world...so the book says!) We sat outside of another beer garden and watched a horse drawn beer wagon arrive as an umpah band played. The horses were all decked out with ribbons and bells and the driver and his helper were dressed in traditional leiderhose. Of course, we didn't have the camera.



We were back in the Marienplatz for dinner at the Hofbräuhaus. Our first truly German meal was outstanding and the beer was pretty good too! Of course, the Townsons can't do things without some kind on interesting occurance...Dad was taking pictures of people in traditional dress outside, when he tripped over a bike, fell and banged his head, bruised his shoulder and racked up his ankle a bit. There we were sitting at an outdoor beergarden, trying to stem the blood. He was fine, but had a good scab on his forehead for a few days!




The next day we went to the Deutsches Museum which was full of planes, boats, mechanical devises, technology, chemistry, and everything that makes Germany great. It was allot to take in, so we picked and chose out favorite items of interest. One of the coolest exhibits was the one on music. It had a Theroman (radio frequency devise that plays a tone off your own electro magnetic frequency). Think the theme music to Star Trek.




On Saturday, we went to the English Garden. We had pretty much gotten the surface and underground trains down pat. We had to walk forever to get to the garden (one of the biggest beergardens in Munich). We sat and had a beer and listened to the band along with a multitude of Germans.

Sunday Mom and Dad went to Dachau and I went to layout in the sun out by the river by another beer garden.






The Dachau Memorial was established so that no one would forget what took place there during WWII. It was a sobering trip, but well worth our time. As we walked through the exhibits, Garry remarked that all this was still taking place after he was born. The gate that the prisoners were taken through said, "Work Sets You Free". For most of them, this never happened. The sculpture was done by a former prisoner and represents the horrors that occurred. The ovens pretty much say it all!!


The next day, we went to the BMW museum but it was closed so we instead walked across the bridge to the huge dealership where mom picked out the model of BMW convertible she is getting when we return to the states...if Dad can talk her into it that is.


Dad also found a toy, but it's more likely something I will end up getting.



The weather has been beautiful the whole time, without a gray cloud in the sky. When we walked out of the dealership, Mom heard thunder and swore it was going to rain. Not until we returned to the hotel did we get pelted with hail, luckily we were under an umbrella outside of the hotel to watch the brief storm.

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