Dachau

We left for Munich this morning. It was almost a three hour drive through very lovely, green, rolling hills that got more wooded as we got closer to Munich. 

We actually made a stop just short of Munich at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. We arrived just in time to have lunch at the visitor center cafeteria, which was pretty good. We then spent about 2 hours walking the grounds and exhibits. 

The Germans don’t shy away from telling the truth about their history, no matter how horrible it may be. Dachau Concentration Camp has been restored enough to give visitors a glimpse at such things as the barracks and crematorium. They have done a great job of creating visual displays with descriptions in German and English that recount all aspects of the camp and how it fits in history. In all areas, there were printed quotes from survivors.  Some of those were exceptionally difficult to read:  it’s sadly mind-blowing what the prisoners endured.  Although this is a chapter of history that we felt we had been taught well, walking through the camp and reading the words of the survivors drove the lessons home in a way that no classroom history lesson ever could.  It’s no wonder that the German government requires every elementary student to tour one of these former concentration camps.  

A bit about driving: Germans are great drivers. On the autobahn one does not have to go 100 mph, but one must stay to the right unless passing. It is very efficient. In the cities, even Munich, the traffic is also tame. No one seems to be in a great hurry and that makes things run smoothly. Thank goodness for Google maps. We just set the address and follow the directions. We are always a little tense when in a big the city, but it has been quite easy. We are also mostly familiar with all the road signs … mostly. 😁

Our little tiny car is great for navigating narrow streets, great on gas (prices are currently $11/gallon in Netherlands, a little more than $9 in Germany), and easy to park … but we wish we had a BMW or Mercedes on the autobahn.  We both feel the need for more speed in a car that handles better.  😂  Next time!!!

After checking into the hotel and a short rest in our air-conditioned room (did we mention that Germany is in the middle of a heat wave?) we headed out to a Bier Garten, one that Rick Steves said was really frequented more by locals than tourists. It was very interesting … hundreds of picnic style tables with hundreds of people enjoying gobs of beer and sausage/sauerkraut/pretzels. We opted for the self-serve section versus the waiter patrolled service area. That was probably a mistake. A mistake only because ordering was slightly chaotic, especially because we DON’T speak German. Anyway, the food we got was good, but we think we picked up a mug of Radler rather than straight beer. Radler is a drink of beer and lemonade, about 50/50. It was too sweet for our liking, but now we know. 

In addition to being quite hot today — over 90 degrees — our first impressions of Munich are not fantastic. We’ve only gotten a little peek of it so far, but we already know that we love rural areas more than cities anyway. And, we are kind of museum-ed out. So, we decided to change our itinerary tomorrow. Instead of a walking tour of the city, we are heading into the countryside which has us both excited. The change will also allow us to do more exploration of the German Alps.