From all the excitement of the day before, I awoke a little later than usual. My delightful host had left out some bread, butter, and jam for me along with some coffee for the French press. I had a leisurely breakfast and then it was off to the train station.
Taken Back In Time
My first stop of the day, and a location that should not be missed if you’re in Munich, was Dachau Concentration Camp. I purchased the electronic tour guide to help enlighten me on the history and artifacts of the site as I walked around unaccompanied.
The grounds of the concentration camp seemed vast, with rows upon rows of gravel where there used to be housing for the Jewish prisoners. As large as it seemed, it was unimaginable to think that those quarters were filled to uncomfortable levels that resulted in widespread disease and the death of multitudes of people. I wandered the grounds in awe, listening to the stories of survivors and the narration of the events that had occurred on my device.
The most daunting and enlightening encounter was walking through the “showers”, a concrete building with segmented rooms meant to herd the prisoners in an orderly fashion. Holes in the ceiling that dispensed system and drains in the floor that served only as a facade to feign the idea of a typical shower. There was a furnace in the final room. The whole experience was extremely humbling and eye-opening to the fact that I have been very blessed in life.
Surfers and Beer
The tour the day before had covered many of the places I wanted to see, but there were some that were missed and some that I definitely had to revisit, so I headed back to central Munich. The research I had done before my trip said that surfers could be found within the English Garden surfing the Eisbach Wave. I had never known there to be surfing anywhere that wasn’t artificial or the coast, so I had to see this for myself. I meandered through beautiful gardens and along the ponds and creeks, just taking everything in. It was surprisingly peaceful, nestled within the busy city, and everyone greeted me pleasantly as they walked by.
I finally came upon the section of the Eisbach creek that produced a continuous wave suitably for surfing all year round. People in wet suits with surf boards lined the banks and took turns hopping onto the wave, riding it for however long they could before falling into the frigid water and letting the next person have a go. This would have made for quite a fun activity…if only I knew how to surf.
Then it was time for a late lunch at the Hofbräuhaus brewery to enjoy some authentic German food and a liter of beer. I cannot even remember what I ordered. I’m pretty sure I just picked something and pointed to it on the menu since everything was in German. I believe it was a form of pork with a sticky ball of some kind of potato, and it was delicious. As the place started to fill out, a trio of rowdy men from Holland came and sat with me. Their English was good enough that we were able to have a conversation and a few laughs over some beers. I think they were amused sitting with the “pretty Texas girl” and more than a little flirtatious. Flattered but uninterested and with a few more stops to make, I finished my final beer and bid them good evening.
Final Sights of Munich
The remainder of the day was spent just walking the city streets and getting pictures of the beautiful and historical landmarks. This included returning to Marienplatz and climbing the staircase of St. Peter’s Church for a bird’s eye view of the city. I was fortunate to be there on such a clear day so that I was able to see more of this gorgeous city.
Asamkirche was a gorgeous gothic church that was only a few blocks. The pictures do not do it justice. What looked to be a fairly common cathedral on the outside ended up being lavishly and intricately decorated on the inside, with amazing murals on the ceiling and gold accents found throughout. Even with an array of colors, it still felt very dark in nature.
Sadly, I did not make it to the BMW Museum before it closed but I walked around the Welt and admired the unique architecture of the BMW building. While not my personal preference of vehicle and far out of my price range, these masterfully engineered machines truly are breathtaking.
My day concluded watching the sun set over Olympiapark Munich before returning for a final night in my host’s home before the long drive back to Zurich the next day.
Cheers!
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