Munich and Dachau

After a very long overnight flight (full plane, sadly no extra seats for us this time) we arrived to a cold and overcast Germany on Tuesday morning.  Matt was delighted to find a currywurst stall immediately on exiting the airport and thought that was JUST what he needed.  With the bodies most urgent needs satisfied we purchased train tickets and headed into town.  It was wonderful to be able to check into our hotel early and have a shower and drop off the bags.

In the afternoon we visited Dachau  which proved to be a sobering and thought provoking experience, with both of us drawing inevitable comparisons to Manus Island, Guantanamo Bay and man's ongoing inhumanity to those they perceive as inferior or dangerous.  Yet, as uncomfortable as visiting the memorial site was, I believe that it is important to witness and remember the events of the past in order that we can see how easy it is to normalise atrocities; to preserve and remember our history in the hope that one day it might never  be repeated. The exhibition in the museum told personal stories with photographs and a few small items, as well as providing an overview of of the rise of the Nazi party, their crimes, and the course of the war.  What struck me most was not the remaining buildings, it was the sheer number of barracks foundations which could be seen and the enormous size of the forecourt where the 40-50 thousand prisoners were gathered for the twice daily roll-call.

After a very thoughtful trip back to Munich we returned to our hotel.  Hotel Mariandl was a beautiful - if a bit run down - building from the Belle Epoque.  Our room was enormous and the feature was definitely the free-standing bath, prefect for soaking away the aches of travel while tasting a local wine.  This evening we dined in and were treated to dinner music by a jazz string quintet - I think we were told their usual day jobs were in the Opera Orchestra.





 The following day we joined a bus trip to Neuschwanstein, Oberamagau, and Linderhof.  Two palaces from "Mad King Ludwig II" (poor bloke, was either a vampire or had the worst social anxiety ever) and the home of the Passion Play. We would never have managed these in a day under our own steam and our guide was excellent, informing us of the history of the Barvarian royal family as well as providing commentary on many of the places we passed.  My outstanding question still remains - given the size and importance of the local dairy industry WHY can't I get a decent flat white made with moo juice not UHT?

The yellow castle - Schloss Hohenschwangau; seen only in the distance

Yep, that's my lovely pink parka so I don't get lost in the snow.  Yes, there was snow.  I prefer it as below - outside the bus window while I'm in the warm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schloss Neuschwanstein.  You can see where Walt got the idea for his castle from!

 

 

 

In contrast to the ideal medieval castle of Neuschwanstein, Linderhoff was all Baroque and gaudy.  It even had a miniature hall of mirrors.  Sadly, both castles banned photos on the inside in the hope you'd buy their stuff.  We thought of how long we still had to carry our gear and didn't.

the fountains and formal gardens of Linderhoff.

Our stop at Oberamergau was all too brief.  Fellow fans of Elinor Brent Dyer and Maud Hart Lovelace would still recognise the town from the authorial descriptions however, I refrained from playing at cowboys and indians in the river (FAR too cold) - or buying any religious icons/wood carvings.  Matt did say he considered having a beer while I took photos was a religious experience given that said beer was made by monks.