Day 14
Today we leave Vio's and head to Paris. A little sad to be leaving our new German friends. Even Louis looks a little sad as we pull out of the driveway. It is a long drive on the autobahn. We are only 45 minutes to France but then still a long time to Paris. We pass many vineyards and wheat fields. This is Champagne country of France!
We stop in Verdun on the way. During World War I, the Americans joined the French fighting against the Germans. We drive through Douaumont where millions died in the battle in 1914-1918. Andres Maginot had built a wall along one side of Verdun to protect the city but the Germans just marched around the wall and entered and killed millions of people in a very short time. There is a cemetery where there are crosses as far as your eye can see - thousands, maybe millions of crosses. Some have names, some say "unknown soldier" Some say "three unknown soldiers". The Ossuainede Douaumont is a huge monument building where thousands are buried in mass graves within.
Down the road where the battle actually took place, there still are all the fox holes and huge craters where bombs were dropped. This goes for miles and miles. There are white crosses every so often where many died. We stop and walk through the fox holes and fields for a while. Amazing the impact it has to realize so many died there and how they literally crawled from one hole to another trying to survive.
Then we are on to Paris! We get there about 5pm and check into the hotel. We are staying at the Mariott in Neuilly. We have a suite with a big living room, kitchenette, separate bathroom from the main bathroom and large bedroom. Neuilly is a suburb of Paris - a nice, quiet area, upper class. We head into Paris about 15 minutes away to Le Vaubon for dinner about 8pm. Restaurants don't fill up until about 8:30pm on any night. It takes about 2-3 hours for dinner - People eat slow and sit and talk. This restaurant is right across the street from Napoleon's tomb. About 10pm they light up the tomb and it is beautiful. The gold dome is brilliant! Then we drive over to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up. It is a beautiful blue and gets deeper and deeper blue as the sky gets darker. There are hundreds of people all standing around and sitting on the grass watching it. At 11pm they start blinking bright lights within the Eiffel tower and it is spectacular. Very much worth waiting for! A very memorable first evening in Paris! We are in Paris - hard to realize!
A few thoughts about France and the French:Most do not speak English so much harder to communicate here. Many restaurants don't even have an English menu or anyone who speaks English. Words are nothing like German or English. Places are not as clean as Germany but still not as dirty as in Mexico. Bathrooms are not clean and they do not have the toilet seat cleaners. Yet, Paris is a huge, massive city - millions of people live here. All the buildings look alike with beautiful ornate carvings in white stone. There are rows and rows of apartment buildings - all white stone with rot iron black railings around the balconies. Driving is crazy! They have no designated lanes on the roads - they drive anywhere, with hundreds of motor scooters and motor cycles that weave in and out of traffic and go down between the lanes. And yet there is no smashed cars or bent bumpers. There is no honking or impatient drivers. The huge round-about at the Arch of Triumph is really crazy and wild driving. You have to be aggressive and keep going fast or they will run right over you. There are Smart cars everywhere. They can park two to a parking stall front to back because they are so small.
There are no gas stations! Until you look close and see that they are under ground and so you enter and go down a ramp to them. The fumes are strong down there. There is a strong police presence here - very different than in Germany. At the Eiffel tower, Louvre, and Notre Dame there are military police walking around with machine guns.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Day 13
This is a day with Vio and the little boys. Eric starts to combine the wheat fields and so won't be home until midnight for the next four weeks. He combines all the neighbors fields also so it will take him a long time. His father works with him in the fields. Vio is glad to get away with us today and so we head to St. Martin to walk around and have lunch. I drive with Vio and Louis and Yoseph and Bill and Chuck drive separate. It is so good to talk with Vio and hear how life is for a German family. She used to fly with Lufansa airlines. She gets 4 years maternity leave with one year paid. Everyone in Germany gets 41 days vacation a year no matter how long they have worked or what their job is - that's EIGHT weeks vacation and also holidays! Wow! Louis will start going to a preschool called a "forest school". These schools have more hands on teaching. Kids go to school 11 months out of the year - only getting August off. When they are in junior high they are tested and depending how they score they are then placed in a college track or a trade school track for high school. If they are not placed in a college track they can not go on to college. All trades - waitressing, banking, child care, farming, etc go to school for 5 years after high school. So people feel all jobs are just as important and are not just a stepping stone to another job.
When we return home, Chuck and I walk down to the fresh water creek by the farm/hotel. German's believe it is refreshing and healthy to walk in very cold water. A German doctor discovered that cold spring water helps circulation and rhumatoid arthritis. All over Europe are man made ponds of cold spring water that they walk in to improve health.
We eat dinner again out in the back garden of the Klostermuhle. Wonderful end to a very nice relaxing German day.
A few final thoughts of Germany:
German food is fabulous!
Spatzel: white dough cooked with cheese sauce
Putenschnitzel in Frischkasesauce: Turkey breaded in cheese cream sauce
Bruschetta: French bread with tomatoes and basil and other wonderful spices
Salat: salad with shredded carrots, pickled beans, cabbage with vinegar, UNDER the lettuce covered with a vinegar dressing
Weinerschnitzel: Veal pounded with spices and breaded Sauerkraut
Suppen: soup - fabulous creamed mushroom soup, beef soup, etc
Scweinemedaillions: pork
Rumpsteak: Beef, steak
Bratkartoffeln: fried baked potatoes
Lochs: salmon
This is a day with Vio and the little boys. Eric starts to combine the wheat fields and so won't be home until midnight for the next four weeks. He combines all the neighbors fields also so it will take him a long time. His father works with him in the fields. Vio is glad to get away with us today and so we head to St. Martin to walk around and have lunch. I drive with Vio and Louis and Yoseph and Bill and Chuck drive separate. It is so good to talk with Vio and hear how life is for a German family. She used to fly with Lufansa airlines. She gets 4 years maternity leave with one year paid. Everyone in Germany gets 41 days vacation a year no matter how long they have worked or what their job is - that's EIGHT weeks vacation and also holidays! Wow! Louis will start going to a preschool called a "forest school". These schools have more hands on teaching. Kids go to school 11 months out of the year - only getting August off. When they are in junior high they are tested and depending how they score they are then placed in a college track or a trade school track for high school. If they are not placed in a college track they can not go on to college. All trades - waitressing, banking, child care, farming, etc go to school for 5 years after high school. So people feel all jobs are just as important and are not just a stepping stone to another job.
When we return home, Chuck and I walk down to the fresh water creek by the farm/hotel. German's believe it is refreshing and healthy to walk in very cold water. A German doctor discovered that cold spring water helps circulation and rhumatoid arthritis. All over Europe are man made ponds of cold spring water that they walk in to improve health.
We eat dinner again out in the back garden of the Klostermuhle. Wonderful end to a very nice relaxing German day.
A few final thoughts of Germany:
German food is fabulous!
Spatzel: white dough cooked with cheese sauce
Putenschnitzel in Frischkasesauce: Turkey breaded in cheese cream sauce
Bruschetta: French bread with tomatoes and basil and other wonderful spices
Salat: salad with shredded carrots, pickled beans, cabbage with vinegar, UNDER the lettuce covered with a vinegar dressing
Weinerschnitzel: Veal pounded with spices and breaded Sauerkraut
Suppen: soup - fabulous creamed mushroom soup, beef soup, etc
Scweinemedaillions: pork
Rumpsteak: Beef, steak
Bratkartoffeln: fried baked potatoes
Lochs: salmon
Monday, July 14, 2008
Day 12
July 14 - Rachel's Birthday!!
We woke Rachel up to sing Happy Birthday! The sun is shining and it is beautiful so we decide today is the day to head up the Reine River on a boat. We drive about an hour to Bingen where we catch a boat to go to St. Goar. It is gorgeous! The vineyards are hanging on the sides of very steep hills - don't know how they can farm them there. And there are small towns along the sides of the Reine RIver. Nearly each one has a castle up at the top of the hills of the town. Rheinestein castle, Falconbush castle, Sonneck Castle of the Roman Knights, Himburg castle - the lowest castle on the Reine, Weinstadt Lorch, Rheingold castle which has a small castle above it, Backroch castle, Gutenfeld's castle in Kaub is called the cat and mouse castle because it has one large castle above and a smaller one below on a little island in the river. There is the Oberwesel town with the Schonburg castle and the Church of the Lady". The "Loreley Rock" is a huge rock at the bend of the river where legend has it a mermaid sat and beckoned sailors who then would run their boats into rocks trying to get to her.
The boat ride takes 2 hours and then we have lunch in St. Goar at a little outside cafe. I bought Anna's coo coo clock here! Then we head back to our car by taxi - we missed the train.
We head to Vio's parents for a birthday party for her mom - same day as Rachel's! Margit and Edmund are very gracious but know no English. A nephew takes us on tour of the vineyards and the town. The French burned part of the town in the French/German war - they have monuments and are still upset over the French. The vineyards are beautiful. Their vineyard is called "Weingut Hinter der kirche" because that is where it is - vineyard behind the church. The church is across the street from the farm house and storage barns for their wine. Half the church is Protestant and half the church is Catholic. They have separate sidewalks heading up to the church doors.
They take us on a tour of their wine cellar where they still store their wines and have candlelight wine nights for couples. About 35 people soon arrive for the birthday party. The people are very gracious and gentle, quiet folks. Margit has four brothers and sisters and they are all there with their families. They have a long table set in the backyard of the farm house. They have fresh cut flowers from her garden on the tables. There is champagne and wine and lots of great food. They have concentrated grape juice from their vineyard that is absolutely the best I have ever tasted. Vio has been working all day on the food and preparations. They have wonderful pork rolled around bacon and ham and dumplings and a horseradish salad. After eating, one of Margrit's brothers sings a beautiful song for her and also for us. They are very proud to have us visiting from America and make us feel so welcomed. Only a few can speak any English though so we just listen to their conversation and Bill and Eric interpret for us occasionally. Very fun to see real German's interacting. Many people brought her beautiful flowers and plants for gifts. It is a wonderful evening!
July 14 - Rachel's Birthday!!
We woke Rachel up to sing Happy Birthday! The sun is shining and it is beautiful so we decide today is the day to head up the Reine River on a boat. We drive about an hour to Bingen where we catch a boat to go to St. Goar. It is gorgeous! The vineyards are hanging on the sides of very steep hills - don't know how they can farm them there. And there are small towns along the sides of the Reine RIver. Nearly each one has a castle up at the top of the hills of the town. Rheinestein castle, Falconbush castle, Sonneck Castle of the Roman Knights, Himburg castle - the lowest castle on the Reine, Weinstadt Lorch, Rheingold castle which has a small castle above it, Backroch castle, Gutenfeld's castle in Kaub is called the cat and mouse castle because it has one large castle above and a smaller one below on a little island in the river. There is the Oberwesel town with the Schonburg castle and the Church of the Lady". The "Loreley Rock" is a huge rock at the bend of the river where legend has it a mermaid sat and beckoned sailors who then would run their boats into rocks trying to get to her.
The boat ride takes 2 hours and then we have lunch in St. Goar at a little outside cafe. I bought Anna's coo coo clock here! Then we head back to our car by taxi - we missed the train.
We head to Vio's parents for a birthday party for her mom - same day as Rachel's! Margit and Edmund are very gracious but know no English. A nephew takes us on tour of the vineyards and the town. The French burned part of the town in the French/German war - they have monuments and are still upset over the French. The vineyards are beautiful. Their vineyard is called "Weingut Hinter der kirche" because that is where it is - vineyard behind the church. The church is across the street from the farm house and storage barns for their wine. Half the church is Protestant and half the church is Catholic. They have separate sidewalks heading up to the church doors.
They take us on a tour of their wine cellar where they still store their wines and have candlelight wine nights for couples. About 35 people soon arrive for the birthday party. The people are very gracious and gentle, quiet folks. Margit has four brothers and sisters and they are all there with their families. They have a long table set in the backyard of the farm house. They have fresh cut flowers from her garden on the tables. There is champagne and wine and lots of great food. They have concentrated grape juice from their vineyard that is absolutely the best I have ever tasted. Vio has been working all day on the food and preparations. They have wonderful pork rolled around bacon and ham and dumplings and a horseradish salad. After eating, one of Margrit's brothers sings a beautiful song for her and also for us. They are very proud to have us visiting from America and make us feel so welcomed. Only a few can speak any English though so we just listen to their conversation and Bill and Eric interpret for us occasionally. Very fun to see real German's interacting. Many people brought her beautiful flowers and plants for gifts. It is a wonderful evening!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Day 11
Today we leave Heidelberg traveling the Weinstrausse - this is the autobauhn that winds through the wine country of Germany. The vineyards are beautiful and are nestled among the fields of wheat and corn. The sun is shining and we soon head off the autobauhn to travel through the little villages of Germany. Maikammer is a little village with narrow streets that you would think only one car could go through. But they just move over to the edge and everyone can pass. Grapes hang over the streets on wires between houses. There is no grass - just walls of houses running right up to the streets with a narrow sidewalk on in front of some houses. Then we park in St. Martin and walk the streets. There are a few little shops but mostly houses and churches. This is a town dating back to the medival times. There are dates on the homes and wine stores from 1400-1500's. The old wall of the city is still there. We stop in Deidesheir at the Deidesheimerhof for lunch. This has the largest beer cask - stands 2 stories tall. Houses here have dates of 1485. THere is a large flea market going on and so we walk through it and buy a cut glass beer stein and a cup and saucer.
Next we head to Freinsheim - now this is an old town. Wow, these buildings are very old yet they are kept up so nice. Lots of wine stores again. Just up the road is Frankenstein and the famous Frankenstein castle. Percy Bethshelly was visiting here when he was inspired to write the story of Frankenstein based on this castle. It stands high on a hill and the only way there is to walk the long trail up to the top.
Now we finally arrive at Munchweiler where Erick and Vio live. Vio was Bill and Karen's opper (nanny) when the boys were 5 and 7 years old. Her parents are Margit and Edmund Knab who live in Pheddersheim about 20 minutes away. Her brother Oliver, runs the family vineyards there. The family vineyard has been in the family for 4 generations.
Erick's parents are Claudia and Carl-Heinz Jennewein. The farm has been in their family since 1928. Erick farms wheat and sugar beets. Erick's brother David and his partner Valentin run the Klostermuhle Hotel that is connected to the farm. That is where we stay - beautiful new contemporary style rooms. David also runs the resturant there and his mother is the main cook. Wonderful food and wonderful people. Erick also has a two sisters named Astrid and Carla who we didn't get to meet. Erick and Vio have two little boys - Louis is 20 months and runs around everywhere showing us the farm and scenery. He talks constantly when he warms up to you - but all German of course! Yoseph is just 10 weeks old. He is such a good baby - sleeps most of the time and wakes up so happy - never hear him cry or fuss - full of smiles! It is so good to meet a German family and talk with them. Erick spent some time in North Dakota learning about farming and so both Vio and Erick speak very good English. We have dinner with them at the Klostermuhle in the garden and sit and talk for three hours while Louis plays soccer in the yard with some older boys - yes, he is 20 months old and can kick a soccer ball.
Now to bed.
Today we leave Heidelberg traveling the Weinstrausse - this is the autobauhn that winds through the wine country of Germany. The vineyards are beautiful and are nestled among the fields of wheat and corn. The sun is shining and we soon head off the autobauhn to travel through the little villages of Germany. Maikammer is a little village with narrow streets that you would think only one car could go through. But they just move over to the edge and everyone can pass. Grapes hang over the streets on wires between houses. There is no grass - just walls of houses running right up to the streets with a narrow sidewalk on in front of some houses. Then we park in St. Martin and walk the streets. There are a few little shops but mostly houses and churches. This is a town dating back to the medival times. There are dates on the homes and wine stores from 1400-1500's. The old wall of the city is still there. We stop in Deidesheir at the Deidesheimerhof for lunch. This has the largest beer cask - stands 2 stories tall. Houses here have dates of 1485. THere is a large flea market going on and so we walk through it and buy a cut glass beer stein and a cup and saucer.
Next we head to Freinsheim - now this is an old town. Wow, these buildings are very old yet they are kept up so nice. Lots of wine stores again. Just up the road is Frankenstein and the famous Frankenstein castle. Percy Bethshelly was visiting here when he was inspired to write the story of Frankenstein based on this castle. It stands high on a hill and the only way there is to walk the long trail up to the top.
Now we finally arrive at Munchweiler where Erick and Vio live. Vio was Bill and Karen's opper (nanny) when the boys were 5 and 7 years old. Her parents are Margit and Edmund Knab who live in Pheddersheim about 20 minutes away. Her brother Oliver, runs the family vineyards there. The family vineyard has been in the family for 4 generations.
Erick's parents are Claudia and Carl-Heinz Jennewein. The farm has been in their family since 1928. Erick farms wheat and sugar beets. Erick's brother David and his partner Valentin run the Klostermuhle Hotel that is connected to the farm. That is where we stay - beautiful new contemporary style rooms. David also runs the resturant there and his mother is the main cook. Wonderful food and wonderful people. Erick also has a two sisters named Astrid and Carla who we didn't get to meet. Erick and Vio have two little boys - Louis is 20 months and runs around everywhere showing us the farm and scenery. He talks constantly when he warms up to you - but all German of course! Yoseph is just 10 weeks old. He is such a good baby - sleeps most of the time and wakes up so happy - never hear him cry or fuss - full of smiles! It is so good to meet a German family and talk with them. Erick spent some time in North Dakota learning about farming and so both Vio and Erick speak very good English. We have dinner with them at the Klostermuhle in the garden and sit and talk for three hours while Louis plays soccer in the yard with some older boys - yes, he is 20 months old and can kick a soccer ball.
Now to bed.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Day 10
Today we leave Munich and head to Heidelberg. It is a long drive with beautiful country side. Chuck and Bill push the limits on the autobahn - going 108 miles per hour - 180km/hr! We are coming into wine country now and the hills are rolling with beautiful vineyards along the way. The grapes are still green but huge clusters are hanging and you can see them from the road.
Heidelberg is known for the place where all the great theologians studied and all the great German writers and poets. - Gutenberg built the printing press here.
We are staying at the Heidelberg Mariott on the conseir floor. There is a lounge at the end of the floor that has a balcony that overlooks the river and you can see the castle from there. They have a "cocktail party" complete with lots of food - chicken wings, brasetta, fruit cups, other hor deveres, fresh french bread, and lots and lots of pastries and desserts. We eat our supper there and sit out on the balcony. It is a beautiful evening. We meet some people that are visiting their daugther who works with Young Life on the military base. And others who are Jewish who work with an organization that helps military families who need help. Bill is great at talking to all the people and we are old friends very soon.
Down the Nacker River we can see the castle sitting in the hills. Tonight they are re-enacting when the French burned the castle and bombed the city during the war between the Germans and the French. We wait and wait. Finally about 10:30pm the castle is lit up with red and it looks as if it is on fire. They have fireworks over the river - our second fireworks in Europe! It is beautiful - then to bed...
Today we leave Munich and head to Heidelberg. It is a long drive with beautiful country side. Chuck and Bill push the limits on the autobahn - going 108 miles per hour - 180km/hr! We are coming into wine country now and the hills are rolling with beautiful vineyards along the way. The grapes are still green but huge clusters are hanging and you can see them from the road.
Heidelberg is known for the place where all the great theologians studied and all the great German writers and poets. - Gutenberg built the printing press here.
We are staying at the Heidelberg Mariott on the conseir floor. There is a lounge at the end of the floor that has a balcony that overlooks the river and you can see the castle from there. They have a "cocktail party" complete with lots of food - chicken wings, brasetta, fruit cups, other hor deveres, fresh french bread, and lots and lots of pastries and desserts. We eat our supper there and sit out on the balcony. It is a beautiful evening. We meet some people that are visiting their daugther who works with Young Life on the military base. And others who are Jewish who work with an organization that helps military families who need help. Bill is great at talking to all the people and we are old friends very soon.
Down the Nacker River we can see the castle sitting in the hills. Tonight they are re-enacting when the French burned the castle and bombed the city during the war between the Germans and the French. We wait and wait. Finally about 10:30pm the castle is lit up with red and it looks as if it is on fire. They have fireworks over the river - our second fireworks in Europe! It is beautiful - then to bed...
Friday, July 11, 2008
Day 9
Today we leave Berchtesgaden and head to Munich, Germany. It takes about 4 hours on the autobahn which means "Ribbon of highway". Yes, some really drive fast! Chuck and Bill take turns driving - getting up to 170km/hr which is 108 miles/hour! You NEVER drive in the left lane unless you are passing. They fly up that lane and if you are there and they flash their lights at you they will run you over. We leave the Alps behind now and the land changes drastically. We see farm land of wheat, sugar beets, and corn. The fields are beautiful as they are striped with golden wheat and bright green beets and corn fields. There are little rolling hills off in the distance but it looks very much like Minnesota or Wisconsin now.
We get to Dachau and find the concentration camp right on the edge of the town. Signs call it "KZ Gedenkstatte" or a memorial sight - they don't call it a concentration camp. No one around, Germans, acknowledges that it is there. We go in the back door next to the Catholic convent - parking is just outside the wall rather than 4 blocks away from the main entrance. Wow, this is so emotional. They have the gas chambers and crematoriums still there. People were told they were going in to showers and were taken to one room to take off their clothes. The next room they were placed in and then the gas was turned on and they were murdered. The next room was the crematoriums. Outside everyone walks so solemn and go past memorial chapels that have been built - Russian Orthodax, Protestant, Catholic, and the Jewish Synogague. There were 30 barracks. One has been rebuilt like it was. They had men packed in these small, 4 foot long, 2 feet wide beds. There is a large museum with many pictures and descriptions of of life at the camp. This camp was not just for German Jews. It was for anyone who questioned Nazism - priests, ministers, Polish, homesexuals, government dissidence, etc.
This is the hottest day, 94 degrees, and walking the long courtyard of Dachau is horrible, many blocks long. There are many school kids there on tour and yet no one is talking or smiling - all walking quiet and solemn. When we leave we find our hotel and check in - Munich Marriott. After checking in our rooms we drive down to the "Seehaus im Engish Garten" This is a beautiful little restruant right on a lake in the middle of Munich. It is beatuiful and we have a great late lunch.
Next we drive down to the markplatz or Munich's City Center. We time it perfectly - it is 4:55pm so we get to see the big clock strike 5pm. Dancers come out and dance in a circle and music plays. This all happens at the clock tower of the headquarters of city hall. The city is very busy and crowded. There are bikers and cars everywhere and traffic is horrible.
We drive to the Hoffbrauhaus - the oldest beer house in the world. It was built by Monks. When Hitler was an artist in Munich, he spent a lot of time there. He would discuss politics with others and made speeches there and started his following of people. He spent time plotting and forming his political party there. It has a huge open garden in the middle of the building where people sit and drink beer. There are rows and rows of small compartments where they leave their beer mugs and lock them up for the next time they come. Some old men come so much they have their own coasters made with their pictures on them and have their own booth that is always reserved for them to sit in.
We head back to the hotel and go swimming and have dinner at Champions - a hotel restruant with real American food. It is so good to have regular hamburgers! This has been the longest day - maybe because of the long drive...maybe because of the emotions at Dachau, maybe because of the heat...Home feels very far away....
Today we leave Berchtesgaden and head to Munich, Germany. It takes about 4 hours on the autobahn which means "Ribbon of highway". Yes, some really drive fast! Chuck and Bill take turns driving - getting up to 170km/hr which is 108 miles/hour! You NEVER drive in the left lane unless you are passing. They fly up that lane and if you are there and they flash their lights at you they will run you over. We leave the Alps behind now and the land changes drastically. We see farm land of wheat, sugar beets, and corn. The fields are beautiful as they are striped with golden wheat and bright green beets and corn fields. There are little rolling hills off in the distance but it looks very much like Minnesota or Wisconsin now.
We get to Dachau and find the concentration camp right on the edge of the town. Signs call it "KZ Gedenkstatte" or a memorial sight - they don't call it a concentration camp. No one around, Germans, acknowledges that it is there. We go in the back door next to the Catholic convent - parking is just outside the wall rather than 4 blocks away from the main entrance. Wow, this is so emotional. They have the gas chambers and crematoriums still there. People were told they were going in to showers and were taken to one room to take off their clothes. The next room they were placed in and then the gas was turned on and they were murdered. The next room was the crematoriums. Outside everyone walks so solemn and go past memorial chapels that have been built - Russian Orthodax, Protestant, Catholic, and the Jewish Synogague. There were 30 barracks. One has been rebuilt like it was. They had men packed in these small, 4 foot long, 2 feet wide beds. There is a large museum with many pictures and descriptions of of life at the camp. This camp was not just for German Jews. It was for anyone who questioned Nazism - priests, ministers, Polish, homesexuals, government dissidence, etc.
This is the hottest day, 94 degrees, and walking the long courtyard of Dachau is horrible, many blocks long. There are many school kids there on tour and yet no one is talking or smiling - all walking quiet and solemn. When we leave we find our hotel and check in - Munich Marriott. After checking in our rooms we drive down to the "Seehaus im Engish Garten" This is a beautiful little restruant right on a lake in the middle of Munich. It is beatuiful and we have a great late lunch.
Next we drive down to the markplatz or Munich's City Center. We time it perfectly - it is 4:55pm so we get to see the big clock strike 5pm. Dancers come out and dance in a circle and music plays. This all happens at the clock tower of the headquarters of city hall. The city is very busy and crowded. There are bikers and cars everywhere and traffic is horrible.
We drive to the Hoffbrauhaus - the oldest beer house in the world. It was built by Monks. When Hitler was an artist in Munich, he spent a lot of time there. He would discuss politics with others and made speeches there and started his following of people. He spent time plotting and forming his political party there. It has a huge open garden in the middle of the building where people sit and drink beer. There are rows and rows of small compartments where they leave their beer mugs and lock them up for the next time they come. Some old men come so much they have their own coasters made with their pictures on them and have their own booth that is always reserved for them to sit in.
We head back to the hotel and go swimming and have dinner at Champions - a hotel restruant with real American food. It is so good to have regular hamburgers! This has been the longest day - maybe because of the long drive...maybe because of the emotions at Dachau, maybe because of the heat...Home feels very far away....
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Day 8
This is the day to discover the Salt Mines of Berchtesgaden - the salzzeitreise. We put on one piece jump suits and get on a little open train that we straddle. It goes down under ground very fast and the tunnel gets very narrow. When we reach the bottom it is about 32 degrees. There are very large rooms that we walk through and tour the making of salt. When they find a pocket of salt, they drill a huge hole the size of a football field. Then they fill it with water and let the salt dissolve in the water. Then they drain the water and distill it and the salt is left. They repeat this process many times until all the salt is out of the rock. In two areas they put us on a wooden, long slide that we sit on and it chutes us down another two stories. We all go together - Chuck, me, and Bill - we scream all the way down and the Germans give us dirty looks for making so much noise. Another thing to note about Germans - they hate noise or loud talking - they even close car washes on Sunday because they make too much noise for the neighbors that live near by - really!
I have now conquered the mountain tops by cable car, the tiny elevators, and now the caves and salt mines below the earth. I am over coming any fears that I once had...Amazing!
After the salt mines, we stop at a small little store and buy home made sandwiches, Cokes, and chips and head up the mountain following the Rossfeldstrasse. This is a little windy road that climbs the mountain above the Obersalzberg and straddles the borders of Germany and Austria. It reaches 1500 meters. We stop and have a picnic lunch on the way, looking at the mountains above and valleys below. Truly amazing sight to see the majestic beauty.
The weather is sunny and warm today. We have had PERFECT weather - in the 70's each day. When we climb the mountains it gets cool, probably in the 50's, and we need our jackets but when we are down below it is just comfortable. Today though it is very warm - high 80's and so we next head to the Konigsee, "Lake of the King". It is a beautiful emerald green lake with mountains towering up the sides of it. There is many shopping stores along the water streets and so Bill and Chuck sit and Chris runs through the stores.
We get back to the hotel and go swimming in the outside pool and lay in the sun for a time before having dinner outside on the terrace at the Alpenhof hotel. Bill is close friends with many of the watresses and so we get to meet Mandy #1, Mandy #2, and Katerina. Very nice young girls who love to tease with Bill.
A few more thoughts about Germany: Diesel Gas is 1.51 Eros/liter There is 4 liters to a gallon (so about 6 Eros per gallon) and $1.50 dollars per Ero. So we are paying about $9.00 per gallon of gas. WOW! Regular gas is just slightly more but you get more miles to a gallon with diesel.
Houses/towns: They love flowers and so there are flower boxes under every window. Did I mention there is a church in the center of every town and the cemetery is always within the church gate and go right up to the church. They often have pictures in ceramic of the person on the grave stone. Every town also has a memorial monument that lists all the men that have died in each war from the town. Often there is a painting or mosaic picture on the outside of their house and always have the name of the family painted on the outside of the house. Example: "Haus Anna" "Haus Watters" Often there are rocks on the roofs so when it snows the snow doesn't collect on the roof but falls off easier. There is such a uniformity of life here. No one is allowed to paint their house any color other than white unless they get permission from the town. They must keep it up or they will be fined. They would never think of not following the law or even small rules. They police themselves - they will tell you if you are not obeying the law and expect others to do what is right.
Many of the older women still wear the diendl dresses and especially the shop owners and waitresses in the restruants wear them. Men often are wearing the Bavarian suit coats with the little stand up collars.
This is the day to discover the Salt Mines of Berchtesgaden - the salzzeitreise. We put on one piece jump suits and get on a little open train that we straddle. It goes down under ground very fast and the tunnel gets very narrow. When we reach the bottom it is about 32 degrees. There are very large rooms that we walk through and tour the making of salt. When they find a pocket of salt, they drill a huge hole the size of a football field. Then they fill it with water and let the salt dissolve in the water. Then they drain the water and distill it and the salt is left. They repeat this process many times until all the salt is out of the rock. In two areas they put us on a wooden, long slide that we sit on and it chutes us down another two stories. We all go together - Chuck, me, and Bill - we scream all the way down and the Germans give us dirty looks for making so much noise. Another thing to note about Germans - they hate noise or loud talking - they even close car washes on Sunday because they make too much noise for the neighbors that live near by - really!
I have now conquered the mountain tops by cable car, the tiny elevators, and now the caves and salt mines below the earth. I am over coming any fears that I once had...Amazing!
After the salt mines, we stop at a small little store and buy home made sandwiches, Cokes, and chips and head up the mountain following the Rossfeldstrasse. This is a little windy road that climbs the mountain above the Obersalzberg and straddles the borders of Germany and Austria. It reaches 1500 meters. We stop and have a picnic lunch on the way, looking at the mountains above and valleys below. Truly amazing sight to see the majestic beauty.
The weather is sunny and warm today. We have had PERFECT weather - in the 70's each day. When we climb the mountains it gets cool, probably in the 50's, and we need our jackets but when we are down below it is just comfortable. Today though it is very warm - high 80's and so we next head to the Konigsee, "Lake of the King". It is a beautiful emerald green lake with mountains towering up the sides of it. There is many shopping stores along the water streets and so Bill and Chuck sit and Chris runs through the stores.
We get back to the hotel and go swimming in the outside pool and lay in the sun for a time before having dinner outside on the terrace at the Alpenhof hotel. Bill is close friends with many of the watresses and so we get to meet Mandy #1, Mandy #2, and Katerina. Very nice young girls who love to tease with Bill.
A few more thoughts about Germany: Diesel Gas is 1.51 Eros/liter There is 4 liters to a gallon (so about 6 Eros per gallon) and $1.50 dollars per Ero. So we are paying about $9.00 per gallon of gas. WOW! Regular gas is just slightly more but you get more miles to a gallon with diesel.
Houses/towns: They love flowers and so there are flower boxes under every window. Did I mention there is a church in the center of every town and the cemetery is always within the church gate and go right up to the church. They often have pictures in ceramic of the person on the grave stone. Every town also has a memorial monument that lists all the men that have died in each war from the town. Often there is a painting or mosaic picture on the outside of their house and always have the name of the family painted on the outside of the house. Example: "Haus Anna" "Haus Watters" Often there are rocks on the roofs so when it snows the snow doesn't collect on the roof but falls off easier. There is such a uniformity of life here. No one is allowed to paint their house any color other than white unless they get permission from the town. They must keep it up or they will be fined. They would never think of not following the law or even small rules. They police themselves - they will tell you if you are not obeying the law and expect others to do what is right.
Many of the older women still wear the diendl dresses and especially the shop owners and waitresses in the restruants wear them. Men often are wearing the Bavarian suit coats with the little stand up collars.
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