MUNICH/SALZBURG

Hallo!

We spent last weekend in Munich, Germany (heading back to our roots) and Salzburg, Austria. There is no way to accurately describe our experiences with words, but here is our best try!

Friday morning began early as we hurried off to the airport to catch our 7:00 flight to Munich. On the plane, we each had our own row, so we all got a nice two hour nap! Upon arrival we hurried to our hotel/hostel in order to make our noon tour of the Olympic Stadium. After wrong directions from a bakery worker, waiting on our room at the hotel and running a nice half mile to the Olympic Stadium, we were already 10 minutes late and couldn't find the meeting point. Because we were so late, we decided to postpone our tour to Sunday and headed to Dachau Concentration Camp. On the way, we made a pit stop at the BMW Welt (get it?). We got to see a Rolls Royce and some of the newest BMW designs. Then, we hopped on the subway and went to Dachau. This is our first example of being at a loss for words. The three of us have always been intrigued with the Holocaust, which made for a very meaningful experience. We walked through the gates into the open area where they used to have roll call. Surrounded by the barbed-wire fences and Nazi look-out towers, we couldn't help but imagine what occurred inside these gates not so many years ago. With our audio tour, we made our way through the barracks and eventually ended up at the crematorium. This is where the 'showers' were. As we stepped into the gas chamber where thousands of people had been tricked into thinking they were going to take a shower, there was an eerie feeling that we honestly cannot describe. Walking out of the camp, our hearts were heavy, but we left with the comfort that this tragedy has come to an end.

After experiencing Dachau, we needed a more lively environment, so we headed to Hofbräuhaus for a local dinner. Hofbräuhaus is the home of Oktoberfest and the most famous beer hall in the world. Not knowing what to expect, our jaws dropped when we walked through the door. The restaurant was massive and almost everyone had a liter of beer sitting in front of them. We all ordered sausage and pretzels and tried some of the famous Hofbräuhaus beer. The atmosphere was a blast and was a great cultural welcome to Germany (see video). To no one's surprise, we headed a couple of streets over and found the shopping area of Munich after dinner…oops! (sorry dad)

Saturday morning, we got up early again and caught a train to Salzburg. When we arrived, the snow was heavily falling, and we were thankful to have on two pairs of pants, gloves, ski coats, hats and snow boots. Our first adventure was to Untersberg Mountain where we got on a cable car and went all the way to the top of the Alps. While this ride was a little scary, the views were worth it! At the top, however, the view didn't really exist. We had fun playing in the snow though. This is example number two of not being able to put our experience into words (but see video anyway). After descending the mountain, we wandered down Getreidegasse street and found lunch. This street is part of old town Salzburg and is famous for all of the iron signs hanging above the stores. After lunch, we met for our Sound of Music Tour. We were taken to the different sites of Salzburg used in the Sound of Music (the two different houses, the gazebo, the abbey and the garden). The second half of the tour was spent winding through the Alps outside of Salzburg and singing along to the Sound of Music soundtrack. These sights included many lakes, and we saw where various scenes from the movie were shot (Do, Re, Mi and The Hills Are Alive). At the end of the tour, we got to try Salzburg's famous apple strudel. Following our tour, we boarded the train back to Munich. Exhausted and delirious, Brynne and Meagan decided to attempt the German language…..enjoy that video.

 

Sunday, we got to sleep in a little before heading to the Olympic Tower. Being the tallest structure in Munich, the views were incredible and enabled us to see how beautiful and unique the city is. Our next stop was the Olympic Stadium where our apparently psycho tour guide didn't show. Thank goodness a college student studying in Munich was also doing the tour and could help translate the situation. Grumpy front desk lady wasn't going to let us in, but with a combined effort, we convinced her to let a Red Cross worker show us around. The stadium is very unique, and we felt like little kids as we ran onto the field where the opening ceremonies and other events were held for the 1972 Summer Olympics.

On our way to lunch, we got to see the famous old town hall and Glockenspiel. Then, we ran into the best restaurant for lunch (see video). Our final stop in Munich was the English Gardens where we all promised we would be returning. From the people surfing at the edge of the gardens, to the lock bridge over the river, to the gazebo on the hill, the park seemed like a fairytale. As we left the English Gardens, we saw our first peek of the sun as it set over the city. Then, we hopped on the subway and headed for the airport.

As we leave, we want to give you a clip of our Barcelona life. We finally found a store that carries Dr Pepper, Jif Peanut Butter and Goldfish. Clearly we need a break from all this spanish food.. (see video!)

Here's the link to the video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyPq1_yxj_0&feature=youtu.be 


We love you!
Brynne, Katie and Meagan