Contiki Tour Part 4 - Germany
GERMANY | Thursday, 9 February 2006 | Views [575] | Comments [6]
Before we actually got into Germany, we had one more stop in Austria – Mauthausen. Mauthausen was one of the Nazi’s largest concentration camps during the WWII. It’s definitely hard to describe it, or how we felt. As much as it was interesting, I found it eerie. Especially the gas chambers, the incinerator room, and the ‘dissecting room’. Realising that you are standing in a room responsible for so many deaths is really chilling. For me it was anyway. Definitely glad we experienced it though.
Moving on from there we made a quick stop over in Mondsee. A no-name town who’s claim to fame is that the church in Mondsee was used in the Sounds of Music. It’s used as the church which the daughter and the Nazi boy get married in. That was about it.
After Mondsee we headed off to Munich, arriving in the afternoon! For dinner tonight we headed off to the Hofbrauhause, which is apparently the most famous German Beer Hall. Had a really great night! Ate huge pretzels, ate a Pork Knuckle for dinner (traditional dish, really nice), lots of Prosting (‘Prost’ is like cheers in German) and of course, lots of litre steins!!! Also learnt the Hofbrauhause song, which was good fun to join in the local sing-along. Ended the night in there with one of the guys on contiki jumping up on the table to do a jig and getting kicked out, simply because we were told by the tour manager that if you did that you’d get kicked out by Security. Turns out we were told correctly! A very fun night!
The next day we had a free day in Munich. We started the day off by watching the Glockenspiel in the main square, and as we were warned before hand, it’s the most overrated tourist attraction in Europe (in our opinions)! Just 15 minutes of out of tune bells, clanging to no particular tune, and old wooden carvings twirling around in circles! The story behind it is that of the original Oktoberfest, and people celebrating the massive wedding of a local lord or nobleman, but very uninspiring. After this we walked up and down the shopping mall. Then went into the Frauenkirche Church, to see an apparent imprint of the devil’s foot! The story goes the devil went to step into the church, but his foot burnt and he reeled back in pain leaving a footprint burnt into the floor. Basically it was just a moulded divot in the sandstone… A bit more shopping, and then back to the Hofbrauhause for another stein or two!
Tonight back at the hotel coles took a chance and dialled home from the hotel phone… 50 euros later for a 20 minute phone call. That’s around $75 Aus for 20 minute phone call!!!
Anyway, next day we were off to Switzerland, via a quick stop off in Lichtenstein!! More on that in the next article!!!
Love to all at home!
Snape & Coles. xoxo
Tags: Contiki
Comments
Add your comments
