After our bus trip from Prague to Munich we settled into our new hostel and relaxed a bit. We went for a stroll in the rain to Marienplatz where we found ourselves in the most famous beer garden in Europe. Hafbrauhaus was quite the Bavarian experience. After a liter of beer we all wandered back to our place and had a wonderful sleep.
Yesterday we bussed to Dachau, where we explored the former Nazi concentration camp. This tour was by far my least favorite part of our trip thus far. The second I walked into the camp I felt disgusted to be in a place that was known for such awful things. We visited the main hall, prisoners cells, the living quarters and finally the gas chambers and crematorium. Exploring the grounds and even Germany for that matter makes you realize how lucky we are as Canadians to have not had such hardship in the past.
On a lighter note we continued our day at the BMW factory and further explored the Olympic park that was nearby.
Today has been a fantastic day. Sinah, a former exchange student in Winnipeg and friend of Adams, invited us two over for an authentic Bavarian breakfast. White sausage from the local butcher shop was cooked with plenty of fresh fruit and pretzels! Adam followed in close tradition by having a beer with his meal. Sinah directed us to a place where we could rent bikes and also to some monuments that are hidden gems of Munich. We pedaled around for the afternoon which was such a treat from walking and ended up in Englischer Garden (one of the largest urban gardens in the world). The park was delightful but the nude section of the grounds provided less then desirable sights for our pleasant afternoon bike ride. We came across surfers bridge where the stream flowed constantly quick enough for people to surf! Super neat and apparently people come from all over the world to try it out including some of the best surfers in the world.
It's been a great day! Can't wait for more Munich
tonight.
Side note: Winnipeg really needs to get on this active transportation thing and make the roads more safe for cyclists. Biking in Europe is amazing, quick and safe. I think Adam and I were on the autobahn for bikes today, it was nuts but awesome. Sorry for this ramble. Enjoy your day.
