Final thoughts on 2010 trip

Our last day was spent seeing old Munich one last time. We ate lunch at the biergarten with the chinese style pavillion. Lest you think we were eating Chinese food, we were not. It is Bavaria after all. The Chinese tower is only a decoration. The food was all wurst, sauerkraut, potatoes and beer. The weather turned out fine.

One thing I forgot to mention previously about the Englischer Garten is that there is a section for nudists. Astrid said each summer the nudists sit along the banks of a creek and sometimes float down the creek. Last year one man floated down too far and had to take the street car back to the park. He was not cited for nudity but for not having a ticket. No pockets I guess.

We also visited the hofgarten (no beer there). It includes a shell grotto that was destroyed by allied bombs and rebuilt with shells collected by Bavarian towns throughout the region. We also saw a monument to munich’s WWI soldiers. Timo and Astrid said that few memorials exist for soldiers lost in WWII due to the large number of war crimes associated with that war.

One of the oddest things about Munich is how the city rebuilt after the war. Significant historic sites were destroyed by American bombs. Many of the buildings were rebuilt but instead of the original architectural details, some of the buildings’ features were drawn on in a trompe l’oeil style.

There were other uncomfortable moments when our friends pointed out buildings destroyed by us and rebuilt.

Plus we saw an art museum built by Hitler and incorporated in the tile were swastikas. Timo pointed them out. It was so subtle I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

One final note on the legacy of the war. There was so much rubble, debris and garbage, that the city didn’t know how to get rid of it. So they piled it all up in mounds, covered them in dirt and mulch, and grew grass. These are now beautiful rolling hills in parks that people use for walking, biking and sledding. I can’t imagine what a struggle it must have been to survive those times during and after the war.

On a happier note — Also on our last day, we bought a ton of candy and can’t wait to share it. In the same department store, there was a huge department for the traditional Bavarian clothes: dirndls and lederhosen. Doug tried on some lederhosen.

I am now at Dulles airport exhausted after a 9.5 hour flight. Doug is actually sleeping on the floor. It was a great trip, but we are really ready to be home.

A big part of the success of this trip is the family who hosted us. They took us around to places, hosted us in their home, cooked us food, and made us feel welcome. I will always remember their hospitality.

All the best to everyone,
Christine