Road Trip – Dachau Concentration Camp

Dachau was the model and training ground for the vast network of Nazi concentration camps that spread over half of Europe.

Perhaps the most distinguishing thing about Dachau is that it was a microcosm for the Nazi system as a whole. Everything that happened in that system happened at some level at Dachau.

The following is a list of a few of the many atrocities that took place at Dachau.

1. Human experiments.

2. Mass executions of Soviet prisoners.

3. Jewish prisoners were transported to the gas chambers of Auschwitz from Dachau.

 

The main gate into the Camp states “Freedom through Work.” Of course, every prisoner who walked through those gates was forced to give up his freedom, rights and human dignity.

The main grounds where roll call was called every morning.

The barracks were constructed to house 50 men, but on average held around 400 men.

The entrance to the gas chamber.

Although Dachau was equipped with this gas chamber, the chamber was never used. Historians are not sure why.

The memorial has done a good job of preserving some of the most important buildings and creating a space of calm and reflection.

I had an extremely difficult time emotionally at Dachau. In addition to the many feelings I experienced that day, the strongest was to tell my friends how much I love and respect each one of them.

Thank you for taking this abbreviated tour of Dachau with me.

 

Road Trip – Munich, Germany

We arrived in Munich in the early evening, so our first stop was dinner at Prinz Myshkin, considered by many to be the best vegetarian restaurant in Munich.

The restaurant and bar were bright, airy, and just trendy enough.

G began with a vibrantly colored beetroot concoction.

I chose a gastro-pleasing Indian curry stew.

Followed by a Thai curry and couscous.

And a vegetable stir-fry with tofu. The food was wonderful and a welcome reprieve from our usual Italian fare.

The next morning, Munich greeted us with gray skies and a persistent drizzle. So, we decided to counteract the day’s dreariness with an extra special breakfast at Dallmayr.

As you can see from the photo above, we went a little overboard. Easy to do at a place as special as Dallmayr where the food is perfection, the service and presentation are a dream, and the coffee is the best I’ve ever had.

Once sufficiently fortified – thanks to Dallmayr – we ventured out to the Marienplatz (St. Mary’s Square) to view the New Town Hall above and observe the famous Glockenspiel strike the hour. Upon striking, the figures emerge to reenact the Schäfferltanz, a dance first performed in 1517 to mark the end of the plague.

In case you’re wondering, that’s the column of St. Mary in front of the New Town Hall. The column commemorates the end of Swedish invasion and is topped by a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary.

After a long day of sightseeing – some of it emotionally taxing (stay tuned) – we left Munich and headed out to Andechs where we drove up a dark hill to reach the monastery at the top.

At first, we thought we’d made a mistake. The place was dark and deserted. We walked down a dark alley into an unmarked building, went up the stairs and were confronted by this: long wooden tables filled with people, beer and pork in Renaissance fair style cuts and sizes!

Absolutely no on spoke English at this place, but we managed to mime and point an order to our jovial server.

This is probably the best thing I ate in Munich. Not because it was so much better than anything else I ate. (It’d be pretty hard to beat Dallmayr.) But because it was exactly what I wanted: a huge beer, a soft pretzel, some sauerkraut, lots of “atmosphere,” and the joyous sound of laughter and glasses clinking everywhere  – perfection!

Arrivederci!

 

Road Trip – Stuttgart, Germany

Naturally, the thing to do in Stuttgart is tour the Porsche factory and museum. G and I toured the museum only, as the factory was closed for the holidays.

The Porsche 911 GT1 StraBenversion: considered the perfect car by many professional drivers, critics and car enthusiasts alike.

Warning: I’ve used the rest of this post to engage in a bit of “car porn.” (Be sure to scroll to the end to see what I managed to buy at the museum.) Enjoy!

My snack at the museum cafe. I enjoyed the pretzel and hot chocolate, but not as much as I’m sure I would have enjoyed a brand new Porsche! Maybe next Christmas?

Arrivederci!

We’re Back!

You know how much I love a good road trip, and Europe offers some of the best.

A few weeks ago G and I hopped in our SUV (they pronounce it “soove” over here) and headed for the border.

First stop: Strasbourg, France

From there it was off to Stuttgart, Germany.

Essentially, Stuttgart served as a pit stop on our way to Munich, Germany.

Fourth Stop: Innsbruck, Austria.

Innsbruck was very nice, but nothing prepared me for the love affair I experienced with Zurich, Switzerland.

Although it was not easy to leave the comfort of my new found city, it was off to Rome for New Year.

I am grateful to the Via Michelin maps pictured here and their written directions. When our GPS failed to detect our location – and that happened a lot on this trip – our trusty Michelin directions saved the day.

Much has happened since my last post. G was transferred to the Milan office, so we moved to the big city. Yeah! (In the process, I lost my access to the internet for approximately ten days. Well, I didn’t actually “lose” my connection. Instead, I refused to pay 18 Euros a day for it.) As many of you know, we lived in Milan for a short while back in 2008, so the city feels very much like a second home for us and it was easy to establish a routine here.

Stay tuned. In upcoming days ‘ll post more specifics about the many destinations I mentioned here and bring you up to speed on our time in Milan.

Arrivederci!