PPF in Europe 2018 - Part Three: A City, a Castle and a Camp

10 October 2018

4:45pm

Munich central bus station

Neuschwanstein Castle near the village of Schwangau

Three days in Munich have gone by so fast. It's my third time in the Bavarian capital, but this time, I got to do new things--visit Neuschwanstein Castle, eat and have a beer at the famed Höfbrauhaus and visit the concentration camp in Dachau. 

The concentration camp experience was particularly powerful and memorable. I've been to one before--Neuengamme in the north, near Hamburg--but Dachau was like visiting one for the first time. Despite the gloomy nature of that trip, I was happy my friends were able to appreciate something so serious and sobering (actually, it was their idea to go on it). 

The town was less than 30 minutes away from the center of Munich

The chills were genuine as soon as we stepped foot inside the gated compound of the Dachau concentration camp--and it wasn't because of the near-freezing weather

We were allowed to step inside the actual gas chamber where thousands of inmates were killed

Our tour guide Tim, pointing out all of the major and smaller concentration camps opened and active during World War 2

So far, things on this trip have been great. The fun and lighthearted spirit of this group is pretty much consistent and each moment is just one laugh trip after another. Even when we had to lug our heavy suitcases on a short stretch of road from our hotel to the bus station, there were hardly any complaints. 

A view of the Schwangau valley from the hill near Neauschwanstein Castle

A first glimpse of the castle, built by King Ludwig II in the 19th (!) century

A quick pose at the Munich Hauptbahnhof, just before the day trip to Dachau

Trying out Munich's best at Höfbrauhaus

And now we're huddled in one corner of the station waiting for the bus to take us to Salzburg. Alex is singing show tunes, Love is editing videos she took on her phone, Toni is giving Mark a shoulder massage, Susan is watching Netflix and the rest are keeping busy on their phones (thank god there's free Wi-Fi). Now and again, somebody will make a funny comment and we'd all start laughing, loudly. I couldn't ask for a better situation with these guys.



Next: There's a First time for Everything