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Berliner Dom, Berlin, Germany

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good bye!

As we head to Italy we reflect on what we have come to learn from Germany, the interesting history and cultural differences from home. Below is a hodge podge list in no order:

• Most public transportation has buttons on doors that passengers must push to enter or exit, saving energy.
• When going to a restaurant there is no host or hostess, you may sit where you like and it is very common for other people to join your table if there is room.
• Tipping in Germany is a little different than the states. In Germany you usually round up, for example if the meal totaled E23 you might round to E25.
• All the taxis and garbage trucks are Mercedes.
• There are Kabob restaurants everywhere, especially in Munich, where Middle Eastern culture is prevalent. However, we were told that the Kabob actually originated in Germany.
• The German people are much more trusting for example letting you pay later for snacks or the honor system in the railways.
• Germany unified in 1871, only 138 years ago.
• In 1923 the German economy crashed rendering $1USD equivalent to $4 trillion Deutschmark
• Hitler had 43 assassination attempts on his life and was thrown in prison once for high treason, punishable by death, but pardon with a sentence of only 9 months in jail! The judge was a Nazi sympathizer.
• The Statue on Brandenberg Gate was once stolen by Napoleon and later retrieved by the Prussians to Germany. It now sits with Victoria, the goddess of Victory, overlooking the French Embassy. And who said Germans had no sense of humor.

The Land of Bier!

We arrived in Munich only to tour the lovely city full of traffic jams and rain in attempts to find the rental car return. Silly us, we drove around the Hauptbahnhof (train station) for almost 30 minutes, passing Boobs Table Dance for the 20th time, until we discovered the car drop off was located in an undisclosed location only know by those with special clearance, which apparently was not us. We took it easy this night, ate some wiener, and got ready for our next day.

In the morning, which meant 11am, we got up to do another free New Europe tour of Munich learning about the Third Reich, beer and some more beer. We started in Marien Platz, home to the Glockenspeil, the second most overrated tourist attraction in Europe, only surpassed by the clock in Prague (It plays 5 minutes longer). We wandered by the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) whose towers are the tallest point in the city. During WWII the US Airforce used the church as guidance and it was therefore the towers were never destroyed, unlike 85% of the rest of the city. We passed St. Peters Church, Residenz Munchen, Glassnachte memorial, Dodgers Alley, and the Hofbrauhas.

The Hofbrauhaus is one of the most visited and prestigious beer gardens in Munich. Back in the day it was the royal brewery house and a central gathering location. The concept of a beer garden actually started when the brewery would store their beer outside in the shade during the summer as it was cooler than inside. Customers soon began to join the beer under the trees as they were also cooler and closer to the beer. We must explain that German beer is the best for one main reason, the Bavarian Purity Law. It was declared that German beer may only have 4 ingredients: water, barley, hops, and yeast. We also learned that in Bavaria, beer is taxed as a food group. The tour ended at a pub with bottomless Bavarian stew and a liter of beer. After consuming several bowls of stew, we decided to take the Beer Challenge offered by the same group.

A half liter of beer greeted us at the Hauptbahnhof where we popped the lid and started strolling down the streets of Munich. The first beer garden was a massive gathering of picnic tables, food, and of course beer. Everyone was drinking liters, so when in Rome well you know the rest. Here we sung our beer drinking song and it goes a little something like this, “Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, Der Gemutlichkeit, eines, zwei, drei, g'suffa!” We were also informed that when you Prost (Cheers) you must look the person in the eye or you will be cursed with 7 years of bad sex. That’s what the crazy Germans said so we made sure to look people in the eye.

After 2.5 liters of beer down the hatchet, we’re off to three more beer gardens. We found ourselves at the Augustiner Bräu brewery, which brews its beer without any chemicals. It’s so pure that it is the beer of choice by the Pope, and if it’s good enough for the pope its good enough for us! After 3 liters we finally felt like we were in Bavaria. Let’s say the next two beer gardens and shot of Jagermeister didn’t have a happy ending; Munich streets were christened and bar paraphernalia was found in pockets the next morning. Left with a hangover and new friends who we will probably never see again, we feel it was defiantly worth it.

Our final day in Munich was spent exploring the Olympic park from the 1972 summer games. The park was situated on a hill giving us a panoramic view of Munich as well as the BMW Welt museum. It was nice to get away from the crowds in Munich. Our bags are packed as we wait for the night train to Venice, Italy.

Arbeit Macht Frei

“Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work will set you free”) stood before the victims of the Dachau Concentration Camp as they entered thru the gates at the dawn of the Second World War. Perhaps these words carried some truth as the harder they worked; the sooner their souls would be free. KZ-Dachau was the first National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) concentration camp established just outside of Munich. The city of Dachau was chosen because many of the required facilities were in place from a previous ammunitions factory and possibly because Dachau was one of the cities with the least amount of Nazi support. This would provide some motivation for the people of Dachau to recognize the Nazi Party. Dachau was intended to house political enemies of the Nazi Party with 2/3 of all victims being such. Once Hitler was granted emergency power to combat the Communist threat to Germany, he began sending political enemies that could derail the rise of the Nazi party to Dachau.

Dachau was the longest running concentration camp during Nazi rule. The camp has the facilities to support almost 6,000 victims and during the first several years the camp maintained these numbers. It wasn’t until 1939 when the eastern border of the Nazi regime started to crumble that the living conditions become unbearable. In a single year between 1939 and 1942, over 80,000 new victims were brought to Dachau from the eastern extermination camps such as Auschwitz. It was within these years when the majority of the 70,000 plus victims would perish within its walls. It is suspected that far more than 70,000 people died at Dachau as Soviet prisoners of war and those of Jewish heritage were not recorded.

During the entire operation of Dachau, gruesome tortures (both physically and psychological) were placed on the inmates. Words cannot describe the atrocities carried out in these concentration camps. People’s hands were bound behind their backs and hung by the chains for hours, inmates were forced to whip other inmates to increase hatred towards fellow victims and between different ethnicities, instead of the Nazis. The SS guards would look for any reason to lower moral. If your uniform was the wrong size, you put your hands in your pockets, or if you called anyone by name instead of their number you would be beaten. The Prisoners were broken to the point they truly believed they deserved what was happening to them.

Liberation day came on April 19, 1945 to 32,000 victims, twelve years too late. America troops discovered the horrendous site of hundreds of corpses stacked upon one another in front of the crematorium. Although Dachau was outfitted with a crematorium for mass exterminations, it was never used aside from a few “small trials.” The main reason was the lack of coal available to Germany towards the end of the war as well as the need for more worker production. Disgusted by the scene before them, troops hunted down many of the German soldiers and executed them even after they surrendered earning the name of Dachau Massacre. The number of murdered Germans range for 120 to 520. American troops brought many of the locals to the camp to show what had happened and in their disillusions forced them to help clean the facility.

Several memorials have been placed at Dachau including a plaque stating “Never Again” in several languages to remind us that such disregard for human life should never occur in the future, a Triangle memorial commemorating the different types of people interred at the camp, and four churches have been established as a place of worship. The triangle memorial contains several triangular shaped stained glass pieces entwined into chains representing the badges people were forced to wear. Each color represented a different type of victim from political prisoners to Jewish people. The disappointing thing about this memorial is the absence of three colors; homosexuals, mentally disabled, and criminal offenders. These triangles were removed by the International Prisoners Committee (IPC) prior to erecting the memorial in Dachau. It is sad to see that even today not every human life is viewed equally. We do not know who comprises the IPC so if you do let us know!

Please take a minute to think about the atrocities of Genocide, a term not known before the Holocaust. You may think how you would act if this happened again, as it is right now in Africa. The world stated "Never Again," but regions of Darfur in Sudan are still suffering political unrest, with girls being raped and boys soldiers drugged and convinced to kill. You can find more information at www.savedarfur.org.

Here’s a few books we recommend:
“That’s Dachau” about Dachau
“A Long Way Gone” about Darfur
“First They Killed My Father” about the Khemer Rogue

The Romantic Road

The easiest way to do the Romantikstrasse (Romantic Road) is by car, as the train does not stop in the smaller villages. So we rented the cheapest one and got an upgrade to the Mercedes-Benz A150 (whatever that is!) We were hoping for the Ferrari on the Autobahn, but I guess we could make do.

The Autobahn system began in the 1930's but expansion took hold during the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler. Today the Autobahn has approximately 7625 miles, third in distance behind the USA and China in highway length; not too shabby for a country 3.6% the size of the USA. The highway does have some speed limits in areas with junctions and construction, however, most has none. The recommended speed is 130 km/h or 80 mph. We topped out at 160 km/h (100 mph) because that was the fastest our little car could go; needless to say people were still flying by us. I-95 should be converted to an Autobahn!

Rothenburg ob der Tauber - "Rothenburg above the Tauber"
This was our first stop on the Romantic Road, a small medieval village that is enclosed by a wall. During WWII most of the village was spared artillery fire by the allied forces as a result of U.S. Assistant Secretary of War, John McCloy. Stories like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Pinocchio were also based from this city.

We walked around on the city wall and found lunch in a little cafe that sold a dessert called Schneeballen (Snow Ball). We have never seen anything like it and decided to try one. The cafe owner told us that they are traditional Rothenburg dessert, made by frying egg dough and covered with sugar or chocolate.

Schwangau & Fussen
These snow towns in the Bavarian Alps are popular destinations as they are home to Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles. This mouthful translates into "High Land of the Swans" and the later, "New Swan Stone." They have a crazy history, no pun intended, so for a quick education on Bavarian Kings:

King Ludwig II grew up in Hohenschwangau as a child and after crowned king commissioned Neuschwanstein as a tribute to friend and composer Richard Wagner. The Bavarian royal family had a genetic family history of insanity and Ludwig's younger brother, Otto, was deemed insane at the age of 24. Ludwig II was, medically, never insane but was considered eccentric. However, he lived so lavishly that he fell deep into dept and the State Commission ruled him insane. Three days later he was discovered mysteriously drowned in a lake along with the doctor who declared him insane. The castles became open to the public after his death to help repay his debt.

After visting both castles we, for some reason, thought a 3 hour hike up Tegel Mountain to the Tegelbahn (cable car) would be a good idea. The views were gorgeous but we were not quite prepared to hike to the summit at 1881 m (6172 ft).

When Good Trees Go Bad!

Its 6:00am and the alarm on the watch is going off as we stagger out of bed to get ready for our day trip to Freiburg, "The gateway to the Black Forest." Once on the train again we pass out and rested for our hike around the city and the trails in the country side. In Freiburg we discover some more scenic areas like Titisee (hehehe...) and Feldberg - Barental, so we make a run for the train and board just in time to watch the station disappear.

Titisee is small and charming, yet still with that touristy feel, as we walk past the stales selling cuckoo clocks, witches, and kirsche wasser. We find the lake and Westweg trails that led into the Black Forest and cant help but feel somewhere in between Swan Lake and Hansel and Grettel. With mystical inspiration we set out to find some gnomes and fairies frolicking in the forest. The path is quiet and looming with towering pines as a few other hikers pass us by. It was all so serene until I was assaulted and sapped by a tree. Trying for that perfect shot as I used a tree for balance I emerged a much stickier person. My hands and arms were covered in syrupy sap. They say the Black Forest got its name because it was impenetrable to light, but I think it is just evil!

We followed the Westweg trail along the lake back to the city and enjoyed a piece of Blackforest Cake, though my Dad's is still better. We admired some of the shops and then caught the rail to Feldberg - Barental, one of the highest peaks in Deutschland. We headed for the highest hill and can say we were delightfully pleased with our selection. It was secluded with a few old style German homes. The view was amazing with Titisee in the distance and tall pines all around. Jason, attempting to be romantic, picked me a flower. It was very sweet until I noticed the monstrosity of a spider residing on the petals! With a fear of spiders I screamed like a little girl, and Jason couldn't stop laughing as my cries echoed into the mountain side! It's the thought that counts I guess!

After being attacked by giant black forest trees and close calls with a killer spider we decided to head back to Freiburg. We walked around the city, which looked a lot like Heidelberg, trying to find the hill which permitted a panoramic view of the city. Pooped and finding no such hill we high tailed it back to the train station just in time to board the train as it pulled into the station. Back at the hotel sweet dreams of gingerbread houses and Tchaikovsky played in our heads!

Heidelberg

Home to the oldest university in Germany and the world renowned Heidelberg Schloss (castle), Heidelberg attracts numerous students and tourist a like. The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität is home to nearly 28,000 students and is one of Germany's largest academic institutions. Previous professors include the likings of Gustav Kirchhof; all of us Electrical Engineers remember the infamous Kirchhof laws and black body radiation! The university remains a leader with academics ranging from Egyptian Studies to Computer Linguistics. Although this would be a great place to pursue a dissertation, we hadn't come to Heidelberg to study.

We strolled around town to find the Altstadt (old city) and the Schloss. All of the Germans we approached were extremely helpful in pointing us in the right direction and after touring the Südstadt we arrived at the Marketplatz, a street full of boutiques and street vendors. We would loved to have purchased a handcrafted stein; however, at 20 plus Euros our budget only allowed us to photograph them. We ate a falafel and pide (authentic German food I know) at a local shop before our 300 meter trek up a slick cobblestone road to the castle. It's interesting how many kabob places there are in Germany that sell falafels and pizzas. There are at least three around the corner from our room in Frankfurt, but before I digress to much, back to Heidelberg.


Originally built in the 13th century, the castle has seen numerous expansions and destruction over the years. The history of the castle runs deep in the Renaissance period, however, not being an expert in the Renaissance I leave you to Wikipedia. The castle was interesting; however, a bit of a let down as there wasn't much to see beside the panoramic vista of the city and a 228,000 liter barrel for wine! So, we headed down to the Old Bridge for a few shots of the city and castle before catching the train back to Frankfurt.


The next day will be spent exploring the Black Forest! (actually, we've visited them yesterday, but we have to keep you reading somehow :-P )

Köln and Koblenz

We took it easy in the morning before walking the gazillion miles to the Berlin main train station with our packs. Looking like sweaty tourists we boarded our train and arrived to Köln (Cologne)in the afternoon. Leaving the station we were confronted and awed by the colossal Köln Cathedral as it is the tallest Roman Catholic cathedral in the world, measuring a mere 515 ft. We scurried our way through the soviet looking town to our hotel and deposited our bags.

Back at the "Dom" we pondered how long it took to build something this gargantuan and detailed, especially in the medieval ages no less. The structure found its start in 1248 and took over 600 years to complete. Within the cathedral is a golden reliquary that supposedly shelters the remains of the Biblical Magi, a.k.a. the Three Wise Men.

In the morning we headed to Koblenz, meandering around the town looking for a Rhine River cruise. We happened upon the KD fleet just in time for the 9am ship. This excursion has been our favorite so far. The views are green and gorgeous with castles and vineyards speckled along the hills. We stoked up a conversation with a friendly British gentleman who was impressed we were still talking to each other thus far into the trip. He also told us about the sesselbahn, or chairlift, that takes you 1000 meters to a cafe with a panoramic view of the Rhine.

As ones to not pass up an opportunity we hoped off with our bags and hunted down the sesselbahn. The chairlift was amazing, until the ride down in the rain and howling wind (somehow I was always the one on the windward side), but the hot chocolate and apple strudel with vanilla sauce at the cafe was totally worth it. We walked back to the dock for the remaining 5 hour journey down the Rhine. Highlights included Loreley rock, Jason the Bee Killer, and the lovely UK couple we met.

It was Frau Chane in high school German class who told us the tale of Loreley. Legend has it that Loreley was a beautiful young maiden, distraught over her unfaithful lover plunged to her death from the rocks above. She remained a siren, singing to the sailors and luring them to their fate as they crashed into the hillside. However, we heard no singing and the boat didn't sink, so that's always good.

Jason was sitting in his chair minding his own business when this huge bee landed on his pants claiming its territory and refusing to leave. After he got up an didn't come back I turned around to find him dancing around. Watch this heroic slaying against the bee who would not concede (it took the final kick to defeat him).

Wilkommen nach Berlin

Well we’re actually not in Berlin anymore, rather we’ve made it to Frankfurt, but here’s our take on Berlin.

We arrived Tuesday on time and purchased the 48 hour Welcome Berlin card that would allow us unlimited travel on the U-Bahn (underground subway), S-Bahn (above ground subway), trams, and buses throughout the city and Potsdam. One word of advice, push the green button on the subway doors when you want to exit. We arrived at Mohrenstrasse expecting the door to open, but instead we stood there as the train pulled off to the next stop. Needless to say we felt pretty dumb as we had to take the next train back to our stop.

Later that day we did the free walking tour, Sandemans New Europe, and highly recommend it. We visited Brandenberg Gate, the Reichstag (German Parliament), parking lot above Hitler’s bunker, Holocaust Memorial, book burning memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berl in Wall. We learned a good deal about Berlin’s dramatic history in this 4 hour tour and all they ask for is a tip if you felt you go something out of it. We’ll post a journal entry on the website with a bunch of the interesting facts we learned from this tour as well as more interesting tid-bits on Germany.

The next day was spent exploring Potsdam after an hour or so of figuring out how to get there since the S-Bahn to Potsdam was kaput. Finally, we found the RegioExpress train that replaced the S-Bahn route to Potsdam and we were off. With no real agenda we walked around and stumbled into the city market were people sold fresh meat, cheese, and produce from stales and vans. We continued to visit the Schoss (Palace) Sanssouci, Orangerieschloss, Neues Palais, Ruinenberg, Schloss Charleottenhof, and Schloss Cecilienhof. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos in the Neues Palais as there were beautiful rooms covered from floor to ceiling in marble and other gem stones, absolutely amazing!

After returning from Potsdam we went to the top of the Reichstag. Definitely go after 8:30pm as the queue is shorter and you can get sunset / night panorama shots of the city. The Reichstag houses the German Parliament with a dom on top that allows everyone to come and keep an eye on their government. This was designed to allow the parliament to remember who they are working for as well as to keep people involved in the government. Afterwa rds we dined on schnitzel and beer (perfect end to another day in Germany).

On our last day in Berlin we visited the State opera house and the German histo ry museum. Although not the biggest opera fans, it was interesting to take a 1hr tour completely in German. We probably only understood 10% of what was said, but it’s a start. After the educational experience we watched the back of our eyelids for a couple hours in our room. Afterwards we had a nice German dinner at Maximilian’s, including some weinerschnitzel and beer.

The next stop for us will be Cologne for a day then onto the Rhine River for a cruise to Mainz (where the Guttenberg printing press was invented).