17-19 May 2017
We're now in Germany, crossing from Milan to Munich on a big bus over the Swiss Alps, 25 Euro each. Italy was 6 weeks of sights, sounds, and smells. A trip through 2,000 years of historical sights, honking city car horns and chiming church bells, and Italy's smelly fresh food out of the pasta maker and straight from the pizza oven.
Our bus just crossed over the bridge - we're above it now as we climb higher.
Our bus just crossed over the bridge - we're above it now as we climb higher.
The front right row seats were available, so we assumed the position. Like sitting in a moving movie theater, no special effects needed. This was no sardine-in-a-can demo-derby mini-van dirt-road-trip with 23 of our favorite Asian friends through the Thai highlands thrill ride. Okay, let me tell it this way: we experienced a freeway closure for 2 hours, he tried to divert through a town, but that didn't work out, and it was still a sublime pleasure of a commute to Germany.
Munich town hall wit de glockenspiel dancing right before us.
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Many of Munich's residents and a "few" tourists were out and about. It seems this was the first real summer-like day to happen here since last Summer, at least that's what our lodging host said. Basking in the sunshine is Munich's Bavarian May Pole - it's dressed out mostly different every year to reflect the town's heritage and present.
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Join the party! Outside beer garden in the market - not an unfriendly person in sight.
The look of relief - that's what you see here. Gerri dreaded a big turn about in eating possibilities after leaving Italy (she's especially fond of pasta) and going to someplace like Germany. But, she found an upscale Norwegian-sourced seafood chain operating here.
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Frauenkirche, Munich's Cathedral. The towers are easily seen around the city due to height restrictions on new construction. The towers were completed in 1488, and also required repairs following WWII.
 |  Whimsical sights. |  |
Munich was devastated by allied bombing in WWII. It took 25 years+, but it emerged rebuilt, and managed to resurrect much of its past architecture.
A lingering memorial to Michael Jackson, placed on an unrelated statue, but in front of a luxury hotel that he'd stayed in while on tour through Munich.
Two nice Hondas - on the left a new, but retro-looking bike; on the right, a modified version of an old classic (kinda Moto Guzzi looking with the transverse-V-twin, but watercooled). Okay, these photos might not remind someone of Munich, but we've noticed Germany is at least as motorcycle crazy as the U.S. - when the sunshine is shining, the roads are as inviting to bikers as those anywhere in the world.
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The legendary Hofbrau Haus - a real German beer house - this is not Frankenmuth, Michigan, it's original and authentic. It even suffered much damage in WWII, but was rebuilt within a few years after the war.
Tourists drinking big beers. And on the right, what a local looks like drinking the beer of his people.
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"Thirst is worse than homesickness" hmmmm, so drink up, and be somebody, so we did.
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 That's some good eatin', yeeawl. | German food - pig knuckle, with all the trimmings.  |
Gerri still gittin some good vittles fortunately.
The Residenz - royal palace of Bavarian royalty. The palace began in 1385, went 500 years with it's royal residents, until royal governance lost favor in the 1800's. It remained a city treasure until the bombs of WWII, but was also rebuilt, with much of its internal treasures saved, at least those that could be moved away or otherwise protected.
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An homage to German resistance to the rise of the Nazi party. To avoid having to raise their arm in the Nazi salute as they passed into a square to the right, some residents, as they went about their day errands, purposely diverted on a long-cut to the left, symbolized by this "golden" path laid into the cobblestones.
Just before our 4-month trip completes and we leave out of Germany for home, we'll return to Munich and visit the Nazi Documentation Center. Nazism began in Munich with Hitler's rise from there. Munich vows to never repeat the nightmare again, and the Center maintains the history of it all. We'll also visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial at that time.
Just before our 4-month trip completes and we leave out of Germany for home, we'll return to Munich and visit the Nazi Documentation Center. Nazism began in Munich with Hitler's rise from there. Munich vows to never repeat the nightmare again, and the Center maintains the history of it all. We'll also visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial at that time.
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