Today we left Munich. On our way out of town, we stopped at the train station for a Starbucks. In side the store, there was a German Shepherd lying on the floor in the corner. When my husband walked over to pet it, and its owner came over, gave the dog a mean look, and the dog backed up and laid back down. When the owner had gotten his beverage, he called the dog and they walked through the train station, the dog at his side with no leash. I've never seen a more well behaved dog.
After we got our coffee, we drove to Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp. It was built in 1933 and was a departure point for people shipped east to other camps. (Most of the mass murder took place in Poland.)
"Work Makes You Free"
The prisoners at Dachau were never called by their names, only their numbers.
The prison was overcrowded. Ten men would have to share a bunk for one.
It was impossible to follow the rules. The guide told the story of a man who was beaten because his clothes were dirty at the end of his work day. The next day he tried to keep them clean and he was beaten because he hadn't worked hard enough.
The original crematorium couldn't handle the number of bodies that needed to be burned, so they had to build more ovens. Eventually, they didn't have enough fuel, so they piled the bodies up outside.
I was glad we toured the camp, but it was very sobering.
From Dachau, we headed to Schwabisch Hall, the town where Katie spent her semester. It was great to finally see where she had lived for four months.
The town was delightful. We wandered the streets then found an outdoor cafe for dinner.
The Punishment Post
The next morning, I went for a run. This was the first day that I felt like it. I felt like I had finally fully recovered from the time change and staying up all night on the flight over. We did a little shopping at H&M. Then we picked up Katie's luggage that she had stored at the institute.
The Goethe Institut
Then it was on to Frankfurt to turn in the rental car and catch our flight on the 8th.
Germany was so much fun to visit. The hotels are inexpensive, but nice and clean. It's easy to find your way around. Most people speak English, even though we had Katie to translate. I would recommend it to anyone. Hopefully, someday I'll go back.
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