The next day Kate and I took a day trip to Lucca. Lucca is famous for its intact renaissance era city walls that surround the city. After having the best salami in Italy and walking half way around the city, we climbed a tower that had gorgeous views of the city. (Kate taking in the scenery...and a good book)
After walking around the rest of the city we caught a train back to Florence. We got a quick dinner that wasn't so quick at Club Paradiso, a small restaurant that was down the street from the hostel. Great meal. When the owner wasn't sitting with us and discussing how the only way out of the American depression now is to start a world war, he was whistling the Addams Family theme, Super Marios Bros. and Manama Na from the Muppets. The restaurant used to be convent and had all its original tile, beams, and apparently flat screen tv that had Chuck Norris kicking butt and taking names. It was a once in a lifetime experience and just what we needed before hopping a night train to Munich.
Once in Munich we crashed in the lobby of the Jaeger Hostel until Frances woke up and we began the less than stellar New Munich tour. The New Europe tours are great in general but the tour guide does make a huge difference. Just so happens we got a dud this time. No worries because after we went to the Englischer Gardens and saw some surfers and enjoyed a meal at a beer garden. Surfing... not something you would expect to see in the middle of Munich.
After outrunning a cyclone and having some kebabs we all headed out to find a bar. Apparently the concierge at the hostel thought Sunny played for the other team because she sent him and consequently us to the gay bars. After another failed attempt to find a beer hall, we copped out and went for the touristy Hofbrauhaus. We made it just in time for a round of beers and went back to the hostel.
Today we went to Dachau Concentration Camp. It was incredibly sobering and was without a doubt the most moving experience I have had yet on this trip. The most chilling moment was when I heard how the statue by Glid Nandor depicted the twisted bodies of prisoners that decided to take their own lives by crawling into the electrified barbed wire fence.
We came back to Munich, indulged in the Augustiner Braustubl beer hall (liverwurst isn't bad, blood sausage is horrendous), and relaxed around the hostel and watched the final of Champions League. Tomorrow we wrap up Munich, head to Berlin on a night train and head out to Amsterdam the following day.
Gute Nacht!
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