FUN-photos: Prague to Trieste – September, 2013

November 11, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-photos: Prague to Trieste – September, 2013 

Our trip started on September 16th. We flew to Prague from London on the 17th. Then we trained to Munich for opening day of Oktoberfest. From there we rented a car and drove to Dachau and on to Füssen to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. (#17 on the list vying for the New 7 Wonders of the World) Next we headed to Salzburg and Vienna where we dropped the car. Then we headed to Budapest and on to Trieste by train. We spent the night in Villach, Austria to eliminate the overnight train.

If you click on the first picture it will allow you to create a slide show. And it turns out they are in ascending order (in other words, the first is actually the last) So if you click the back arrow you will see them in order. Enjoy!

FUN-travel: Munich to Füssen via Dachau, Germany

September 27, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Munich to Füssen via Dachau, Germany 

Day 7 – Sunday, September 22 – Munich to Füssen via Dachau, Germany – sunny w/high wispy clouds – high 60’s

What I LIKE

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Dachau Train Tracks

  • 7:00 – wake up
  • usual routine
  • ready to go before planned (I get 10 travel bonus pts!) they’re like gold stars from Mr. “I’m always ready to go way ahead of schedule”
  • 9:00 – walk to train station to get car – leave bags at hotel
  • having a car allows freedom to come & go as you please
  • *only takes one u-turn to figure out directions
  • 10:20 – car loaded and ready for drive to Dachau
  • GARMIN WORKS!
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Front Gate Translation “Work Will Set You Free”

  • 11:00 – arrive Dachau
  • free & includes audio guide
  • 11:30 – 20 min film in museum
  • get to enter all areas – see barracks, gas chamber, crematorium, religious memorialsDachau, Germany 2013 16
  • 1:00 – drive to Füssen
  • 3:00 – arrive Hotel Schlosskrone
  • tell little white lie to front desk – “we’re on our honeymoon” – Chris says “every day is our honeymoon”
  • get room upgrade! has couch – separate toilet room – separate shower & tub – remodeled in 2011
  • front desk very hospitable & helpful – take care of tickets for castle tours tomorrow
  • take off for walk in small, pedestrian only area town square
  • 4:00 – Ludwig Hotel Café for snack of mixed salad – egg, tuna, cucumber, bell peppers, onion – 2 pint beers – $16.70 Euro
  • 4:30 continue walk around town square
  • 5:00 – room R&R – nice little nap
  • 7:30 – dinner downstairs @ Chili’s – hotel Italian restaurant – 2 free glasses of house wine – quite good Italian – order pizza w/salami, red & green chilis & buffalo mozzarella w/tomatoes salad – pretty good & 2 more glasses of wine – 36 Euro
  • 8:45 – we’re done & ready for bed!

What I DON’T LIKE

  • *get turned around coming out of garage – only have map – GPS w/bags @ hotel
  • hard to comprehend the torture that went on at Dachau & all concentration camps
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Sculpture Made By Prisoner Picked From International Competition

Not so FF (FUN-fact) – Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany in March, 1933.  In the twelve years of its existence over 200,000 persons from all over Europe were imprisoned here and in the numerous subsidiary camps. 41,500 were murdered. On April 29, 1945, American troops liberated the survivors.

WATCH – (What Are The Chances) – Brian who let us sit @ his Oktoberfest table had a grandfather that was imprisoned @ Dachau. He was Polish (not Jewish) and was an engineer who made airplane parts. His status kept him alive and treated better than most.

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Where Barrack 3 Once Stood

FUN-travel: Munich, Germany – Oktoberfest Opening Day

September 26, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Munich, Germany – Oktoberfest Opening Day 

Day 6 – Saturday, September 21 – Munich, Germany – Day 2  sunny w/light clouds & 60’s

What I LIKE

  • 8:00 wake up – fairly good sleep
  • nice breakfast w/fresh fruit – even fresh OJ
  • 10 am – walk to Oktoberfest grounds
  • only 5 mins
  • location, location, location!
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Inside of Tent

  • elaborate fronts on tents (looks like the Del Mar fairgrounds w/only beer & brats)
  • lots of nice smells lingering – caramel corn, butter toffee nuts, brats, all kind of meats, etc.
  • 11:20 – parade starts – splendidly decorated horse teams of the breweries & bands that play in festival tents
  • 12:00 noon – cannons go off – official opening of Oktoberfest

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  • turn around and walk into closest tent area
  • smartest brilliant idea! (hordes of people, held back by security, can’t get in & have to stand & wait)
  • see table w/only 6 people (holds 8) ask if we can join

    Munich Octoberfest 2013 53

    Could You Carry 8 Liter Mugs Filled With Beer?

  • they say yes!
  • testosterone is flowing – lots of liter beer chugging cheered on by group
  • *guard posted @ exit to stop anyone from entering w/o waiting
  • 3:00 – nursed my liter of beer & ready to go
  • walk out for Bratwurst – actually ox meat
  • 4:00 – walk to train station for car strategy pick up tomorrow
  • 5:00 – hotel room R & R
  • 7:00 – walk to Flemings – found on walk to get car (across street from station)
  • shrimp pasta & white sausages w/Alleshverloren Shiraz – South Africa – $88
  • meet nice couple from Maryland
  • people watching on sidewalk table while finishing my wine
  • nice 10 min walk back
  • arrive hotel to a “1 Adam 12” – fire brigade on site – quite exciting! someone hit the fire alarm
  • so many drunk people
  • meet one guest who “paced herself” only to find roommate passed out – she’s ready to keep partying
  • 9:30 – time for bed

What I DON’T LIKE

  • another teeny, tiny shower
  • weak water runs between hot & cold w/no control
  • *bathroom line is unbelievably long
  • starting to hyperventilate w/so many people squeezed in

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FF (FUN-fact) – Oktoberfest is the world’s largest fair; more than 5 million people attend the Munich Oktoberfest every year. It’s an important tradition in Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810.

More FF – Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Bavaria on October 12, 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. To honor their marriage a parade took place for the first time..
My take on it: It’s basically just another excuse to drink like St Patrick’s Day with lots of out of control beer chugging.

  • Picture taken at 2:00 pm with our new best friends from Australia that shared their table they procured at 5:30 am Munich time. The free seats inside tents were all taken by then! (Photographer wanted 8 Euros for a picture) This complimentary from my love!

Munich Octoberfest 2013 57

FUN-travel: Prague, Czech Republic to Munich, Germany

September 22, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Prague, Czech Republic to Munich, Germany 

Day 5 – Friday, September 20 – Prague, Czech Republic to Munich, Germany – cloudy, overcast, 50’s

What I LIKE

Munich Octoberfest 2013 14

Oktoberfest Opening Day

  • 7:15 – hot cappuccino

    Munich Octoberfest 2013 22

    Oktoberfest Opening Day

  • 8:30 taxi to station
  • only takes 5 minutes
  • *nice railroad worker wants to help us
  • taking the train & not flying
  • 9:05 – board
  • 9:15 – depart on time
  • 1st class Eurail pass
  • 3:45 – arrive Munich
  • taxi easy to Munich City Hotel
  • only 5 minutes away
  • *Daniel @ front desk gets us a bigger room – 5 ft longer (50 sq ft makes a difference)
  • 5:00 – Happy Hour @ Hacker-Pschorr – litre of Oktoberfest beer & Nürenburg sausages w/sauerkraut – just so-so – $22
  • 7:00 – dinner adventure begins – 1st stop Italian – only has 1 kind of red wine & turns out to be owned by  Hacker-Pschorr
  • 7:05 – head back to hotel for recommendation – told to head north down the street for Italian restaurants
  • 7:30 – stop @ Best Western to ask for more directions
  • 7:45 – stumble upon Pipasa – great server & food – pizza diavolo w/spicy sausage, jalapenos & red onion & Mediterranean salad w/olives, peppers, tomatoes, onions & feta – Collefriso Zero Montepulciano d’Abruzzi – VG! Only 47 Euros

What I DON’T LIKE

Munich Octoberfest 2013 11

Oktoberfest Opening Day

  • 3:30 am wakeup – not staying asleep
  • *it’s a shakedown – wants 8 Euros (that won’t happen again)
  • train is full of tourists going to Munich for Oktoberfest
  • we have no seat reservation & 1st class is full (luckily we got 2 seats)
  • train is 40 minutes late arriving
  • 5 minute taxi ride costs $14 Euro
  • *room is teeny, tiny – no room for luggage (seriously, this is smaller than a cruise ship cabin)
  • head back downstairs to front desk to inquire about another room
  • this is the most expensive hotel room we’ve ever had (I know it’s Oktoberfest, but 3 X’s mark up?)

FUN-fact – The TV Tower is 70 stories high and has a richly furnished “6 star” hotel room offering breathtaking views of Prague for only 1000 Euros a night which includes a limousine and driver.

Munich Octoberfest 2013 47

Oktoberfest Opening Day