Dachau, Dachau, Dachau

Sunday is fast becoming our day to explore. It's not like we are on a quest to conquer every Biergarten in Munich, but I have to laugh when I download my photos. Darn, if there isn't a photo of Steve or I, or both of us, hailing one of those liter sized mugs full of beer. I don't want to give the impression that we're becoming flaming alcoholics, usually that liter is split between the two of us, and in this Sunday's case, between three of us. Our plan was to meet Hans, Steve's boss, for a couple of hours in Dachau where he lives. While he and Steve discussed work over a latte at a cafe (we were instructed to use the word "cafe," not "coffee shop," which is a place in Amsterdam where you can purchase drugs legally --HA!), and I would walk my way up the hill to the palace, or "Schloss" as it is called in German.

Being a local now, and not a tourist, I know what a short walk up a hill in Europe means. It means what you see on the left, but multiply that by four. This was only the first set of steps up the small hill. Toledo is flat, flat, flat. This city has not only bikers, walkers, roller bladers, and joggers, it makes climbing a national pastime! Senior citizens are now following a huge craze that began in Norway--"Nordic Tracking." You see them everywhere with their ski-like poles flinging at a frantic pace while they attempt to set land records with "Giant leaps of Mankind." What has happened? In a month I went from a casual stroll on a level surface to a frenzied race with other gray haired men and women in an Alpine Competition! This can all be a "Good Thing," as Martha Stewart says, I keep telling myself.

Of course, the purpose of all of this climbing is for a scene like the one on the left. Now used as a banquet hall, this once was the summer residence of royalty in Dachau; The House of Wittlebauch during the 1500's. The gardens are only now
beginning to show the promise of splendor. Verdant fields and orchards surround the stately manor and encompass a vast amount of acreage in this small city of Dachau. It is divided by a river crisscrossed with many small bridges. In all, to travel the entire property with a bike would take hours.

While I was whiling away the hours with my trusty friend, my Canon, Steve and Hans were wrapping up their meeting. They met me at the exit and we headed back to Munich until Hans discovered his cell phone (Handi) was missing! After retracing his afternoon activities, he was fortunate enough to have a found it. A resident discovered it in his driveway and when we went there to look, he brought it out of his house and handed it to Hans. I've been told Munich is very safe and its' residents very honest. This was proof of that claim and I smiled with quiet contentment that we had been transferred to a city I'm proud to say is, for the most part, safe and its citizens generally do the right thing with respect to their neighbors.

I titled this entry as "Dachau, Dachau, Dachau," because it took us another trip back to Dachau to find a very special biergarten to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon. We wern't aware that biergartens had a heirarchy. Hans wanted us to experience one that was on the grounds of another Schloss. ( There are Schlosses everywhere in Bavaria! Is this why American's say they're busy getting "Schlossed"?)

What a perfect ending to a perfect day. All of my favorite things. Travel, adventure, beer, photography, my hubby, beer,and stair climbining (yeah, sure). Oh, and

did I forget about the beer?

CHEERS, EVERYONE!

CHRIS & STEVE