Following our journey to Krakow, we boarded the rails and headed to Munich. We arrived late on Thursday evening but the city was still very much awake and buzz with activity. Munich is a popular spot for travelers and in particular students. Our hotel was located a couple of blocks from the train station among the many youth hostels. Munich has been extensively rebuilt since WW II but still retains the charm that it had as the capital of Bavaria in the Middle Ages. On Friday, we joined a small tour and visited Salzburg just across the border in Austria. Salzburg's "Old Town" with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centers in the German-speaking world, and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The city is noted for its Alpine setting. It is the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for parts of the musical and film, "The Sound of Music."
On Saturday, we spent most of the time in the Marketplaza of Munich. Here we visited several cathedrals and enjoyed the street merchants, musicians and stands. No visit to Munich would be complete without a visit to the beer halls and we visited one of the most famous ones, Hofbräuhaus, and while we didn’t sample the local brew, we did enjoy a traditional sausage and sauerkraut dinner.
Munich served as the birthplace for the Nazi party and Dachau, located just 10 miles away was the first Nazi Concentration Camp. Munich was also the home to an anti-Nazi movement in 1942-43. As a result of it’s role and importance, it was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany during WW II with over 70 raids on the city. A great deal of damage was done to the city and it has been extensively rebuilt since the end of the war. Munich is also home to some of the most beautiful churches in Europe. Pope Benedict was ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Munich. In 1972, Munich was home to the tragic summer Olympics which Israeli athletes were assassinated by Palestinian terrorists, when terrorist gunmen from the Palestinian "Black September" group took hostage members of the Israeli Olympic team
Sunday morning, we left Munich and began our flight home to Waterloo. We encountered a few little snags along the way, and I thought I might have to stay behind but everything worked out and we got home on time. It was sure nice to touch down and see family, green grass, trees, and our home. While we have thoroughly enjoyed our experience this past year and do look forward to returning – there is nothing quite like the great state of Iowa along with all of the freedom and opportunities that we have in the US. Living abroad has taught us many things about other cultures and people, but it also has renewed our appreciation for our country that sometimes we take for granted in our everyday lives.
