Dachau

we’ve made an intention that when we vacation, that we at least educate ourselves as well. I know that walking the walls of a medieval town, you come across historical information which can be educational, but we also don’t want to push aside historical events that shape the present day, and as a reminder that horrible things happened and are still happening, and that we all have to be better to each other.

we visited Dachau on our way back to Munich from the Black Forest and it was something of an eerie feeling, something melancholy that twists your stomach to know and be in the same ground that so many lives walked on that are no longer with us, or that didn’t even have a chance, that you can stand in front of bunks and ovens where people suffered and were killed. I can’t quite put into words the feeling, perhaps because I’m too scared to, or maybe because there are no words that describe it.

Freiburg im Breisgau

when we were researching towns we wanted to visit, Freiburg was amongst them that seemed interesting. it is a university town that is known for its bike-friendly, bike-priority environment. it’s another quaint little town that we didn’t really get to explore and see much of, but we made due with our time there. it was also the first (and only) time we had Black Forest Cake. I don’t think Gordon and I are huge fans, but you gotta try German cake in Germany once in your life! when we entered the town square, there was a farmer’s market which was cute. we also went to the Augustiner Museum, the highlight of our visit. they have artifacts of tall stone sculptures from the Freiburg Cathedral and a room with the biggest pipe organ I have ever seen. on Sundays, someone comes in and plays tunes at noon.

in the Black Forest in Germany

we rented a car to drive from Munich to the Black Forest and the autobahn was well worth it, but I also highly disliked driving outside of the autobahn. speed limits are taken seriously in Germany and outside of the autobahn, speed limits can vary greatly and it changes very frequently and it was really annoying trying to keep up with the changes and making sure you don’t get caught by the speed radar. we ended up getting a speeding ticket in Freiburg, so you’ve got to be careful when driving through Germany.

all that aside, we still enjoyed having the car and the freedom it gave us to be able to see what we wanted at our own pace as well as the scenery you wouldn’t normally see riding on a train. I will, however, take the train next time I visit the Black Forest : )

Triberg was on our itinerary to see the waterfalls, and though half of the hike was closed due to weather, we still enjoyed our short time there. we also visited the Black Forest Museum as the waterfall ticket includes admission to the museum. Triberg is a quaint, cute little town.

we also drove out to see the remains of Klosterruine Allerheiligen (All Saints’ Abbey), a church that caught fire twice and then struck by lightning, leaving it to its ruins. we also did a short hike through the Allerheiligen waterfalls.

berlin