Our first days in Europe

So, I apologize about my delay in starting up a new blog for this grand adventure of mine. We've been non-stop traveling, and the backwards keyboards are absolutely maddening for a tired temper.

Our first hours in Munich were mildly frustrating - we were both awake for a solid 24 hours and they lost my bag...my only bag...my entire life for the next three months! Luckily, it was delivered to our hostel later that evening. Overall, Munich was completely fantastic! It was strange, because I felt far more intimidated there than in any of the 'third world' nations I've explored...maybe it was the overly fashion conscious population (my backpacker gear was a little underwhelming I believe), maybe it was all the fancy cars, maybe it was the swarm of other travelers - I'm not really sure. I got over it pretty quick and started to enjoy myself

We took a free walking tour of the city on our first day - perusing the historical streets of Munich was a real treat. We passed multiple WWII relics, the largest city park in the world (complete with a randomly strolling very wrinkly naked old man...a bit removed from the nudist sunbathing area apparently, and a surf-able river), the oh-so-famous and atmospheric Hofbrauhaus (the oldest biergarten in Munich), and the famous glockenspiel (sorry about the spelling). The city was clean, and historic, and utterly gorgeous!

We spent the rest of the day at the very sobering Dachau concentration camp - which is just as horrifying in person as in the textbooks. We arrived a bit late due to a little too much time spent enjoying beer and pretzels, so we didn't have a chance to see the crematorium, but everything else was sufficient in pulling at my heartstrings. It was utterly mind boggling to stroll through the camp and imagine the atrocities committed there. I certainly believe everyone should see such a place at least once in their life - it truly brings the reality of the world a little bit closer to home.

The rest of our time in Munich was spent perusing the busy streets - I was even kissed by a street performer - and in Fussen, the home of Neuschwanstein, Ludwig's breathtaking fairytale castle. We took a cheesy (but wonderful!) horse drawn carriage ot the castle, wandered the overly ornate castle corridors and soaked in the gorgeous alpine scenery. We even opted out of the usual route down from the castle by trekking through the forest, in awe of the many crystal-clear waterfalls. It was truly a fantastic experience!

We caught a night train that evening for Bologna, Italy, which is where we've been since yesterday.

In the interest of time, I will have to leave you hanging by the edge of your seat until my next entry We'll be departing for Verona quite soon, and I will fill you in on all the glorious details of our adventure!