Munich, Dachau, und Kuchl

Hello America!  I will just start by saying that your kids are doing great!  We are all having an amazing time and we just got started.

We arrived in Munich on Tuesday afternoon.  After a really quick wash up at the Hotel Maria, we hit the old town center.  Our lovely British tour guide, Lindsay, walked (perhaps dragged) us through the historical streets.  Most of us were a tad bit tired, but we all had a great walk.  We finished the day with a traditional German meal with a pretzel appetizer and a main course of mash potatoes, sauerkraut and sausage.

This morning, our Munich tour guide, John Mountain, took us on a bus tour down Ludwigstraße built by King Ludwig I.  We had a quick stop in the gorgeous Nymphenburg Palace.  We finished the tour at Neues Rathaus in Marienplatz and enjoyed the noon rendition of the Glockenspiel.  The figurines tell the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lorraine.  Underneath the wedding, the coopers celebrate the end of the plague.  Quite a site!

After leaving Munich, we were surprised with a short trip to the site of the former Dachau concentration camp.  It was an emotional tour and everyone stayed quiet as we strolled the grounds.

Tonight, we arrived in the picturesque town of Kuchl in Austria.  This small village is at the base of Austrian Alps.  After a delicious meal, many of us made the small walk down to the town's lake.  Kids were rejuvinated as they played on neighboring playground complete with a zipline and slide.  Most enjoyed a cool dip in the lake before heading back for a night's sleep.

This is our jump off point for tomorrow's trip to Salzburg.  I hear we have a castle tour and a salt mine on the itinerary.  :) 


I wish you could see the smiles on your child's faces.  We have only just begun!

--Sill