Bavaria

We have long wanted to take a day to visit the southeastern part of Germany, better known as Bavaria. This is where you would find Munich, Dachau, the Eagle's Nest and Neuschwanstein castle. Obviously we couldn't see all of these places in one day so we chose to see Neuschwanstein and Dachau concentration camp. The Neuschwanstein castle is the model for Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. Dachau concentration camp was the first concentration camp established by Adolf Hitler. Talk about dichotomy. The trip was about four hours, not a hard drive, easy to do in a day. As we got close to the castle, from the back seat the call was heard "There it is!" I looked, I swear I did. Where? The classic case of looking beyond the mark, I was looking up on the mountain for a massive monument. I finally spotted it, a smaller castle, placed on a medium sized hill in front of the mountains. Now please, don't let my description deter you from visiting or downplay the 'coolness factor' of the castle...I just had built up something more in my mind. We parked below the castle because you can't drive up to it. On dry days you can pay to take a horse drawn carriage to the midway point and then hike the rest of the way. Today, because it had been snowing and the path was wet, we had to walk to the top. We purchased tickets for the English tour of the castle. On our way to the trail head we passed a very picturesque lake scene. No seriously, postcard picturesque. The lake was serene, the backdrop was a mountain ridge draped in a blanket of snow. We didn't have long to admire this beautiful sight as we need to make our way up the hill to the castle so we could join our English tour guide, otherwise we would be trying to figure out what the German tour guide was saying. We ran into another English speaking family and exchanged picture taking services with each other. We walked up the hill, at least we were able to work up a sweat and get relatively warm. About half way up we heard the tell tale sounds of clomping hoofs. We missed our opportunity to ride by 15 min. Thats okay, if you know me, I am hiking the hill to save a few bucks unless I am physically unable to perform. We made it to the top and looked out over the valley, what a view. We didn't have long to admire it however because we needed to be in the castle in 5 minutes. So after a string of quick photographs we were on our way again, finishing off the last 200 meters. We joined our group and were immediately given rules/instructions. The only one I remember and the only one I knew that I was going to break was 'no photographs'...yeah, like that has ever stopped me before. The castle was very magnificent on the inside. Ludwig II did a very good job on this castle and spared no expense, which was part of his problem. I had my iPhone at the ready to take any photo that presented itself...because that is what any good photographer does right? I have become pretty good about blending in, waiting for the perfect hole, quickly snapping the photograph off, putting the phone away and acting natural. I took several photos of the inside of the castle and never got caught once. Through one of the windows you could see this bridge spanning the mountains behind the castle. People were on it and taking pictures. I asked one of the workers there how to get out onto the bridge, she said the bridge is closed and they should not be on it because it was dangerous. Too bad! That would have been a great picture. Our next destination was Dachau Concentration camp, a very humbling and moving place. I have been here before but it was by myself, I wanted to check it out before taking my family here. I felt that my kids were mature enough and could handle the very sobering subject of genocide. This place was a destination of the visual, for the camp is not a thing a beauty, but it is a destination of the mind. It makes you pause, it makes you think, it makes you question, and in this sense it is a very real tourist destination. The day was a dreary, overcast day, which is the way you would expect a visit to a concentration camp to be. I was excited for my kids to see how evil this world can be, sometimes it is beneficial to take off your rose-colored glasses and see the potential in people...the potential evil. This place made evil a reality. Dachau was used as a prototype for other concentration camps. The ovens were actually used, but the gas chambers were never actually used but they existed here. All of these still stood; the barracks were torn down and where they once stood, just the foundation remained as a testament to what was here. There was a mini museum/story of what happened not only here but from the onset of the third reich. Hailey really wanted to see it, Sharma was not thrilled and McKay and Maddi, I believe, could have cared less. But, I believe they all walked out of this place with a better perspective on life and possibly vowed to be a better person because of it. We try to blend ethical and philosophical places as much as just seeing the beauty of this world. The trick is communication, talk with your children, spouse or friend as you have these experiences...you might just learn something wonderful.