Deutschland

Germany was great. For the first time on the trip, I could actually communicate with the locals to a limited degree. It's not like I needed to--Germans typically speak excellent English--but it made me feel better after a few weeks of frustration in Italy.

And two words: bratwurst and beer. I had the most heavenly bratwurst of my life at some market in Munich, and beer was to be had in abundance. We were only there for a painfully short three days, visiting only Dachau and Munich. Hopefully future trips will spend longer in Deutschland...

Enough out of me. On with the pictures.

The gate leading into Dachau, which roughly translates to "work makes you free." How sadly ironic, considering that the moment they walked through that door, they were far from free.
A view into the camp through a barbed wire fence.
One of the ovens where they cremated the dead. Dachau was not a death camp like Auschwitz, but the forced labor and malnutrition—not to mention the cruelty of the SS—still claimed many lives. The juxtaposition of the flowers and the oven said a lot to me about hope. This was a hard place to be.
But all is not gloomy in Germany. Here's a whimsical stereotype: the oompah band player in a Munich market chugging back the beer—at 10am! These guys were everywhere in downtown Munich, probably due to the World Cup quarterfinal between Germany and Sweden that was being played that day.
Here was the courtyard of the Hofbräuhaus during the game. Crazy football fans.
The Hofbräuhaus was only quiet because everyone was watching the game in the courtyard. Otherwise, this place is a giant, beer swigging hall of boisterous good times.
Speaking of beer, they believe in liters in Germany. Here's Jac and I looking somewhat wearied from the heat but happy at the prospect of hoisting a stein. Did I mention that I love Germany?

Anyways, there's a little taste of Germany. Unfortunately we didn't get too many shots of the city proper. We got photo fatigue every so often on the trip and the city seems to have been one of its victims.

Next up, Zürich.