Munich to Venice Day Sixteen

Day 16

Today was overcast and quite cold in Munich. Well I was up at 5:30am to catch my transfer to the airport. My transfer driver picked me up and he spoke English.... Yah. It was really good. I got yo ask him a whole lot of questions that I had about Munich. Also we went on an autobahn on the way to the airport. He drove 160km. In the land down under our highest speed that we are aloud to go on the freeway is 110km per hour so to me this speed was quick.

I got to the airport at 6:15am... Yawn. It's way to early to be awake and ready to board a plane. Corrections planes. This was the only transfer flights that I had to take two plans to get to my destination. The first plane went from Munich to Dusseldorf and then from Dusseldorf to Venice. The planes were both packed. The first plane ride I sat bedside this couple and the man beside me had the worst breath. Which he kept looking out the window and breathing on me... Yuck. But the second flight wasn't too bad.

When I arrived at Venice airport I had already organised a ferry transfer to my hotel. I went to the meeting point and they walked me and a few others out to this little speed boat. We walked out the door of the airport and the heat just hit us. We were all wearing jeans and jackets because we had just come from Germany. But now summer had arrived and I couldn't wait to get changed. If we were aloud to jump off the boat I would of. That's how hot it was. We walked about 5minutes to the boat terminal. 

This boat ride right here was the one of things that I was most nervous about on the trip. I get travel sickness and I didn't know how rocky the boat would be. The speed boat had little lounges and was half enclosed and the other half had no roof. The ride took about half an hour to get to my drop off point and the boat ride there was so beautiful. We went down the canals and under some bridges. I was In awe. 

                              

When the boat dropped me off at the jetty I realised that I was in love. Venice... Wow.... The weather, the water and the old buildings. It was everything I had thought it would be. 

I found my hotel quite easily and checked in. I was checking at reception when the man said the ceiling in your room is quite low. Just don't sleep standing up on your bed and you will be ok. A bit hesitant I took the keys and the bell boy brought my bag up 2 flights of stairs to my room.

Once I got in the room I realised just how right the ceiling comment he had made had been. I could hardly put my hand up in the air.  And I'm short. 

I                                         

Other than that the room at the hotel Toronto was quite nice. Old fashioned, clean and comfortable. Plus the wifi signal and the air conditioning was amazing.

                                

After getting changed out of my hot jeans into something cooler I got my maps out ready to explore. I walked out of my hotel room and didn't get very far when my mouth started to water at the thought of having some gelato. And did I have gelato. I also couldn't believe how hot it is. Especially compared to where else I had visited so far. I walked around Venice and got lost.

                                       

I ended up at this restaurant called Rossopomodoro just off saint marco square and had gluten free lasagna and salad for dinner. In Australia all meals that you order usually come with a salad or vegetables but here you have to order them on top of your man meal. Another thing that no one has told me is that in Italy there is a land tax which is about 3euros extra a night that you stay. Plus there is a tax on their food also. 

                                          

The sun didn't set until 9:30pm. On the way back to my hotel room I may or may not have had 2 more cups of gelato. 

Munich Day Fourteen & Fifteen

Day 14

Today started off a bit boring. One thing that is not a well known fact is that in Europe everything is shut on a Sunday. So keeping this in mind I attempted to explore. Some shops and restaurants were open but very few. But I was determined to make the most of the day.

I found this little restaurant down an alley near milka world that was great. It was cheap and healthy. Which is a little hard to come by when your travelling.

                                          

After lunch I walked and I explored a bit more. I walked to the English gardens and set my self up beside a fountain with a book. I told you today was boring... Some days it's good to have a chilled out day. It was really nice not to have anything planned today and to do what ever I felt like doing. People don't realise that traveling is really tiring. Don't get my wrong traveling is fantastic but really takes it out of you. So today since there wasn't much to do I decided to relax.

I have been travelling solo for a total of 2 weeks today and out of these two weeks that I have been in Europe this is the first that has actually been warm. So I enjoyed the sun and the heat while it lasted. 

                                    

The rest of the afternoon I didn't do much. I wandered the streets, looked in a few shops (the ones that were open). I went back to the hotel and got ready for the soccer World Cup grand final which Germany was playing in. I spoke to reception and they suggested that I go to a sports bar down the street which was popular. 

                                   

Not being a major soccer fan I wasn't to sure what to expect. All I knew that it was gonna be crazy because Germans are really passionate about soccer. I got to this sports bar and ordered some dinner and drinks and waited for the game to start. I'm not to sure if you call a soccer a match or a game but I'm sure you get my drift.

I'm a firm believer that when you travel solo you have more confidence to talk to strangers and that you make more friends along the way. This wasn't one of these times. I tried to talk to the man at the next table. He didn't speak English. I tried to speak to the waitress, bar man and another couple and they all didn't speak much English. And they did the polite smile and nod when I spoke but I knew they had no idea what I was talking about and were just being polite. This made me feel a bit lonely. When you travel to places that English isn't their first language you do know that u might run into some trouble. But in Germany I did feel like a bit of an outsider. At least with soccer you pretty much know what is going on even if the commentary was in German. 

After a nail biting game Germany won and everyone went crazy. Yelling, screaming, dancing crying, hugging and cheering. It was insane. After another drink or two I stumbled back to the hotel and crashed. 

Day 15

I got up this morning and every where I went it was dead. It was so extremely quite. Everyone must be sleeping off their hang overs from last night. Today is my last day in Munich. I have enjoyed Munich but I think 5 days here is a bit too long. But I'm in Germany and I'm going to make the most of my time. So what do I want to do.... Shop! There were so many sales on. I went to the shops, the markets and of course I went back to milka world to buy some more chocolate for my family. I wasn't too sure if the chocolate would make it home or I would end up accidentally eating it.... Yum... 

                                 

Today I saw a few protests going on. I spoke to a lady sitting watching a rally and she told me that they happen all the time. It's crazy you don't really see a lot of this go on in Australia. 

I shopped some more and had lunch at the markets. The markets are amazing. They have this massive beer garden in the middle of all these food stores. In Australia people just sit at tables with people you know but here everyone sits with everyone. It doesn't matter if you are strangers as long as you have a beer in your hand. 

                              

This evening I went to a restaurant and had dinner and had a fairly early night. I have to get up early to catch my 6:30am transfer to Venice. YAH! 

Munich Day Twevele

Day 12

Today I had a bit of a sleep in before I got up and had breakfast in the hotel. I can't believe how much traveling takes it out of you. It was an overcast and cold day in Munich today. It's meant to be their summer and I'm still wearing a jacket and years. So much for heading home with a tan.

                               

After breakfast I started exploring. I got a map of Munich from the hotel and planned what I was going to do for the day while having breakfast. I walked down through the centre of town which was about 10mins walk from my hotel. I already had a general idea where a few things were located from the little surprise tour that I got taken on yesterday by my inappropriate transfer driver. I walked through the shopping mall until I came to the glockenspiel. When I got to my hotel last night I grabbed some brochures from the foyer with trips that they do. I came across a free walking tour which started from the glockenspiel.

                                      

 I never knew free tours existed. The tour guide let us know that it's a free tour but at the end of the tour we pay her in tips. And we can pay her in what we think the tour was worth. In Australia tipping not compulsory. It's one of those things that if Australia's love the service they will tip but it's not frowned upon if you don't. So when it comes to tipping I have no idea what to give.

Before coming over to Europe I made myself a budget of 50 euros a day. I know when you go traveling that sometimes you spend your daily budget, sometimes you don't spend any of it and some times you go way way over your budget. Well that's what I have found anyways. So not knowing exactly what I was going to do that day and not knowing what top tip... I was out of my depth. The walking tour was great. She took us to all the major spots and told the history of Munich with a hilarious seance of humour. 

                                     

We walked through the markets and she told us the do's and don'ts of Munich. The places to eat and the places to stay away from. We walked past a statute of a women with a gold breast holding a bunch of flowers. She told us that People come here from far and wide to see this statute and that her name was Juliette. If you bring her flowers or cop a feel of her gold bits you will be lucky in love. I didn't have any flowers so I went with the second option. 

                                 

On the tour I started talking to a few other solo travellers. A man from California, a man from India and a girl from Prague. The tour went for about an hour and a half and was great. I awkwardly gave my tip to the lady and the 4 of us decided to circle back to this church that she told us about. 

When you look at the top of this church it has a cross on it that is facing the wrong way. The tour guide told us a story that one night long ago a strong wind blew the gold cross off the church into the street. The priest of the church looked at the cross and knew they has to put the cross back on top of the roof but were to elderly to do it. So they went down the pub and recruited a man to do it for them and gave him a pint of beer for his troubles. So this man began to climb the church with the cross and the pint of beer drinking it on the way up. When he got to the top being intoxicated he put the cross on the wrong way. The priest started yelling at the man to change the cross back to its original position when the man slipped and his beer glass started falling towards the ground. It feel out of his hand, bounced off the roof, hit the gutter and hit the ground where the priest where standing. Astonished that they beer glass didn't break the priest took this as a sign and left the cross the way it was. 

The tour guide told us that at the top of this church you could see a 360 degree view of Munich.  We walked back to the church and paid our 4euros and climbed the stairs. My bum and legs got the best work out. The climb to the top took about 5 or so minutes of going up steep ass stairs. But when we got to the top it was worth it. 

                               

Stunning 360 degree views of the city. Amazing. The balcony was oh so tiny  it it was beautiful. After the church we went and had some lunch in the beer garden markets. 

                                

The markets where amazing. Fresh food, cheeses, hand made gifts.... I was blown away by its beauty .

I had a fresh fruit smoothie and we decided to go to .... milka world... Don't know what that is... It's a Germany chocolate shop! 

                               

There was milka everything. Ice creams, cup cake mixes, shirts, coffee and of course chocolate. And we brought so so much of it. After milka world I told the guys about the surfers on the river and asked them if they had seen them yet? We walked over to the English gardens... We may have got a little lost on the way but we got their. 

                               

The guys wanted to go see the alliance arena and I wasn't overly too keen so I continued on without them through the park. 

The park was beautiful. 

                           

I explored the gardens and a bit more of Munich before I headed back to my hotel room. When I got back to my tin can sized hotel room I realised that some one had tried to break into my bag and my lock was half broken.

                                       

I couldn't get into it. The most I could do is unzip half of my bag and put my hand in it. No matter where I stay whether it's a hostel or hotel I always lock my bag before I leave the room. I have spoken to many people who thought I was crazy for doing it even when I stay in a hotel. And my answer to them was you never know what happens when your out of your room. 

I went down to reception and the receptionist used bolt cutters on my suitcase so I could get into it. Which was great because it was still fully functional it now just needs a new lock... I never travel with anything expensive or anything I can't afford to loose and I put anything valuable in my hand bag that never leaves my side eg. Passport. I'm just very thankful that they didn't steal anything.

I was pretty cranky about my suitcase getting broken into so I ended the day at a beer hall with a few glasses of wine and some ice cream.

                                    

Munich day Thirteen

Day 13

Before I travel any where I like to do research. Yep... I'm that kind of person. I like to have a general idea of what I would like to see in the places that I go to. Before I left The land down under I did a lot of research into the places I wanted to see in Europe but I didn't do a lot of research into Munich. I just knew it was somewhere I always wanted to go. When my transfer driver was driving me to the hotel the other afternoon his said "what brings you yo Munich?" And I replied with "it's just somewhere I have always wanted to visit." He was a bit startled with my answer and ask "why."  I thought about this for a second before I replied. I honestly had no idea why I wanted go go to Munich or anywhere I wanted to travel. I just had the feeling that I had to see those places. But I knew one place I did want to see is Dacahu concentration camp memorial.

I have always been a bit of a history buff and I wanted to see it for myself. I got up early this morning and went to a travel company that was located in the train staton across from my hotel. I brought a ticket to go to the memorial. The ticket included train and bus fair to the site, access and a tour guide. The group had about 20 people in it and I met these 2 sisters and 1 gentleman from Australia. Australians are everywhere in Europe. It took about 20minutes via the train and then we got onto a bus which was jammed packed full of people. Before we got on the bus the tour guide said I hope you don't mind people in your personal space. When he said that I thought how packed could it be. Turns out the answer was VERY!!!!!! We were crammed in this bus with people pressed up against us. 

We got to the camp and had a short loo break while the tour guide got our tickets. 

                               

The tour was very good but sad. He gave us a lot of information and answered all of our questions. The tour guides very first statement to us is " This is not a concentration camp! This is a memorial. If you want to see a concentration camp you will need to jump in a time machine because this is not one." I thought this was a very powerful statement. A lot of people come to these places to be shocked and learn about the history.  But him saying that gave me a real peace about the tour that it was more to remember what happened here and it could easily happen any where.

As we walked in he spoke about a building that was too the left of the camp. He mentioned that this building was used before the camp existed. This building was used in World War One to make weapons, then used by ss soldiers (which were nasty soldiers in the camps)  and is now used to train riot police for Germany. Everyone was a bit shocked with this statement but then the tour guide said something that changed our view. He said " We see that as our past. And we have decided to move on and to make a better future."

During the tour it rained on and off. The poncho went on and was pulled off many times.

We the. Walked through the main gate and we're told that this gate will never be locked again which represents that this camp will never happen again.

                                 

There is a lot of information that we got given. And a lot of sad information given also. I won't go into details about because I don't won't to wreck your experience if you would like to go here. The tour went for an 1.5 and then we headed back to Munich by bus and train. By the time we got back it was 3pm. I went back down to the markets for a better look and some lunch. 

                                      

The markets were beautiful. Munich is so beautiful.  I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring and shopping. I spoke to a women in a shop today and she let me know that everything closes in Europe on a Sunday.  So tomorrow may be interesting.