Oktoberfest and Dachau

Thursday afternoon I left work early and made the trek into town, and then out to Stanstead. Meeting the Wilsons on the train, the three of us flew to Munich, where we met Nat in the airport for our first beer.

We spent our first evening in the dorm at the Party People campsite, and chattered our way through a very cold night. Breakfast the next morning in the mist, before heading into town, checking into out hotel, Pension Margit, and then to Beerfest!

Walking along the main drag, taking in the sites of Bavarian garb and beerhalls aplenty, we begun the day with a rocket speed ride on the EuroStar rollarcoaster. Then it was straight to the beerhalls.

Soaking in the atmosphere, struggling with the weight of a steiner, we began our amber consumption. Tipping our wench to ensure ongoing service, we even inadvertently ordered a chicken. Walking around after our sitting at one of the long woodern tables, taking in the sunshine, many litres of beer heavier!

Today we wandered around central Munich, taking in the city streets and the Rathause. Watching the glockenspiel, before a German lunch, we then joined the walking tour to Dachau. A train and a bus took us out to the first Nazi concentration camp, where our guide, Ceasar, took us through the memorial.

Hearing about the forced work camp, the conditions, the horror...walking through the reconstructed barracks, the prison cells, and the crematoriam...the power of the place with Never Forget as the lasting words - yet the saddest part of this visit is that the world hasn't learnt, and these horrors are replicated - all over, over and over.

Time for more beer...