Munchen Munchkins-- Easter Break

4/1/2010-- Munich, Germany
The theory that all any man needs to attract a harem of women is a puppy or baby must have originated in Munich, a city so stock-piled with both it was near overwhelming. Babies (or as we fondly referred to them as "nuggets" or "nuggs") were often found in tow of the mothers, wearing a variety of entertaining and precious outfits. Some gems were entirely-denim ensemble nugg, afro nugg, dinosaur hat nugg, and beyond. Dogs were also abundant and accompanied their owners to just about anywhere (one also was alarmingly spotted exiting a Hofbrauhaus bathroom stall). The discovery of such adorable creatures around every corner led me to believe very early on that I was destined to love Munich. I did not expect to like Germany nearly as much as I did but it took me by surprise and ended up becoming one of my favorite cities thus far.
Day 1: Dachau concentration camp. An ethereal haze of heaviness hung over every building we visited, reconstructed or not. The feeling one gets upon entering the gas chamber was indescribable. While Dachau was said not to be an extermination camp it was apparent that there were still souls lost in that room at the hand of the SS. After attending Good Friday mass at the camp, we frolicked around the inner city, had lunch at the Pauliner factory, and dinner at the infamous Hofbrauhaus.
Day 2: Five hour bike tour which was unreal. We toured many high points of Munich and ended by my personal highlight of watching local surfers master the wakes of the Isar river. This moment alone made the entire trip worthwhile. The day was glorious, sunny and also 20x better than walking because we got to witness the struggles of 63 college students attempting to operate gracefully beach cruiser bikes, hilarity ensued.
Day 3: Happy Easter! An 11 hour bus ride home with a stop at the Neuschwastein castle and a beautiful drive along the Austrian alps we were back in Florence!
Day 4: I have the wonderful privilege to accompany a long-time family friend to her and her husband's vineyard in San Gimignano, where I was treated to an exceptional four-course Easter Monday traditional Italian feast. The wine, food, and company were all unparalleled and the experience as a whole was beyond relaxing. The perfect end to my Easter holiday. Buona Pasqua!