The Best Made Plans

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  Munich, Germany
Monday, January 28, 2008

I wish I had some way to pass along the endless laughter we shared on our weekend outing. Last minute planning and attempts to keep the costs down landed us in the red light district of downtown Munich. As someone said, "the only thing missing was the picture of the body outlined in chalk on the floor!" Just thinking about some of the events of our trip cause me to burst into uncontrollable laughter. It had the flavor of a National Lampoon Vacation movie or perhaps Psycho. The good news is that Rick never gave up hope of something better and Chuck continued to supply us with unending puns. We connected with Jacqui like clock work and together we toured the museums, brauhauses, neighborhoods, and sights of Munich and the surrounding area. We also had two of our best meals (with accompanying beer) while we strolled, walked, and subwayed around the city. The first at the Alpen Hotel where we should have stayed and the second at IM Blauen Haus, an innovative bistro next door to a small theater. I felt a little like I was in New York while Rick thought it had a San Francisco feel. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the Neues Rathaus - the New City Hall - and it's famous Glockenspiel but I did see it in living, breathing splendor. Almost indescribable. The Victory Gate made me think of the Arc de Triomphe and sported the inscription, "Consecrated to victory, destroyed by war, an admonition to peace."

I have put some thought into how best to share the way it felt to walk the remains of the concentration camp of Dachau.

Dachau

The cold, gray, windy day contributed to the serious and somber mood that permeated this landscape of horrors. For once I am lost for words.

So to end on a lighter note I'll tell you about driving with my new pal Tom Tom (as Chuck would say, "You can't beat that." GROAN). My first experience with my personal traveling companion is mixed. I have given my GPS a female voice which when I make a mistake or change my mind drifts into a repetitive whining "turn right and then turn right again." basically telling me to do a 180 and get back on the correct road. It's great not having to try to drive and read a map at the same time and the company is nice as you roll along the roads to the next destination. Input, however, is crucial and Rick's in car GPS "Hal" stubbornly continued to lead us onto truck paths and gave us the same incorrect instructions that a first time driver might have made on the way home. At least Hal didn't whine and stuck to a single corrective comment. Maybe I need to select a new voice on my device.

It took more than a GPS to come to my rescue last week when I finished work late and then rushed off to the grocery store. Upon exiting the car I made a cursory search for my purse. This was quickly followed by a thorough search both of which revealed no handbag . So I had been driving without my license, my passport, my money. All I had to do was go back to the base and retrieve it. Correct except for one major problem. I need my official military identification to enter the base and it was in the wallet that was in the purse that was in the office that was located in the ACS building that was on the base behind the military security gates:(

Fortunately, my official phone was safe in my pocket and I used it to call MFLC Jacqui who was kind enough to come pick me up and drive me back to the base.

Intro

Once back to the base I had to be dropped off outside on the street where as I paced back and fort on the dark street I was viewed with some suspicion by the local guards ( and the passing cars). Now I know that this sounds like a simple task but you have to understand that the base is divided by a major road and if you are approaching from the direction of town (and the supermarket) you cannot make a simple right turn into the base where the offices are housed very close to the entrance. You have to turn left, show your ID, make a U turn and head across the street OR drive further down and enter a second gate show your ID (and hope your are not in for a complete car check) and then drive through the base to the office complex. Are you getting the picture? Finally Jacqui reappeared with purse in tow. I jumped in her car and she returned me to my car. I went into the grocery and bought some beer. Are you beginning to see a pattern?

FYI for my Paris TB's. On our way to Munich we stopped at an official rest area. For 50 euros I was able to pass through the turn style (I got yelled at because I didn't grab the ticket as I went through) and enter a supervised restroom area. In this area I had my second encounter with the amazing rotating toilet seat. Sure enough with the press of a button the brush appeared spraying disinfectant on the seat and then the seat turned 360 degrees while the brush scrubbed away. Not since Paris when we all had to take a turn in the bistro bathroom have I seen such a sight.

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