We said a rainy goodbye to the tremendous Czech hospitality this morning as we hopped on a bus and made tracks for Berlin. On arrival at our hostel in East Berlin, we were informed that Wednesday was cooking night and that we were welcome to join the communal feast (those communist tendencies stubbornly persevere). Anyone who was interested could join in the preparation, so we rolled up our sleeves and took directions from Sophia, our Grecian cook. The meal was f...

Our visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site was a jarring experience to say the least. We left feeling awestruck and slightly confused, which is sort of a perplexed feeling that stemmed from our inability to fully process the scope of the inhumanity that we encountered there. The site is a brutally honest memorial to the dead that left an indelible mark on both our memory and our conscience. This picture is of the main memorial sculpture at Dachau....

A beer-lover's dream today as our journeys took us south of Munich to Kloster Andechs, home of a Benidictine monastery devoted to the production of fine beers since 1455. Set in the beautiful foothills of the Bavarian alps, Andechs is home to an amazing church and an equally amazing brewery that produces seven exceptional beers. Our visit was not without due penance as we walked for about an hour and a half from the train station to access the brewery. Without a ...

A leisurely day in Munich today as we spent our morning exploring an awesome park in the middle of the city. Originally established as a summer home for the Bavarian Princes, the extensive and well-manicured grounds are a slice of the country in the heart of Munich. In the afternoon we roamed the downtown core, checking out the market and fighting the throngs of people in town for tonight's football match. And last but not least, a culinary miss (it was bound to ...

Today's journey brought us north of the Austrian border to the village of Munich; home of Oktoberfest and well known for its proclivity to the pint. Our brief sojourn around the downtown ended with a visit to the Hofbrauhaus, a veritable institution of everything beer here in Munich. While it was no Full Moon Pale Ale, as the cats at Alley Kat can attest, it was definitely a welcome slice of Bavarian culture. Locals know: only 1L measures after 6 pm. Prosit!