Arrive Germany

Sept 17, 2017 (Sun)

Arrived in Frankfurt air port for our 2:30pm shuttle to our hotel.  Greeted by our travel agent, Emo.


Local Oktoberfest

After checking in we were given a brief tour and orientation of the city.

Frankfurt City Square

Lots and lots of history.  Frankfurt being the "financial" capital of Germany and the European headquarters for the Euro.

Dropped us in city center for free time.
Local Oktoberfest in progress.  Evening was a welcome dinner for our tour group. 

Sept 18, 2017 (Mon)

Off to Cologne along the Rhine River.  Beautiful wine country.  Numerous castles.  Stopped and treated to a magnificent boat ride

Rhine Boat

Castle

Castle Hosts

on the Rhine River past the famous "Lorelei Rock".  After our boat ride we were shuttled to a private castle for lunch.  A brief history narrative followed by a lovely lunch.  Then we continued to Cologne.  Cologne was pretty much leveled during WWII, of course rebuilt sense.  The magnificent Gothic Cathedral escaped damage.  Free  time for dinner and evening.

Gothic Catherdral

Sept 19/20, 2017  (Tues/Wed)

Leaving Cologne, a day of travel aboard a high speed train to Berlin.  Train speed reached 250 kmph or 150 mph.  Wow!   Evening tour of Berlin revealed more history than I can remember, but significant was the fall of Hitler - 1945, and the fall of the Berlin Wall - 1989.  Visited the Hitler Bunker,

Hitler Bunker

Brandenburg Gate

the site of his death.  Also visited the memorial site of the Holocaust, the death of some 11 million souls, of which it is estimated 6 million Jews.  The wall of course was more than one wall, actually two with a "death strip" in the middle.  Visited "Check Point Charlie,
Brandenburg Gate, and the famous TV Tower.



Check Point Charlie

Celebrated Shari's birthday with dinner and Bill & Judy Hesser joining us.  Nice!  Berlin, a very vibrated city with lots of construction and tourism going strong!


Sept 21, 2017 (Thrs)



TV Tower
 

A travel day by bus going towards Munich, but first a stop in Rothenburg with an overnight.  This is an original medieval city with minimal damage from the wars.

Rothenburg



Walls of Rothenburg

The city is walled and our hotel was located inside.  We were privileged to a night tour by the local "Night Watchman".  A climb to the watch tower was fun!

Sept 22/23, 2017  (Fri/Sat)

Leaving Rothernburg we are off to Munich.  We are arriving right in the middle of Oktoberfest, now in full swing.  But first a tour of the Marienplatz, the focal point of the city and a view of city hall with its Glockenspiel Clock

Glockenspiel Tower

. After a brief tour and beer then to see the clock at 5pm do its thing.  Dinner at a famed German local.

Dachau Cremation Chamber

Dachau Gas Chamber

  Saturday was a morning tour of "Dachau", the local prison / concentration camp of Hitler.  This was very emotional standing in the site of cremation, gassing, and brutal human treatment.  A museum helped put on contrast.  A horrible event!!

Late afternoon and evening we headed to the Oktoberfest grounds.  Massive people.

Oktoberfest Gate

Oktoberfest Beer Stein
 

  Like three state fairs in one.  We did manage a beer at one of the large beer gardens.
 Tomorrow on to Oberammergau, with a stop in Neuschwanstein.