Deutsches Museum/night train to Venice, Italy

visiting Dachau proved to be a pretty challenging, affecting experience. reading about the twelve years of Nazi reign, the concentration camps, and the genocide has always been somewhat shocking and hard to believe. walking through the incredibly thorough, detailed, graphic museum at Dachau (inside of the large, prisoner-built bathhouse used for workshops and the carting in and systematic filing of new detainees) and seeing the actual grounds where the houses were and better understanding what both the political and living situation was like at the time was one of the more intense experiences i've had with any one period of history past.

one of the really great things about the concentration camps at Dachau, besides for them being extremely educational, is that they are there for the general public, free of charge. it was also described to me that is pretty much a given that all schoolchildren in Germany learn about the Holocaust and many visit the camps. the countries general aptitude for dealing with their troubling history is pretty amazing.

Clemens informed me that it's a criminal offense in Germany to publicly state that the Holocaust did not happen, which goes to show how serious the countries administration is about the issue.

Munich was a really terrific stop on the trip, much thanks to Clemens. we also spent hardly any money here because there is a lot to do within and around the city that is free of charge or inexspensive.

the last day was spent at The Deutsches Museum, possibly the most awesome science musuem i've ever been too (and only 3 euro for students).

ground floor entrance, greeted by old ships and planes.

this place was like an encapsulated world of technological information from the 20th century and earlier. so, so good and informative and, more often than not, visually stunning. one could easily spend an entire day in one section alone, viewing and reading. i would imagine this to be a really great and valuable resource for anyone local.

i think one of the most impressive displays was of the cross-section of an airliner jet.

one of the early computers.

in the basement is a recreated mining tunnel with life sized models throughout. it takes at least a half-an-hour to walk through. mining is a gnarly occupation.

the dioramas were great.

all the life-size outer space stuff also ruled.

our Munich friends were the best!


it was sad to leave...


traveling is the theme, i suppose. so good to meet such friendly, gracious people. dward and i boarded a night train headed to Venice, Italy. we got a sleeper car, not really having any understanding or expectations of what the ride or conditions would be like.

cramped is a way to put it.


tiny room with six people.


we got lucky and everyone in our cabin was totally nice and some even helped drink some of the whisky we brought with us.

at around 6am, we were woken up by the train conductor. headache, dehydrated, and a pretty shitty night of half-sleep, we approached Venice on the main bridge connecting the cluster of islands to the mainland.


it was special to walk around the city at 6:30 in the morning before the city had really been activated in the way we experienced for the rest of our time there. the first impression of this place was beatiful, quiet, and surreal. not like any place i've ever been.