May 11: Today we took a train to Munich for a walking tour, lunch, shopping, and dinner. Our guide, Hildrun, is a friend of Professor Feick’s and was very humorous and knowledgeable. We started in Mary’s Square in front of the town hall which was open to the public today. It is 150 years old and has statues that represent different historical stories in the front. Two jousters on horses are shown spinning (fighting) and Munich won. After the different characters move around, a golden rooster crows and flaps its wings. All of these statues are run on solar power and Munich itself strives to use only renewable energy. One of the funnier moments of the day was seeing a Michael Jackson shrine in front of the hotel he stayed in when he came to Germany.

Still on our walking tour, we learned of a legend regarding a church in the heart of Munich. An architect made a deal with the Devil that if the Devil were to pay for the building, then the architect would manage to build a church full of light but with only one window. When the Devil arrived, he entered the church and saw the large window above the altar – from this point of view, all of the columns along the pews blocked the windows on the side of the church, making it seem like the church was full of light but only from the one window. He melted into the ground and left a footprint behind. Now, I am not sure if I believe this story, but there is indeed a footprint in the tile at the entrance of the church. No, I did not put my foot in it to see if me and the Devil were the same size.

After lunch, shopping, and lots of walking around, we ended the day with a group dinner of burgers and fries. I have not been this full in a while. I learned a lot from the tour plus my own exploring. Today was especially busy because it was such a beautiful day and Munich had also had a soccer game a day or two prior (they lost). This was some much needed R&R – I honestly love sitting at a cafe and watching tourists and locals roam about. I am preparing myself for tomorrow when we go to Dachau. I am thankful for the experiences I have made and look forward for the week to come.