hufflepuff: trani working!!!

first, our hostel was right next to a main station (like central station) called somethin with an ha, ph and ff.....hence it being called hufflepuff since everything in Munich looks kind like hogwarts and has incredibly long names that are unpronouncable.
Munich was AMAZING. it was soooo cold and snowing like crazy, to the pnt that snow as in my eye and we cldnt see as we were walking. we first got there and bought rainboots for 7 euros so we didnt ruin our uggs, which is great cuz we can use them for venice and interloken. after that we kinda just walked around, kinda amused and surpised at the porn shops that were EVERYWHERE. naked women posters were outside to advertise for the porn shops and apparently some Munich halloween is coming up so there are costumes everywhere and the porn stores are really promoting their costumes.
anyways, the first day was spent walking around in rain boots, taking pictures of random buildings we assumed we would learn about later and finding our way to the olympic area...where the olympics took place in like 72 and then the 18 israeli hostages were shot. it was pretty cool and right next to a BMW museum.
after the olympic area we walked around some more and found some really pretty areas and a starbucks!!! fyi as a sidenot, in europe, esp italy there is no such thing as "to go" cups. when u get coffee you are expected to sit and sip it then leave. so we were thrilled to be able to take our coffee and walk around outside in the cold and have a hot hot wonderful drink!
the rest of the day we just kinda got lost and walked around everywhere, it was sooo cold depsite the 5 layers i was wearing, and i mean that seriously...3 thick socks, 2 leggings and jeans, 2 tanks, 2 long sleeves and a short sleeve, sweatshirt, northface and raincoat. scarf and gloves and hat of course. so ya, that night we got lost tryin to find a pub so went to a sports bar which was fun and went to bed early...
we woke up early to go to Dachau concentration camp, which is in dachau germany, just half hour outside Munich. we took a tour and it was very interesting. it was incredible, in the sad kind of way, and very intense. it was the first concentration camp built, only men were sent there. the baracks were destroyed, but not the main building where nazis had their offices and the jews would first arrive and be stripped of everything, numbered and tortured/punished and inspected. the rebuilt 2 baracks for us to see an example and we were able to go to the gas chambers and furnace rooms...i really dnt know how else to describe it, totally worth it experience and undescribable. i was glad i was able to actually see one after seeing so many pictures and learning so much about it. i will say tho that we went into the gas chamber, which actually wasnt used much in Dachau...usually they were shipped to a different camp, like aushwitz to be gased, however they did gas sometimes and experiment with gases to use....obvi using the jews as the subjects. however, regardless of how many times it was used, all the furnances were and all the gas chambers were modeled after that one. which was small, low ceilings, very uncomfortable and just horrible to be in. i couldnt ever imagine. its just rediculous, and i am very very glad i was able to go there and see it. definately worth the full day and time and money.
on a happier note, i learned that munich is like very different then any city in germany. it likes to be seperate and independent, it is traditional and the most catholic and is Bavarian. like they are Bavarians. its really interesing, all the buildings we saw- which we took a tour from our hostel for free around the city, which was amzing. we saw the increidble buildings and churches. one church the architech made a deal with the devil to help him build it and the devil said there cnt be windows. so the architech build it, with windows but put columns infront of it so when u stand inside u cnt see windows. the devil's requirements were therefore met and there his footprint in the church to show his singing of the agreement. we wrnt able to go in cuz htey had services, but cool story! also i didnt realize that everyhting in munich after ww2, around the 70s was destroyed by bombings, so the nazis previous to the end of ww2 took a billion pictures to rebuild all the buildings when hitler one, obvi hitler dsnt win and the bavarians took the photos to rebuild it. there is like 2 things that survived the bombings and fires, part of one church and a statue. everything else is recently built to look old. ha it was cool tho! there was also many 3rd reich memorials that are actually on the ground and not so obvi which many ppl walk by, esp in winter. but our tour guide is awesome and pointed it all out to us. he also showed us that by this memorial statue thing, it was surrounded by 3 roads on 3 sides and the front was opened to a plaza. basically hitler but a plack on the right side and everytim eu passed u had to, by law, do the heil hitler thing. sooo jews and others hwo did not support the nazi movement would tak ea chance, cut around the back "dodging" the right side and walk to the left. however many nazis were there ready to ship ppl off to dachau or other camps or shoot you. some were lucky, and now its known as dodges road...and there is a small gold strip as a memorial.
also in the haufbrauhaus which is very famous, esp to tourists was where hitler gathered and planned and formed his nazi party on the second floor. however, as everytihng in munich, it was destroyed and when they rebuilt it they left off the 2nd floor to rid all paths on nazi stuff...not to be ignored or forgotten but to show they do not want nazi stuff and yadayada. its acutally illegal to have a swashtika printed in munich or any form of it...no toleration.
also i walked by where kristllnach was planned, tho i didnt really catch exactly where. and we passed lions that ppl rub now for good luck, since a long time ago some guy got out of being killed when tlakin to the king because he like rubbed the lion for respect or who knows.
in munich, there are 2 symbols to represent it...a lion and a monk. yup. its cool, so lion statues everywhere. also since they are so catholic, they have on that same memorial bulding thing with the 3 roads and plaza, there are to the right the reich residence, royal ppl...and the left a catholic church. the lion facing church has its mouth closed to symbolize that u cnt speka out against the church, but ht elion facin the left has its mouth open to symolize u can speak out against the king and royals. thats funny too.
munich is def known for its beer, and so i had lots of beer. it was all very very good and sold everywhere and rather cheap if u idnt go to touristy areas.
basically, for now..i will finish up with my sunday (which is the day i took the tour with the hostel and then wound up at an art museum)...oh and also after dachau we went to the duesches musuem, which is a huge 3 days worth science museum with every inovation and invention everrr...it was awesome.
but yes so we went to an art museum, got starbucks again...ate lot sof mcdonalds because at every pub i had to be vegitarian since the choice was pork or cow utter. yes, cow utter.
my sat night and even sunday was filled with lots and lots of fun and drinking which tom i will def write more about. just had to get this down before i forgot the amazing bavarian munich!!!