Monday, August 01, 2005


yes Posted by Picasa

Trials and Tribulations

Well, I had a lot of pics today, as you can see below and I didn't even put all of the ones I wanted to up. Jen and I got an early start and went to the post office to mail something for the first time in the german mail system. I think we handled it well. Then it was on to Nurmberg.

Of course we took the autobahn and I slept most of the way. So we went to the ruins of a Nazi monument basically. Huge buildings and immense stadiums and walkways to show off the splendor of the Nazi Party and house their parades and rallies. It has been turned into the Nurmberg Documentation Center (museum). I have to say that, at first, I was a little reluctant to do the whole Nazi thing in Germany. I saw that my sis had already done the Nazi stuff and I was feeling like the whole thing might just glorify the movement and ideas. I was really perplexed as to why Germany hadn't just torn down anything remotely related. And I think it clicked with me though finally after seeing it. Just tearing everything down would be like sweeping everything under the rug and pretending it did not happen. By saving the concentration camps and Nazi architecture, the Germans can remind the whole world what happened and how we can try and not have it happen again. I don't want to talk politics here, but let's just say, I was reminded of Guantanamo Bay.

The museum is housed in an unfinished Nazi building (see pics below). I like the mixture of classical and modern architecture which resulted. There is a lake in the middle of everything, which makes for an interesting and huge park.

On the way back, Jen and I decided to go the military post at Grafenwoehr and see Doug. First we stopped by the barber on post and I got a long and meticulous haircut and it only cost 10 US Dollars! And I could pay with dollars too! I bought this shirt, well Jen had to buy it for me, but I paid her back...or did I? hmmmm We saw Doug working... kinda ;) Then we decided to meet him at the ice cream shop just outside the post and have spaghetti ice (see pic below).

To let you know the diff in gas price, we bought gas on post and it is sold for the average US price which comes to 64.8 euro cents per litre. I see gas here for roughly 1.15 euro dollars everywhere else so that is a big difference.

Tonight I will leave you with a pic I caught today when the sun went behind the clouds. Enjoy. Prague tomorrow :)

Typical german church. Most of them have a copper top that has the corroded greenish look to it now. Posted by Picasa

Spaghetti Ice - Ice cream that squeezed through to make spaghetti strands, with strawberry sauce and white chocolate flakes instead of parmesan. Posted by Picasa

Grafenwoehr Tower on the military base. Posted by Picasa

Up close. Posted by Picasa

Unfinished Nazi building that has been turned into the Documenation Center (museum). Posted by Picasa

Nazi party rally stands. They could seat 100,000 people. Posted by Picasa

German cuisine: Brezel and sausage ;) Posted by Picasa

Hitler rises. Posted by Picasa