Out early for a long day. Such a privilege to ride in a country that appreciates and caters to cyclists. Today's route was just from point A to point B on the map - no tourist bike routes - but even yet, we were on bicycle paths for much of the day. A solid, well-done ride by Liz, and another personal best for her!
Dachau. The name is a bit ominous to those who know a bit of history, and rightfully so. The Nazi's built their first concentration camp here, way back in 1933, and today the camp grounds stand as a memorial. We made it there with a few hours to spare, quickly grabbed the first hotel we came across, and dashed over to the memorial/camp. Its not the usual kind of place you "dash" to, but we were trying to see it before it closed for the evening.
The concentration camp itself was partially intact with some original buildings (and watchtowers, barbed wire, etc), some recreated buildings, and a museum to explain everything. It was all quite factual and no punches were pulled - including many pictures, anecdotes, etc. I had sort of known what to expect, being a history buff, but Liz was a bit... disturbed by it. We didn't quite make it through by the 6pm closing, and resolved to return in the morning.
The central laneway at Dachau, originally flanked by barracks (only foundations now). The trees were planted by inmates during the Nazi era.
No comments:
Post a Comment