Wayfaring Day 50 Munich

August 19, 2025 Tuesday

We are having a great time on our vacation with the college kids and others on the trip. Our mentality when approaching the idea of visiting multiple countries was to be respectful of and really immerse ourselves in their culture. The college age kids had a different sort of take on the whole adventure but they stood out in most places due to their size if nothing else. People tend to notice a group with multiple kids over 6´8¨.

In preparation for visiting several European nations we did some research into how to blend in and not come across as ¨ugly Americans¨. Along the way we met other Americans who we had some short conversations with. Most of them expressed similar feelings concerning being an ¨American¨ travelling in Europe. Some even mentioned the idea of not being an ¨ugly American¨ and not being one of those people who think everyone is supposed to speak English as if they are entitled to being treated special. There were times we found it easy to spot Americans by the clothes they wore or other fashion Americanisms. One other observation we made was that the Germans in Munich were somewhat intimidating. It was almost as if they would prefer you to not even try to speak German since most of the people in the more touristy areas speak English. Munich also considers itself to be the most intellectual area of the country. Our study of German before the trip was more useful at the subway pastry kiosk or at the grocery store. I think the main thing is to be humble and respect the people of the host country. As Americans we carry with us some of the spotlight that the world seems to direct toward the goings on in the United States. But we should also keep in mind that we are only a portion of the number of foreign visitors that converge on a place like Paris, Munich or some other world renowned location. So I guess the point is that we wanted to be respectful and blend in to the culture. It seemed a compliment when someone spoke to us as if we were just local citizens. It was also a little embarrassing but we muddled through.

Today¨s walking tour takes us to the Marienplatz, the Max Joseph Platz, the Theatine Church, the Frauenkirche, and other locations of interest and history. David has a keen interest in the part Munich played in Nazi Germany and World War 2. So when we were at the Odeonplatz he asked the tour guide about the Beer Hall Putsch which occurred in this area in 1923. The guide seemed pleased that he had asked the question and explained how the event took place pointing out some of the landmarks of the incident. The Feldherrnhalle is under renovation but it is still able to be viewed in a limited way. This is where Hitler and about 2000 of his supporters faced the German troops and were repelled. The guide also showed us pictures of the monument that was placed here by Hitler once he was in power. She showed us a type of monument in the street that tells the story of how Germans would find other ways to pass this area so that they didn´t have to do the Sieg Heil when they passed by the monument as it was required to do by law. Sadly we didn´t have time to visit Dachua or any of the other WW2 era sights.

The afternoon was spend across town playing the second of our two basketball games. This time we played a 19 and under team and beat them by about 30. This evening we walked around the area and enjoyed some pizza at a place with a number of outdoor tables. Everyone was tired at this point and most of us headed back to the hotel for some rest.