April 13th
Munich … Park Hotel Schwabing
This was the best hotel we had from the whole trip! 2 people in suit room, pretty new. But for breakfast, we were not using their restaurant. There was a room called ‘The Millennium Lounge’ at the very top floor, which is a room in the roof. Not a single clue saying anything about its being millennium ^.^ But I saw a Contiki brochure was pinned on a wall, seems that this hotel has already cooperate with Contiki for some times. I wonder, why then we had the simplest breakfast out of our trip here.
We stopped at Ducha, a place outside Munich, passing the Olympic Village – a 2 minutes glimpse for the whole design! Ducha is the first camp concentration, though not the biggest. We had only 45 minutes to explore the whole area. It actually was flat after the bombing. Just to respect the victims, the government rebuilt some part of it and used it as museums now. They have roles of barracks, an exercise field, a gas chamber, a crematorium, an office building that now is a museum, and three new memorial churches (Christian, Catholic, Jewish) at the end of the site, standing in one line. They are not conventional churches, especially the Jewish church. It’s sliding down before entering a small room that was only lightened from a hole at the top of the roof, end with the Hanukah. I felt like entering a deep and cold tomb. The gas chamber was never been used. While it was built, the prisoners somehow knew that it was meant for them, so they made lots of faults.
Didn’t know why, but I felt cold here although the sun shone so bright. But Yuki said this was nothing compare to what Japanese had done to China 50 years ago. For her, Chinese silent – character is stupid, that they don’t ask anything from Japan … what else actually can a tribe ask from another tribe in return for the mischief it had done, for ending up the sad story? Forgiveness … I supposed.
Heading to Vienna … another 6 hours butt exercise! We arrived Vienna just in time for dinner. Again, an only 1,5 hours chance to explore Vienna before met the group for a concert. So while the rest of the group walked to a restaurant, I grabbed a sandwich a strolling along the pedestrian, to St. Stephen cathedral. It was Sunday, they had mass. But we could still take pictures in certain area. Then I walked along Kohlmarket to Habsbur palace. There was a guy wearing a red Viennese coat, selling tickets for the concert nearby. He spoke a very nice English to me first, before I told him that I’d already bought a ticket for another concert. He left me without saying anything ^.^
I didn’t meet too many street artists in Vienna, only a guy sitting in Karntner Strafe playing acoustic guitar, singing pop song. He was good. People stopped and sat down and gave him applause, but few gave him Euro ^.^
I joined the 30 Euro excursion because I thought we went to the Staatsoper, the oldest and biggest opera house in Vienna. I even waited for the rest of the tour inside Stasstsoper. But I was wrong. We went outside the town, to quite a new building with small indoor orchestra. It’s not bad though, 3 Violinists, 2 cellists, a pianist, and a flutist. They played Mozart and Strauss, with a couple of singer and a couple of ballet dancers, performing in a room decorated in glamorous Viennese style pictures both at the wall and ceiling, depicting the story of Hercules. The show lasted around 1,5 hours, with 15 minutes rest for a glass of free wine … pity that I couldn’t drink alcohol. Sitting on the decorated just-fit-moveable chair, watching those golden decoration with cupid and trumpets hanging on the wall while the classical music echoing in the room, made me feel that somehow, decorative art is still necessary. Those decoration seems come to live, flying with the musical notes …enhance the atmosphere. Imagine the royal family sitting with their glamour gown, in the era when TV was never even been thought off … just wonder why classical music was the only choice at that time.
I promised myself, that some day I went to the Staatsoper to see the big one.
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