Today, Wolfgang took us on a drive to a Roman settlement in the area. Along the way, the countryside is very beautiful and very different by car than by train, so it was very good to see smaller towns and farms in Munster. At the Roman settlement Colonia Ulpia Traiana, near Xanten, one of the farthest outposts of the Roman Empire is slowly being discovered along the former banks of the Rhine. Remains have been found of the town wall, the bath house, the forum, ...

Train day today, as we took around 12 hours of trains and stops to cross from the extreme southeast corner of Germany to the northwest section, the Ruhr. Got into Ludinghausen, in Munster, after being picked up by our host, Wolfgang, at the train station in Haltern. When we arrived at his home, we were happy to finally get to meet the rest of his family: Dorothea, his wife; Julia, his daughter; Julia, his stepdaughter (no, not a typo, both are named Julia!). Bjo...

After the Eagle's Nest, we returned to town, grabbing our swimming gear and going to the town's Watzmanntherme, a hot spring and pool combo. Although there are no 'hot' or 'cold' pools as we know them (>35 degrees or <18 degrees, respectively), the pools there were relaxing and fun as well. One room had heated ceramic benches with different lighting and ambient music; there was also a 'black hole' waterslide (pitch black except for strobe and neon lights in...

Went up to the Eagle's Nest today, Hitler's former teahouse. Built in 1937-38 at Martin Bormann's request for Hitler's 50th birthday, the teahouse sits high atop an 1800+ meter peak, which stands alone, allowing for the most incredible panorama. One can see Konigsee, the Austrian city of Salzburg, as well as the beautiful peaks that lie on all sides. The road up is a feat of engineering. Completed in 13 months, the road climbs 600 meters over around 7 kilometer...

Arrived in Berchtesgaden today just before noon. We immediately set out to find ourselves accommodations for the next two nights. After looking at a few subpar hotel rooms kitty corner to the train station, we walked further and found a cute little bed and breakfast, affordably priced, and run by the nicest German lady, Frau Brandner. Great success! After grabbing a quick snack from the local supermarket, we took the bus to Konigsee (King's Lake). Very beautiful...