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(T) After another rowdy night of listening to people flirt, fight and fart we woke to a chilli morning. The blue sky above however was a promise of another warm day and after a hot breakfast we were ready to take it on.
We opted to give the beer halls a miss this morning and instead hopped on the bus bound for Dachau to visit the concentration camp located there. You can read all you want about the camps but nothing really prepares you for being on the site, it's very difficult to explain as everybody responds in ways personal to themselves. We've visited places of vast and horrific, yet distant, history on the trip so far and so it's confronting to remember these unthinkable events of WW2 occurred only a few generations ago. To see the bunk rooms, read the diaries, see the photo's and walk in the very footsteps of those unfortunate souls is an emotional journey that makes you appreciate even more the lives we're so lucky to have.
It's a true credit to modern post-war Germany that the camps remain as memorials, it would have been easy to bulldoze them and turn the page on Nazi-Germany. Instead they stand as a stark reminder, free for all to visit and pay their respects; to give a face or a name to some of the millions whose lives were taken. Summed up best by the simple sign inside written in many languages..."Never Again"..
On the way back the buses stopped at the Festival to let off anyone who wanted to go, most of the bus stayed on board after the sombre and confronting morning at Dachau.
We took a walk along the river next to camp to reflect on what we'd experienced before taking our routine afternoon nap.
We grabbed the 5pm shuttle into the Festival for some rides and more festival food ( bratwurst's, ice cream, chocolate covered fruit, gingerbread, sugared nuts and an amazing doughnut-like pizza thing), the cost of Oktoberfest is counted both on the wallet and on the scales! With full bellies we hit the biggest roller-coaster on site, the Olympic Rings, with 5 full loops (one for each ring) plus big drops and twists it was full throttle fun. I'm not a big one for rides but with Sarah on board there was nothing to worry about......until she too started to worry...! We capped off a great night by heading onto the massive Ferris Wheel which gave stunning views of the entire Oktoberfest site and seemed to be a fitting end to our last night at the Festival.
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