Well, as Annie already said,

concentraition camps are not much fun. I had my fill of angst about half an hour after we got there. And then there were mroe and mroe pics of piles of bodies, medical experiments on prisoners, diary accounts... ick. But there were also some interesting drawings done at the camp which I found more compelling and the odity of the carmelite cloister built onto the back of the memorial, and the random church groups singing random ethnic songs... still I wasn't feeling too hot after being in a place filled with memories of pain and almost crying visitors for several hours... What a way to start out my trip. Oh wait, the start of my stay was actually waiting in the airport for Annie, worrying if I'd lost her, and then being told that she was going to dictch me half way through our trip. Sigh. It is about what I would expect.

The traveling plans are tentitively me being dragged along with Annie up to Amsterdam - the deciding point in favor of this so far being that her prof said I should come because she is going to have a nice little flock of medievalists there. Ok, I can deal with that. It does put a bit of a time crunch on getting to füssen and Reichenau, but it should work out. Afetr Amsterdam I would really like to go to Cologn if the city has any vacancies, or altranately some place else with a cathedral I actually care about, or Treir with all the Roman goodies...

I am actually having a pretty good time overall despite the angst. I feel more at home than I would have expected. Possible because I can actally ask things and communicate even if I can't fully comprehend public announcements, possibla partially because I know a little more what to expect from Europe after having visited with Hank. A lot of the things that Annie finds amaizing I find nice and reasuring since I encountered then when I was here (in a very general slightla to the south sence) before.

Wonder what Annie is writing about this while I am writing....

We are in Füssen. I got tiered of watching Annie wilt in the rain under the weight of her backpack and sprung for a hotel room for the night since the hostel was booked, as was the cheap hotel. It will be well worth it for havinga ncie bath tonight though since my shoulders are seriously aching.

Tomorrow at 11:15 we visit Mad King Ludwig's famous castle, Neuschwanstein. We will also tour the older castle he grew up in. Both should be interesing, provided we are not miserably haughling our backpaks too and fro (we are as yet uncertain if the hotel will hold our luggage for us).

They have even cheaper bavarian bar maid costumes here... resisting... hehehe Will not buy Hank leiderhosen--- really! :-)