DAY 16 – Monday, July 8, 2019 – Lindau >>Nymphenburg >> Munich

Barbara and I ate breakfast with Dick and Linda this morning.  Misa and Dick had a $160 cab ride to and from the hospital.  Dan’s daughter is flying to Germany today.  Dan is expected to have cathertization today.  If that doesn’t work, he’ll need to be transported to Munich for open heart surgery.   He was still in street clothes and had his roam of the hospital (inside and out) when they went to see him.  He’s in good hands.  Dick can’t recommend the travel insurance enough.  The insurance company is taking care of everything, including flights.

On the bus, Misa told us this complete story; we had heard bits and pieces throughout the trip:  In August 1968, Misa went to Finland with a friend to learn Russian. Earlier that year, Czechoslovakia had tried to implement more liberal reforms in the Soviet run communist government.  On August 21, 1968, the Soviet army invaded the Czech Republic and halted all travel out of the country.  Tanks roamed the streets of Prague.  People were killed.  Misa’s sister sent her a wire that they were all OK. Misa and her friend were supposed to leave Finland on August 22.  They extended their stay for a week.  They met Vernon, who was a professor at UW-Madison, and his bride Anya who were in Finland on their honeymoon.  When the Czech Republic borders opened a week later, Misa and her friend were the only ones on the train.  A train worker questioned, “why are you going back?” “Our family and friends” was their response.  In 1970, Misa finished school and began working.  She got engaged to Peter in 1971.  Vernon wrote to her in 1979; he was going to be traveling to Prague with a U.S. choir.  Misa arranged for Vernon’s group to attend a Prague concert and a Morovia concert.  She had to be careful and couldn’t be too involved in the arrangements.  The group wasn’t allowed to perform. Vernon came to Prague several times in the 1980s. George was Misa’s student in 1983 or 1984.  In 1989, protests and strikes led to the resignation of the top communist party leaders.  This change resulted in open borders. Vernon came again in 1990; it was more expensive, but Misa was able to coordinate more of the travel and did so with George’s bus company.  In 1993, a Moravian band went to Wisconsin.  In the late 1990’s Vernon came to Prague again.  According to Misa, he was thin and did not look well.  In the early 2000’s, a Verona orchestra and an Edgewood choir came to Prague; Vernon did not come.  Misa went to see him in Wisconsin in 2003; Vernon passed away August 13 that year.  Five years ago today, in 2014, Misa’s husband, Peter died, while Misa was in Budapest with an American group.  Her daughter called to tell her.  Last week while in Austria with us, Misa’s godmother died; again her daughter called to tell her.

We had a 2 – 3 hour bus drive.  Misa had purchased a Sound of Music video and played it on the bus.

Our first stop of the last day of our tour was Nymphenburg Castle, but we were on a timeline, so we weren’t allowed to go in.  We just got to walk around the castle and in the gardens.  Misa instructed us to meet back at the bus in one hour.  One hour? To look at a garden? That’s more time than we got in most cities that were filled with spectacular things to see and do.

Back on the bus, we drove to Hirschgarten, Munich’s largest beer garden; it seats 8,000 people.  We had 45 minutes to wander around before lunch.  45 minutes? Besides a lot of empty picnic tables, there wasn’t that much to see here.

Lunch was delicious.  I had grilled shrimp with garlic butter and bread.

On the bus, Misa gave us the option to see BMW World and the 1972 Olympics Stadium or go directly to the hotel.  The vote was pretty evenly split, but we did go to both.

We had 25 minutes in BMW World – and we had to use that time to hit the restroom.  BMW, Rolls Royce, and Mini.  The only car I wanted to get my photo in was locked.  My next choice was a convertible, but there were so many other people around it.  There was a tiny Mini with a door in the front that they were giving rides in, but the line was too long. 

We walked across the street to Olympiapark Munchen – site of the 1972 Olympics grounds, and the location where 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed in by a Palestinian terrorist group.  We walked passed the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Hall, Olympic Tower, and the Aquatic Center, to the Walk of Stars.  Since 2003, celebrities have left their handprints and footprints in the concrete.

Olympiapark Munchen is the venue where U.S. swimmer, Mark Spitz, won 7 gold medals during the 1972 Munich Games.

From there, we drove to the TRYP Hotel and checked in again.  Our room is a huge downgrade from our previous stay here.

Dinner at TRYP was soup, rice and pork, potato patty, and raspberry cheesecake torte.  After dinner, Misa provided a recap of our trip.  We received t-shirts from Misa and Vladya and a heavy Dachau book from Dick.  We made a Get Well phone call to Dan.  His daughter was already at the hospital with him.  She reserved an AirBNB that is 20 minutes from the hospital.  Dan’s surgery went well.  He’d be in intensive care for three days because it’s the only place that they have monitoring.  He wasn’t sure when he’d be able to fly back.

What is your favorite Olympic event? Have you ever attended the Olympics in person?