Eurotrip2011: Day 6

Munich

I was initially contemplating two options for today's itinerary - a visit to Dachau concentration camp; or a day trip to Salzburg. Our German hosts discouraged the latter option, concerned that the travel time would restrict our enjoyment of Austria. My beloved didn't think he could cope with the depressing nature of the former. As I had been to both previously, I was open to other suggestions and was therefore happy to go to the Deutsches Museum - the largest museum of science and technology in the world.

The Museum was clearly to my beloved's liking - a real place for boys, full of engines, planes, boats, cars and a (very loud!) electricity show. While I happily spent a couple of hours in the establishment, in my opinion it lacked a human element, which made it difficult for me to be truly engrossed in the sizeable exhibits.

What was, however, engaging, was the Kinder Maxi King purchased at the convenience store nearby the museum. Since my first trip to Germany in 1999, these have been one of my favourite confectionary items. As far as I can tell, they are only available for purchase in Germany and Italy (though I'm almost certain there are eager and willing consumers waiting for their arrival "Down Under"!). These blissful chilled treats consist of milk cream, caramel, milk chocolate and crunchy wafer bits - pure joy!

What could be better to wash down a Maxi King than a hot, fatty, delicious currywurst with chips, smothered in ketchup. Probably not the best combination for our arteries, but certainly good for the soul!

At close to exploding point, the two of us waddled our way to the Pinakothek der Moderne (which we visited the previous day, but found ourselves instead standing outside a locked door). The collection at this art gallery was a real treat for the modern art lover like myself. I was particularly impressed by the vast airy spaces devoted to the evolution of industrial design. Despite the rather officious staff who accosted us violently as we inadvertently carried a bottle of water towards the entrance, the gallery was a rather special experience.

We arrived back at our Munich "base" and quickly readied ourselves for a dinner with my German host father, with whom I had the pleasure of residing as an exchange student in the late 1990s. The catch up was an absolute pleasure and we were treated to a rather spectacular home cooked meal - perfectly cooked white asparagus swimming in butter, with salad, ham and buttery potatoes - simple, honest and just wonderful! Even better was the opportunity to catch up with a lovely man after what seemed like a lifetime. Before we knew it, we had chatted our way past midnight and had to head "home" to rest up for the Disney-inspired adventure that was scheduled for the following day.