I liked Germany. And that's saying something.

I have never really wanted to visit Germany before. And then I moved to Norway, a stone's throw from the country. Couple our proximity with my German-heritage husband and my Munich-born mother's visit to Oslo, and I was destined to visit a country that never really fetched more than a 'meh' from me on my travel bucket list.

It has earned much more than a meh.

German people? Wonderful. We have a few German friends here in Norway so I should have known better. We had the best people experiences everywhere we went. Our first night in country, Gunter bonded with our server in Frankfurt. The second night? Walked through the menu by a kind man at a German-only restaurant in a small town on the Rhine, and then subsequently serenaded by him and his group of ten hiker friends. What followed was, of course, shots of Schnapps. And on and on. Not the Schnapps but the nice-ness of people throughout our travels.

German food? Surprisingly good. I wouldn't say it was varied, but then again we mostly went to German-cuisine style restaurants. Although I am okay if I don't eat spätzle again for a long time, the food I did have was good. They even had vegetarian food on the menu at the Hofbrauhaus.

Germany sites? Stunning. We drove up the Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vineyards climbing up the near-vertical valley slopes, restored and crumbling castles and picturesque villages that looked like time had stood still. And that's just the man-made wonders. The views in the Bavarian Alps, outside of the tiny town of Oberstdorf near the Austrian border, were unreal. You know how tourist websites for towns or locals look too good to be true? Well, I thought this one did. And then we went there. And it was just as spectacular as the website portrayed. Cable car up to Nebelhorn. Hiking around in the mountains. Beer and picnic on the crags overlooking the valley. This was some seriously good stuff.

Shopping? Well, I'll just say we stopped at Käthe Wohlfahrt in Rothenburg. And that's all I have to say about that. Okay, I'll say one more thing: if you've never been there or never heard about it and you love Christmas, it should be on your bucket list.
A German connection? Yes, perhaps more than I can appreciate at this time in my life. You see, my mother was born in Germany because my grandfather was the commanding officer at Dachau Concentration Camp shortly after it was liberated. In his time there, the camp housed German prisoners of war and displaced persons, the beginnings of memorials to the thousands murdered, and nearly three years of Dachau Trials. My grandparents, mother, and aunt lived in the former kommandant's villa, a stone's throw from the camp entrance. It was quite a juxtaposition to visit a place with such a personal story for my family, yet such a horrible one for so many. We visited the memorial at the camp and met with one of the researches at the camp archives for several hours. You see, my grandfather was a prolific note-taker, photographer, and recorder of the every day. He was also a Jew. From his daily journals to his tomes of photos, we have gleaned a little of his life at that time and the lives of those around him. It was a powerful, eye-opening, difficult experience to walk where he walked and glimpse a little of what he saw. But I am glad that we did it. And I am hopeful that my grandfather's recorded history can help tell more of the story of that difficult time so long ago.

A few photos of our journey for you to enjoy. A journey I will never forget.

Kloster Eberbach, a former monastery in the Hesse region of Germany. The Name of the Rose was filmed here.

Kloster Eberbach also has a lovely outdoor restaurant up on the hill. The first of much meat on our travels.

A small section of the Rhine Valley from Castle Marksburg.

Mosel Vinothek in Bernkastel-Kues. For 15 euro, you can taste as many of the hundreds of wines as you wish.

Zwiebelkuchen (onion tart) and federweissen (new wine), a classic combination in the fall in the Mosel valley.

The Bernkastel part of Bernkastel-Kues, with vineyards on the hillside above.

Architecture in Rothenburg.

View from the Nebelhorn summit (2224 meters). Yes, we took the cable car.

G ridge hiking from the Nebelhorn.

We were in the mountains on National Day in Germany. All sorts of Bavarian hullabaloo going on.

The New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) in Munich.

Second grocery store in as many countries that I have seen an 'America' aisle. Hm. It's all junk food.

G, mom, and me enjoying a night at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. Prost!

The gatehouse at Dachau Concentration Camp, where prisoners entered the camp.

The gate, Dachau Concentration Camp.

'Work sets you free,' the gate at Dachau Concentration Camp.

International memorial, Dachau Concentration Camp.