Munich!!

The next day was both great and very sad at the same time.  We had a great day, but I woke up to find that someone had stolen the memory card out of my camera during the night.  I had left it in the corner in the room, with cell phones, iPods and laptops – charging over night.  When I got up the next morning to look at the pictures I had taken, I realized that the card was gone.  It was Christmas Eve and someone had taken all of the pictures from this trip.  My Eötvös buddy from the airport, the Berlin Wall, Hitler’s bunker and SS headquarters, Neuschwanstein – all the pictures… gone.  I cried.  Partly because it was Christmas and I was away from family and friends and a little homesick, but mostly because (if you know me at all you know) I love pictures.  They are very personal and I would have been able to use these pictures in my classes.  I haven’t decided if I want to try and get back to Berlin, but I’d much rather travel to other places I haven’t been.  Hmph. 

At any rate, our Christmas Eve was not all lost –we got some reading and laundry done and later, Jake (who was conveniently cat sitting Boo) was coming to Munich.  Vivvi and I headed to the Hofbräuhaus for dinner and liter beers.  It was crazy packed, and we sat at a relatively central table and waited for Jake to get to Munich.  We were joined by three of the cutest people I have ever met in my life.  There was a (blue-hair) tour group that came in, and lucky for us, Phil, Jean and Tom decided to join us.  Phil was a 70+ year old Scottish man, Tom was from England, and Jean was from San Francisco.  We commented on how dapper Phil looked, and he told us of how he lost his wife two years ago.  She was always making sure that he matched clothes, so he has worked every day to match his clothes so she is proud of him.  Brought a tear to my eye... He invited us to Aberdeen anytime we wanted to come.  He gave us his e-mail address- his name is Phil Taylor, but since that name was already taken, his e-mail is piltaylor@.... isn't that cute?!?!  We had delightful conversation with them and enjoyed our wait for Jake.  Phil bought Vivvi and I our second liters and we stayed for a while with Jake once he got there.