We left our hotel at 9am, grabbed a croissant at the train station, and went out to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. We tried to pay to join an 11am tour (4 euros each), but the cashier had trouble believing we were all from the one family! Ummm, I don’t have all these people in tow for fun or because I don’t know them, mate….. He also suggested Oliver was too young to do the tour, but it said on the website it was not for under 12’s – Oli can’t help his short Jones genes!

The tour was very informative and a lesson once again that we should protect our democracies, and keep power in the hands of the people. We did have a couple from Chicago USA on the tour, who looked shocked when the tour guide described Hitler promising to make Germany great again and pointing out several other of Hitler’s Trump-like promises.

We visited the barracks, the gas chamber and several stops around the site. Only four of us had worn waterproof shoes though, so the constant rain and snow and melting ice underfoot meant we were all ready to find somewhere warm and defrost at the end of the tour. I am very thankful Belle had room in her suitcase for my new waterproof hiking boots when I couldn’t fit them in mine! I also can’t fathom being imprisoned here with one pair of striped pyjamas, basic clogs and a thin hat in weather like this.

Jarrod had seen a Subway near the train station, so once the bus from the camp site dropped us there, we grabbed some lunch and headed back home.

Jarrod, Luke, Ross, Tom and Abi alighted early to go and see the Nymphenburg Palace, but everyone else was too wet and just wanted to go home and dry out. I took everyone’s wet clothes and their other washing down to the laundromat Ross used two nights ago – Sam had helped him then so he came with me to show me what to do which sped up the process.

Then I sent him to walk the two blocks back to the hotel to shower and warm up while I sat amongst the machines – my happy place 😂 And I need a happy place because I am sad about Jarrod, Tim and Zac leaving us to go home tomorrow!

The Palace closed at 4pm in winter, so the others just explored the grounds and then headed back to the hotel.

On their way back they booked dinner at a restaurant for us all, two blocks in another direction from our hotel. The Altmunchner Gesellenhaus was a lovely large restaurant, with very few patrons on a Sunday night (until the 14 of us showed up!). We enjoyed more schnitzel, steak and vegetables, pasta, and chicken dishes for our farewell meal, then said a round of goodbyes with Jarrod, Tim and Zac.

We will miss them but for now are now trying to get them to finish packing and go to sleep, because they have to leave at 6.30am to get to Munich airport for their 10.30am flight home!