European trains are FAST! We got to Munich from Baden-Baden in just four hours (about 200 miles). The difference between these trains and those that go more slowly is that you don’t see as much. Scenery goes by too quickly, and many of the lines go through industrial areas or tunnels. We did pass the town where Brian was born though.

We walked to our hotel from public transportation, about a mile, toward and through (you won’t believe this) the English Garden. Yes, the English Garden is the largest city park on the continent of Europe! Bigger in area than Central Park NY. Designed by an American, called English, in the middle of the city that is the capital of Bavaria. What a (happily) mixed up world!

After dropping off our stuff (and rinsing off) we wandered again through the park. Brian noticed that the willow trees were clipped off at exactly the same height above the water:

We decided that it must be just the height the geese can reach, stretching up from the lake surface. We saw one gosling (not too young) and two chicks of (what we call) mud hens.

We went to a beer pavilion at the lake and were a bit confused as to how to acquire a beer. Finally, we went through a turnstile and found a counter with a bunch of beer glasses already poured. We each grabbed one, then a pretzel, found the cashier, and made it out of the enclosed area. Unfortunately, it was not beer, or not just beer but a mixture of beer and lemonade called radler. Not yucky, but unexpected. This mistake comes, I am sure, from not learning enough of the language before we arrived. Here is the pavilion:

Later, we wandered outside the park, noticing that the clouds were getting thicker. Yes, with all these full, green trees, we should have expected rain! Brian actually asked if we should bring umbrellas tonight, and I (unthinkingly, about how far we had travelled today) shrugged it off. Silly me!

So, we ducked into a local bar that specialized in hamburgers. When Brian went to the restroom, a painting was above the urinals. What were these women measuring?

After most of the rain was done, we walked back through the English garden toward the south, to see the Chinese Pagoda (where, earlier a live band was playing polkas) then back to the hotel.

• Europe 2018