**Part 3 of 3: Germany
We didn't see "sights" in Germany; it was mainly family and friends. We ate that wonderful German bread for breakfast and had cake in the afternoons. Nils sat and played with his stacking cups on a series of living room floors. He squirmed happily in a series of arms. It was lovely and slow-paced. There were a few side trips though, to monuments that probably aren't on the radar of your average tourist:
First, to Hermannsdenkmal (Hermann's Monument). It commemorates a victory of the Germanic tribes against the Romans, and when you climb to the top you can see the surrounding countryside for miles and miles. It was beautiful.
Nils was a fan. He was out of his mind with happiness the entire time we were there, actually. It was adorable - he was shrieking and kicking his legs for a good hour straight.
It tired him out eventually.
Then there was Muenster, the monument to Oliver's young adult years. Oliver went to school and lived out his 20s here, and he was genuinely excited to bring Nils to see the streets he biked down when his grown-up life was just beginning.
And going back even further, Oliver was anxious to bring Nils to his first childhood home. The house itself was torn down some years ago - it's now a gas station/car wash. Hallowed ground.
And finally, a monument (" ") made specifically for Nils - it felt like it, anyhow. It was like he had met his soulemate. We literally had to pry his little hands off the steering wheel when it was time to go.
