My wife is the first in her immediate family born in the United States. Germany was always her homeland of sorts — her Oma spoke with an accent that nobody else in the family had. Going to Germany was always the trip she wanted to take. We finally made it.
For a BMW person, there's a particular kind of satisfaction in being in Munich specifically. The BMW Museum is exactly what you'd expect — world class, meticulously presented, and full of cars that you've only ever seen in photographs. The M1. The early 2002 racers. Things that made the brand what it is.
Outside the museum, the streets have their own rewards. A 530i Touring spotted in traffic — the E39 Touring that was never sold in the US. A BMW Z1 parked on the street, its distinctive drop-down doors unmistakable. A Lamborghini on the autobahn doing what Lamborghinis do on the autobahn. And a convertible with the top out in European summer light.
The autobahn, it turns out, is exactly what you've been told it is.
