Bavaria
May 2006
Tuesday,
May 23:
It’s been quite cool & rainy here,
we’re hopeful for nicer in Europe (read on to find the answer). But this AM mostly sunny for nice drive to
NYC & our usual departure routine.
Lunch w/ Matt & grandson Willy at SoHo Diner, Willy shows off new
walking skills started a week ago. Matt
drives us to JFK plenty early, quickly thru check-in & security. Terminal
4 has many other foreign airlines, including very distinctive Egypt &
Jordan planes. We feel quite foreign on
our LTU flight to Dusseldorf; very few non-Germans,
everything primarily or only in German. Takeoff a bit ahead of 5:45 schedule, pretty
views of Long Island & ocean. Have
to pay for headsets, but Johnny Cash bio-pic “Walk the Line” will have good
music. Dinner comes w/ only a tiny
stirring spoon, a challenge for my pork & Marjorie’s pasta. We think it’s a security thing ̶ nothing
sharp! ̶ but turns out to be a caterer supply
error. Limited legroom on this“air bus,”
but many empty seats so Marjorie sends me to find another seat so she can
stretch her legs across our seats. I
don’t sleep much, M & K seem to do better.
Wednesday,
May 24:
6½
hour flight, 6 hour time difference, into Dusseldorf about 30 minutes
early at 6:45am. A large airport,
confusing to find ablug (departure)
gates, but we find Lufthansa area with good free coffee & someone handing
out raspberry truffles. To Munich on time at 10. Kay & I use ATMs to get euros. 40
minute train ride thru pretty countryside, fields of yellow flowers, using
“partner” ticket for all 3 of us (we do same tomorrow, very economical, covers
all metro options for the day tho we must be together when using it). Mostly cloudy & cool. Short walk from Hauptbahnhof (central train station) to Hotel Jedermann: nice rooms, free internet access in lobby
used by Marjorie & Kay to send e-mails.
Hotel clerk alerts of holiday tomorrow, Ascension Day, so stores not
open! (M & K look at me with
suspicion.)
After a brief rest, off we
go, watching out for bike path in front of the hotel (like our Vienna stay) to
take tram & subway to Viktualienmarkt, known as
“Munich’s stomach.” A pretty area,
spreading across many blocks, stalls for produce, meat, cheese, flowers, etc.,
plus amusing sculptures & brightly decorated lion statues (seen on
sidewalks & squares thruout the city).
Lion is Bavarian symbol, also for upcoming soccer World Cup. 
Short walk to central Marienplatz
w/ pretty flowers, fountains, Neues
Rathaus (“new” city hall, from 19th C) ̶ a
classic European square. 3:00 concerto
of many church bells all around.
Marjorie gets misplaced for about ½ hour, feeling very lost &
worried since she didn’t remember our hotel.
Kay claims credit for finding her.
I’m having some trouble figuring out street layout & subway lines ̶ too
little sleep!
Peterskirche (St. Peter’s) closed, but into Frauenkirche
(Cathedral of Our Lady), Munich’s largest w/ distinctive double steeple, pretty
interior & windows. Was badly
damaged by WWII bombing; Marjorie gets postcards showing what it was like
before restoration. 
We try to find unusual ZAM museum complex, including chamber pot & Easter bunny collections, but seems no longer open.
M
& K find “Hertie” store off Hauptbahnhof
underground: interesting place (Kay: “We like this store!”), Marjorie does her
usual local grocery browsing, sees cake mixes ferociously expensive compared
with same in US. After some struggling I
scout out rental car desks, hidden behind poorly marked doors among fast food
places in upper gallery of train station, to confirm
Friday reservation; I also figure out how to use the metro ticket machine. Some nice sun in the evening (a rarity on
this trip). We get the tired, disoriented, slightly crabby tour director (me)
home to our hotel. CNN the only English
TV: big fire at Ataturk Airport, where we were on Feb. Istanbul trip,
Thailand floods & mudslides from monsoons.
World Cup excitement is building: centered in Munich, 11 other German
cities, starts about a week after our travels end. Marjorie goes back to Hertie to get salads,
bread, cheeses for a picnic in our room.
Thursday,
May 25:
Sunny at first, but becomes mostly
cloudy, some sprinkles, cool and breezy.
CNN: “turmoil in world
financial markets.” Very generous frühstück (breakfast) buffet in a pretty
room: cereal (flakes, granola), big pretzels, breads and pastries, cold cuts
and cheeses, yogurt, shrimp & other creamy salads, white asparagus, even
chocolate pudding. M deftly helps K with
her soft-boiled egg. Excellent coffee,
as we find everywhere here. M & K
really like this hotel.
Tram/subway
rides, then a walk thru carnival set-up to Asamkirche, spectacularly ornate
“baroque fantasy,” especially the ceiling (a big mirror on the floor allows
easier viewing). Window shopping to Marienplatz, church bells ringing all
around. The group expresses more
suspicions that I knew stores would be closed, despite my sincere denials.
Tram/subway
rides, then a walk thru carnival set-up to Asamkirche, spectacularly ornate
“baroque fantasy,” especially the ceiling (a big mirror on the floor allows
easier viewing). Window shopping to Marienplatz, church bells ringing all
around. The group expresses more
suspicions that I knew stores would be closed, despite my sincere denials. 
But Peterskirche is open today. We catch end of a Mass with lots of
incense. Another beautiful
interior. But hadn’t expected so many
Catholic churches. Where are the Lutherans? I climb (way up!) the steeple for beautiful
views of the city, Alps in the distance.
Crowd gathering for the Neues
Rathaus glockenspiel at 11:
a good show in several stages. 
More
decorated lions, one w/ chef hat holding a wisk outside a restaurant. Coffee & hot chocolate break at San
Francisco Coffee Co. on Odeonplatz. 
On to the Residenz, official palace of Bavarian rulers, restored since
almost total WWII destruction. Special “Bayerns Krone 1806” exhibit on founding
of the Bavarian kingdom is very interesting, but hard to find the ausgang (exit). Into the Treasury, a typical array of
baubles.
We check out Hofbrauhaus, the mother ship of biergartens, but too noisy &
smoky. Instead we eat outside nearby,
starting with basket of big pretzels, then overeating on excellent pork roast,
noodles, dumplings, white asparagus (very common here, also on our other
Central Europe travels; M & K tell me it’s excellent ̶ I’ll
trust their word). We wash it all down
with tasty local biers. Menu notes such ingredients as preservatives &
antioxidants ̶ such info must be required by health codes
here. Bachelor party marches thru the
square, still in full celebration mode!
We check out Hofbrauhaus, the mother ship of biergartens, but too noisy &
smoky. Instead we eat outside nearby,
starting with basket of big pretzels, then overeating on excellent pork roast,
noodles, dumplings, white asparagus (very common here, also on our other
Central Europe travels; M & K tell me it’s excellent ̶ I’ll
trust their word). We wash it all down
with tasty local biers. Menu notes such ingredients as preservatives &
antioxidants ̶ such info must be required by health codes
here. Bachelor party marches thru the
square, still in full celebration mode! 
A nice post-meal stroll thru Englischer Garten, much like NYC
Central Park. Not the right weather for
nude sunbathers common here. Back to the
hotel to rest tired feet. Kay disappointed
we didn’t stop earlier at silly-sounding Wiernerwald restaurant opposite
the rail station, so we go later for apfelstrudel mit eis. It’s the only place we see chicken on the
menu, learned later that avian flu worries led to removal of chicken from most
menus since people won’t order it, tho we see duck & turkey some places.
Friday,
May 26:
Rain during the night, still some in the
AM. CNN news: Enron execs convicted, the
Pope’s in Warsaw, Bush & Blair in DC defending Iraq war. Just as I’m getting the hang of the metro
system here it’s time to move on. Off to
the rail station to pick up our rental from Eurocar: a schwarz (black)
Opel Astra. A nice car: 4-door compact,
comfortable to drive & ride in with enough luggage room that Kay doesn’t
have to put everything on her lap. Some
features beyond our understanding, the manual’s in German:
some confusion turning off rear wiper, radio sometimes seems to bring in a new
station on its own, we don’t always understand a dashboard readout screen. But I remember how to drive a manual
5-speed. Agent gives good directions out
of town; Mapquest info I brought would have sent me thru the worst
traffic. Rainy all AM for our drive on
the Autobahn. Kay notes the first ausfahrt
(exit); Marjorie’s allowing me 5 giggles with this word on the trip, but this
one counts against Kay. Autobahn doesn’t
seem as intimidating as expected, but maybe rain slows things down. Seems like our Thruway, I pass some and am
passed by others. I mostly go 120-130,
sometimes up to 140 (km/hr, about 85 mph), some go whooshing
by us.
Pretty countryside along the
road, even in rain, some spots of snow still in mountaintops (but just
wait!). A stop at a rest area to buy
Austrian “road use” ticket for the windshield, used instead of tolls (a big
fine if caught without it). Kay’s in the
backseat mentally checking her underwear inventory to see if she has enough; maybe
we should have brought some car games to keep her occupied.
St. Peter’s church: an ornate
interior, pretty cemetery w/ individual garden plots. Then we climb up a cliff to caves, catacombs,
views. Funicular (a favorite conveyance
for Marjorie) up to Hohensalzburg
fortress above town. 
Beautiful views
over the town, mountains looming nearby.
Somewhat disappointing interior tour, lots of climbing (including round &
round in towers, not a favorite of Marjorie’s), but some interesting “state
rooms” & marionette museum (which sets the stage for tomorrow night). Back down to wander more.
We round a corner to discover an Easter egg shop, countless eggs & styles. A cottage industry here, eggs are recycled from a pasta factory. There are even seasonal eggs. Marjorie finds a couple additions for her collection.
Dinner at Gasthaus zur Goldener Ente (Golden Duck): excellent pork, wienerschnitzel, venison stew. Bus back to B&B about 9pm.
We round a corner to discover an Easter egg shop, countless eggs & styles. A cottage industry here, eggs are recycled from a pasta factory. There are even seasonal eggs. Marjorie finds a couple additions for her collection.
Dinner at Gasthaus zur Goldener Ente (Golden Duck): excellent pork, wienerschnitzel, venison stew. Bus back to B&B about 9pm.
Saturday,
May 27:
Rain during the night, quite windy at times, but mostly dry & continued cool during the day. We don’t do any of the “Sound of Music” excursions (Steves book has a section on “SOM debunked”). Today will be our “Mozart Day.” First to the little breakfast room at the B&B: cereals, breads, cheeses & meats, tasty “multijuice,” excellent coffee. M & K present Helga with some Wisconsin stuff, including a “Cheesehead” pin.
Rain during the night, quite windy at times, but mostly dry & continued cool during the day. We don’t do any of the “Sound of Music” excursions (Steves book has a section on “SOM debunked”). Today will be our “Mozart Day.” First to the little breakfast room at the B&B: cereals, breads, cheeses & meats, tasty “multijuice,” excellent coffee. M & K present Helga with some Wisconsin stuff, including a “Cheesehead” pin.
Bus into town, over a bridge to the
other side of Salzach River. Many tents along the river for art market, M
& K will check this out later. A
quick stop into Sacher Hotel; we saw the other (original) in Vienna, both are home to famous Sacher
Torte. To Mozart Wohnhaus; family moved here when
Amadeus was 17, it’s described as the “most informative
Mozart site.” A good audiotour,
interesting memorabilia. Set of game
targets on the wall includes one with a kid’s bare bottom as the target;
childhood seems to have had its silly moments then, too. Various Mozart trinkets available, from quill
pens to golf balls. Kay has trouble
picking a Mozart CD. I show her a 10-CD
box, she says “Put that back!”; guess she’s not that big a fan. Also lots of places around town to get Mozart
Kugeln (candy truffles).
Into nearby
Mirabell Palace gardens: nice splashes of yellow & purple flowers on an
overcast AM, a view of steeples beyond & the fortress across the river
looming above. Lots of tour groups
appearing now. We see temp sign of 17° C
(65° F, about as warm as we get on
the trip). 
First
a shop with interesting caricature cards for astrology signs, various types of
musicians, etc., then we split up. M
& K head for the art market & other shops. I wander from platz to platz. Unusual walk/don’t walk signs at crosswalks make
clicking sounds at different speeds as audio cues. 
A stroll again thru pretty St. Peter’s cemetery, than into the Dom (cathedral). Altar festooned with quilts & other decorations by children, a choral group performing; seems like a college chorus on tour, songs like “Amazing Grace” & “Oh, Sinner Man.” The next platz has quite a combination: a 7-person musical group performing, two older men playing on a giant chess board, an upside-down helicopter (an artistic thing) next to a medieval fountain alongside the Dom. I rejoin M & K, who’d seen a firefighter celebration with bands & trucks. Lunch at Sternbräu Inn, outdoors but under an overhanging roof (fortunate, since it begins to rain while we’re eating): a tasty combo of soups, cheeses, breads, & beer. Back to the B&B for a break.
We don’t need
dinner, but back to Cafe Getreidegasse
for bread pudding, quiche, strudel. Some
rain while crossing the river to Salzburger Marionetten Theatre and our
reserved seats for 7:30 performance
of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”
Marionette theaters are a very European thing, common in major
cities. Son Matt was in the orchestra
for one at Spoleto, Italy festival some years ago. It’s clearly not just for kids, but instead a
significant cultural event. The 350-seat
theater is sold out, many people quite dressed up. This company started in 1913, some early
marionettes exhibited in lobby. The
opera is a fully staged production: beautiful sets, striking marionettes an art
form in themselves. Orchestra & singing are recorded, a running
synopsis of the story line projected on side walls in several languages. The staging and perspective make the marionettes
seem life-size, so at the end when puppeteers are shown to take a bow they seem
like giants. It’s a fabulous
experience! Across the river afterward
to catch our bus, the fortress & other buildings lighted for a pretty
scene. Should we take the “Disco
Express” bus to continue our evening?
Nah, it’s back to Helga’s B&B.
Sunday,
May 28:
We pop in Kay’s Mozart CD, head off past Berchtesgaden onto part of the scenic Deutsche Alpenstrasse: alongside a rushing stream with very milky water from runoff, mountains appear in and out of the rain & clouds. Turnouts to stop are hard to spot, but at one place I turn back for photos of a classic view (one I’d seen in Traveler magazine): town (Ramsau) w/ steeples, mountains w/ snow splotches on top, flowers & sheep in foreground. Bikers coming up the steep road ̶ Whew! Our group’s getting a bit slap-happy in the rain, so a stop for kaffee in heavy mugs (we’ve noticed Germans don’t seem to give refills) plus hausgemacht (home-made) pastries. Another Autobahn stretch with very heavy rain, ranging from merely torrential to positively Biblical, then we work our way on other roads to Oberammergau.
Lodging at Gasthof Bayerischer Löewe in center of town, a very large room w/
sofa & extra single bed. Short walk
to Passionspielhaus, theater for famous Passion Play held every 10
years. 
Excellent dinner at our hotel: shared
bottle of Riesling to unwind; sauerbraten, tafelspitz (boiled
beef), farmer’s plate w/ variety of
meats & dumplings, cabbage, sauerkraut.
A discussion continued from our Vienna trip: are there cranberries here,
or lingenberries? ̶ Kay thinks the latter. We confirm
we’ve been seeing the blue & white Bavarian flag in decorations. Friendly waitress keeps egging us on to “eat
Bavarian,” culminating in shared special dessert, Kaiserschmarren mit
apfelmus: heaping plate of pancake-like pieces w/ apple puree, brought to
the table ceremoniously with a sparkler.
We’re so full! Best meal of the
trip, antacids consumed during the night.
This is another family business, little kids playing in the restaurant
while dad is chef, other family handle various staff tasks.
A stroll in town to digest, admiring the many
frescoes on buildings, wood carvings (a craft specialty here) in many shop
windows, sculptures along the sidewalks, low clouds among the mountains looming
above. Rick Steves describes this as
“the Shirley Temple of Bavarian villages.”
This was a big umbrella day, including Kay’s with Mozart music on it;
temp only about 11° C (52 F). We agree
with CNN that Europe weather is
“unsettled.” First CNN news in a while:
many killed in Indonesia earthquake and (of less import) Angelina & Brad’s
baby born at resort in Namibia. Marjorie
wins an UNO game to cap off the day.
A stroll in town to digest, admiring the many
frescoes on buildings, wood carvings (a craft specialty here) in many shop
windows, sculptures along the sidewalks, low clouds among the mountains looming
above. Rick Steves describes this as
“the Shirley Temple of Bavarian villages.”
This was a big umbrella day, including Kay’s with Mozart music on it;
temp only about 11° C (52 F). We agree
with CNN that Europe weather is
“unsettled.” First CNN news in a while:
many killed in Indonesia earthquake and (of less import) Angelina & Brad’s
baby born at resort in Namibia. Marjorie
wins an UNO game to cap off the day. 
Monday,
May 29:
Modeled after Versailles, Linderhof is a modest-sized
place nestled in a valley with beautiful Italian gardens and extensions going
up the slopes front & behind. I’m
getting more practice at juggling umbrella and camera. Ornate interior (no interior photos allowed),
opened up & magnified by many mirrors.
Ludwig seems to have been a pretty sad guy, lived all alone, not even
much contact with servants ̶ meals delivered on a table rising thru the
floor. Many knick-knacks, chandeliers,
etc.; guide says they dust every day!
Steep climb uphill to Venus Grotto, largest artificial cave in Europe (begging the question of how many people created such things; oh well, Marjorie loves caves real or not). Complete with stalactites & stalagmites, artificial waterfall, mural & boat as scenes from Wagner’s Tannhäuser (“Pilgrim’s Chorus” playing as we enter) (photo from the internet); more on the Ludwig/Wagner link later. Also Moorish (used as a tearoom) & Moroccan Kiosks with beautiful interior tiling & colorful windows. The sun’s trying to shine. Many bus groups arriving; my group thanks me for getting us here early to beat crowds ̶ hardly anyone in the parking lots then & nice small groups for our tours. Kay & I work to keep up with Marjorie on hills; her treadmill & elliptical fitness routines serve well on this trip. Coffee & pastries at pretty hotel restaurant on the grounds; asparagus soup for Kay. As is common here, we distribute our own silverware & napkins. Kay’s pining for the Temple of the Sun in Peru ̶ get over it! Marjorie won’t let me buy a cardboard knight helmet in the gift shop.
Back
into town, some museums closed but shops open.
Rain pretty steady again, but not too bad while shopping. M & K browse thru wood-carver & other
pretty shops. I check out a pretty
church & cemetery. 
We’re about to leave, but Puppenhausland is now open!: dollhouse & miniatures stuff, tho nothing Marjorie wants to buy.
Short drive to Weiskirche, a pilgrimage church about which Rick Steves waxes quite
poetic: “looking as brilliant as the day it floated down from heaven.” Incredibly ornate “rococo” baroque
interior. But the experience is marred
by crowds/noise of bus groups, a camera set up on long boom for some
filming. 
Hotel restaurant for another excellent meal: Scottish (really?) salmon for M, “regional delicacies” of roast pork & cheese pasta for K & R. Shared dessert plate: white chocolate mousse, nougat eis (ice cream), tasty raspberries & kiwi fruit. This is another family operation, run by brother/sister, plus seem to be grandkids in the restaurant while grandparents cook & wait tables. We seem the only guests, tho a few more here tomorrow.
Brighter & a little sun, so a drive after
dinner, pretty views of valley & church, castle above. Into a Shell gas/convenience store. First fillup of benzin bleifrei, 33 liters for 43 €; I calculate this to be about
$7.40/gallon! (tho as Dave Barry might say, doing so many conversions is like
figuring kilowatts per centipede). A big
store, everything from wine to fresh produce.
And hooray!, we find “Jumpys,” a favorite kangaroo-shaped snack from our
Vienna-Prague-Budapest trip. Marjorie’s
also fond of Ritter chocolate bars, Kay of a chocolate candy with liquid coffee
center; happily, they share with the driver.
We’ve also seen lots of Lindt chocolate with, like Vienna,
distinctive flavors not found in US market. Back to our hotel, lulled to sleep by
cowbells.
Tuesday,
May 30:
It’s castle day! Rainy & cold, I watch out our window as
big fat snowflakes start to fall. How
amusing … but just wait. Another nice breakfast,
especially tasty yogurt. Snowing heavily
now (but melting here in the valley) as I walk to ticket center at the
crossroads (we’d reserved AM English tour via internet). Not very crowded, numerous parking areas
mostly empty; judging by the capacity, they must handle lots of people
in peak season.
Various options for
getting to the castle: a very steep 30-minute hike, horse & carriage, or
bus. We choose bus, tho they sell only
1-way tickets in case they have to stop the bus due to snow. Even locals seem amazed by the weather, snow
not expected now after some 30’ during winter; we lack gloves & other
wintery gear, but some clothes layering to fend off the chill. We wait a while with big escorted tour
groups, on the bus a tour group leader starts a round of “Jingle Bells.”
Up to near Schloss Neuschwanstein, then a short walk to Marienbrücke, bridge over a gorge/waterfall with famous castle
view. This “ultimate fairy-tale castle”
is reportedly the model for Disney’s Sleeping
Beauty Castle. Bridge becoming icy, fog & snow flying
toward my camera make photos a challenge; Marjorie says she already has
postcards for the view. Nonetheless,
snow on trees, clouds among mountains make for some spectacular scenery,
especially a panoramic view of mountains, lake, other castle (Schloss Hohenschwangau) far below.
Then a steep 10-minute walk down to Neuschwanstein for our tour (again no
interior photos, but here's a couple from the internet). Very different castle
from Linderhof: that was very French,
this is very German, much larger &
darker, less colorful. Ludwig was
friend/patron of Wagner, so Wagnerian opera themes thruout the castle. Only 1/3 finished, was to be “holiday” castle
not main residence. Never built a throne
for the spectacular throne room. A small
“cave” area here too, this one inside the castle. Impressive “Singers’ Hall” now used for
concerts. Our group includes Marist College
students from Poughkeepsie (south of Albany). Hot drinks & apfelküchen before interesting “multivision” presentation on
Ludwig. Deposed as legally “unfit,”
bodies of him and his psychiatrist were taken from a lake a couple of days
later ̶ no one knows what really happened.
We walk down thru beautiful lush forest, rushing streams, passed by horse carriages. Marjorie spots local wildlife: 2-3” long slugs on the road ̶ yuck! Very interesting several hours at the castle, but we’ll skip “Ludwig 2: Das Musical” (as advertised on posters). Weather shifts thruout the day: fog, breaks (brief!) of sun & blue sky, mixed rain/snow, thunder. Kay suggests Ludwig suffered from “seasonal affective disorder.” Readout on car dashboard displays snowflake symbol & temp of 2.5° (37 F)!
Up to near Schloss Neuschwanstein, then a short walk to Marienbrücke, bridge over a gorge/waterfall with famous castle
view. This “ultimate fairy-tale castle”
is reportedly the model for Disney’s Sleeping
Beauty Castle. Bridge becoming icy, fog & snow flying
toward my camera make photos a challenge; Marjorie says she already has
postcards for the view. Nonetheless,
snow on trees, clouds among mountains make for some spectacular scenery,
especially a panoramic view of mountains, lake, other castle (Schloss Hohenschwangau) far below. 
We walk down thru beautiful lush forest, rushing streams, passed by horse carriages. Marjorie spots local wildlife: 2-3” long slugs on the road ̶ yuck! Very interesting several hours at the castle, but we’ll skip “Ludwig 2: Das Musical” (as advertised on posters). Weather shifts thruout the day: fog, breaks (brief!) of sun & blue sky, mixed rain/snow, thunder. Kay suggests Ludwig suffered from “seasonal affective disorder.” Readout on car dashboard displays snowflake symbol & temp of 2.5° (37 F)!
To Schwangau for lunch at Landgasthaus zur Post: goulash &
asparagus soups mit bier. What now?
Doesn’t seem a good day for our original plan to drive for more Alps
scenery and maybe gondola ride into mountains.
We spot a “spa” sign, M & K think they might enjoy massages. Marjorie knocks on a (wrong) door, the woman
says nicht about massages. We suspect she goes to alert neighbors about
some American perverts. Marjorie & I
decide on castle tour #2, Kay heads for “luxury shopping” area near hotels
(turns out to be very pricy, geared to Japanese tourists).
Up to Schloss Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig & brother Otto (also declared “unfit”) spent their childhood. Marjorie can’t get our tickets to open the gate into our tour, then realizes she’s using ones for the other castle ̶ right castle, wrong tickets; now we’re even for my “Where’s the castle?” moment in Ireland (never mind, it’s our own little joke). Very interesting tour, much smaller group. Castle is cozier, more lived-in, including pretty furniture, billiards, music, & reading rooms. It’s much older, originally 12th C & restored in 1830s; other Ludwig castles date to late 19th C. Exterior partly covered for restoration work. Many swan symbols around; Schwangau = “highland of the swan.” Kay finds a pretty little swan for Marjorie’s miniature case.
Up to Schloss Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig & brother Otto (also declared “unfit”) spent their childhood. Marjorie can’t get our tickets to open the gate into our tour, then realizes she’s using ones for the other castle ̶ right castle, wrong tickets; now we’re even for my “Where’s the castle?” moment in Ireland (never mind, it’s our own little joke). Very interesting tour, much smaller group. Castle is cozier, more lived-in, including pretty furniture, billiards, music, & reading rooms. It’s much older, originally 12th C & restored in 1830s; other Ludwig castles date to late 19th C. Exterior partly covered for restoration work. Many swan symbols around; Schwangau = “highland of the swan.” Kay finds a pretty little swan for Marjorie’s miniature case.
Wednesday,
May 31:
Rain thru the night, overcast &
damp AM. Kay sees smoke from chimneys
outside her window, so she knows it’s still brisk. Car temp reads 2° (36 F).
South into Austria again, mixed rain/snow
drizzle & low clouds. “Billa”
grocery stop for picnic stuff for tonight.
Castle ruins barely visible thru fog outside Reutte. Past Zugspitz, highest peak in Germany; it’s only a rumor obscured by clouds; it’s
not the day to do cable cars for high-elevation views. Many sheds along the road and into the
mountains. What are they for? We give Kay the librarian the assignment of
researching this when she gets back home.
A pretty drive thru mountains along a rushing
stream. A burst of sun, our first use of
sunglasses! ̶ but it doesn’t last.
Into Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany’s “top alpine resort,” also a “climatic health resort” (presumably in better weather!). A beautiful setting: surrounded by pretty mountains (partly obscured), snow in trees higher up, lovely church steeple chiming, nice pedestrian area w/ interesting shops, pretty frescoes on buildings. Another good hotel restaurant for lunch: wienerschnitzel, potato soup, boiled sausages, unusual cold sausage salad. During lunch a hard rain with hail, then brief sunny break. More shop browsing for M & K, Kay finds nice walking shoes. Subway & McDonald’s here; Marjorie gets some McD coffee (it’s good even there).
Pretty drive to Mittenwald,
more mountains all around amid the rain.
Frommer’s: “often called the most beautiful town in the Bavarian Alps.”
more
Known especially for beautifully decorated buildings; very striking center area & church. Would have spent more time and enjoyed it more, but we’re finally getting beaten down a bit by the cold & damp.
South into Austria again, mixed rain/snow
drizzle & low clouds. “Billa”
grocery stop for picnic stuff for tonight.
Castle ruins barely visible thru fog outside Reutte. Past Zugspitz, highest peak in Germany; it’s only a rumor obscured by clouds; it’s
not the day to do cable cars for high-elevation views. Many sheds along the road and into the
mountains. What are they for? We give Kay the librarian the assignment of
researching this when she gets back home.
A pretty drive thru mountains along a rushing
stream. A burst of sun, our first use of
sunglasses! ̶ but it doesn’t last. 
Into Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany’s “top alpine resort,” also a “climatic health resort” (presumably in better weather!). A beautiful setting: surrounded by pretty mountains (partly obscured), snow in trees higher up, lovely church steeple chiming, nice pedestrian area w/ interesting shops, pretty frescoes on buildings. Another good hotel restaurant for lunch: wienerschnitzel, potato soup, boiled sausages, unusual cold sausage salad. During lunch a hard rain with hail, then brief sunny break. More shop browsing for M & K, Kay finds nice walking shoes. Subway & McDonald’s here; Marjorie gets some McD coffee (it’s good even there).
Pretty drive to Mittenwald,
more mountains all around amid the rain.
Frommer’s: “often called the most beautiful town in the Bavarian Alps.” 
more 
Known especially for beautifully decorated buildings; very striking center area & church. Would have spent more time and enjoyed it more, but we’re finally getting beaten down a bit by the cold & damp.
Onto Autobahn (which is a number of
different “A” roads) for return to Munich. Traffic not too bad until near the city at
rush hour; but pretty easily around Munich with airport route clearly
marked. After a few missteps we find
Arabella Sheraton Airport Hotel München. Nice room, more Americanized than we like,
but it’s very comfy and close to airport.
A bit warmer (12°, or 55 F) &
a little brighter, not raining. Out to
gas up the car (18 l, 24 €); all told we’ve spent about 68 € ($85) for gas to
drive 766 km (475 miles). I get USA
Today to catch up on sports news ̶ basketball & hockey playoffs still in
progress. We all get a little silly
picnicking in our room on breads & cheeses, raspberries, a little bottle of
Riesling. CNN: the rains are “cleaning the
atmosphere” in Central Europe. We’re glad that our wet experience has been
of service to the environment.
Thursday,
June 1:
Another chilly, wet AM. I wake up with “Pilgrim’s Chorus” in my
head. Breakfast buffet included with
Kay’s room but not ours ̶ guess that’s what I got in selecting “best
rate.” Short drive to the airport, signs
to Mietwagen (car rental) to return
our trusty car. M & K head to “Cash
Refund” desk to get something back from VAT on purchases, but have to wait
until Dusseldorf (last stop in Europe). Marjorie & I get some breakfast,
including a last apfelstrudel mit sahne
(cream) for me. M & K find other
munchies to take back to family & friends.
Marjorie gets us seats by the emergency exit for extra legroom on the
flight to Dusseldorf. Flight leaves on time at 10:35, and there’s
sun above the clouds!; even the flight attendant jokes about it. Oops: I leave our special travel pillows from
Pamela (Matt’s mother-in-law) at the arrival gate while fiddling with carry-on
stuff. I head back and a kindly
Lufthansa person goes to the gate to bring them out. Vielen dank! Marjorie finds
the tax-back people annoying, only gets 2 €!
Kay does better thanks to her shoe purchase, and a lineup of Japanese
tourists with many receipts is receiving 50-60+ € apiece. Thru several security checks, much use of
wands over our bodies but they leave our cavities alone. A pile of “Florida Sun” magazines at the end
of the jetway before getting on the last flight seems cruel. On-time arrival JFK at 4pm. It’s good to be a “citizen” ̶ long
passport/visa lines for the LTU “visitors,” but only a few Americans on the
flight for our line. Matt & Willy
meet us and we drive back to Matt’s for a brief visit. Ferocious rain & lightning on the Thruway
heading back to Albany seems a fitting weather conclusion. (Kay has a further litany of adventures
returning home: she has to deplane and await another plane, is locked out at
home because locks were changed on her building, a power brown-out, a notice
from Health Department of too much manganese in the water! Maybe the Bavarian weather was all her
fault?) Back home a little after 10pm. Very rainy in Albany while we were away (our lush
grass needs mowing!), plus several more days of rain after we return. Oh well, it’s not officially summer yet.
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