Where Clouds Rule the Sky

In Garmisch-Partenkirchen the chance of a sunny day is always below 25%. 

So that explains all the clouds we encountered there. 

At the top of the Alpspitze

We had great plans to go to the top of the Zugpsitze, 

but what's the point if you can't see anything once you are there? 

So we went to the top of the Alpspitze. 

The AlpsPIX viewing platform in a cloud. 

We still didn't see much 

but it didn't hurt our wallets quite as much either. 

On one of those rare sunny days, 

the view from here must be stunning. 

And the viewing platforms hanging off the mountain over the valley would be amazing. 

We hiked down through the clouds enjoying what we could see. 

I love German cows.
I love the sound of the cowbells even more. 

And then we went to the baker for bread, 

the brewer for beer, 

the cheese shop for cheese, 

and the butcher for meats. 

I love that. 

We had our picnic lunch in front of our hotel. 

It was a great day, clouds and all. 

Oh, and here's what the brochures and travel guides show you: 

www.bavaria.by

But remember, chances of that view are less than 25%. 

I'm not sure I would recommend a summer stay here 

unless you are prepared for perpetual clouds. 

http://www.plz-postleitzahl.de/

Garmisch Partenkirchen is in southern Germany just north of the Austrian Border. 

Alpspix Ausichtsplattform, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

A Promise Kept

In my last post I shared the beauty of Ettal Abbey. 

Today we will visit the village of Ettal which has a population of just about 800 people.  

What really puts Ettal on the map is the Passion Play. 

A Sample of the Lüftlmalarei painted on houses.

The Passion play is performed once every 10 years going back to   

1633 when the villagers prayed for protection from the plague 

during the time of the 30 years war. 

They promised God if he would spare them from the plague

 they would perform a play about the life of Christ. 

Today, the play is still performed by the local villagers. 

Now that is what I call keeping a promise! 

We were not there during the year a of the performance, 

that will occur next in 2020. 

But Ettal has beautiful Lüftlmalarei* adorning the houses. 

*painted scenes on houses

And the area has a strong tradition of woodworking and handcrafts. 

If you are in the area, it is worth a visit. 

It is a good place for souvenirs as well. 

In fact in all our travels in Germany, 

we noted they value handwork. 

I don't recall seeing anything made in China. 

What a welcome change from the USA. 

A woodworker working on Christ. 

Oh...and here is something else you don't see in America...

sausage vending machines. 

Imagine that? 

As beautiful as these places are...

I still haven't shared my favorite location! 

Stay tuned! 

http://www.tompgalvin.com/places/de/bayern/1_de_by.htm

The Beauty of Ettal Abbey

Ettal Abbey

Welcome to Ettal Abbey, 

what a grand entrance 

on a not so grand day. 

Dome Frescoes

But the cold & cloudiness didn't stop us from enjoying the beauty of this 14c abbey. 

In the 1700s the abbey was rebuilt in the Bavarian rococo style. 

Through The Pillars

They 50+ monks here must produce and earn their keep
so here you will also find a brewery, hotel and publishing house.

Looking at the Arched Entry

Sadly all has not been beautiful at the Abbey. 

Since 2010 the abbey has been under investigation for physical and sexual abuses of children. 

So sad. 

Remembering Aubrey Mae Yeiter,
our first grandchild taken to heaven too soon. 

You can visit the abbey at no charge when open. 

Check the hours before going. 

These and other pictures of the Abbey can be seen here. 

Benediktinerabtei Ettal

Kaiser-Ludwig-Platz 1

82488 Ettal

Telephone: +49 (0)8822 740

Fax: +49 (0)8822 74228

Email: verwaltung@kloster-ettal.de

Homepage: http://www.kloster-ettal.de

http://www.tompgalvin.com/places/de/bayern/1_de_by.htm

Destination: Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Say that 5 times fast....

so we'll just call it GaPa for short 

like they do in Germany. 

All is quiet at 7:30 am. 

GaPa is the location we chose as our base for exploring southern Bavaria. 

I am sooo glad we chose to stay on Ludwigstrasse in Partenkirchen. 

It is so quaint and easily walkable. 

The outer parts of the town reminded me more of a suburban town back home. 

Ludwigstrasse is a little sleepy - since everything shuts down in the evenings except the restaurants.

We stayed at Gasthaus Fraundorfer, 

which was the happening place. 

They offer live music in the evenings and keep a packed house in their restaurant. 

Love the shop signs in the German villages. 

The place is rustic and I can easily see this a skier's hotel in winter. 

In summer, the area tends toward cloudiness and rain 

due to its proximity to the Alps. 

I guess you can't have it all. 

View from our window. 

During our 4 nights there in August 

we were freezing! 

We were not prepared for the cold, damp temps in August. 

That is something not in the guide books! 

Bavarian Details

I can tell you that after visiting these German villages, 

setting up my little German Village at Christmas time 

will take on a whole new meaning.

Fountain on Ludwigstrasse

For more pictures from GaPa, click here. 

http://www.tompgalvin.com/places/de/bayern/1_de_by.htm

Following Cousin Christian to Tegernsee

Teacher Girl, Sailor Boy, Mr. Engineer, Cousin Christian, Me, Soccer Boy

If you've been following along with our travel adventures, 

then it is time you met Cousin Christian. 

Christian is my husband's second cousin...

and he is the best! 

Following Christian aka "Drives With No Hands"... How does he do that? 

Christian took care of us like no other during our Bavarian part of the trip. 

He'd meet us early at our hotel, guide us to destinations, 

then return to Munich in the evening to get some work done and then do it all again. 

Looking Across Lake Tegernsee

On our trip from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 

we lunched at Tegernsee Abbey.  

Tegernsee Abbey is a former Benedictine Monastery 

and now hosts the Bräustüberl Beer Hall. 

Tegernsee Abbey

Just a note on German food. 

I really don't like it and it doesn't like me. 

My stomach rumbled a lot after eating even though I tried to find salads and non-pork dishes. 

I also don't drink beer and getting tap water is impossible. 

Although you can order "still water" it costs more than beer...

and more than gasoline. 

(In one place, I snuck my glass to the bathroom to get water. 

Shhhh. They would freak out and send me a bill.)

The Two Voices of Reason: We're cousins by marriage.

Somewhere behind us (above) is a residence for the King of Bavaria, I had no idea Bavaria still had a king!

"Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern (born 14 July 1933), 

styled His Royal Highness The Duke of Bavaria,

 is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria." From Wikipedia

Leaving Tegernsee 

And now that we had lunch we are on the road following Christian again. 

We just followed. 

Wherever he was taking us was fine with us. 

Dipping Our Toes in Bad Tölz

Early Tuesday morning Cousin Christian met us at out hotel in Munich

and took us out touring Bavaria. 

It is great to have your own family member as a tour guide. 

Marktstrasse, Bad Tölz

We stopped at Bad Tölz, 

which has an old town of frescoed buildings. 

Bad Tölz reinvented itself in the mid 1800s 

after the discovery of mineral springs. 

Today, Bad Tölz offers you to 'take the waters' 

and an ultra modern swimming complex. 

But that's not my thing. 

Instead we put out toes in the chilly Isar River.

The Isar River

On Friday mornings Bad Tölz hosts a large farmers' market, 

but we were there on a Wednesday  

so we just walked through the streets and ate some ice cream. 

Die Kirche am Kalvarienberg 

The guide books made me feel as though Bad Tölz 

was not to be missed, 

but I would not recommend it as such. 

Yes, it was nice, but

there are so many old quaint historic towns to visit, 

I recommend you visit the ones on your route, 

don't make a detour.  

Kaspar III 
We came home to the USA pulling down its statues. That's just craziness.
History is both good and bad, remember all of it lest you forget the good and repeat the bad. 

And Bad Tölz has very limited parking. 

We received a parking ticket when we thought we were parked legally, 

but the 'no parking' sign was out of the way and not very visible. 

Even Cousin Christian didn't see it. 

Marie-Himmelfahrt Kirche

To see more of my images from Bad Tölz, click here. 

A Day in Munich

We landed in Munich in the morning and took the train to Marienplatz. 

Perfect timing...we came up from the train and it was time for the glockenspiel. 

The Glockenspiel in Marienplatz, Munich

We had one day in Munich...

we knew it wasn't enough but we had places to go and people to see. 

So we had to make the best of it. 

Hofbrauhaus Munich

Lunch at the Hofbrauhaus because the kids had never been 

and you have to go at least once. 

...And in an alley outside the Hofbrauhaus is a plaque with the family name: Hägele. 

That's why we came after all...family. 

"Hägele"

We made our way to the English Garden. 

New and Old Combined. 

You really need a day and a bike to explore the whole garden, 

but for us seeing the surfers would suffice. 

Surfing in the Eisbach

And a memorial on the way back to the city. 

Monopterus Monument, The English Garden, Munich

Then a peek in a church. 

St. Ludwig's, Munich

Some more sightseeing as we make our way to the Viktualienmarkt. 

Ludwig I, Munich

The Viktualienmarkt is where you will find the May Pole 

and lots of yummy foods. 

May Pole, Munich

But I went to St Peter's Tower

for a bird's eye view of Munich instead. 

Munich from St Peter's Church Tower

Here's something the guidebooks won't tell you...

Munich from St Peter's Church Tower

Some people decide to view the glockenspiel from the church tower. 

It created a CLOG of people waiting. 

I looked across the way at the Rathaus tower and no one was on their tower. 

Before you choose a tower to climb, 

look up and see how crowded it is first. 

I'd pick the least crowded next time. 

In the morning it was time to leave already, 

but I took a quick walk myself before saying goodbye. 

Max. Joseph in the Morning

In hindsight we should have stayed in Munich longer, 

I think the kids would have liked that. 

For more Munich photos, click here.