Munich, Germany

We have arrived in Munich. This was our last full day in Germany....and it was overcast. With umbrellas in hand we made out way through the city and made the most of our day.

"Situated in the picturesque Marienplatz in Munich, this ornate clock tower is the biggest of its kind in Germany. There are 43 bells in total with a weight range of 20 to 2600 lbs.
The figures recreate a dance in remembrance of the "Schaffler's dance" during the hardest years of the plague in 1515-1517." 

I did enjoy all the green space in Germany...even within the cities. The people took pride in their surroundings and that was evident in almost every place we visited.

Maybe my husband will remember where this was taken....as for me, I think I was just about ready to take a long plane ride home.

You really should not visit Munich without a stop to the Hofbrauhaus. Our group had to split up because the place was full...and it is a rather large establishment. The tables are long, picnic style, and you have to sit with people you do not know if you are going to get a seat. You don't wait to be seated...you just sit yourself down. Four of us sat with a couple that traveled to United States and could speak a little English, so that was fun. They helped us understand how to eat some of our food....and could they drink the beer!  

I wish we had more pictures of this day....it will always be in my mind. The band playing traditional beer house music, the warmth of being all together, the noise, the laughter, the languages.....

After lunch we made our way back to the city square. We had a few minutes to ourselves, so we walked around and stumbled across this lady. She is a Living Statue. I thought she was a lovely statue and then I saw people were putting money in the container in front of her...and she came to life!!! I almost started screaming something like, "She is alive! She is alive!" It is absolutely amazing how still she could be and then, quite suddenly, come to life!

And then there was this fellow. (I think the clip is of him, too.) He was good at drawing in the children and he made funny noises that made us all giggle.

Another hotel room....which looked just like a room would look in the states, except for the bed coverings.

We were back in the city....no pretty view of the mountains anymore. This was the view form our room.

But we did have a lovely bathroom with......

a SHOWER DOOR!!!!

We brought two large suitcases with us and we tucked inside two empty bags to carry all our treasures. It was now time to lighten the loads in the suitcases and organize everything for our trip home.

And there we go....we are ready for a trip to the airport.

Last dinner with the group....and our Germany friends each received a Packer hat....which seems so timely to post right now. Tomorrow the  Green Bay Packers will be playing the Chicago Bears....and the winner will be going to the Super Bowl. Can't say that about the Minnesota Vikings. : )

We made it to the airport.....

where we enjoyed a few minutes of Internet.....and just three movies later....we were home.

Oberammergau

We have arrived in Oberammergau...for two nights this would be our home. Our first business of the day was to told up this sign so we would be on this web cam.We had so many people back at home logging on at the same time, it shut down. Some people saw us, like our daughter. (I don't know what happened to the S's.....but I wasn't going to say anything.)

The rooms at the Hotel Alte Post are like a bed and breakfast and all unique.

This was our luxury item....remember, no air conditioning....so a fan was certainly appreciated.

A nice adequate restroom.....

.....with a less than adequate shower! IF you wanted to stand, you had to huddle behind this tiny piece of glass....where you could see your self in the mirror. Water sprayed everywhere! I just don't get it....

This gift store was right across from our hotel....so quaint.

And this local resident, Anton, with his long hair for the play, is the owner of our hotel. He played Caiaphas....and he played it very well. After the play I had to tell  myself that he really was a nice guy.

Our dining hall. When you visit Oberammergau for the Passion Play you buy a package deal which includes your room, where you will eat, and tickets for the production. I believe 4,000 people see the production at any given time and you can't let a group that size just go anywhere they want to in the small town. Everything is organized and it works flawlessly.

We picked out all our meals on the first day, including dessert, of course. This greatly simplified the process.

I will always remember this spot...up on the mountain. We were there for the celebration of Crazy King Ludwig's birthday. That evening many people gathered on the side of that mountain with torches. They made a cross and a crown....which were quite stunning. That happened at around 9:30 p.m. We watched until they began marching down the side of the mountain with their torches in hand...that is when we went to bed. At about midnight they were in the streets of Oberammergau....hooting and hollering while banging on drums! It was almost scary....then it died down and about two hours later it started up again. Crazy King Ludwig...I will never forget you.

My husband and I did not go with our tour group for a morning tour....we stayed in town and did some shopping and site seeing.

It is a lovely town...

Most funny sign EVER!

We visited a local museum with many wood carvings depicting accounts in the Bible.

Back to our dining hall with the windows open completely.

Many of the buildings in town have detailed paintings covering the outside walls.

Ausfahrt is the word used for every exit ramp off the highway. We should have bought this shirt....at least we took a picture.

We are on to the Passion Play.The play is performed in two parts and it is very long...each part is over 3 hours. It is in German but we were provided a book with the English  translation and it was surprisingly easy to follow. You do need a flashlight for the 2nd half, though....if you forget to take one along on your trip you can buy one in town.

You are covered from the elements although the stage is still open to the night air.

Our seats were AWESOME....we were in the fourth row, I believe. The Passion Play is something you probably only do once in a lifetime, if you are able to at all. The cast is all town's people and they give a very professional performance. Most stunning scene was the crucifixion of our Lord....especially since it was right in front of us. It was very realistic and while I could picture the events of that day before, seeing the play has made the sufferings of Christ even more meaningful to me.

God's Creation in Germany

We are coming to the end of our trip....however, there are still a few places to go and things to see!

The lovely flowers continued to be present just about everywhere.

We took a boat ride on the Konigssee.

A few dogs joined us on the boat.

The water was emerald green and quite peaceful.

A little stop along the way.

One of Hitler's bunkers...and the place was huge! There were many areas we were not allowed to see.

It was kind of creepy walking around the place.

We went from the depths of Hitler's bunker to the heights of the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus)....a retreat area for Hitler given to him on his 50th birthday.

It is a remarkably beautiful place. We had lunch here, in the clouds....they blew in and covered us all so we could not see, then suddenly they blew out and we could see for miles!

Waiting for our food...

One of the views as we waited...it was rough waiting.

Look at all that color.

This was taken on our way to Oberammergau.

This was actually kind of scary...rushing water with a railing along one side of the bridge.

This is Jean and we dressed in the same colors that day.

Next stop Oberammergau and the Passion Play.