Bad Heilbrunn
Tuesday 19th August - Friday 22nd August 2008
Elizabeth took us to the station to catch the 9.03 train to Munich. Gabriele met us at the station and drove us to her home in Bad Heilbrunn. She took advantage of Kitty's visit to practise her English. She and Peter have a beautiful home with a very nice secluded garden. I hadn't seen the garden in summer so it was a real treat. We had lunch on the terrace overlooking the garden - very sophisticated. Gabriele asked us what we'd like to see. I'd already seen a bit of the Bavarian Alps but it was all new to Kitty so we worked out a program for the next few days.
First stop was the Alm which I had visited before with Don. It's real Heidi country - cows being taken up to the Alm to graze on pastures in the summer and down to the farm for the winter. We walked to the farm and cheeseworks where I bought cheese and Speck for Elsa and bread for Gabriele. There are interpretation boards along the way describing the alpine flora and other interesting things about the alps.
We then drove to Mittenwald - the home of famous wood carvers and violin makers. I'd seen a video of the village and their Fasching tradition. It was amazing to actually walk through the town. We missed the violin museum but poked our noses into the wood carving shops. Many of the figures are religious but there are quite a few folkloric examples. I would have loved to have bought something but the problem of what to do with things on the cycle trip limited my spending at every turn. The painted buildings were fantastic and one can understand why the place attracts millions of tourists. The Baroque church was stunning as well. We had a coffee and cake and drove back to Bad Heilbrunn.
The next morning we had to get away early for Neuschwanstein. This is the fabled Ludwig castle which served as the model for Disney's fantasyland castle. King Ludwig was not suited to the role, he bankrupted the state and died in mysterious circumstances on the lake. There was a huge line waiting to get tickets but it moved fairly quickly. I got out and stood in line while Gabriele parked the car. Even so we couldn't get in until the 2.15 tour. After walking around for a while, we returned to the carriage area. It's a very steep path up to the castle and Gabrielle suggested we get a ride up. There's still a bit of a walk up the hill once you get to the carriage stop.
The castle was built in the late 19th century. Ludwig was immersed in German folklore and legends and he commissioned his friend Wagner to write operas based on these legends. Thus we get the Ring cycle, Lohengrün, etc. I had taught the kids at school about Ludwig and his castle but it was amazing to actually be there and walk through the rooms. The castle was never really finished and Ludwig only spent 6 months in it before he died.
After Neuschwanstein we drove to Wieskirche, a pilgrimage church dedicated to a weeping statue of Christ. The Baroque church was truly magnificent, a very fine example of this very ornate and rich style.
From there we drover to Oberamagau where the Passion play is held every 10 years. It is also a very typical alpine Bavarian village with painted buildings and wood carving shops. I thought these bird feeders were cute. I loved the seats, especially the one with Ludwig. I guess it's a bit kitsch but it somehow fits into the whole scene.
On Thursday we decided to go into Munich. Kitty wanted to go shopping so Gabriele and I headed for the Schatzkammer and Residenz. First stop was Marienplatz for the Glockenspiel on the Town Hall. it plays and the figures move at midday. We arrived just in time. We'd seen this on a previous visit but it never fails to excite. On the way to the Schatzkammer we stopped off at the most famous deli in Munich and bought some Norwegian goat cheese (which we sampled after dinner that night). The Royal treasures were unbelievable - so much bling! The fine gold work and precious stones crafted into crowns and exquisite jewels are priceless. It was also interesting to see the early medieval crowns with uncut stones and fairly primitive workmanship. The palace has also been magnificently restored and is a real tourist attraction. we met Kitty afterwards and had lunch at the Victualienmarkt - Leberkäse, Spiegelei u. Kartoffelsalat mit Bier. We then walked to the Hofbrauhaus, the Hard Rock cafe - where we had a coffee - and then the Dom. We window shopped the designer stores, checking out the fur coats and fashion along the way. Munich is famous for its shopping.
After a leisurely breakfast I went to the local shops with Gabriele and sent off my postcards. I also bought some Berliners for morning tea and some chocolates for Offenburg. After a lunch of very Bavarian Weisswurst, we drove to the Roseninsel, a small island in the Starnbergersee where the king would come with his family for private outings. You have to walk through some parkland alongside the lake to a wharf and then take a small ferry across to the island and back. The walkway went through some lovely overgrown woods. The palace on the island was quite small and very intimate, surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds in the romantic tradition. We had a tour of the very plain Schloss (in comparison to the Residenz in Munich) and walked through the formal rose garden.
From here we drove to the Marina hotel for dinner. Michael met us there and we had just ordered when a thunderstorm hit and the whole area was blacked out. Guests started to leave but the management kept us occupied with some complementary pates then suggested that they cook something for us on the BBQ. Despite missing out on my venison, we had a lovely evening by candlelight on the verandah overlooking the boats and listening to the trees dripping.