Photos of Bavaria

[bavaria]

(the state, not the person!) After a few wonderful days in Paris with kathleena (trip report will be written one day soon, I promise!) I went 'home' for 2.5 days. After a miserable 8 hour drive :drive: for what should have been 4 hours, I arrived at the hotel perched on a hill by a lake, in the shadow of Germany's tallest mountain (and about 75km from where I used to live) While it had been pouring rain all day, as soon as I drove through the mountain tunnel entering the town, the came sun out, both actually and metaphorically.

I spent two days just wandering around some of my old haunts. Here are a few photos to share.

Oberammergau is a town of painted houses, as well as the host to a passion play every 10 years. JiggerJ liked the photos from here last year, so here are a few more. I do find it a little odd to stand outside the Red Riding Hood house and take photos, as it is just a family home. Last year I caught them at breakfast, this year the son was playing football in the garden.

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Here is the children's home across the street - I thought of Rozzie when I saw this one (never noticed the pooch at the door before!)

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Some photos from the town

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After stopping for coffee, a cheese pretzel, a cherry pastry, and a bar of chocolate I got back into the car and drove on to the Wieskirche, one of the most elaborate catholic churches in Germany, which sits out in the middle of nowhere. I don't take photos inside churches, so none from me here

But here is the link http://www.wieskirche.de/ in case anyone would like to make a pilgramage to this amazing church.

Another 20km down a winding Bavarian road brings one to the king's palaces - Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Since it was midafternoon, and since I have visited both castles many times, I just wandered around the village at the base and took photos. (Although I DO have a lovely photo of carolina_yankee from here from many years ago if he cares to share!)

This was the site of my historic declaration at age three 'I hate kings'. Too many castle and church visits as a child in Bavaria!

Hohenschwangau - the 'other' castle. Neuschwanstein was Walt's inspiration for the castle at DL

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Some bavarian horses for Rozzie (lots of Hafflinger ponies in Bavaria too!)

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Unlike most of the foreign tourists, I was fascinated with a garage door in the town

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[bavaria]

On my way back to the hotel I stopped at the Ettal Monastery (and Aldi to stock up on chocolate and other essentials!). The monastery is now a boarding school as well. Had a chat with the priest, who seemed to enjoy meeting the many non-bavarian tourists

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3/bavariabavaria/holding360.jpg

Then it was back to the hotel and a little area of heaven - as you can see, my part of the world is rather special! (I will admit that only 2.5 days there puts me into the honeymoon mode, and I forget all the little annoyances of living there..... ;) )

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[Rozzie]

I'm in heaven!!!!!! Horses, doggies and castles. My triple crown of loves, thanks Bavaria, you are THE best. :clappingh :clappingh :clappingh

[PoohsPal]

SOmeday, I'm going to get there. You WILL be my guide! ;)

[Rozzie]

SOmeday, I'm going to get there. You WILL be my guide! ;)

A girls trip! :woohoo: It is after all my #2 place to see on the planet....

[PoohsPal]

My dh has been to the area twice w/o me, so sounds good! :D

[bavaria]

delighted to be a tour guide!!! and of course a side trip to Paris would be in order as well.......

[Ginger]

Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[JamJarJo]

Ohhhhhhhhh I miss Germany!!!
The first time I ever put on a pair of skis was at the top of the Zugspitze! -- scary.

I love that whole area around Garmisch, it's so incredibly beautiful. Oberammagau is just incredible - not just the painted buildings but all the wood carvings too. And Neuschwanstein is just so amazing -- the castle itself is pretty special but the location is spectacular. On my living room wall there's a painting of the castle with the lake and Hohenschwanngau in the background. :lovestruc
Ok now I need some Kaffee und Kuchen.

[Rozzie]

delighted to be a tour guide!!! and of course a side trip to Paris would be in order as well.......

:highfive:

[carolina_yankee]

Beautiful pics! But I was expecting a blond in a dirndl from the title!!

I just learned about the painted houses the other day, which got me really thinking about a trip to Germany at some point. Now, how to justify Bavaria and Disneyland Paris without Paris ($$$$$).

Any good beer pics for our Yuengling friends?

Dirk

[lllovell]

A girls trip!!! Wow that would be amazing and our own tour guide to boot.

Count me in!

Laura

[bavaria]

Any good beer pics for our Yuengling friends?



come to think of it, it was a dry trip! I was still on the malaria pills so :ale: didn't mix well with the pills - in fact, not much food did mix well!

[PoohsPal]

Beautiful pics! But I was expecting a blond in a dirndl from the title!!I was expecting black socke with shorts and birkenstocks. ;) ;) ;)

(Yes, I am kidding!)

[TW1]

Any good beer pics for our Yuengling friends?


Wonder who they could be? :innocent:

Nice pics B. Thanks for sharing.

[bruinfan]

I didn't know where else to post this so here it is. This month's issue of Smithsonian Magazine (November 2008) has a nice article on Munich's 850th anniversary. Someday after the college bills are paid off, I hope I'm able to visit.

[BWV Dreamin]

Thank you Bavaria for sharing your wonderful pictures. My favorite pics, those of Wieskirche. Absolutely stunning, I would love to do a pilgrimmage there. The detail is stunning! Those pics have made my day!

[mikayla73]

I'd love to be in on the guide tour too!

I have been doing some family history research and found out I have several limbs of the tree from Bayern, Germany so I would love to go and check it all out.

Thanks for sharing the pics!

[BONZO]

Great pics!

One day we'll get to Germany although the kids have been International swimming gala at schleswig-holstein.

It's funny that even though Europe is on our doorstep France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Italy and Belgium usually come up as holiday destinations but not Germany.

In recent years Baltic states, Dalmation coast, Turkey etc have been advertised as affordable beach style holidays along with usual Greek islands.

Ok, Austia and Switzerland for skiing but that's way too pricey for me.

I think it's time I widend our horizons and look further afield in Europe.

[tomandrobin]

Sweeettt!!!

One day we'll make over to Europe!

[bavaria]

where did this come from? that was a big BUMP someone gave this thread..... :)

I was wondering why BWV Dreamin' PM'd me out of the blue the other day but now makes sense!! BONZO, I love Austria especially Salzburg which is like a third home to me. Skiing however is something I could never afford. I do want to go to Slovenia though; every year I hope to make it there but my travels are so diverse that I never seem to have the time.

Switzerland I like too, but it is so expensive, and driving even more so because one can only buy a yearly vignette for the toll roads, so a short trip becomes ever more expensive.

[bavaria]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3/bavariabavaria/germany-buddy-icon-flag.gif Apologies to BWV Dreamin as I was having a DOH moment or rather a DOH week

Fountain at Linderhof castle

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The Wies pilgramage church on the far end Romantic Road on the way to the Tirol and the castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau

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Scary clown in Salzburg with his sign - I have to do a large detour to avoid him on my way to listen to my guitar guy outside the cathedral

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[bavaria]

Scary clown's sign reads

It is terrible to be alone in the world, more terrible to see all the need and misery in the streets. I too cry the tears of sorrow and eat the salt of loneliness. Despite all this at night when a rose cries your heart breaks from longing. Never ask the wind nor the clouds. There is always someone who thinks of you! Do good every day, try to give your best.

He has a lot of errors in his sign and in the second photo you can see that his sign did not survive the last winter well. I've seen a lot of children back away from him (adults too).

And if someone can please tell me where I left my guitar guy's CDs! I made a special trip in September just to buy the two I was missing and I fear that I left them in Italy somewhere... sigh....

[JimP]

Wonderful Pics Bavaria. Thank you for sharing.

/Jim

[JimP]

Sweeettt!!!

One day we'll make over to Europe!

Debbie and I are in London right now. We will head home tomorrow. This was a 1 week trip.

/Jim