Bavaria - part 2
Sep. 13th, 2015 05:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rich_jackoSaturday 22nd August:
Where was I? Oh yes, it was grey and drizzly in Bavaria, right? Wrong. This was the much improved view from our apartment balcony for the rest of the holiday:
Having not really given Austria our fullest attention the day before, we caught the coach to Innsbruck, just because. Needing a two-part coach ticket was the only clue we were travelling to another country.
I got a map and plotted us a scenic mooch around the town, taking in the Triumphal Arch, the famous Golden Roof (plus giant bubbles) and the Hofburg palace. We had a look round the Dom, and had fun finding various wildlife carvings.
After lunch in a street cafe near the Golden Roof (and purchasing the awesome Alpenbug (TM) hat for His Tobesterness), we had a look around the Imperial Gardens, where the signs proclaim that no fun of any kind is allowed! *Shakes tiny fist of rage*
We watched a couple of guys playing giant garden chess for a while, then headed back into town and got some ice cream. We hadn't been into any of the museums (It was too nice a day), but we'd had a good explore of the city and its main sights.
Sunday 23rd August:
A lazier day slightly closer to home. After a late start we saw a bit more of Garmisch and had a wander around the Michael Ende-Kurpark (he of Neverending Story fame). We found random sculptures and, naturally, turned the "meditation walk" into a speed race. I blame goblins.
The afternoon saw us return to the nearby Riessersee. A gentler walk than last time! Ed says he can never get enough of the view there, and it's easy to see why. Tradition dictates a group photo at the restaurant terrace, so we did. After much-needed food (lousy service by the way; maybe they were having an off day), we had a walk around the lake and headed for home.
Monday 24th August:
Toby had been upset about us not hiring a boat at the Riessersee, so we'd promised him a big boat the next day. It was our final lake trip, this time to the Staffelsee near Murnau. A much bigger lake than those we'd been to so far. The boat trip around it took over an hour, but there were worse things to do than sit out on the open deck, admiring the scenery and drinking beer ;o)
We had lunch outside a pub in Seehausen, where there were rather too many wasps (not exclusive to British picnics, it seems). I was craving anything that wasn't sausage and bread by this point in the holiday, so I had a very nice whitefish salad.
We returned to the lake for a quick paddle, sneaking out through the reeds rather than at the official swim point where you have to pay. I was slightly sad about not having time to go for a proper swim out to one of the islands and back, as some other people were doing, but we had a bus to catch.
Tuesday 25th August:
We swapped our Tuesday and Thursday plans, to give the footpaths up the Laber (see Thursday below) time to dry out after all the wet weather. This meant Tuesday was now Thursday, which meant Chinese food at a rather nice restaurant in town. It also meant spending rather a lot of money in a huge toy shop for some reason...
Having explored the Garmisch side of Ga-Pa quite thoroughly already, today was the day for exploring Partenkirchen, which our guidebook reckoned was considerably more charming. Poor Garmisch. Partenkirchen was very pretty though.
When I posted this sign on facebook, it got more reaction than any of the rest of my holiday photos. For some reason, everyone seemed to think it was funny... ;o)
Anyway, I digress. Later in the afternoon we wandered some more and went around the Werdenfels Museum, which covers a lot of local history. It's in an old town house, with some very well preserved rooms and remarkable furniture.
Our town "guest cards" (obtained when we paid our local tax) entitled us to a free swim at the Alpspitz-Wellenbad, so Krissy, Evie and I went there in the evening. They have several pools, including a hot bath and a wave pool. Best of all, they have a 50m heated outdoor pool surrounded by a view of the mountains. Heaven! It made me feel less bad about not getting to swim in the Staffelsee.
Evie managed a whole uninterrupted length with me holding her hand (Note: Swimming with only three available limbs is exhausting. I am in awe of Paralympic swimmers!). From the water, we watched the Zugspitzebahn train go past and the Alpenglow as the setting sunlight hit the mountains. We could have stayed all night if they'd let us :o)
Wednesday 26th August:
We were going to be very touristy today. We were going to Neuschwanstein - the world famous fantasy castle built by Ludwig II, and inspiration for a certain Mr Disney. Even approaching it from the bus, it looks like something out of a fairy tale.
The logistics were awkward. Even getting the first bus out and the last bus back only gave us about five hours there, and we couldn't get tickets in advance, thanks to their unbeliveably stupid booking system. Sure enough, we got their and found the English tours were all booked up until 5pm.
That's okay; it was expected. We had a Plan B - go to Hohenschwangau Castle at the bottom of the hill, where Ludwig grew up. It's not as famous as its neighbour, but still very picturesque and well worth a visit. There was much squeeing over a keyboard which Wagner actually played at while he was *ahem* a guest in the king's quarters (Nothing untoward there...). The tour guide was entertaining too.
After the castle, we had lunch in our one and only genuine bierkellar of the holiday. Very nice it was too, although we spent far too long there, which meant we sadly had to abandon our plans to take a horse and cart ride up the hill to Neuschwanstein.
I was determined to go though, so we got the bus instead. Time was very tight, but it was totally worth it for the view back down to Hohenschwangau.
Abandoning the others, I quickly legged it up to Neuschwanstein itself, where I had just a few minutes to go "Wow!" and snap some photos, before running back in time to catch the last bus home. It was huge, monumental and out-of-this-world (I seemed to have wandered into Gondor). Really must go back and have time to appreciate it properly!
Back in Garmisch, E&K went to get food supplies in while I took the kids back to the apartment. We got distracted by the rather stunning Alpenglow and messed around for a bit near the covered bridge.
Thursday 27th August:
This was the ambitious day - climbing a mountain the hard way. We picked a little mountain - the Laber in Oberammergau, a mere 200m higher than Ben Nevis... Look, we were starting from a higher base. It was only an 800m ascent. Shhh. It'd be fine.
We kept the Bug going as we walked through the deep, dark wood by much reciting of The Gruffalo (see the logpile house above!). Just over halfway up we paused at a cabin for lovely mountain-water-cooled drinks and cake.
Onward and upwards! Following a winding path, past sculptures and a dried-up lake.
"Thumbs Up Rock" was an encouraging sign which meant we were nearly at the summit. Evie seemed to get into her stride so she and I marched on ahead. We wound around a few corners, survived an evil cloud of midges, and then we were at the top!
There was a panoramic view, clear in all directions. It was all the sweeter because we'd earned it too.
We had beer and food, took our triumphal "We're at the top!" photos (the Goblin took the one of me below), watched some mad parasailers fling themselves off the mountain, and then came back down via the Laber Bergbahn (which is unique in the world - perhaps unsurprisingly as the cable going slack and stopping is not very efficient and a bit alarming!).
Krissy and Ed gave me a quick tour of the sights of Oberammergau, and then it was back home again.
Friday 28th August:
The conversation went something like this:
K: "I want to go to Pfaffenhofen." (a small town 40 minutes the other side of Munich) "They have this amazing yarn shop."
Me: "You can do that if you want; I'd rather spend the day in Munich."
K: "Do you want the kids?"
Me: (pause for thought) "...Okay."
K: "Score!"
So that's what we did. We split the part when we got to Munich. My adventure with the kids went wrong immediately, as we took a wrong turn in the station and failed to find the S-bahn. After that less than auspicious start, we caught a tram instead, which Toby was pleased with.
We went to the Deutches Museum, a heowge science museum. There was zero chance of seeing all of it in the three hours we had, so we prioritised the transport hall, Kids' Kingdom, lunch (I foolishly let the kids choose, so we split a sandwich, pretzel and a doughnut), the nanotech, robotics and astronomy sections. Plenty more to see and do another time - There were at least three floors we didn't even go on!
After a hot walk back into town, we met up with E&K again at the Dom. We had a quick look around that and also St. Michael's Church (where Ludwig II is buried). Then we saw a bit more of Munich and made our way back to the station.
It had been a hot day, so I split the party again once we got back to Garmisch, and went for another swim at the Alpspitz-Wellenbad. I braved the "kamikaze" slide this time (terrifying!), but mostly just enjoyed the outdoor pool again. Not much of an Alpenglow that night as it was too hazy, but there was an amazing sunset as I was walking back.
I ended the holiday as I started it, getting Pizza Hut to take back to the apartment.
Saturday 29th August:
Sadly all good things must come to an end. We packed up and flew back from sunny Munich to (surprisingly) sunny Manchester. We really didn't want to leave our lovely apartment and mountains behind. We're already plotting our return trip - I'd like to go up the Zugspitze again on a sunnier day, swim in a lake, and see Neuschwanstein properly for a start. Pencil me in for 2018...
Where was I? Oh yes, it was grey and drizzly in Bavaria, right? Wrong. This was the much improved view from our apartment balcony for the rest of the holiday:
Having not really given Austria our fullest attention the day before, we caught the coach to Innsbruck, just because. Needing a two-part coach ticket was the only clue we were travelling to another country.
I got a map and plotted us a scenic mooch around the town, taking in the Triumphal Arch, the famous Golden Roof (plus giant bubbles) and the Hofburg palace. We had a look round the Dom, and had fun finding various wildlife carvings.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
After lunch in a street cafe near the Golden Roof (and purchasing the awesome Alpenbug (TM) hat for His Tobesterness), we had a look around the Imperial Gardens, where the signs proclaim that no fun of any kind is allowed! *Shakes tiny fist of rage*
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
We watched a couple of guys playing giant garden chess for a while, then headed back into town and got some ice cream. We hadn't been into any of the museums (It was too nice a day), but we'd had a good explore of the city and its main sights.
 |
 |
 |
Sunday 23rd August:
A lazier day slightly closer to home. After a late start we saw a bit more of Garmisch and had a wander around the Michael Ende-Kurpark (he of Neverending Story fame). We found random sculptures and, naturally, turned the "meditation walk" into a speed race. I blame goblins.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The afternoon saw us return to the nearby Riessersee. A gentler walk than last time! Ed says he can never get enough of the view there, and it's easy to see why. Tradition dictates a group photo at the restaurant terrace, so we did. After much-needed food (lousy service by the way; maybe they were having an off day), we had a walk around the lake and headed for home.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Monday 24th August:
Toby had been upset about us not hiring a boat at the Riessersee, so we'd promised him a big boat the next day. It was our final lake trip, this time to the Staffelsee near Murnau. A much bigger lake than those we'd been to so far. The boat trip around it took over an hour, but there were worse things to do than sit out on the open deck, admiring the scenery and drinking beer ;o)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
We had lunch outside a pub in Seehausen, where there were rather too many wasps (not exclusive to British picnics, it seems). I was craving anything that wasn't sausage and bread by this point in the holiday, so I had a very nice whitefish salad.
We returned to the lake for a quick paddle, sneaking out through the reeds rather than at the official swim point where you have to pay. I was slightly sad about not having time to go for a proper swim out to one of the islands and back, as some other people were doing, but we had a bus to catch.
 |
 |
 |
Tuesday 25th August:
We swapped our Tuesday and Thursday plans, to give the footpaths up the Laber (see Thursday below) time to dry out after all the wet weather. This meant Tuesday was now Thursday, which meant Chinese food at a rather nice restaurant in town. It also meant spending rather a lot of money in a huge toy shop for some reason...
Having explored the Garmisch side of Ga-Pa quite thoroughly already, today was the day for exploring Partenkirchen, which our guidebook reckoned was considerably more charming. Poor Garmisch. Partenkirchen was very pretty though.
 |
 |
 |
When I posted this sign on facebook, it got more reaction than any of the rest of my holiday photos. For some reason, everyone seemed to think it was funny... ;o)
Anyway, I digress. Later in the afternoon we wandered some more and went around the Werdenfels Museum, which covers a lot of local history. It's in an old town house, with some very well preserved rooms and remarkable furniture.
 |
 |
 |
Our town "guest cards" (obtained when we paid our local tax) entitled us to a free swim at the Alpspitz-Wellenbad, so Krissy, Evie and I went there in the evening. They have several pools, including a hot bath and a wave pool. Best of all, they have a 50m heated outdoor pool surrounded by a view of the mountains. Heaven! It made me feel less bad about not getting to swim in the Staffelsee.
Evie managed a whole uninterrupted length with me holding her hand (Note: Swimming with only three available limbs is exhausting. I am in awe of Paralympic swimmers!). From the water, we watched the Zugspitzebahn train go past and the Alpenglow as the setting sunlight hit the mountains. We could have stayed all night if they'd let us :o)
Wednesday 26th August:
We were going to be very touristy today. We were going to Neuschwanstein - the world famous fantasy castle built by Ludwig II, and inspiration for a certain Mr Disney. Even approaching it from the bus, it looks like something out of a fairy tale.
The logistics were awkward. Even getting the first bus out and the last bus back only gave us about five hours there, and we couldn't get tickets in advance, thanks to their unbeliveably stupid booking system. Sure enough, we got their and found the English tours were all booked up until 5pm.
That's okay; it was expected. We had a Plan B - go to Hohenschwangau Castle at the bottom of the hill, where Ludwig grew up. It's not as famous as its neighbour, but still very picturesque and well worth a visit. There was much squeeing over a keyboard which Wagner actually played at while he was *ahem* a guest in the king's quarters (Nothing untoward there...). The tour guide was entertaining too.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
After the castle, we had lunch in our one and only genuine bierkellar of the holiday. Very nice it was too, although we spent far too long there, which meant we sadly had to abandon our plans to take a horse and cart ride up the hill to Neuschwanstein.
 |
 |
I was determined to go though, so we got the bus instead. Time was very tight, but it was totally worth it for the view back down to Hohenschwangau.
Abandoning the others, I quickly legged it up to Neuschwanstein itself, where I had just a few minutes to go "Wow!" and snap some photos, before running back in time to catch the last bus home. It was huge, monumental and out-of-this-world (I seemed to have wandered into Gondor). Really must go back and have time to appreciate it properly!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Back in Garmisch, E&K went to get food supplies in while I took the kids back to the apartment. We got distracted by the rather stunning Alpenglow and messed around for a bit near the covered bridge.
 |
 |
 |
Thursday 27th August:
This was the ambitious day - climbing a mountain the hard way. We picked a little mountain - the Laber in Oberammergau, a mere 200m higher than Ben Nevis... Look, we were starting from a higher base. It was only an 800m ascent. Shhh. It'd be fine.
 |
 |
 |
We kept the Bug going as we walked through the deep, dark wood by much reciting of The Gruffalo (see the logpile house above!). Just over halfway up we paused at a cabin for lovely mountain-water-cooled drinks and cake.
 |
 |
Onward and upwards! Following a winding path, past sculptures and a dried-up lake.
 |
 |
 |
"Thumbs Up Rock" was an encouraging sign which meant we were nearly at the summit. Evie seemed to get into her stride so she and I marched on ahead. We wound around a few corners, survived an evil cloud of midges, and then we were at the top!
 |
 |
 |
There was a panoramic view, clear in all directions. It was all the sweeter because we'd earned it too.
We had beer and food, took our triumphal "We're at the top!" photos (the Goblin took the one of me below), watched some mad parasailers fling themselves off the mountain, and then came back down via the Laber Bergbahn (which is unique in the world - perhaps unsurprisingly as the cable going slack and stopping is not very efficient and a bit alarming!).
 |
 |
 |
Krissy and Ed gave me a quick tour of the sights of Oberammergau, and then it was back home again.
 |
 |
 |
Friday 28th August:
The conversation went something like this:
K: "I want to go to Pfaffenhofen." (a small town 40 minutes the other side of Munich) "They have this amazing yarn shop."
Me: "You can do that if you want; I'd rather spend the day in Munich."
K: "Do you want the kids?"
Me: (pause for thought) "...Okay."
K: "Score!"
So that's what we did. We split the part when we got to Munich. My adventure with the kids went wrong immediately, as we took a wrong turn in the station and failed to find the S-bahn. After that less than auspicious start, we caught a tram instead, which Toby was pleased with.
We went to the Deutches Museum, a heowge science museum. There was zero chance of seeing all of it in the three hours we had, so we prioritised the transport hall, Kids' Kingdom, lunch (I foolishly let the kids choose, so we split a sandwich, pretzel and a doughnut), the nanotech, robotics and astronomy sections. Plenty more to see and do another time - There were at least three floors we didn't even go on!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
After a hot walk back into town, we met up with E&K again at the Dom. We had a quick look around that and also St. Michael's Church (where Ludwig II is buried). Then we saw a bit more of Munich and made our way back to the station.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
It had been a hot day, so I split the party again once we got back to Garmisch, and went for another swim at the Alpspitz-Wellenbad. I braved the "kamikaze" slide this time (terrifying!), but mostly just enjoyed the outdoor pool again. Not much of an Alpenglow that night as it was too hazy, but there was an amazing sunset as I was walking back.
 |
 |
I ended the holiday as I started it, getting Pizza Hut to take back to the apartment.
Saturday 29th August:
Sadly all good things must come to an end. We packed up and flew back from sunny Munich to (surprisingly) sunny Manchester. We really didn't want to leave our lovely apartment and mountains behind. We're already plotting our return trip - I'd like to go up the Zugspitze again on a sunnier day, swim in a lake, and see Neuschwanstein properly for a start. Pencil me in for 2018...
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 |
