Day 17 - December 26 (Boxing Day)

Ron and Mike had a tiring morning returning the old rental car and picking up the new one. The new one was not to be found at the Hauptbahnhof, but at the Ostbahnhof. It wasn't a big worry, as we are familiar with the language and the subway, but involved lots of walking and many stairs.

It turned out that the owner (or manager) of the Avis agency was a LINDER, and was delighted to meet Mike. He even produced his driver's license to show that he was a Linder, and introduced his son, who said "I am a Linder, too". 

The van was a VW multi-transport (7-passenger van), and it was fabulous for our needs.  Not only did all the luggage fit, but the van had an automatic transmission - very unusual in Europe. It also had a great GPS system, and comfortable "captain-style" chairs with arm rests.

Pat and I had met for breakfast around 9 AM. The guys got back with the van around 10:30, and we were soon on the autobahn south through the Brenner Pass. It was nasty weather with rain followed by snow and fog, and temps dropping close to freezing. 

We had a "surprise" for Pat and Mike - a stop-off near Sterzing - at the Pretzhof, a farm that is known for using only home-grown foods and local produce. I can't remember how I first learned of the place. We followed a small road that wound upwards about two miles beyond the small village of Wiesen - a narrow farm road through meadows and farms. We couldn't believe we were really going the right way, and were surprised when we finally arrived to find the parking area full. We walked past the barn and onto a slushy path to the entrance, only to be told there were no tables available! I had corresponded with someone, who had written that they were open all day December 26, and looked forward to welcoming us, not mentioning that a reservation was required. As we didn't know what time we were leaving Munich, I had not made a booking.

A long story, but after reading my printed e-mails, the owner, Karl Mair, kindly said we should have an aperitif, wander in the little store, and as soon as someone finished dining, he would accommodate us. We waited about 45-minutes, and were given a table in the beautiful old stube. As I knew, there is no menu, and you are offered whatever "Mama" is cooking that day.

We were first presented with a beautiful antipasti platter consisting of all products produced from their own farm animals - carpaccio, roast beef, smoked venison, their "famous" home-made speck (a kind of bacon), and smoked sausage - along with a plate with four kinds of cheeses - and a big basket of breads.

Herr Mair explained in English exactly what each item was. Having products with no chemicals or hormones is their passion. The restaurant has been open 33-years, and between the farm and the restaurant, he said they work 18-hours a day. Four family members work in the business with 16 additional staff. He and his wife are increasingly frustrated with government bureaucracy, especially since the advent of the EU, and are concerned that it is more and more difficult for small businesses to survive.

A rich gulash soup - made from "mountain cows"

Home-made raviolis with cheese

We requested "small" portions of the main courses - spanferkel (suckling pig) for Ron, lamb chops for Pat, "mountain cow" for Mike, and, of course, chicken for Mary. The chicken was the only item not produced on the farm, and it came from the farm of nearby friends.

It was getting late (and dark), and we had an hour more to drive, so we opted not to have dessert. We were invited to go into their kitchen to have a look and to meet "Mama" (Frau Meir). There we found her busily hand-making knoedel of some sort.

"Mama" in the Pretzhof Kitchen

Pat & Mary waiting for the guys to pay the bill 

We all agreed that it had been a unique experience and well worth the wait. We returned to the autostrada and continued toward Val Gardena, an area of the Dolomites famous for its skiing with over 100 miles of slopes and 83 lifts.
We exited the autostrada and had to drive about 12-miles on a steep, narrow road up the mountain. This area of Italy is called Sud-Tirol, and originally belonged to Austria. It was after WWI that it was ceded to Italy, and no one has been happy about it ever since! Over 70% of the people speak German. It is actually tri-lingual, and all signs are in Italian, German and Ladin. Ladin is an ancient Romansh language (part Latin and part German) which is also spoken in the area we love in Switzerland - the Graubunden where Arosa, Chur, etc. are located. It seems that there has been some agreement giving the area of Sud-Tirol some degree of autonomy from Rome.

By the time we arrived in Ortisei it was dark and neither the van's GPS nor our own Garmin could find the location of the hotel or the street address. Ron was very stressed, as Italian drivers are noted for their tail-gating, and no one would give him an inch of room to slow down and look around. When we finally spotted the hotel, a quick u-turn was called for - to the accompaniment of much horn blowing from those tail-gaters!

The Hotel Digon staff were very welcoming and showed us to our rooms. Ron said he was not touching a single suitcase until after a warming Scotch with his "International Herald Tribune". 

Recovering from the stress of the drive - Hotel Digon 

Once we finally settled in, it was time to eat yet again, as our room rate was "half-pension" meaning that dinner was included. Generally if you don't eat the meal, you receive only a very nominal discount. So, we all gathered around the table around 7:30 PM. We filled our plates from the salad bar, which also had a liver dish and a boiled beef. We did not realize that four more courses were yet to come! We felt like the entire day had been spent eating. Knew we needed to do some walking the next few days!

The second course was a mushroom lasagnette, followed by potato soup with truffle aroma. The main course was braised saddle of veal. And the piece de resistance was the home-made apple strudel with vanilla cream.

Having been worn out by so much food, we were off to our rooms by 9 PM.

Day 16 - Christmas

We met for breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. A plentiful buffet with eggs cooked to order, accompanied by complimentary Mimosas. (Ron did not partake as he was the driver!)

We set off for Tegernsee about 10:30 AM - about a 40-minute drive. Our first stop was Hotel Post Egerner Hofe - a beautiful Bavarian hotel - to experience our version of the traditional Bavarian "frueshoppen". Years ago it was common for a group of men to congregate on Sundays and holidays after church and before lunch. While the women were at home cooking, the men would gather to have beer and play cards. So, if ever we have a beverage early in the day it is deemed "frueshoppen".

We watched the small army of wait staff as they prepared for the Christmas lunch crowd. It is a 5-star hotel and at least one of their dining rooms has a Michelin star. The staff all wear traditional Bavarian trachten and look very elegant and professional. Beautiful!

As you can see, it was almost a "balmy" day - we had very little snow on the ground and could comfortably walk in light jackets. Most unusual for this time of year!

Ron, Pat & Mike at Park Hotel Egerner Hoefe (Ron's new orange shirt)

Christmas Day in Rottach-Egern

Next we went to the Seehotel Ueberfahrt, another lovely hotel, but this one in a much more modern style. Directly on the lake front, and a beautiful place. 

Ron and Mike ordered a Lagavulin to toast Christmas. Here is Mike's quote of the day - "People watching is an art form. People-watching while drinking Lagavulin is elevating the art form".  We did enjoy seeing people in all kinds of clothing and foot wear - from the sporty to the most fashionable. 

While in this lobby Ron and Mike noticed a couple with two Hungarian Vizla dogs. We had been introduced to this breed on a previous trip to Bavaria, and Ron spoke to the couple. Turns out they are involved in rescuing Vizlas from Hungary, as apparently there are too many of them, and there is a scheme afoot to cull them. They are known to be an extremely intelligent, protective dog, but yet very friendly. One of their dogs was obedient and the other was younger and very playful. The lady told us this dog (below) was a show dog. This breed does not seem very common in the US.

Hungarian Vizla (the show dog)

It was time for lunch, and we proceeded to the hotel's restauarant Il Barcaiolo. Perhaps it is a bit unusual to have Italian food on Christmas Day, but most of the other restaurants in the town were having fixed-menus that were extremely expensive and much more food than any of us wanted. Five courses - no way! 

They presented us with an antipasto plate. Then Ron had lentil soup followed by halibut. Mary had fettucine with truffles. Pat had ravioli with ossobuco ragout, and Mike had a salad with scampi. Finishing up the meal, Mike had a coffee with Sambuca.

Fettucine with Truffles

Lentil Soup

Halibut

Salad with Scampi

Ravioli with ossobuco

Moving on from there, we drove closer to the town and set out walking and looking in all the windows with beautiful displays. 

We ended up in an adorable gasthof, Postillion. Everything was marked with "reserved" signs, but not until later in the evening. So we all sat at the bar and Mike was feeling quite gregarious and we engaged in conversations with German couples on either side of us (pictures taken too - but I don't have those yet). One couple from Cologne, one from Munich - and that fellow had gone to high school in Scottsdale! The people told us if we wanted dinner at the Postillion on December 26 we had to book one year in advance! We enjoyed lots of fun conversation.


We weren't ready to leave, but Ron had to face the drive home in the dark, so it was his call.  

Glad to say he did a great job getting us home safely and finding a spot to park in the very tight and scary underground parking garage! 

We then managed to meet up again in the Executive lounge and sit once again with Ernest and Carol Ann. Pat had a Kiwi fruit she said was the largest she had ever seen. 

Day 15 - December 24 - Pat and Mike arrive

Christmas Eve is here, and we have had a busy day. Pat and Mike are having a well-needed nap, and Ron is also resting.

Pat and Mike's Lufthansa flight direct from Charlotte arrived a bit early, shortly after 8 AM. They made it through the airport and onto the S-8 train directly to Rosenheimer Platz, arriving at the hotel at just about 10:15. Ron predicted it almost to the minute, and we were waiting in the lounge to help with the luggage and take them to our room for our a short "rest and refresh" until their room was ready. Meanwhile, Ron and I went to a nearby ALDI to stock up on essentials, such as wine and Prosecco, as all stores will be closed the next couple days.

A little before noon we all hopped on the S-Bahn (the subway) and rode three stops to Karlsplatz (Stacchus), as we had to visit the Saturn store to replace the broken camera. It was the worst possible day of the year to be in that big electronics store - the lines at the cashiers were mind-boggling!

We settled on a small Olympus digital camera, and Ron stalwartly said he would stand in the horrible line and that I should go to meet Pat and Mike at the Augustiner Keller.  The Augustiner Brewery is one of the oldest in Germany, founded in 1328.

The first beer - a long-standing tradition

A snack of pommes frittes (French fries)

Beautiful building with giant candles in windows - Frauenkirche dome in rear

Rathaus with huge Christmas Tree

We walked another 45-minutes or so through the Christmas market. We went briefly into the Rathaus courtyard, and then continued onto Theatinerstrasse to head toward our lunch spot. Theatinerstrasse is one of the "up-market" shopping streets with many beautiful stores. The German window dressers are remarkable, and everything is showcased beautifully. We wandered very slowly admiring the displays, and Pat was enjoying seeing all of the latest fashions.

Gargoyle in Rathaus courtyard

We had some difficulty finding the restaurant in Salvatorplatz. The name on the reservation was Oscar Maria Brasserie, but the signs said Literaturhaus.  It is a historic building, and in years past was a meeting place for authors, booksellers, publishers and journalists. Unfortunately, the menu was quite limited - not what we had in mind (and not what I had read on-line). But, we made do with everyone having a light meal. With it being Christmas Eve there were not too many choices for restaurants open at that hour. Christmas Eve in Germany is much more celebrated than in the United States. It is the time when the families all come together for their Christmas meal and Father Christmas visits, giving out the presents.

We then walked to Odeonsplatz, a beautiful and famous square. Much of the architecture is Italian in style - in fact, the famous Feldherrenhalle (Hall of Generals) is almost an exact replica of a Loggia in Florence that we will see later on our journey. King Ludwig I loved Italian and Greek architecture.  The square is also surrounded by the Residenz (former home of the Wittelsbachs) and the Theatinerkirche (Church). Pat and I rubbed the nose of a small bronze statue of Bavarian lions. This is meant to bring good luck. There are four statues, and the story is that you can rub three noses, but if you rub the fourth it will cancel out your luck!

Lion statues in front of Residenz

Theatinerkirche - the bells were pealing for 20 minutes to announce Christmas

As we walked back along Diennerstrasse, we passed by one of our favorite places (meaning all four of us) - Dallmayrs. It is a luxury deli, caterer, and restaurant dating back to the 17th century. I believe it caters to all the glitterati of the city. It is fabulous to see the vast variety and how beautifully everything is displayed. We took our time looking at their beautiful window displays where they had various Christmas trees - one was decorated with coffee-related items, one with tea, one with caviar, one with chocolates, and one with cigars! So imaginative! Too bad it is so difficult to take photos through windows!

Caviar Christmas Tree at Dallmayrs

By this time we were all ready to get off our feet, and Pat and Mike needed a rest after a long overnight flight - Mike says the airplane seats get smaller all the time. So, we headed for the subway and a quick trip back to our hotel.

Heading for the S-Bahn

That evening we congregated in the Executive lounge on the fifth floor for snacks and cocktails. Another American couple  (from Pennsylvania) we had met earlier, had volunteered to have Pat or Mike as their guest, as each room is only allowed one guest free. (We had access to the lounge as a benefit of Hilton Gold status.) The lady grew up in Wilkes-Barre! The free beverages were flowing, and a German couple joined in our conversation. Ron said the talk got louder as more wine was poured.  The free drinks were cut off at 8 PM - and that broke up the party! By then we all needed a good sleep.

Day 14 - December 23 - Munich - Broken Camera!!

Munich - the heart of Bavaria and one of our favorite cities. It is the capital city of the state of Bavaria with a population around 1.5 million people. It is situated on the Isar River. We lived here briefly in 1975 in the Nymphenburg neighborhood, and we have such fond memories. 

We booked our hotel with Hilton reward points. The Munich Hilton City is a very convenient location at Rosenheimer Platz near the Deutsche Museum and directly above a subway stop. Also walking distance to some favorite eating places in the Haidhausen neighborhood. The hotel is directly above a subway station, which makes it very convenient to get around.

Our room wasn't ready on arrival, and we waited in the executive lounge a little over an hour. 

Here is Ron in the lounge as we were waiting for our room. Unfortunately, this last picture broke the camera. We keep getting a "lens error" message. So, hope we will be able to buy a new camera tomorrow. Stores will close at least by 2 PM and not re-open until December 26 or 27. Many are closed on Boxing Day (Dec. 26).

We went into the city to extend our rental car and do a few other errands. Walked from Karlsplatz (Stacchus) to Marienplatz - no stores were open, of course (Sunday). We stopped into the Augustinerkeller for a snack and beer. Ron finally got his gulash suppe, but (what are things coming to?) no bread served with it. Augustiner is one of the oldest breweries in Germany.

We walked through the main pedestrian street and had many "photo ops" we couldn't take advantage of!!! The Christmas Market is still in full swing, and everything is so picturesque.

Back in the hotel we visited with a couple from Philadelphia in the lounge. 

Tomorrow we expect Pat and Mike quite early. They are taking the S-Bahn from the airport which is a direct shot to the hotel. 

Day 13 - December 22 - Off to Tegernsee

This morning we packed up and Ron made numerous trips down the stairs to pack the car. When I commented that it was cold in the apartment with the balcony door open, he said, "You go up and down the stairs six times, and you won't be cold!"

We took the mobile phone to the shop for the third time (had to replace chip yet again), and walked to the Cafe Kronner for breakfast. It is a lovely, old-world kind of place with crystal chandeliers and glass counters filled with cakes, pastries, truffles, and many candies. The kind of place where you can sit with a cup of coffee and read the paper for hours and no one will bother you.

Ron's breakfast - Black Forest Cake - beautiful and delicious

Mary's breakfast - Spiegeleier und Speck (the German way) - Sunny side up eggs fried on top of bacon

A beautiful shop in Garmisch on a beautiful day

We left Garmisch about 11:30 AM and drove a little over an hour to Rottach-Egern on Tegernsee. We had not been here in about 25 years, and we wonder why! It is such a beautiful area, and is the favored playground of the well-to-do Munich crowd. 

We were reminded of that fact when we drove up to a beautiful hotel for Ron's "morning beer" (a German tradition), and there was a porter/valet in white shirt, black trousers and vest at the door - along with an Audi marked "VIP Shuttle". The hotel was stunning and the level of service was extraordinary. We watched a group dining in the more "casual" restaurant, and a parade of men in formal Bavarian  dress attended to their every need. 

Park Hotel Egern Hofe

After checking into our "slightly" more modest Hotel Berlin, we were enjoying their cozy living/lounge area with Christmas music  by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Perry Como! (Rather funny when they definitely don't cater to Americans or tourists other than Germans - not even any ice cubes to be found!) I went to the room to put away the computer and freshen up, and made the mistake of locking the door. When I was ready to leave, no matter what I did, I could not get the door open. I tried to go out the terrace door, but there was two-feet of snow. I figured Ron would come eventually to find out what was taking me so long. Meanwhile I was rattling the key and resorted to knocking lightly on the door, hoping he would hear me (the lounge was not far). There were other people there, so I was too embarrassed to scream. Finally, he came along and said through the door, "What is going on?" After telling me to try all the same things I'd been trying, he went out to go around and also discovered too much snow. He had to get the owner to come with another key. The owner came in, closed and locked the door, and promptly opened it with no problem. No idea what I was doing wrong, but I'm not locking it again! Ron said he could hear all the rattling of keys and knocking, but figured it was some "senile old lady". Ha!

After that we set out to explore the town and discovered another lovely hotel, the Seehotel Uberfahrt. We sat in the lobby listening to a fellow in a black suit playing a grand piano - a great experience. Watching the folks checking in was quite interesting - have never seen so much Louis Vuitton luggage in my life! We are planning to come back to that hotel for Christmas lunch in their Italian restaurant. It is one of the few places open that we've found where you don't have to order an expensive five-course meal.

From there we drove to another hotel that had a stube and a wine bar, but after checking it out, decided just to walk across to the lake shore where another Christmas Market was going on. We "dined" on a kaesekrainer - a good and inexpensive choice!

Rottach-Egern Christmas Market

Off to Munich tomorrow, awaiting arrival of our friends on Christmas Eve morning. 

Day 12 - December 21 - Will the world end?

We are in a beautiful spot of God's world if it is to be the end  - although we are going about our business and making plans for tomorrow and beyond! Not even the Mayans believe it!

This is our last full day in Garmisch, and we were busy doing laundry (a visit to a laundromat), packing and re-arranging, disposing of rubbish, etc. No garbage disposals here - and LOTS of recycling - things need to be separated by clear glass, green glass, brown glass, plastic, and papers. There are special bins where you drive to deposit these items.

A lot of you are familiar with Garmisch, but for those who aren't I failed to mention that the highest peak in Germany, the Zugspite (around 9,700 feet), is located here - well, actually it is in nearby Grainau in the Wetterstein Mountain Range. Garmisch is situated on the Loisach River, and is correctly called Garmisch-Partenkirchen. These were two separate entities until forced to merge prior to the 1936 Olympics. Partenkirchen is the older community dating from around 15 AD, and the main street follows the original Roman street. There are many beautiful, old buildings - often painted with murals.

Garmisch Bahnhof

After laundry, our first stop (as most days) was the Bahnhof (train station) to buy the "International Herald Tribune" and "USA Today". Although we can read all the news on-line, we enjoy having the hard copy to peruse over our tea, coffee, or other beverages!

My favorite Chinese restaurant, Asia City, is just across the parking lot, so we walked there. The lady did seem to remember us, and I ordered the same thing I do every time - chicken with lemongrass and chili on a hotplate. Ron had ginger beef. Everything was good.

After a visit to the local VW dealer to see if the newly suggested rental car will hold our luggage, followed by a few other errands, we went out to Grainau to a place we like behind the old church, Cafe Zugspite. They were already closed, but allowed us to come in for a good German beer.

Grainau

Later, after packing, around 7 PM we walked over to the Mukkefuck Cafe. Yes, it is a very strange name in English, but it actually means "ersatz coffee" - a kind of fake coffee made from grains and chicory. I think it was common in WWI when coffee was scarce and rationing was in effect. It is a cute little place, and once when I was here alone for a week it was my "neighborhood" place where the waitresses knew me and were so friendly. They have fabulous breakfasts (although they don't open until 11 AM) and lunches with lots of great salads and baguettes. Unfortunately, it is also the place where a few years back I slipped on "black ice" (after following Ron on a "short-cut") on a dark night and ended up with two black eyes, a bruised cheek bone, a bloody lip, and thankfully didn't break my nose or my neck. Ron came to "help" me and slid on the same ice and fell right on top of me! This is the incident that contributed to me being so fearful of walking in the snow and ice!

  

Mukkefuck - by the drainpipe on the corner is where I had my terrible fall

More pork for Ron

So, we are now back in our cozy apartment, and most of the suitcases are packed up. The clock is ticking down to midnight here, although it has passed that in other time zones - so we heave a sigh of relief (no we weren't really worried) that the Sun will come up tomorrow, and we won't hear about the Mayan calendar again!