Bavaria

I think i must have offended the weather gods.  Of the 12 days I spent in Germany, only 4 were sunny and 2 of those were travel days. Probably another 2 full and 2 half days were just overcast and threatening while the rest were fairly consistent rain.

The Sunday I travelled by train from Strasbourg to Munich then onto  Garmisch-Partenkirchen was sunny as was the next day when, seeing the forecast, I did hike up into the hills about 450 metres. This photo is taken where I had a coffee at Partnackalm about 300 metres above the town. I do like the way you can find restaurants with some accommodation up in the hills. Many people hike up for lunch.

On Tuesday I went to a lake near my accommodation, Riessersee, and you can see the clouds were already low so I only went up about 100 metres and was back in my apartment for a late lunch as the rain set in.

With pouring rain on Wednesday, I decided to go by bus to one of King Ludwig’s castles, Linderhof. I had visited it in the 1970’s. I got drenched just waiting in the queue to enter and as I left, not spending much time in the gardens, it began to snow although it did not settle in the valley. I think the mountains would have been beautiful if I could have seen through the clouds.  I had to change buses in a favourite town of mine, Oberammergau, so cheered myself up with a big plate of strawberries, cream and ice-cream.

The next 2 days were just drizzle so on Thursday I walked in the hills just above the town but only up about 100 metres and travelled by bus to Munich on Friday. That evening I went to the impressive Herkuulesaal in the Munich Residenz where I heard the Bavarian Radio Orchestra. Sir John Gardiner was the conductor. I think I have seen him conduct Last Night of the Proms.   I was in the very centre 2nd row but I actually prefer to be up high so I can look down and see all the orchestra.
Berlioz 'Harold en Italie' was first with Antoine Tamestit playing the viola solo. He was excellent and quite a showman.    The 2nd half was Schubert Symphony Nr 8.

Saturday in Munich was overcast but did not rain until evening. I went to the Nymphenburg Palace. I do not remember going there on my previous visits to Munich. After going through the amazing Baroque and Rococo rooms in the main pavilion, I wandered in the 200 acre park somewhat reminiscent of Versailles, and visited the 4 garden pavilions, each in a different style. This photo shows the hall of mirrors in the Amalienburg Pavilion.

Sunday morning was rain again and I wandered in various parts of Munich but it fined up in the afternoon allowing me to go to the English Garden which is a vast urban park. As in 2008, I joined many locals in sitting, drinking beer and listening to a Bavarian Oompah brass band. I only managed a half litre unlike the litre jugs being drunk all around me.

Monday was fine and sunny again as I travelled by train to Berchtesgaden but the rain returned on Tuesday so all I managed was a 2 hour soggy historical walk around the hills above the town.
Wednesday was better but still overcast so I decided to take the boat ride on Konigsee. I had taken this twice before, in the 1970’s and in 2008 but both were in the off season when the electric boats do not go all the way up the lake. This time I went to the end and took a walk to a smaller lake, Obersee. The track was a bit rugged in parts, but, even with the clouds, the views were magnificent.

Finally on my last full day in Bavaria, I had the sun and blue skies which I would have liked to have seen more often.  I took the Jennerbahn, a 1,170 metre cable gondola almost to the top of Jenner Berg 1,874 metres where we could see over 100 German and Austrian peaks. 

I tried to climb the final metres to the very top but even with my boots and stick the icy steps and dizzy heights forced me to retreat. However, after descending to the middle station, 1534 metres, I walked down a muddy track with lots of steps to the bottom at about 700 metres.

Wanting to make the best of the weather, I took a bus in the afternoon to another lake, Hintersee

 and walked around it and followed a nature trail through the Zauberwald, or Magic Forest, probably about 7km in total.  No wonder I had trouble going down to the town for my dinner.

It was another sunny day as I travelled into Austria and the Salzkammergut region.

Bavaria Beckoned

My final time in the Alps has been spent in the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The town park is beautiful in Spring. I had visited for the day in 1974 and spent a few hours there in 2000 and these samplings created a dream to stay several days. Perhaps the town itself was a bit disappointing after my time spent at Hallstatt and Appenzell which are not yet as spoilt by tourists. However the surrounding snow covered mountains and houses with painted pictures are still worth the visit. My feet are telling me they want to go home but my eyes want to keep going to see more and more. The first afternoon I just spent in the square with apple strudel and hot chocolate but the next day I headed for the Partnachklamm Gorge. This is a narrow gorge filled with rushing water and the path often tunnels into the cliff in order to get through.
I then climbed above the gorge to return by the top path and found a farm house with a cafe attached. Could not resist a coffee in these surroundings. Back into town and after eating some fruit in the park (I have to make up for the strudel, sausages and beer which are undoing any good achieved from all the walking), I headed for a cable car which goes up Wank Berg or Mountain (Don't laugh). Great views of the town and across to the highest German peak, the Zugspitze which was on my itinerary for the next day.
To get up the Zugspitze (2962 metres) you go by a rack railway which was built in 1930 and for the last 4 and half kilometres travels up in a tunnel under the mountain. A cable car is used to reach the final summit.
A view of the Eibsee from the summit. The round trip should involve a quick trip back down in another very high cable car but it was closed for maintenance so I had to return by the train.
After lunch I again set off walking mainly at the valley level to a lake called Riessersee and my legs were glad that I caught a bus back to town and my hotel.
Today I have returned to Munich and spent the afternoon in the Englischer Garten, the largest city park in Europe, 5km long and, no, I did not walk the full length but spent some time sitting and listening to a typical German band. Some people were sunbaking completely naked. I would have turned blue as the wind was a bit brisk for my liking. Finally I spent a little more than an hour at the Neue Pinakothek which has paintings and sculpture from 18th and 19th centuries. I have just returned from dinner with my host Rodney and must now prepare to travel north to Berlin.