May 13-19

Monday, May 13th


MIL and FIL came over to the apartment for breakfast and then the girls got to play hookie from school! Day trip! We took the bus to Harras and then the BOB (Bayerische Oberlandbahn) to Gmund. From there we followed directions in the "Walks around Munich" book I got as a welcome gift from the MIWC. I've been wanting to do one of the long walks with the family (like the monthly day-long walks that the group does; I went in January and February) for some time. I picked one that would have views but be pretty easy for both kids and the older generation. It was perfect! We crossed creeks, won glimpses of mountain peaks, and the sparkle of Alp fed lake water. Now wishing I hadn't waited so long to take the BOB down to the lake region south of Munich.

Adventure buddies!

It threatened but never quite rained.

The morning started off cool (chilly ears!) but quickly warmed up so that we were taking off layers and letting our jackets hang open.

The Tegernsee and Bavarian Alps behind her.

Mudhen mucking about

The photographer, always lagging behind a bit...

Our route: Panorama Wanderweg

Close up: We walked from Gmund (northern end) to the little resort village, Tegernsee.

Finding a playground along the lakeside before our path took us uphill and into the woods.

"The old linden trees of Gasse -
The ancient linden trees from Gasse nestle in the Tegernsee landscape in a bewitchingly beautiful way. About a Lindenalter it says: ... 300 years they go. Accordingly, these trees may certainly welcome many visitors."

Wonderful signage... always when we thought we wouldn't know which way to go there would be a yellow hiking sign to point us in the right direction.

Straight out of a novel: dramatic clouds played all day with the sky, mountain peaks, and the lake water.

The littlest one liked to get out far ahead and adventure on her own.

Mirkwood?

Snow caps!

The sheep has the right idea.

Our hike ended in the little resort town, Tegernsee. We found a lakeside café and had some hot drinks and Kuchen before heading to the train station and back to Munich.

Bavarian Käsekuchen (no, it's not like our cheesecake--they don't have Philadelphia cream cheese here).

 
Tuesday, May 14th


MIL and FIL took off on their own for the morning so that J and I could meet up with my choir friend, EK, and her husband for brunch at Bellevue. Great conversation and felt sorry that we hadn't made the connection sooner! Ah well, good reason to return and refresh the budding friendship. When we got home I returned to sorting and packing <sigh> and J went off to work on his book. When FIL and MIL returned we went out to dinner with them one last time at the Dreimühlen Wirtshaus, the little local Gasthof in our neighborhood.

Clear skies for my morning run.

with EK at Bellevue

ME's dinner at the Dreimühlen Wirtshaus: Frikadellen with potato salad.

My MIL's dinner salad

My vegetable specialty topped with two Spiegeleier

The closets are now empty and all the contents are set out to pack up or ship home.

These two are ready to go back to VA with MIL and FIL when they depart tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 15th


Back to "normal" for a day before my sister, LY, arrives with her son, L. I ran some errands, took some boxes to DHL to ship, went to a coaching session with Stellario, and sold off another bike.

This view never gets old.

Thursday, May 16th


Grocery store run, packed some more boxes, and then went out to the airport to meet my sister and nephew. I showed them to their AirBnB (same one that the in-laws used) and then took them to our place. We went to the Alte Utting for snacks, stopped at the playground for a bit, and then home to a light dinner and more packing...

A box of boxes for international shipping... This was fun to get home (I didn't ride my bike but used it as a mode of carrying the box home from where I picked it up).

A box ready to ship home. Just the right size--not too big and not too small.

Friday, May 17th

I went for my usual morning run, stopping to get Semmeln at the Ihle on the way back. My sister and nephew came over for breakfast, then we biked to the Deutsche Post to drop off another box to ship, then biked into the city center (LY on ME's bike and nephew on HR's). We ate lunch in the Viktualienmarkt, watched the Glockenspiel in the Neues Rathaus on the Marienplatz, wandered around the Altstadt pedestrian zone, and then biked around the Englischer Garten, stopping for an Eis at the Chinesischer Turm. All the highlights!

From there we went to the Staatsoper and they came upstairs with me to watch my last coaching session with Stellario. Bittersweet.

We biked home after that and rested a little before changing clothes and heading back to the city center on the U-bahn. We ate dinner together at the Ratskeller and then walked over to the Residenz for a concert in the Herkulessaal. Stunning program! Beethoven Symphony Nr. 2 (Bayerische Rundfunk Orchester), Kurt Weill songs for baritone and orchestra (Four Walt Whitman Songs), Thomas Hampson, singing. It ended with an incredible piece by Respighi: Pini di Roma. We cried. It was incredible!

Trying to capture all the moments... morning light over Dreimühlenstraße...

Protest about wages by a union organization on the Marienplatz. Germans love organized, non-violent protests as part of the democratic process.

Lunch time!

Good ole Bratwurst!

Inside the Heiliggeistkirche

View of the Altstadt (Frauenkirche towers) from the Monopteros in the Englischer Garten

Inside the Staatsoper

LY's dinner

My fancy salad!

The Max-Joseph-Platz in front of the Nationaltheater (which houses the state ballet and opera companies)

Walking through the Hofgarten behind the Residenz, we stumbled upon a group of dancers practicing their tango inside the Dianatempel!

Evening sky over the garden

I love going to concerts with this music loving girl!

One of Mariss Jansons' last appearances as conductor of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Headed home on the U-bahn

Saturday, May 18th


Another BOB (Bayerisch Oberland Bahn) adventure! This time a mountain peak overlooking a river valley west of the Tegernsee area where we had gone with my in-laws. Just my sister, nephew, GE, and me. We packed a picnic lunch and hoped we'd be able to climb to the peak from the gondola station, but the trail was still covered in snow and ice! So we took the gondola back down after eating our lunch and hiked along a trail following the path of the river.

Waiting for seats to free up so we can sit together. The kids didn't want to sit by strangers!

This time the weather was clear and perfect! Since it was Saturday, the BOB train was packed with groups heading south for hikes and outings. We had to wait a few stops to find seats and then wait more to get seats together.

Our destination is the craggy peak in the center: Wendelstein

Gondola station

We had also contemplated doing the hike down the mountain instead of taking the gondola both ways, but that path was also treacherous and was posted as "closed" for hiking. We still saw braver souls who were outfitted with poles and shoe spikes for walking over ice. Next time we just need to get the gear!

LOVE my twin sis. So happy we got to squeeze in an adventure on our last weekend in Germany!

The views just got more and more spectacular as we ascended!

Breathtaking...

Somewhere in the distance is where Austria starts.

A tiny chapel perched on a craggy knoll. The bells started to toll while we were at the opposite lookout! A wedding! The couple came down to the main platform for photos.

Huge (picture can't quite capture the size) raven or alpine crow!

Crazy hikers trying to find the path down to the valley through the snow. That will not be us today!

Waiting for our BOB train and being goofy together in the window reflection!

Sunday, May 19th

A morning run... took LY and my nephew to the train station so they could catch their train to Salzburg, packed, sorted, organized...