June 7th, 2016
At the end of May, we took a four-day holiday in Bavaria. I researched this area of Germany for a few weeks reading travel blogs and books I checked out from the library. “Germany Day by Day” became one of my go-to resources. I quickly became a fan of its travel itineraries, so much so that I bought myself my own copy. We reserved tickets for a castle tour, learned all the ins and outs of traveling up to Germany’s highest mountain top and found a couple of other sites to see depending on our mood and the weather. We were excited to travel in-country.
As our trip approached, the weather report started dampening our spirits. Thunderstorms were predicted for the entire weekend. Ugh… We had already experienced so many days of rain here that S asked me when Spring was coming back. Since our hotel reservation was locked in, we decided to still go and make the best of it. I’m SO GLAD WE DID!
We drove down on Friday, in and out of rainstorms, dipping into Austria on the way. When we spotted the Alps we couldn’t help but ohhhh and ahhh repeatedly as we all pointed out different snow-covered peaks. What BEAUTY! Oh my goodness…pictures can never capture how breathtaking the mountains are in Southern Bavaria but we still tried (of course). The scenery helped distract the boy, breaking up the monotony of…”Are we there yet?”
When we crossed in Austria, we immediately stopped at a gas station to purchase a 10-day Vignette sticker for 8.80 Euros. The sticker shows you have paid the road tax allowing you to drive on the Austrian motorways. If you are caught without this sticker affixed to your windshield, you may leave the country with a hefty fine! Our stop also gave us the chance to use the water closet (which we paid for as well).
Onward we went through Austria and back into Germany until we reached Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We immediately caught the outdoorsy vibe of this FABULOUS mountain town as we saw people riding bikes, walking around in shorts and carrying backpacks. We felt at home. =)
When we checked in at Hotel Alpengruß, an English-speaking housekeeper was recruited to translate for us since the regular manager wasn’t in. To my bewilderment, I was handed two room keys. When I asked why, I learned the family room I had reserved was overbooked and there was nothing else they could do. So, for the first two nights, we split up (one adult/one child). I never know what gets lost in translation here but I do know international travel is definitely teaching me about flexibility! Mein geliebter Mann (my beloved man) reminded me that our intention was not to stay in our room(s) but to be out and about. At least we had rooms! On Sunday we were given the large family room we booked and enjoyed our family slumber party. The hotel manager DID adjust our bill and I would still recommend the place. There is a great restaurant attached that makes the most delicious apple strudel we’ve ever eaten! Seriously, think DIVINE!
We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant our first evening while a rainstorm moved through the town. We struck up a lovely conversation with a young German lady, Evonne, who was dining alone at the table next to us. Afterwards, we went out on foot to explore the area and work out some of the boys’ never ending energy.
I know the above picture of my loves is blurry but it still makes me smile and reminds me of how fun our walk was that evening. Here’s a couple more…
I barely remember laying in bed that night after I turned out the lights. E was with me while S had some bonding time with his Daddy-O. Though our sleeping arrangement wasn’t ideal for us, it did have a benefit of calming down the boys quicker. Exhaustion quickly took over and we were OUT!
More to come…
