Blogs from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

Bonjour tout le monde, tout d'abord désolé pour le délai depuis notre dernier message ... internet dans les petits villages bavarois, c'est plutôt rare. Alors, on en était au 20 août. Déjà notre dernière journée chez Maria à Cologne. Nous sommes allés au château Schloss Augustusburg à Brühl. Ce site inscrit au patrimoine UNESCO est un chateau de style rococco, vous pourrez voir sur nos photos que l'extérieur et les jardins étaient plutôt biens. Heureusement pour vous, les photos à l'intérieur étaient interdites alors vous n'aurez pas à voir ce "gachis". Trop de couleur pastel mélangé, trop d'ornements, trop de tout. Bref, c'est bien beau vouloir impressionné, mais trop c'est trop. En plus, visite seulement en allemand et l'audioguide était plutôt 'minimal'. Pour oublier le tout, on s'est rempli de gaufres, de C... read more

Woo-hoo ! We're at the top of Germany ! Today, our little group decided to visit the very south of Germany, which also happens to be the tallest part of Germany! That's right - we went skiing on the Zugspitze in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. That has a nice ring to it. At least, it would if you skied. I did not. Instead, I rented skiis, walked out the door, looked down the slope, and walked right back inside. No way was I going to try to work my way down a sheer drop in those freaking uncomfortable ski boots. I grew up in Illinois. To those of you unfamiliar with the particulars of the midwest of the United States, people from Illinois are endearingly known as "flat landers." It's pretty self explanatory - we're great at farming, but ... read more

Man did I sleep well. Its 7:30 and I’m up rolling out of bed and heading for the bathroom. Everyone’s asleep and I’m going to get up shower and have a nice quite breakfast. Woo, Hoo I love these Germany baths there the size of a phone both for midgets. I’m finishing my shower when the door flies open; Hey I’m in here, as Heady walks into the bathroom. She screams, I’m hollering STOP!!!!!!!. Well my quite morning just went south. I’m out of the bath and downstairs trying to not make eye contact with either Bill or Hedi. The Inn Keeper meets at the bottom of the steps asking in his broken English “VIS EWERYSHING OK”? I respond Ya Ya Ya…. As I make my way to the breakfast table he’s following me “VHATS DER ... read more

Never has a skyline provoked so much intrigue and fear in the same breath. This was the thought as I disembarked a little mountain train in Southern Germany. Before I elaborate further, we have a couple of days prior to this that require getting you up to speed with. After seven months of employment and the coldest winter on record in Amsterdam, Kat and I decided on a much needed holiday. South of France, Mediterranean, blue waters, white sands and cocktails I hear you say. No….Germany. Kat came up with a family meeting adventure and I was, in some cases, reluctantly in agreement. This decision was made five weeks before leaving. Over these weeks we planned and planned and from somewhere came up with the great idea of climbing Germany’s highest mountain, Zuigspitze, and meeting her ... read more