Leaving Las Vegas

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Leaving Las Vegas

It took us a while to get all the cylinders firing this morning. Another dreary day in Munich but perfect weather to usher us into the Alps with its clear sunny skies and the drier grade “A” air. After three days of sausage and beer we are ready for some high altitude hikes and healthier food and beverage choices. Don’t get me wrong friends Oktoberfest goes down as a Mt. Everest experience, every other party in the future will feel like a kindergarten cupcake fest with a clown, but you have to leave Las Vegas eventually before it swallows you whole.

We headed south out of town with our eyes set on the famous village of Ober-Ammergau. The village is a mecca for site seers. The townsfolk have half-timbered homes with white stucco wall upon which they have painted huge frescos depicting the story of the Passion and some of their local Bavarian fairytales. It is also a village full of wood carvers and almost every shop sports the wears of their familie’s in-house widdler.

Ober-Ammergau is arguably most famous, however, for the once a decade theatrical production of the passion. For a full 100 summer days the inhabitants perform their play making good on a deal they made with God centuries ago, when by his infinite mercy he spared their small village from the Black Plague.

We found a small café on the main drag and had some hot beverages and some delicious Goulash soup. We walked around the city and visited it’s church. The church is a site to see, it had some pretty incredible frescos - I mean Michelangelo kind of stuff. Lots of gold filigree - a bit over the top but it all kind of goes together.

We continued south after a short visit in Ober-Ammergau and headed towards Fussen on the Austrian border. En route we stopped at a huge and completely gaudy church called the Wies church and was designed in the height of the Baroch period. Man this thing absolutely dripped with gaudy goodness. Gold everywhere, curly cues, and angel dust. I mean wow talk about over the top, it makes the Ober-Ammergau church look plain Jane. It sits out in the middle of some meadows and we spent almost as much time in the church as we did taking in the local landscape. Honestly I took about 10 pictures so a cow with a bell on - not sure what the novelty of this is for an American but it just seemed particularly Swiss/German to me and therefore a serious National Geographic moment.

We met another old German couple curious about two American kids in a huge RV in the middle of nowhere Germany. They were totally cute and had only an elementary understanding of English, but with some acting and a lot of mutual laughing we head about their home town and their thoughts on America and at one point the old man said the German equivalent of “shit” and then quickly put his hand over his mouth and his wife gave him the I’m going to kill you Fredrick look. Kamrin and I couldn’t contain our laughter and they joined in with us. Always fun to meet locals who take Americans as individuals and not automatons of our government.

We continued our drive to Fussen and drove along a very scenic road along a large lake, with rolling hills and inviting fields. We hit a grocery store and then rolled the dice and picked one of the campsite we had passed on the way into town. We lucked onto the best campsite we have had to date. We parked right down by the water with a gorgeous view and could even spy the Neuschwanstien castle - tomorrows destination. Too cool - we set up the table and chairs and enjoyed the sunset and the end of a successful touring day. We had a nice dinner and then called it another day. The air is so cool and crisp here and with no rain on the horizon we felt very blessed and slept like babies.

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