Back in the Fatherland

One Complimentary Driving Lesson Included

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Ralf hooked-up an auxiliary battery to our new baby so that playing with the convertible roof wouldn't drain the battery. It would be pretty embarassing to BMW to have one of their cars fail to start at the display area. The whole time Ralf was offering me tips and explaining the nuances of the car there was a gallery of interested visitors off in the background watching us. I hope they were half as jealous of us as I was when we first visited the Welt a few years ago.

Now For the True Test of Our Engineering Skills

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Like I described in an earlier blog, we were very concerned about fitting all our bags in the boot. My careful measuring and my father's re-construction of the actual trunk were about to be tested. Would we squeeze in all 4 bags plus my camera bag and a purse or two or would we be leaving someone's suitcase at the Welt until our next Euro Delivery in 2015?

When You Need Precise Engineering Help Call a German

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Ralf was enlisted to help us arrange this Rubik's Cube of baggage. It took a couple of false starts until...

Voila! Success!

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See, it can be done. We took this picture so that we could refer to it each time we needed to reload the trunk.

Taking the Victory Lap

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One of the big deals during the BMW Welt delivery process occurs when the new owner is given the keys to his car and told to take his victory lap. Once around the delivery area then out through pit row and the electronic double doors. Ralf asked if we wanted the Safety Car on the track to ensure no one else hit us and to keep our lap speeds down. With lights flashing on the Safety Car I made my triumphant Victory Lap around the track.

And One More Time for Good Measure

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I enjoyed the cheering crowd and flashing lights so much I had to go around again. Then it was down pit row and through the double doors into the outside world.

Obligatory European Delivery Pose

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Once outside the building we were eager to take a few snaps of our new financial obligation while she was still clean. We pulled-off to the far side of the VIP parking area and took about ten different angle shots of our car and the BMW HQ building.

We Still Weren't Ready to Leave

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Although the car was loaded with our suitcases and the GPS was set for departure, we were still missing our mothers. Those same super nice BMW receptionists parked our car in their special garage and let us back into the building for a little more fun.

A Look at the Olympic Park

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BMW Welt is right across the street from the site of the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. That was the tragic event where a group of Israeli athletes were kidnapped and killed by terrorists. That wierd looking wire monstrosity is the Olympic Stadium which is still being used today as a soccer venue.

Das Buch

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This is the famed logbook placed at the Welt by my friends from Bimmerfest forums. It's a guestbook just for the members of this internet forum group.

My Pithy Comments in Das Buch

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After scrawling some ridiculous comments we finally remembered we had to had across town to get our snow tires installed before 5 o'clock. Those nice folks at the front desk called the tire shop for us to make sure they knew we were coming. It took 20 minutes to get there and about ten minutes to swap tires. German efficiency once again.

Another Time Warp

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From the tire shop we headed South to our accomodations in Oberammergau. It took a little over and hour. We had to buy gas on the way. BMW only gave us a quarter tank of premium gas! Oberammergau's streets were covered in snow but our 128i negotiated her way through easily with the snow shoes. The GPS misled us a bit but eventually we arrived at the Dedlerhaus Pension.

Exploring Our Neighborhood

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After checking in and finding a safe place to park off the street, we decided it was time for dinner. Those Weisswursts don't stick with you forever. Birgitta Haertle, the innkeeper's wife, suggested we head down the street and try the Gasthof Stern for good German fare at a reasonable price. Excellent suggestion.

Love That Rabbit's Brew Beer

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The little restaurant was pretty crowded but a nice German couple made room at their big table so that we could sit. Shortly after we ordered our liter-sized brews (ein Mass), they got up and left. A few minutes later a party of 4 sat down with us. At first I thought they too were German, but soon the older man in the group started speaking in accented English. It turned-out that he and his friends were English ex-pats now living in Spain. He was ex-SAS in the British army and very familiar with Seal Team 6 and the Green Berets. He had gone to the NATO war school here in Oberammergau years before.

How Can I Decorate Our Den to Look Like This?

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This restaurant would've made an excellent mancave - lots of dead stuff hanging on the walls, rich dark wood trim, sturdy heavy-duty furniture and this British chap entertaining us with his military experiences. He called "Man vs Wild"'s Bear Gryls a "tosser" because he wasn't real SAS, but in the SAS reserves. We were talking about the Air Force Boneyard at Davis-Montham AFB in Arizona when our dinners arrived.

At This Point I'm Sausaged-Out

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Again I forgot to document my dinner with a photo, but Gail remembered to take a picture of hers. I had a really delicious Spaetzle mixed with a delicious cheese and topped with grilled onions. Maybe the best dinner of the trip. Another thing Cassie really missed-out on. Tyler would've been on his second liter of beer and ready for more Wursts at this point.

Getting Horny at the Gasthof Stern

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I'm not sure what animal the Germans were shooting when they earned these trophies but they seemed plentiful. They were everywhere it seemed. After dinner our new English friends told us all about living in Spain and we told them about a great restaurant we liked in Garmisch. They planned to meet us there the next night. I felt like a true brother-in-arms when the commando guy called me a fellow soldier after I related my years of boredom in the Air Force and Air National Guard.

It Feels Like Christmas in Late February

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One of the great things about Germany and Austria in Winter is that it always seems like the holiday season. Although Mardi Gras was just about to start here the snow and subtle lighting gave a Christmassy look to the little town.

Keep Piling that Snow

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It was kind of wierd coming to so much snow and ice after we had had such a mild Winter back in the Poconos. Normally this is what the streets at home would look like in mid-February.

Lüftlmalereien

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Among the many many things I enjoy in Bavaria are the ways the locals decorate the exterior of their simple homes. Years ago the poor farmers and peasants couldn't afford fancy window and door trio so they painted it on the stucco walls. You'll see lots of it in our upcoming adventures. "Lüftlmalereien" means outdoor paintings.

Arriving Back at the Dedlerhaus

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By now we had been awake for a day and a half. It was time for bed. I quickly snapped this picture of the big church across the street from our pension. The big belss started ringing loudly and for a long time as we walked inside our place. Thankfully we didn't hear them again until the next day.