We have had a busy week of
cycling and touring. The hot spell broke with a clap of thunder
and a flash of lightening and a significant rainstorm on
Wednesday. Now it is cooler and better for traveling and cycling.
Our first trip out of the area we went to a lake area, Ammersee.
It was not easy to access the lake, and not much to look at when we did
get lakeside.
 The
next day we went to the mountains. We first stopped at
Oberammergau, where they perform the famous Passion Play. Of
course, it was not being performed just now, but we enjoyed the alpine
atmosphere of the town. We traveled on to Garmisch, the very
famous ski resort area. Don bought a ticket to take the train and
tram to the top of the mountain. Just as he got on the train it
began to pour down rain and giant lightening jags appeared in the
sky. He was able to make it to the end of the train, but the tram
leg was canceled because of the storm. Meanwhile I stayed at the
lodge and enjoyed a nice meal while sharing my table with a nice couple
from South Carolina. Mina, the wife, is German. We had a
great visit and before I knew it Don was back for his lunch. Then
we headed home. The scenery is spectacular, with dramatic, jagged
crags and brilliant green everywhere.
The next day was rainy, so we decided to go to the museum in Augsberg.
Back on our bikes, we cycled to the quaint town of
Oberschoenfeld. Here we found a historic town with lots of
museums. Since our bike ride was lengthy and it was late in the
day, we decided to return for a closer look.
A word about bicycling in this area—this is a very cycle-friendly
area. Most streets have very wide sidewalks, at least as wide as a
car lane. These sidewalks are divided by a white line, with one
side for the use of pedestrians and the other side for cyclists.
There are dedicated cycleways everywhere, out in the countryside and in
the city. We see a huge cycling population, comprised of people of
all age groups. On the weekends it is very common to see older
people out on their bicycles for a pleasure ride, families, and kids
everywhere on cycles. It is wonderful to find a community where
everyone feels comfortable cycling. I would say that the
preponderance of cyclists are just average people, not 20 year olds
dressed up in fancy cycle togs.
We returned by car to Oberschoenfeld the next day. There we
visited the museum which housed a broad spectrum of farm tools and
machinery, a nature exhibit, a typical farm house, a beautiful
church. We spent the whole day, it was so interesting.
     
Our special pass arrived on Monday. This pass grants us free
admission to a number of Bavarian museums and activities. However,
we only have it three days and then we have to return it. The
first day we drove to Konigsee, an alpine lake, and took a boat trip
around the lake. We stopped at an interesting monastery along the
way. This lake is situated in a deep gorge and looks just like
the fjords we saw in Norway.
The following day we visited Newschwanstein Castle. This castle
is the one that Walt Disney used for Sleeping Beauty’s castle. It
is set up on a mountainside and has many turrets and spires. It is
surrounded by lakes. The castle looks beautiful from afar and up
close. We had a bit of trouble with the ticket vendor, who told
us that our card was not valid, but he did finally let us in. The
castle was built by King Ludwig II. He intentionally had it
designed to look like the old castles of history. Unfortunately
for the king, he was declared mentally incompetent before he could
complete the castle, and he was never able to use it.
    
Continuing with our marathon use of our special card, we spent Thursday
doing the museums in Munich. We visited the fabulous Nymphenburg
Palace where we loved the museum of coaches and sleighs. King
Ludwig had numerous coaches and sleighs, all done in the elaborate
rococo style, with white and gold gilt decorations, beautiful paintings
on the sides, fancy decorations to be worn by the horses. The
coronation coaches look like something Cinderella and her prince would
ride around in.
 
We continued on from Nymphenburg Palace to the Residenz. This is
another palace in the center of town. Here we were able to see the
fancy theater, again decorated in the rococo style. Also, the
beautiful furnishings, decorations, wall hangings and artwork on the
ceilings were all fantastic. Old King Ludwig knew how to spend a
buck! What style he had, with his fancy carriages, gorgeous
furnishings, elaborate decorative pieces and his love of music and
operas. As I toured the famous porcelain displays I couldn’t help
but think that my Grandma Vieira would have loved to see the fine work
on the delicate porcelain pieces.
We finished up the day with a visit to the castle treasury, where we
were able to view fancy crowns, jewelry, ewers, plates, jeweled swords,
treasure chests, and any kind of kingly treasure you might
imagine. I think Ludwig is the quintessential fantasy prince,
well, except that he wasn’t all that handsome. But what style he
had!
    
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