OCTOBER 1 - OBERAMMERGAU AND TRAFFIC

The roads and construction are like a nightmare. BOOMING tourism is evident. We never faced traffic like this before. It definitely takes away from the peaceful atmosphere.

Our short trip today was to Oberammergau.

Post Hotel Oberammergau

For some reason, parking there seemed fairly easy. We walked a bit from the Post hotel to the Wolf for lunch. More memories. Took my parents on their first visit in late 1973. My Mom was very interested because her Mother's maiden name was Wolf. Grandpa Wolf was from the Hessen area, north of Frankfurt. But we think Grandma Wolf was from Bavaria. Took many friends there over the years.

Ceramic kachelofen

It was a beautiful day, but Ron wanted to eat inside. He loves the details of the old buildings with lots of wood trim and often an old-fashioned "kachelofen" such as this. We did not recall this one being orange! The hotel is showing its age. Ron had gulaschsuppe and ein paar Frankischer Bratwurst. I had pfefferlinge (wild mushrooms) in a cream herb sauce with knoedel (a boiled bread dumpling).

We walked down the street and decided to have an ice cream. The place was packed. The line was almost around the corner, and people kept coming. There was extensive seating as well as the take-away business. As our old friend, CW, used to say, "Buy an ice-cream shop". 

The luftmalerei (al fresco paintings) on the homes and shops for which Oberammergau is famed, are fading, and we wonder if there is a new generation of luftmaler, and if it would be too expensive to even try to refresh the art. The second thing Oberammergau is known for is wood-carving. There are still numerous shops, but we wonder who in the world would be buying the large, religious wood carvings. The third claim to fame for Oberammergau is the Passion Play (held every 10-years), and wonder if that will that be enough to sustain tourism. They will probably have to develop a new focus to attract a younger clientele. (We saw lots of folks with walkers in the area.) The beauty of the area is exquisite, but it's a bit out of the way. Tour buses keep bringing folks to nearby Linderhof, and Oberammergau is probably an included excursion.

We decided not to go to Murnau. We went instead to the Eckbauer Bahn (our favorite 2-person gondola ride up the mountain). Ron called that parking area and traffic "a disaster in itself". We have NEVER in all these years seen this kind of traffic. There was absolutely nowhere to park anywhere near the Bahn. Will try again on a weekday.

Drove down to see the apartment by the mill-wheel where we had stayed once - a lovely place on the ground floor with two bathrooms and washer/dryer. That is where Ron tried to feed the ducks and threw some pizza out. We heard the results the next day, when we heard men speaking angrily in German, wondering what idiot would have thrown bread in and stopped up the water wheel!

Right next door is an American-style steakhouse, Waffenschmied (which is where the water wheel is located). Ron asked if the garden was open for a drink, but the person setting things up said not until 5 PM.

So, we battled the traffic and came home. There on our doorstep was a basket with the things we had requested from Frau Hausler - clean bedding, clean towels, a couple small plastic garbage bags and one dishwasher tablet. On top of the pile was a bill for 36 Euros (about US$40). I said "No way", and the longer Ron thought about it, the madder he got. There was no discount for our second week, so the amenities should be the same. Believe, even cleaning should be done at the end of the first week. We were fretting about it as we sat out on the balcony until well after dark, and it began to fester with Ron, and he got angrier still. I said this is nothing to ruin our stay over. But it is ANNOYING! Ron communicated his displeasure by tearing the bill in half, and leaving it and the basket of linens and bags untouched at our door.

Despite our irritation, the night sitting on the balcony calmed our nerves. Enjoying the peacefulness, church bells ringing, the sights, sounds and smells to fill our senses. 

"THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAINS IS NOT JUST IN THEIR RUGGEDNESS, BUT IN THEIR QUIET SERENITY. (Unknown)