Yesterday was one of those days you take advantage of an opportunity when given to you. I took a gondola ride up into the Alps.  The ultimate E ticket ride.

What an amazing experience.  To see the Alps that way was something I will never forget. A wonderful memory. 7,500 feet up. Close to heaven.  The magestic mountains at my fingertips.  You stand in awe of such beauty. So many people hiking the trails. 

We spent most of our time walking around the older part of the city. We did see the ski jump from the Olympics.  But the actual village is no longer there.  I took advantage of people watching at a local sausage and wine bar.  The lady was so nice and gracious enough to give us samples of the various sausages she sells.  It was a pretty autumn day, so a lot of people were out.  We asked when it starts to snow there and were told it use to be before Christmas, but with the climate change, it is now way into late January, February. 

Now it is on to another place, to add to my memories.

I love road trips, short ones, long ones, it doesn’t matter.  I love looking at the scenery of the various places that the car has taken me to.  The PCH in California where you can see the ocean.  The Blue Ridge Parkway through the Appalachian Mountains. The Rocky Mountains. The desert of Arizona.  But none of these prepared me for what I saw yesterday.

We drove through the magestic Alps.  Big, looming mountains.  Small villages in their shadows.  Up we went, down into the valley we went and there they were.  You just could not stop staring at them.  My brother Tom went skiing in the Bavarian Alps, I can only imagine the thrill of that.  

Last night the sun set over these mountains, with a whisp of clouds, it was quite colorful and peaceful.  I called the scene a “holy card” look.  Quite heavenly indeed.

Today, we are taking a gondola ride up the Alps.

What a beautiful little town Fuessen is.  The shadows of the Alps loom in the distance.  We sat on the patio last night just in awe of them.  They are certainly not the Rocky Mountains nor the Appalachians, or the Blue Ridge.

Took the tour of the Neuschwanstein Castle.  Poor Ludwick the 2nd…built the thing and only lived in it for 2 weeks before he died.  They certainly make you work for it.  Climb up and down, and that is not including stairs. I kept singing that song from the Sound of Music in my head…”climb every mountain…” But I can safely say I did it.

Today we will be driving through those Alps to Innsbruck.  I am leaving Germany to head to Austria.

We spent another day in Munich.  We went to Marianplatz to walk around, and see the biggest Glockenspiel!  At 11:00 while the clock chimes, the various figurines perform. One are 2 knights that are jostling, and the other set are men dancing.  The whole thing lasts about 15 minutes.  It was indeed something to see.

Then we walked the English gardens.  What a beautiful park.  The river was really flowing, and at one area where there is a set of rapids, are people surfing!  Surfing in Munich. I thought I would never say that.

Today we are on our way to Fuessen. The last town on the romantic road and at the base of the alps.  We have a tour set up at Neuschwanstein Castle.

Yesterday was one of those experiences of a lifetime.  Oktoberfest in Munich.

A little background of the people I am with. My husband Tom, and two of his best friends, Bob and Gary, and their wives Sandra and Cheryl. The guys have known each other since Junior High.  Apparently in high school they promised that some day they would come here and celebrate this festival.  A couple of years ago this vacation started being planned.

It is an amazing experience.  The senses go on overload. The sights, the smells the sounds! You are sitting with people you don’t know, or speak your language but when the music starts and the toasting starts, and of course the beer drinking starts you become best friends!  Hugging, swaying to the Oom pa pa music, singing along to the German drinking songs, and the American ones too.

And the outfits.  You wear the dirndle and or lederhosen the entire two weeks of this event. But here where you celebrate young or old it is a sight to behold.  A young couple brought in their infant son, and he was wearing baby lederhosen. Of course we all “awwwww” when we saw him.

You dance on the benches. You talk to each other. You dance to the music.  It is such a wonderful sight to behold.  Even when you know these people are 14 sheets to the wind, staggering being held up by their friends.  

My brother Tom has been here twice.  Told us we had to do this years ago. We finally did it and now I understand.

Here is a picture of me in my dirndle with the stein of beer that took me 4 and a half hours to drink.

We spent more time exploring the city today. 

Tomorrow we go to Fussen and the Neuschwanstein Castle.

The last few days have consisted of seeing the various small medieval towns along the Romantic Road.  First stop was Dinkelsbuhl, the quaintest town.  Untouched by WW2.  I bought my dirndle for Oktoberfest at a small store there.  The lovely lady picked out a pretty one for me, and explained the placement of the bow of the apron. To the right you are married, to the left you are single, and the back you are a widow.

Then it was off to Norlingen. Fields of sunflowers dotted the countryside.  Apparently 15 million years ago a meteor hit this area, and the town was created in the crater. 

Donauworth was our next stop.  That was a small, but very bustling town.

Onto Munich or Munchen as the Germans say, or as I like to call it, Munchkinland.  Driving along the Autobahn with all the trucks, trying to keep up.  Driving with the speed of sound.

Oktoberfest is today. 

We drove along what is known as the Romantic Road towards Rothenburg. It was a very rainy day, but the scenery was so beautiful. Lots of farmland, going through the little towns, through tunnels, over bridges.  And then of course there was traffic.  Caused by construction and road work.  I swear the whole world is under construction. 

Rothenburg is so quaint.  I call it the Christmas town.  Every other store is a Christmas one. My head exploded there were so many.

I finally got my German cuckoo clock. It chimes, the people dance, the men drink beer and the woman hits her rolling pin.  I have always wanted one from this area.  My mom had one and I loved it so.

Off to Dinkelsbuhl later on today.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I became a Beatles song. “When I’m 64.”  We left Heidleberg and drove through the Black Forest.  What an unbelievable road trip.  Flowers hanging from the bridges.  Tiny villages with the church in the middle of town.  The leaves are beginning to change. We went through Freudenstat, Gausbach, Huzenbach, Loberg, and then to our destination of Schiltach.  Stayed at a great hotel: Gastof Sonne, with an exceptional restaurant.  They couldn’t have been nicer.  And made my birthday so special.  The owner sat with us at the end of the evening and had a beer.  This is the stuff I love.  Going out of their way to be welcoming.  Talking with you, wanting to know about you, and getting a special drink for the end of your birthday.

Again I heard church bells all over.  I love that sound!!

Off to Rothenburg.  A Christmas town….oh my!

In Heidleberg they have a wonderful old castle. Inside of it is Grosses Fass, the great cask. It is the worlds largest wine barrel located in the cellar of the castle.  It is made from 130 oak trees and holds 58,500 gallons of wine!!!  Can you imagine??  Schloss Heidleberg was quite the place.  Wonderful ruins with quite the history.

Last night for dinner we went to a great Biergarten restaurant.  We had been there the day before for lunch and liked it so much we went back.  The manager recognized us and gave us a private room AND free dessert.  The food was incredible and the red cabbage would have made my Grandmother Kathleen weep, it was that good.

Today we drive into the Black Forest, taking our time to enjoy the scenery. We will be staying in the little town of Schiltach.  

Oh, and today I am a Beatles song.  Happy birthday to me.

I love meeting new people.  I bonded with a lovely lady named Lisa.  We shared some wine together, and come to find out, her son goes to Arizona State!  Of course she is my new friend.

Heidleberg is a fun place! Places to eat and drink for miles on end.  We are staying at a place overlooking the Neckor River.  I think I got the spelling correctly.  The bridge going over it is made of sand stone.  We walked all over until the almost full moon rose above us.

Today we begin again.  A castle to explore and a very festive town square.