Today we drove four hours from Konigsee to our hotel in Amberg. Amberg is near Schmidmühlen, where Dan will research his family history tomorrow. The hosts of the Hotel Garni Kleindienst are very friendly and helpful, and our room is very comfortable. The swimming pool was a welcome relief in this 90 degree heat.
In the evening, we drove to the Mariahilfberg Monastery, on a mountain just outside of Amberg, and we had dinner at the Bergwirstschaft Gaststube. Every restaurant we go to has a Spargel menu, because white asparagus is in season, and Germans prefer eating seasonal foods. Last night I had cream of spargel soup, but tonight I had "Grünkase Spargel": white asparagus with ham, Grünkase (like Swiss cheese) and hollandaise sauce.
Mariahilfberg Pilgrimage Church and Monastery, Amberg, Germany
The Bergwirtschaft Restaurant at the Monastery
Looking over Amberg
A brief thunderstorm prevented us from eating out on the patio, but we stepped outside afterwards and looked at the view over Amberg.
Grünkase Spargel
Mariahilfberg outdoor sanctuary
We walked around the grounds afterwards and saw this beautiful open-air sanctuary.
Today we took a 55 minute boat ride along Königssee to Salet, and then we hiked to a smaller lake, Obersee, and back. At one point the boat stopped, and the guide took out a trumpet and played a Bavarian tune. Each phrase was echoed back to us from the mountains. We saw waterfalls tumbling down from the snowy crevices up high, while we sweltered in the 86 degree heat below!
Königssee
St. Bartholomew Church
Vintage boat on Königssee
Cowbells at Salet
From Salet, we hiked on to Obersee.
Obersee
Ströbi poses for a shot at Obersee
The boat ride back was very peaceful, as we were only among 5 passengers. We had lunch in Berchtesgaden at a very nice hotel. We shared a platter of smoked salmon with horseradish sauce, and then we each had a small garden salad, and still water.
Smoked salmon and salad for lunch in Berchtesgaden
In the evening, we found a pedestrian zone and a traditional restaurant in an upper part of the town. Pork dominated the menu. Mine came with mushroom sauce and dumplings.
While we were checking out of the hotel, we saw a little white stuffed bear named Ströbi, so we decided to buy him for Cora. We plan to send pictures of him at all the different places we visit on our driving tour.
Strobi joins us for sight-seeing
We drove south to Konigsee and the Berchtesgaden National Park, and as we went, the mountains grew bigger and bigger, and eventually we saw some with snow on top.
As we drive south, the mountains get bigger.
Snowy mountains in May
Goats near a rest area
On the final leg of our drive to Konigsee, we followed the Windbach torrent, as it frothed green and white through the Windbachklamm gorge.
Driving alongside the Wimbachklamm to Koönigsee
The Tourist Information Center at Berchtesgaden helped us find a hotel. On the way, we spotted a Bier Garden for lunch.
Our Pension in Konigsee
Strobi enjoys the view from our room
After we settled into our room, we went back to the National Park and walked to Königsee and had some ice cream. We ate dinner at a little crepe stand and then returned to the hotel for the night.
We stayed at the spa all day on Monday. We swam in the various thermal pools, one of which was a lazy river. At one point, the Bademeister turned up the flow rate, creating a wild white water river, which really dunked us underwater. My favorite pool was the Active pool, which was cool and refreshing: about 84 degrees. I also loved the Rest Pavilion -- very comfortable lounge chairs in a quiet pavilion, with mountain breezes drifting in the large windows.
Around 4 p.m., I went for relaxing aromatherapy massage. It was really oily, but my feet especially loved it! We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner there -- all healthy meals, with whole grain breads, lots of vegetables, and modest portions of grilled meat and fish.
Thermal pool, a lazy (and sometimes not so lazy) river
Beautiful gardens
The Rest Pavillion: cool, shady, with lovely alpine breeze coming in the large windows
We woke at 5:15 a.m. and checked out of our hotel. Boxed breakfasts were waiting for us in the lobby, since it was so early.
Box breakfast from hotel at 5:15 a.m.
Then we rode by bus with the tour group to Tegel airport. Our flight to Munich was at 9:00 a.m. We were so delighted when we bumped into two of our favorite people from the cruise. They had just arrived in the departure lounge to wait for their flight to Frankfurt, a few minutes before our flight left for Munich.
We arrived in Munich at 10:15, right on time, and picked up our Hertz car, a four-door Ford mini-SUV.
Our rental car at Munich Airport
On the way to Bad Endorf
Then we drove about 2 hours to Bad Endorf, and checked into our spa-hotel. Bottles of cold water and a basket of fruit were a very refreshing welcome.
Fruit and Mint infused mineral waters in the lobby
Fruit basket in the room
We had lunch outside, near the pond. I had a delicious shrimp salad, with rolls, and a large bottle of cold still water. It was such a relief to take a break from the exhausting pace of the river cruise, with all its excursions, deadlines, and time limits.
View from our table at lunch: The pond and gardens at the hotel
Shrimp salad for lunch
Cold, refreshing mineral water
Around 3 pm, we headed off to the hospital to visit another friend, who had just had unexpected surgery. While it was sad that we couldn't do all the things together that we had planned, the important thing is that she was recovering very quickly from her surgery and the outcome was good. And we still had a nice visit! Her husband came and picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the hospital in Rosenheim, 15 minutes away. Despite a very serious operation five days earlier, she was up and able to walk with us down to the hospital cafe, for Kaffee und Kuchen! Then we took a walk with her outside! Hospital rules are very different in Germany. It was very hard to leave her after so short a visit, but she needed to rest. I am sad that we didn't get to swim together at the spa, like we had planned, but I hope we can meet again for a swim!
Today we took a 4-hour bus tour of Berlin, stopping at the Brandenburg Gate, the East Gallery of the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie.
Brandenburg Gate
Grafitti on the East Gallery of the Berlin Wall
Checkpoint Charlie
In the afternoon we met another friend (a HelloTalk language partner and fellow recorder player), and we walked through the Tiergarten. And then we rode the elevator up to the top of Kollhof Tower on Potsdamer Square and enjoyed some more Weissbier in the Panoramacafé. This time it was flavored with Waldmeister (Baby's Breath) and was bright green!
Today we disembarked our ship and went by bus to Worlitz Palace.
Wörlitz Palace
There we took a gondola ride through the palace's English Gardens, the first of their kind in continental Europe. The rhododendron were in bloom, and the natural layout of English gardens (as opposed to the formal, symmetrical Italianate style) made it a very peaceful place.
Gondola ride through the English Gardens at Wörlitz Palace
I'm glad Dan didn't tell me what he was photographing at the time he took this photo! I probably would have jumped up and tipped the whole gondola over, with everyone in it!
A Hitchhiker!
Cable ferry at Wörlitz Palace
Then we drove to Potsdam and had lunch in a cafe near the marketplace. After lunch, we went to Sanssouci Palace, an opulent palace built by Frederick the Great of Prussia.
Sanssouci Palace, home of Frederick the Great
Sanssouci Palace (interior)
Sanssouci Palace (interior)
We saw his grave, decorated with potatoes, which visitors leave in remembrance of how he brought the potato and tomato to Europe.
Potatoes on the grave of Frederick the Great, who introduced potatoes to Europe!
From there we drove to Berlin and checked into the Grand Hyatt near Potsdamer Platz. After freshening up, we met some HelloTalk friends for a walk and then supper at a Bier Garten, where we had Berlin's favorite Wurst, Currywurst and a raspberry Berliner Weisse. Berliner Weisse is a wheat beer that is traditionally served in the summer. It is either red (flavored with raspberries) or bright green (flavored with Sweet Woodruff). We walked to the Brandenburg Gate, right near the American Embassy, then to the Reichstag, and finally had a glimpse of the Chancellor's home in Berlin, which they affectionately called the Washing Machine. The big white cube did look like a washing machine!
HelloTalk friends finally get to meet in person!
The Reichstag
Brandenburg Gate in late afternoon
The Chancellor's Residence (affectionately known as the Washing Machine!)
