We took a short hike in Schmidmühlen, north toward Hammerberg, on a trail that ran between the Lauterach and Vils Rivers. The Lauterbach river is where the trout (Forelle) I had for lunch yesterday came from! But first we stopped in town to pick up Dimpelsemmel (seeded whole grain rolls), cherries, butter cheese, trail mix, and a 1.5 liter bottle of water.
We met a nice couple from Stuttgart who were hiking the reverse circuit from Schmidmühlen. I almost suggested turning around, and going back to town with them for coffee and cake. We hiked about 5 miles.
A Saturday Hike toward Hammerberg
Along the Lauterach Wanderweg
Towards Hammerberg
Barley fields, we think
The trail crossed through forest and fields, and butterflies flitted among the wildflowers along the edge. At one point a huge snail crossed our path.
Ströbi sees a large snail on the path
Snail on the path
A poppy along the Lauterach Wanderweg
Wildflower along the Lauterach Wanderweg
Butterfly along the Lauterach Wanderweg
Wildflower along the Lauterach Wanderweg
Butterfly along the Lauterach Wanderweg
Butterfly along the Lauterach Wanderweg
We stopped for lunch under a Horse Chestnut tree at the edge of a barley field. The warmth of the sun and the droning of bees helped us catch a peaceful little nap after lunch.
Time for lunch and a rest under a Horse Chestnut Tree
Staring up at the clouds while the bees drone and the gentle breeze blows
After our hike, we went back to the Gasthof Lindenhof in Schmidmühlen for some chocolate ice cream. Then we drove to Amberg and shopped for Bavarian souvenirs. We found a really nice Goebel Gift Shop, and picked up some gifts for the girls. The women in the shop directed us to a Dirndl shop around the corner, and we got there just before closing. We found a soft little Dirndl in Bavaria's blue and white, for Cora.
Bavarian Dirndl for Cora
We were so happy with it, that we went back to the Goebel Shop to show the ladies. They said it was very good quality, such as Bavarian mothers would buy for their own daughters. They told us the rules for tying the bow: On the left for single girls, on the right for married women, and in back for widows.
Finally we headed back to our hotel for a cool swim and then dinner again at the Erlhof in Erlheim. I had fish and vegetables, and we shared a giant Windbeutel (cream puff ) filled with strawberries and cream for dessert. It was the specialty of the house.
Salmon with herb sauce and spargel
The Specialty of the House: Windbeutel, a giant strawberry-filled creme puff for sharing.
The Hotel Garni Kleindienst breakfast offered a change from the usual "Frühstück" (Breakfast) of rolls, cold cuts, and cheese, by serving waffles as well. Afterwards, we drove to Schmidmühlen, and visited the Rathaus (where we got cemetery information, and also hiking maps)
The Upper Castle in Schmidmühlen, now the Rathaus (Town Hall)
The Golden Lamb Restaurant, which was closed for two weeks at the time
Then we went to the Parish Church, St. Ägidius, where two helpful ladies located baptismal and marriage records for Dan.
Dan outside St. Ägidius Church, where his great-grandparents were married
St. Ägidius Church Bells - and a bit of a bumpy walk around the church
My elementary German got a real workout, but between their English (about the same level as my German) and my German, we somehow got Dan the records he needed. We felt like we really struck gold when the ladies were able to locate the Buchner house, where Dan's great-grandfather probably lived. We went to see it, and sure enough, it looked the right age, and appeared to have a workshop space, perfect for a saddler (one who makes harnesses and saddles for horses).
The old Büchner house -- It's for sale even!
The old Büchner House from the bridge over the Lauterach. It is on the left.
They advised us to return to the townhall for cemetery information, and the gentleman there gave us directions to the cemetery, and also alerted us to the fact that the barber in town was a Buchner also.
Salon Büchner in Schmidmühlen
We stopped in to see Johann Büchner on the way to the cemetery, but it wasn't clear how closely he and Dan were related. We really regret not getting a picture of him and Dan together; there were certain resemblances, I thought. And too bad Dan didn't need a haircut -- that would have been the perfect excuse for a longer conversation.
Dan found a Büchner and a Söllner grave in the Schidmühlen Cemetery. Büchner was Dan's mother's maiden name, and Söllner was his great-grandmother's maiden name.
Schidmühlen Cemetery
Gasthof Erlhof
When we finished in town, we returned to our hotel for a swim and a nap. Later in the evening we went to Gasthof Erlhof in Erlheim, about 5 minutes from our Hotel, and had a relaxing dinner on the patio. It was so comfortable in the shade, near the fountain, after the heat of the day.
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!
