Bavarian Holiday Getaway

Where should a Sicilian inhabitant take a short flight to see snow-capped peaks, catch snowflakes on her tongue, and peruse open-air Christmas markets while sipping hot mulled wine?  Why, Bavaria, of course!  Southern Germany oozes with Christmas spirit, and since palm trees and mild temperatures weren’t inspiring me to deck the halls, Germany offered the perfect mid-December infusion of holiday cheer.

One of our first adventures was riding a cog-wheel train and then a cable car up to Zugspitz - the highest point in Germany.  Gorgeous.  And cold!  There's a restaurant at the top with the, oh, you know, "decent" view seen above.

Through Edelweiss Lodge, the US Armed Forces-owned lodge, we booked two trips.  The first was a night hike through a canyon, lit by torches.

The castles of "Mad" King Ludwig were located nearby.  Above is the "quaint hunting lodge" where his family spent getaways during King Ludwig's childhood.

In the same area as his family's hunting lodge castle, Kind Ludwig spent 17 years constructing his own castle, which served as Walt Disney's inspiration for Cinderella's castle at Disney Land.  You can see scaffolding on the left where renovations were taking place.  (Sadly, this castle was never completed.  While you can tour the lavish floors that were inhabited for less than a year, Ludwig died during it's construction, and many floors remain unfinished.)

In Munich, we watched the famous old town clock chime the noon hour, and were treated to the mechanical puppet show that depicts Munich's history.

"Dunkel Dunkel Dunkel!

I love Dunkel!

Here it goes!

Into my belly!

Liter Liter Liter!"

Hofbrauhaus did not disappoint.

An areal view of Munich, from the clock tower.

One of the many open-air Christmas markets, where we enjoyed gluhwien (hot mulled wine - SO warming and scrumptious) and browsed the holiday goods.

The second tour we booked through Edelweiss was a micro brewery tour.  We learned about the German purity law - that beer is only allowed to have four ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast.  Oh, how four ingredients can taste so good...!

Garmisch-Partenkirchen was home to the 1936 Olympics, under the leadership of Hitler.  Above, you can see the ski jump(s), which are still in use.

Our Bavarian adventure kept us busy for 10 days, and the winter atmosphere definitely succeeded in putting me in the holiday spirit.  I probably could have stayed and eaten German food, washed down with German beer, for a bit longer, but Dinosaur and I both agreed that with each new homecoming from an out-of-Italy vacation, Italy is beginning to feel more like "home."  And it is wonderful to be home.  

Coming up:  Dinosaur and Dragon's first Christmas in Sicily!