We Leave Germany and Drive to Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Today was our last day at the Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch. We had planned for this to be a really easy day, other than to run some last minute errands to get ourselves ready to leave early the next morning.

Zugspitsz peak view from our resort

We arose and hung about the room until almost noon. We left the lodge to fill the car with gas which turned out to be a real shocker. We pumped nine gallons for a converted total of around $62, or over $6 a gallon. We stopped at a store to pick up a few things to take with us to Switzerland. We returned to the lodge to have some lunch. We had just finished our lunch when PK and Sarah came by and sat down. We started to order rounds of drinks, and four hours later we staggered back to our room after a very light supper, and needing to do our packing for the next day.

Our hotel- the Suisse Majestic

After everything was packed, we headed to bed for a good night’s sleep, realizing that in the morning we would have over a 6-hour drive through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to arrive at Montreaux.

The next morning we arose early, had breakfast, and jumped in the car headed for Switzerland.

Hotel room view of Lake Geneva

We were greeted with a fairly constant rain all the way to the Austrian border. We crossed the border, drove through Austria for a while, then crossed back into Germany, before crossing the border into Switzerland at Linden.

Hotel view- Montreaux main street

The eastern part of Switzerland is still primarily German speaking, so we were familiar with the road signs. We did, however, enter a roundabout that we could not figure the proper exit to get out of. After rounding it 3 times, Capt. Larry spotted an Autobahn sign and headed for that exit. It was the right one. We headed through Zurich and into Bern. After Bern, everything switched over to the French language. We headed further south and took an exit to Vevey which would take us into Montreaux. At Montreaux we filled the car up with gas, a little over 11 gallons for around $92. 

Along the Lake Geneva waterfront

Capt. Larry dropped Jane off at our 5-star hotel, the Suisse Majestic, while he proceeded to drop off the rental car, only one-half mile from our hotel.

Montreaux paddle-wheel ferry

Western Lake Geneva

After checking in, we decided to explore Montreaux with a walk along the waterfront along Lake Geneva,  and through the main streets of the city. Montreaux is an exclusive resort area referred to as the Riviera of Switzerland, home to a host of world-famous celebrities.

Another waterfront view

We returned to our hotel and met with a representative of the Viking River cruise line who gave us a detailed itinerary of what we would be doing over the next 3 days. Turns out that this 3-day pre-cruise tour that we purchased was going to amount to nothing more than a walking tour of the city for one day and free time for the next two.  There were optional tours to Lusanne and Geneva, but at over $200 per person for what these tours offered, it seemed to be overly priced and consume valuable time.

Hotel room ferry view

We decided to stick close to home and see the sights of Montreaux and nearby Vevey.

Setting sun over Lake Geneva

We were given passes that would allow us to travel by bus to outlying communities such as Vevey. This would allow us to see a lot of the surrounding area.

Day is done!

We went back out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant we had spotted (we were yearning for Chinese!) and returned to our hotel room just as the sun was setting over Lake Geneva. Fabulous views.

We Head Into Austria and Northern Italy - But Not Without Some Challenges!

Today we thought we’d do something a little different and strike out on our own. We noticed that the resort had a guided tour into Bolzano and Vipiteno in northern Italy for sightseeing and shopping.

Zugspitz peak, view from our resort

The tour was offered on Wednesdays and Fridays and didn’t coincide with our schedule, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and do part of the tour on our own.

The Edelweiss flower

We weren’t really that interested in seeing the sights in Bolzano, but Jane was really interested in the renowned shopping area in Vipiteno.

After a light breakfast, we jumped in our rental car and headed out towards Innsbruck, Austria, which we had to cross to get into northern Italy. The car’s GPS routed us into Innsbruck via a back road that tortuously wound its way along narrow mountain roads and through small country towns that we could not have possibly followed with a map.

Shopping in Vipiteno

Vipiteno town crest

One small town had 20-25 turns on narrow streets to get through it, and it was only about 2 miles wide. Crossing the border, we were in the Austrian Alps, which were absolutely stunning, and made our way onto a major highway that took us into Innsbruck. After Innsbruck we turned south and headed toward Brenner, near the Austrian-Italian border.

Vipiteno shopping area

Along the way, we encountered a toll plaza which charged us 8 € (about $11) to get back on the main highway.

Beautiful Vipiteno

We figured that we would just breeze into northern Italy, but a restroom stop changed all of that. We needed to go and spotted a rest stop that we pulled into. After the pause that refreshes, we got back into the car, circled the parking lot, and were faced with a confusing confluence of roads which did not intuitively demonstrate to us how to leave the rest area. We drove down the exit ramp and at the end we made a U-turn that put us on the entrance ramp. We circled the parking lot three times, much to the amusement of a parked truck driver who knew the secret passage, before Capt. Larry spotted an Autobahn sign and made the decision to follow it back to the highway. Unfortunately, the ramp took us in the wrong direction back towards Innsbruck. We drove in the wrong direction about 8 miles and spotted an exit ramp. BUT! To exit the highway at this point we had to pay 4€ (about $10) to pass through.

We drove down the exit ramp and at the end we made a U-turn that put us on the entrance ramp. At the end of the ramp there was another collection station, requiring another 4€ (a little over $5). Back on the Autobahn, we zoomed down to the Italian border. At the border we came to a toll plaza that gave us a ticket.

Looking at the town gate

Ticket in hand, we left the plaza and immediately found our exit for Vipiteno about 100 yards past the plaza.

The clock tower

We exited and another toll booth read our ticket and told us we owed 1.3€ ($2) for the 100 yards we drove on the highway. We were beginning to tire of European highway tolls. Some of the toll booths announced that they did not take cash, but did take credit cards. We successfully used our cards at two booths, but at a third credit card lane only, our card didn’t work. Cars were lining up behind us until Capt. Larry chanced a try on the second card reader which worked. Apparently the other reader was for prepaid Autobahn passes, but with everything in German or Italian, how is an American to know. Those waiting behind us will eventually get over it!

Clock tower at town gate

All we can recommend is that if you are driving in Europe, have credit cards and cash readily available. We ended up paying about $22 to drive about 60 miles, and that much returing. In Europe, plan to pay to pee and pay to drive!

 

We entered the quaint, beautiful little town of Vipiteno and found a great parking space near the main shopping area. Vipiteno is noted for its ski resorts and silver mines, and is a popular for tourist shopping, particularly for fin Italian leather goods. W

Town gate

e walked through the shopping area and eventually found ourselves at the town’s main gate and clock tower. We passed by a lot of fine shops. Capt. Larry found a hat shop and bought a couple more bebop hats. Jane purchased some fine, hand-embroidered table linens which she drove a hard bargain for. We decided to get a cup of coffee, only to be disappointed in getting espresso in teeny, tiny cups. We had no way of knowing how to order café Americano.

Main square clock tower

We decided to end our Vipiteno experience and headed for the car. Making our way out of Vipiteno we were once again at the mercy of the toll plazas which were the exact reverse of what we encountered coming.

The Austrian Alps

Amazingly, however, the GPS routed us all the way back to Garmisch on major thoroughfares and not through windy rural roads and small towns.

 Arriving in Garmisch, we decided to visit the tourist/shopping are that we had toured the day before, but being a Sunday all the businesses were closed, except for the restaurants.

Another Austrian Alps view

Sunday window shopping , Jane had spotted a couple of pieces of jewelry that had her name on them, and she was eager to get back to the shops on a business day. Capt. Larry went to a beer garden for some German suds while Jane shopped (is this marital bliss or what?). After Jane finished her shopping, she found her captain and we decided to have a delightful German dinner at the beer garden/restaurant. Jane had pork schnitzel and fried potatoes, while Capt. Larry had pork tenderloin with potato dumplings and red cabbage. We headed back to the resort for a relaxing evening before turning in.

A City Tour of Munich

We had purchased a guided walking tour of Munich city through the resort. This was a last minute decision as we were unfamiliar with Munich’s tourist sites and felt that the best way to see the city was via a guided tour.

Maximillian Joseph Platz

After breakfast, we boarded our bus for the northerly one hour ride into Munich. Our tour guide provided us with a lot of information about unique features of the surrounding Bavarian countryside.

Jane & King Ludwig I

The Bavarian farmers have some unusual farming techniques which were pointed out by our guide. Coming into Munich, which is the capitol and heart and soul of Bavaria, a number of interesting landmarks can be sighted, including the BMW headquarters, which played an important role in WWII in Nazi Germany, as well as the eight breweries that call Munich home.

The royal apartments

Our tour started in the Maximilian Joseph Platz, a large square or plaza where we were given some historical information about some of the early Bavarian kings who ruled from Munich.

Odensplatz detour (note gold bricks)

We walked through the courtyard of the royalty residence apartments which is a huge complex that served the royalty when they were in town. We walked to the Odensplatz via a street that was used by Münchners to avoid a Nazi checkpoint, and to the Marienplatz where Hitler gave his rousing political speeches that galvanized the masses to become sympathetic with the Nazi Party.

Odensplatz

We then walked to Marienhof Park, located in the old town of Munich behind New Town Hall.

Need meat?

Our group entered an exclusive delicatessen/gourmet shop where we could purchase fine German meats, cheeses, coffees, liquors, pastries, chocolates and candies, and a whole host of specialty items.

A little bit of everything!

Jane was drooling and wondering why we weren’t purchasing anything. You name it, they had it and it looked fine. We returned to street to spend some time viewing the plaza.

Rathaus-Glockenpiel

Playing out the stories

This brought us up close to the top of the hour, and we walked around the corner just in time to see Munich’s famous Rathaus-Glockenspiel, dating from 1908. At 1100, 1200, and 1700, the bells of churches surrounding the Marienplatz begin to ring steadily.  When they stop after 3-5 minutes, the Glockenspiel chimes start and reenactment of two stories from the 16th century delight the crowd of tourists and locals. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures.

Church near Glockenspiel

The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V (who also founded the world famous Hofbrauhaus- more on that later). In honor of the happy couple, there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white). The Bavarian knight wins every time, of course. After the knights duke it out, the lower half and second story starts. This story starts in the year 1517 when a plague descended on Munich. The coopers supposedly danced through the streets to lift everyone’s spirits. Because of their loyalty to duke, their dance symbolizes perseverance and loyalty to authority during difficult times.

Landmark towers of Frauenkirche

Cathedral sanctuary

We left the Marienplatz and were guided to a small park next to the famous Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Dear Lady) where our guide told us about the church’s history. The church dates back to the 12^th century and  today is known for its remarkable twin towers that stand over 300 feet high. Since Munich building codes prohibit any buildings in the central area to be taller than the towers, the church serves as a landmark and is visible throughout the central district. Although it was built in the late Gothic style, it was constructed with red brick and lacks the rich Gothic ornamentation. The towers were added later and do not match the architechural style of the church. Today, the church, having been heavily damaged by Allied bombing in WWII, has been rebuilt to its original specifications. We noted that some reconstruction is still ongoing.

Graves in the church's red brick

Mmmm... Schwein Knöchel!

At last! After going to church  we finally got to go to the tour’s main attraction- the famous Hofbrauhaus. Capt. Larry was in heaven, even though Oktoberfest was still 2 weeks away. We walked through the establishment and viewed the painted murals that adorned every wall. It was past lunchtime, so we decided to sample the fare. Jane ordered the sausages (Würste) and sauerkraut (Gekochtes Sauerkraut) dish, while Capt. Larry settled on one of the house specialties- a pig’s knuckle (Schwein Knöchel) and potato dumpling (Gekochte Kartoffelklössel).

Hofbrau pils!

And of course Hofbrauhaus pilsner in a huge mug.

Play me a polka!

Just as our food arrived at our table, a traditional German oompah band started playing.

Prosit!!

We started talking to a young Munich couple seated next to us who told us about their country and city, had traveled in the U.S., and were interested in our trip. The food was very filling and the beer much stronger that in the states, and when our plates and mugs were empty, it was time to go.

A beer garden breakfast

We had the next couple of hours of free time to do what we wanted.

Bavarian Maypole

We slowly made our way back to the Maximilian Joseph Platz, our pickup point, and from there we walked a few blocks in different directions doing a little shopping and sightseeing.

Need lederhosen?

Burgers and beer

We returned to the plaza at the appointed time and rode back to Garmisch.

Because of the heavy use of the laundry facilities, Jane was unable to finish the laundry the previous day, so she decided return to that. Capt. Larry offered to carry the clothes for her, and standing outside the laundry room, we suddenly heard a woman’s voice, “Laaaaaarry.” We turned in unison and found our next-door Florida neighbors, PK and Sarah, running up to us.

With neighbors PK and Sarah

Small world. Jane said that if she heard one more woman say “Larry” over here, that the Captain would have to start doing some explaining. PK and Sarah were going to tour Ireland for the summer. When discussing our travel plans with them, we had mentioned staying at the Edelweiss resort, and they said that they would check it out. Not in our wildest dreams would we have thought we would run into them, especially after our encounters with Jim and Sue Birke. We all decided to have pizza and beer, and after too many of the latter, we retired to our room.