We enjoyed Munich but were ready to embark on the next chapter of our trip, into the Bavarian Alps and southwestern Germany, bordering Austria.
Our first stop was Garmisch-Partenkirchen (we stayed in Garmish), a German ski resort in Bavaria, formed when two towns united in 1935 to hold the Winter Olympics. The area is a prominent winter destination for skiing, ice skating, and hiking in the summer. The town lies near the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, with a 2,962m (nearly 10,000 feet) summit accessed by cogwheel train and cable car. Garmisch is considered the more fashionable section while Partenkirchen's cobblestone streets retain a traditional Bavarian feel.
We had a lovely day, en route from Munich to Garmish. We started the morning by visiting Linderhof Palace, a schloss (palace) in southwest Bavaria near the village of Ettal. It is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one that was completed and that he lived in most of the time from 1876. After dining on a lovely lunch at a traditional countryside Bavarian restaurant near Linderhof, we visited the Ettal Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey, home to monks who make delicious cheese and beer!
Our hotel in Garmish was lovely, charming, and with beautiful views of the Alps. It was the first hotel on our trip that included a full breakfast (up until that point we had been picking up pastries in the morning at local bakeries). The breakfast was delicious and the kids ate so much you would have thought I hadn't fed them the entire trip.
Much to our disappointment, we were not able to take the cogwheel train and cable car to the top of the Zugspite as we had planned for months, due to inclement weather at the peak, making the storied views, impossible to see. However, we still enjoyed our stay in the area very much! We ended up walking the 7.5 km Rundweg Loop trail around Lake Eibsee, which lies at the base of the Zugspite, and could not have been more serense and enjoyable. We stopped for a lot of photos along the way, as the views were magnificent. After completing the loop trail we rented a paddle boat and enjoyed some time on the lake before heading out of town for our next destination.
After leaving Garmish and on our way to our next stop, Tegernsee, where we would spend two nights, we stopped in a few charming towns on the Austrian border (passing into Austria for a brief moment). including Kreuth, Miesbach. and Mittenwald where we had some sustenance in the form of gelato. Our final stop before reaching Tegernsee in the evening was Sylvensteinsee, which is technically a reservoir but looks more like a lake and is located in the Isa Valley in the alpine region of Upper Bavaria. With its crystal turquoise waters, alpine peaks in the background, and picturesque bridge, it was stunningly beautiful, especially at sunset, when we arrived. The kids had fun skipping rocks onto the perfectly placid lake (we were the only people there) and Catherine decided to roll up her jeans and give the clear but somewhat frigid water a try.
We arrived in Tegernsee in the evening, after a long but fun day, ready to start our next adventure.
Remembering Fitzy...
This is a photo of Miles and Fitzy from 2016 when Miles was a year and a half and Fitzy was seven. Fitzy was great with all the kids, from the moment they came home from the hospital. He was a kind and gentle dog, never losing his patience with anyone, even four toddlers, who were not always so gentle with him, as toddlers can be. Thank you again to Shlomit for this beautiful photo as well.
A final thought: We have seen our fair share of pugs on our trip. They are called Mopshunds in German and Carlino's in Italian. My heart aches every time I see one. Every owner we have encountered has been so kind to let me pet their 'pug," but always look a bit bewildered as they notice tears streaming down my face.
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