{"id":3607,"date":"2015-09-03T11:40:17","date_gmt":"2015-09-03T16:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/?p=3607"},"modified":"2015-09-03T11:40:17","modified_gmt":"2015-09-03T16:40:17","slug":"european-vacation-day-6-schnapps-frei","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/?p=3607","title":{"rendered":"European Vacation Day 6 Schnapps Frei"},"content":{"rendered":"

Again with the hot weather?\u00a0 That can\u2019t stop us from enjoying today.\u00a0 We got up early and headed downstairs to breakfast.\u00a0 I think the breakfast room is called Fruhkstracker Raum.\u00a0 We were met by a gentleman who said, \u201cGut Morgen.\u201d\u00a0 He seated us at table and introduced our server.\u00a0 We got kaffee and Rich ordered scrambled eggs with salmon.\u00a0 The breakfast bar was typical for most places.\u00a0 There were brotchen and luncheon meats with cheese.\u00a0 There were scrambled eggs with a meat combination of real bacon, link and patty sausages.\u00a0 With all of the fruits and breads, it was a great way to start the day.<\/p>\n

We packed up our stuff for the day, including water, and headed out to catch the bus to the Partnachklamm.\u00a0 One of the maids stopped us on the stairs and asked if our room was free to clean.\u00a0 The phrase she used was \u201czimmer frei.\u201d\u00a0 I only know this from the signs in front of houses that have rooms to rent to tourists.\u00a0 It was a different connotation for me.<\/p>\n

We walked out to the main street and found the bus stop.\u00a0 When I asked Rich how we would know when we got to the right spot, he said there would be a very large stadium there.\u00a0 Plus, there were several families packed for hiking.\u00a0 He was pretty such they were going to the same place.<\/p>\n

The hotels here give out passes when you register so you can ride the buses for free.\u00a0 You just show the pass to the driver.\u00a0 That was really great.\u00a0 We enjoyed the sites as we rode along.\u00a0 There was Sebastian\u2019s church, the train station, historic Ludwigstrasse, and finally the Olympic Ski Stadium.<\/p>\n

Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics in the stadium here.\u00a0 It all appears very small compared to other stadiums, but I don\u2019t guess many people would have traveled to see the sports back then.\u00a0 The ski jumps are very impressive and tower over everything, but the mountains themselves.<\/p>\n

We walked around the side of the stadium to walk the road that leads to the Partnachklamm.\u00a0 Partnach is the name of the river that flows in this area.\u00a0 Klamm is the gorge that was cut through the mountains by that river.\u00a0 It is an incredible site and one I so wanted to see.\u00a0 There is a fee at the gate, but then you start the path into the side of the mountain.<\/p>\n

In the 1700s, the local bishop authorized the locals to cut timber from the upper mountain.\u00a0 To get the timber down from the mountain, it had to be floated on the Partnach River through the gorge.\u00a0 They cut a path into the mountainside and hung walkways onto the walls so they could control the logs floating downriver.\u00a0 Today, you walk this same path up the gorge to admire the beauty of the river and what it sculpted.<\/p>\n

A lot of the path is wet and dark.\u00a0 You hike along the edge of the river and then suddenly go through a long tunnel through the mountain.\u00a0 All along the way, the river is roaring and carving its way through the mountain.\u00a0 There are wonders of carved rock and churning waters.\u00a0 The colors are beautiful with light suddenly filling the space from far above.<\/p>\n

At the end of the walk, you come out into the open where the river continues to pour down from upstream.\u00a0 There are lots of gravel and sand bars where people sit or picnic.\u00a0 We looked at the maps to try and decide on a route back down the mountain without going back through the gorge.<\/p>\n

One route would take up one side of the mountain to a chalet and back through a forested area.\u00a0 We finally decided on the other side of the mountain that would take us up to several chalets and through an alpine meadow.\u00a0 With some luck, there would be cows with bells.<\/p>\n

First, there was the straight up and switchbacks to climb to get up the 800 foot elevation gain to reach the meadows.\u00a0 I started up and knew it would take a while.\u00a0 There were a lot of older ladies with hiking sticks already making their way up the mountain.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t let them show me up.<\/p>\n

We gained the top of the mountain without dying.\u00a0 That was a good thing.\u00a0 The first building was a shepherd\u2019s hut where supplies were stored for anyone staying with the animals.\u00a0 A little beyond this was a chalet where you could sit outside and have drinks and food.\u00a0 Several people were already taking advantage of this.\u00a0 Mostly, you saw people eating ice cream.\u00a0 It was hot.<\/p>\n

The meadow was lush and green.\u00a0 I thought the paved track we were on was for walking, but it turned out to be the road for the locals to get to their house.\u00a0 We were passed by a few of them coming up the mountain.<\/p>\n

There were cows in the meadow with their bells ringing at they ate grass.\u00a0 Most of the poor things were standing in the shade of something to try and escape the heat.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t blame them.\u00a0 Once again, it was hot.<\/p>\n

We passed several houses and barns as we made our way back to the stadium.\u00a0 There was even a hotel up here with a restaurant and a bar.\u00a0 I wondered if they were open during the winter months.\u00a0 I bet so to accommodate the number of skiers who want to stay close to the action.<\/p>\n

We followed the road along until it started to descend.\u00a0 It went very steeply down the side of the mountain.\u00a0 We stepped aside as a small truck came up the track and made the sharp turn for the top.\u00a0 Oh my gosh, I had to go down that?\u00a0 Well, I was up here and now I had to get down from the mountain.<\/p>\n

I tried all kinds of things to help my legs handle the incline and the weight.\u00a0 Walking sideways helped somewhat.\u00a0 Rich finally came up with walking in a zigzag pattern from one side of the road to the other in switchbacks.\u00a0 It was a long way down.\u00a0 By the time we go to the bottom, I could have sworn I had jello for legs.\u00a0 Pretty sure Rich was trying to get rid of me.<\/p>\n

We made it back to the stadium in time to grab lunch.\u00a0 After that hike, I wasn\u2019t particularly hungry.\u00a0 Now the ice cream sounded good.\u00a0 Rich got wursts with brot.\u00a0 I managed to finally pick something that man actually had on hand.\u00a0 Like I said, it was hot.\u00a0 Everyone was eating ice cream.<\/p>\n

After resting up in the shade, we made our way through the stadium and back to the bus stop.\u00a0 We had a little bit of a wait before the Green #2 bus arrived.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the buses don\u2019t have air conditioning either.\u00a0 The windows weren\u2019t even down.\u00a0 Remember, it was hot.<\/p>\n

We survived long enough to get back to the hotel and a long, hot shower.\u00a0 I know, it was hot outside, but the shower would feel good.\u00a0 That a pound of Ibiprofen.\u00a0 My legs were already showing signs of locking up and very sore to touch.\u00a0 How would I make it through dinner?<\/p>\n

But first, we needed to get some laundry done.\u00a0 It was that point in the week when clothes were not so fresh.\u00a0 We had gone through more of our clothes with the heat and trying not to smell too unpleasant to those around us.\u00a0 The lady at the front desk gave us directions to a laundry where we could our clothes.\u00a0 She told us how to drive there.\u00a0 Town wasn\u2019t that big.\u00a0 We decided to walk.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more miles once you have hiked a mountain.\u00a0 We had discovered a very direct route through the construction to that side of town.\u00a0 It was only 10 minutes to walk to laundry, one we found it.\u00a0 The lady inside understood English and helped us get our laundry started.\u00a0 Then she said it would be washed and dried in one hour.\u00a0 She told us to go get coffee while we wait.\u00a0 She took over from there.<\/p>\n

We went down the street to the Drunken Queen for coffee.\u00a0 Well, not me.\u00a0 I had still water.\u00a0 It strange that you have to ask specifically for different types of water.\u00a0 Even tap water comes with a cost here.\u00a0 We sat on the patio and talked about our day.\u00a0 The muscles complained, but it was good to be sitting down.\u00a0 There was a McDonald\u2019s on the corner here.\u00a0 One of the corners had a hotel that appeared to be used by Turks and Saudis.\u00a0 I saw a lot of women in burkas.<\/p>\n

At this corner, a very tiny street came to a sudden end.\u00a0 Anyone coming up here had to figure out how to turn around in zero space and go back down.\u00a0 We watched as more than half a dozen cars of all sizes did this feat.\u00a0 One guy must have done a 20 point turn to get his tiny VW back down the street.<\/p>\n

After we finished our coffee, we still had time to burn.\u00a0 I dragged Rich down to one of the shops where I had seen some things I wanted to purchase.\u00a0 I rambled through looking at every little thing.\u00a0 It is all beautiful.\u00a0 It was time to go back and check up on our laundry.<\/p>\n

We walked in to find our stuff still in the dryer.\u00a0 There was a small park on the side of the road.\u00a0 We sat by the river there and talked.\u00a0 I noticed the clouds coming in for the rain expect that evening.\u00a0 Hopefully it would drown us for dinner tonight.<\/p>\n

The clothes were finally ready.\u00a0 We started to fold and put them in the laundry bag.\u00a0 A Japanese couple came in and she was trying to ask about things.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t seem she spoke English and I didn\u2019t really understand her German.\u00a0 I kept pointing to the laundry attendant for her questions.<\/p>\n

On the way back to the hotel, Rich caught sight of some trout in the small stream that run beside St. Martin\u2019s Church.\u00a0 He had stopped and take pictures.\u00a0 I think he secretly was hoping for a fishing rod to appear out of thin air.\u00a0 As we passed the church, a group of ducks were loudly letting everyone know where they were.\u00a0 I accused them of having choir practice outside of the church walls.<\/p>\n

Back at the hotel, we cleaned up and rested.\u00a0 We had a reservation at the Flosserstubin that evening for dinner.\u00a0 While we were showering, the threatening rain began and come down with a vengeance.\u00a0 It was pouring.\u00a0 We got luck and it lightened up for our walk to the restaurant.<\/p>\n

We arrived to find out a few people out on the patio under the protective awning.\u00a0 We got seats in the dry area and started ordering.\u00a0 I went with the venison goulash or Hirsch goulash.\u00a0 Rich went with the jagerschnitzel.\u00a0 Both were so good.\u00a0 We ordered beers.\u00a0 The restaurant served Lowenbrau, which I had not had in years.\u00a0 This is definitely not the stuff you get in the states.<\/p>\n

The rain came down again in torrents.\u00a0 We stayed dry and watched the excitement in the streets as people parked, ran to and from cars, and tried to stay dry in general.\u00a0 For three hours we sat and made our way through food and drink.\u00a0 We had coffee and apple strudel and apple kuchen.\u00a0 The kuchen turned out to be an apple slice done up as a sugar and cinnamon donut sort of thing.\u00a0 There was ice cream and lots of cream to go with it.<\/p>\n

The rain took another break and we decided to try and walk back to the hotel during the lull.\u00a0 We stopped the server to ask for our bill.\u00a0 She wanted to know if we wanted amaretto or schnapps.\u00a0 What?\u00a0 Yes, there was complimentary amaretto or schnapps for an after dinner drink\u00a0 I passed on this, but Rich had the schnapps.\u00a0 Who knew there was such a thing as schnapps frei!<\/p>\n

The walk back was uneventful.\u00a0 The rain held off until we were safely back in our room.\u00a0 It was a long day, but I managed to get a blog entry done and went through my pictures for a Facebook entry.<\/p>\n

Good night all.\u00a0 Hit it with the rain again.<\/p>\n

\"Another<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Carriages<\/a>
Carriages take you back and forth from the stadium and gate to the Partnachklamm. We opted to walk the road.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Entering<\/a>
Entering the Partnachklamm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Inside<\/a>
Inside one of the walkways that cut through the mountain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"One<\/a>
One of the many tunnels that you walk through in the Partnachklamm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Getting<\/a>
Getting ready to walk up the mountain to the meadows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Shepherd's<\/a>
Shepherd’s hut on the trail to the meadow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"We<\/a>
We reached the top of the mountain and the meadows with its chalets and barns.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"An<\/a>
An Alpine cow getting some shady on a hot day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Beautiful<\/a>
Beautiful setting with chalets and farms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Car<\/a>
Car heading up the mountain road to get to the meadows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ski<\/a>
Ski jumps at the Olympic stadium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Seating<\/a>
Seating area in the ski stadium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Garden<\/a>
Garden in the middle of Garmisch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Church<\/a>
Church ducks outside of St Martin’s quaking at everyone, or having choir practice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Again with the hot weather?\u00a0 That can\u2019t stop us from enjoying today.\u00a0 We got up early and headed downstairs to breakfast.\u00a0 I think the breakfast room is called Fruhkstracker Raum.\u00a0 We were met by a gentleman who said, \u201cGut Morgen.\u201d\u00a0 He seated us at table and introduced our server.\u00a0 We got kaffee and Rich ordered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3607"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3626,"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3607\/revisions\/3626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zurekbrau.com\/blogs\/richsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}