Teddybaeren Hotel
Peterhof
Nonnenbacherweg 33
88079 Kressbronn, Germany
Rate: Euro 99.00 ($97.00) per couple per night
We went into Lindau before checking into our hotel and had our first German wine and beer. Later that evening,
we went back into Lindau for a light meal sitting outside under those wonderful umbrellas watching the strolling
people and the beautiful water of the Bodensee. We are finally here! After Frühstück on the following
morning, we ran into one of only three minor glitches on the whole trip. We found out that we had only one room
reserved for that evening instead of three. An error had been made in their paperwork. The manager arranged for
a change in rooms so that we could all stay, but it ended up with Ken and I in separate single rooms. We had a
laugh over that.
After getting rooms straightened out, we took a ferry from Meersburg to the Isle of Mainau. The gardens there are
magnificent and the main attraction at this time of the year are the dahlias – every color imaginable. Ken and
I had been there once before and enjoyed our second visit watching my sisters’ delight. Upon leaving Mainau, we
drove to Stein am Rhein. It is such a beautiful city that it will definitely be on our list of places to return
to spend more time. Since lunch that day consisted of coffee and out-of-this-world pastry, we had a full meal back
at the Teddybaeren of Pommes Frites and Schnitzel. Marlene and Jim are having a time with the menus and not being
able to translate easily. We told them that they would not find very many bad tasting items no matter what they
order. We walked up the street after dinner to the Gasthaus Krone and had some more local beer and then said goodnight.
SEPTEMBER 15 - 16
On Sunday, we packed up and headed for Switzerland. We were awed by the scenery on our ride to the town of Lauterbrunnen
where we stayed for the next two nights.
Hotel Staubbach
3822 Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Rate: Sfr. 110 ($74.00) per couple per night
Our hotel was an old one but very comfy. Ken and I had a room with a small balcony that overlooked the waterfall.
We were in a valley that had enormous cliffs on both sides. We could see the snow on the tops of the mountains.
For dinner that night, we had sausage and rosti (hash browns) which is a Swiss “thing”. The three sisters on this
trip have never met a potato that we didn’t like so any thing that looks or sounds like potato was tried – and
enjoyed! We ended the evening by all of us having a glass of wine on our balcony and watching and listening to
the waterfall. The second day in Switzerland started with a smaller than usual breakfast but very adequate. We
drove to the town of Grindelwald and did the usual shopping and exploring. As we were leaving Grindelwald, we were
halted by a policeman to allow a “parade of cows” access to the street. We were told that it was a celebration
of the cows being brought down from the mountains for the winter. They were adorned with flowers and probably happy
that they would have some warm barns to sleep in for the cold months ahead.
We then drove to Interlaken. We had another “umbrella
table” lunch and the weather was perfect, only needing light sweaters or jackets at times. We drove back from Lauterbrunnen
early in the afternoon to each do his own thing. Jim and the women went shopping for a while, Ken went for a nap,
and brave Dan took a tram and gondola to the top of Jungfrau. Wish we had all gone as he said if was worth the
effort. That evening after dinner we took a nice long walk to an old cemetery and along a pretty brook.
SEPTEMBER 17 – 18 - 19
On Tuesday we left Hotel Staubbach and headed to Italy for a three-day stay. Nancy and Dan have a friend from Ft.
Knox in Kentucky who is working as the Librarian at the Army Base in Vicenza. His lovely wife, Jan, was our guide
for a couple of days. She gave us a wonderful tour of Vicenza with most of the architecture of Palladio.
We had lunch outside at the Trattoria Moreieta, on the top of the world (it seemed), and ended the afternoon at
a great ceramic factory where we all made purchases to send home. Jan and Fred took us to a Pizzeria for dinner
where we all relaxed with great pizzas right out of the huge ovens, along with, of course, beer, wine, and Limoncello.
On the following day, Jan led us to the train station at Grisignano where we took the train to Venice for the day.
Spent day marveling at the Grand Canal and all the traffic on the water. Lines were long in front of St. Mark’s
so we passed on taking the tour. Many pictures were taken, as everything there is a “photo op.” We did much walking
that day, stopped for a nice relaxing lunch, and then took a water taxi back to the train station.
We were ready for a long shower when we got back
and a nap before dinner. Jan and Fred joined us for dinner at our hotel which was wonderful, but pricey. It was
worth it! In our mixture of various accommodations, Villa Tacchi was by far the most elegant.
Villa
Tacchi
Vicenza, Italy
Rate: Euro 125.00 ($125.00) per couple per night
SEPTEMBER 20
Today starts the second week of our trip. We are headed to Kufstein, Austria. After bidding farewell to our lovely
host, Jan, we head out about 9:30 a.m. We stopped in Watten, Austria, for lunch and discovered that Watten is the
home of Swarovski Crystal. We passed on the tour but that also goes in the memory bank for another time. We relaxed
the rest of the day after reaching our hotel. The guys walked to the nearby grocery and purchased lunchmeat, cheese,
crackers and wine. We sat out on our balcony and “chilled.” This was another good hotel and we would highly recommend
it.
Best
Western Alpenrose
Weissachstrasse 47
Kufstein, Austria
Rate: Euro 90.00 ($91.00) per couple per night
SEPTEMBER 21 – 22 - 23
On Saturday, we headed to Berchtesgaden. Up to this point, we have had ideal weather but that was to change. It
was raining by the time we arrived in Berchtesgaden but it didn’t stop us from doing some shopping in town. Had
lunch at the Hofbrauhaus where Ken and I had eaten once before. Had a favorite on the menu
– pancake soup. After lunch, we checked into one of my very favorite places to stay. The Koppenlehen is a bauernhof
run by Hermann and Marlies Moderegger. Marlies is the outgoing member of the family who runs the house and hubby
takes care of the milking and outside chores. This is the second stay here for Ken and I and we feel very much
at home. The small farm sits in a lovely valley. What a sight it is when you first look out at the surrounding
mountains in the morning. The favorite place there for the guys is the trough with ice cold water running through
it that is on the patio. You put your drinks in there to get cold and you can relax on nice padded benches and
chug some of your favorite brews. It’s a good meeting place for all the people staying there.
KOPPENLEHEN
Koppenweg 16
83489 Strub b. Berchtesgaden, Germany
Rate: Euro 30.00 ($29.00) per couple per night
After Frühstück on the first day, we went
to the Königssee. We were disappointed that it was overcast. We remembered how it
looked on previous trips with the sun shining on the water. It glistened and was so calm while taking the boat
to St. Bartholomew’s. We still enjoyed this trip out as we had some singers on board who gave us an impromptu concert.
That was grand. We had the largest pieces of apple kuchen that I have ever seen at the restaurant there. That was
our lunch, but oh, how we enjoyed!
We returned to our car and Ken took Marlene and Jim to the Eagle’s Nest. Marlene
was in the front seat of the bus and spent the trip with her eyes covered. She felt as if the bus was going to
go over the cliff at any time. They tried to get pictures on the top but were ready to give up because of the overcast
day. Just as they decided to forget it, the sun came out brightly for the perfect shots.
The next day, we drove into Salzburg. It rained all day
and not good for sightseeing but we had a great lunch at the Stiftskeller at St. Peter’s.
Tents were set up around the square for a festival. We spent a while listening to the local Austrian bands and
enjoying the beer. Got whole roasted chickens to take back to the Koppenlehen for another picnic dinner.
SEPTEMBER 24
Had to say goodbye to Marlies with promises that we would be back someday. We drove along the Alpenstrasse and
were headed to Neuschwanstein but decided against it because of the weather. It’s still raining! We had lunch in
Bad Tölz and then drove into Oberammergau and did the shopping thing. Enjoyed the woodcarvings, but were much
too expensive for us. We then drove to Eschenlohe. For Ken and I, this is our fourth time to stay at Hotel Zur
Brücke. This hotel is run by the Reiter family, and we would highly recommend it for the rooms and the food
in the restaurant. Eschenlohe is a small, picturesque town that is peaceful and quiet.
Gasthof "Zur Brücke"
Familie Reiter
82438 Eschenlohe, Germany
Rate: Euro 62.00 ($61.00) per couple per night
This was one of our days to relax. Walked across the bridge to an Italian Restaurant for a change of pace. Great
bruschetta and pasta carbonera.
SEPTEMBER 25 – 26 - 27
On Wednesday, upon going down for Frühstück, we were greeted by Frau Reiter. We missed her on our arrival
as the whole staff had gone into Munich to enjoy Oktoberfest. She is very open and friendly and we were greeted
with warm hugs. After our stomachs were filled, we left Eschenlohe and headed to Neuschwanstein Castle so that
Marlene and Jim could take a tour. The rest of us opted to stroll on the streets and window shop. We couldn’t resist
stopping for a cup of hot chocolate along the way at one of the hotels. Later we made our way to a homey restaurant
where we met up with the Arthurs and had some good smoked pork chops with kraut. It seems the rainy weather keeps
forcing us into places where there is good food and drink. We were headed to Munich at that point to enjoy Oktoberfest
and all the things that keep bringing us back. The trip to Munch was fantastic. We were driving through the hills
and it began to snow – big, fluffy snowflakes! We were all squealing with delight as if we were little kids again.
It was so beautiful and the hillsides were covered so quickly. We found our hotel without any trouble, checked
in and walked immediately to the Oktoberfest grounds. We were only about a block and a half from the grounds.
Hotel Uhland
Uhlandstrasse 1
80336 Munich
Rate: Euro 160.00 ($142.00) per couple per night
The tents were jammed and hopping. The guys started a search for a table and Ken was lucky enough to ask the right
waitress for help. We had room for all six of us at a table that had been reserved for a corporation but not being
used at the time. We were greeted by all the friendly people around us and became a part of their United Nations.
The most fun of going to Oktoberfest, beside the beer and food, is meeting new and interesting people. It’s a place
to let your hair down and enjoy – and we did!
The rest of the stay in Munich was not too much fun for me. I had started with a cold a few days before and it
really hit in Munich. I rested the next day and moaned with disgust that I was missing out on so much. The rest
of the gang headed down to the Marienplatz to watch the Glockenspiel, go to
the Viktualienmarkt (which is my favorite), and stopped to see the Asamkirche which
is one of the most lavishly decorated Baroque churches in Munich. They returned early saying their walk was not
too much fun in the rain. Everyone was getting really tired of the bad weather by this point. Later that afternoon,
four of the group decided to hit Oktoberfest again. When they returned, it was with all kinds of goodies; chocolate
covered strawberries and grapes, fried apple rings, big pretzels and sugar coated nuts. What a treat!
On our last day we Munich, we hit the laundromat. It was quite an experience but we had a lot of laughs. It was
costly and hours long for this procedure but we were all so glad to have suitcases full of clean clothes again
for the last two weeks of our trip. The afternoon found Ken and I in a cab scouting out stores to buy the grandchildren
the things on their “request” list. German soccer shirts were requested by a couple of the grandsons so we did
accomplish that. Cab driver misunderstood the name of our hotel upon our return, and we ended up on the opposite
side of Munich. As we have found with so many nice people in Germany, he refused to take money for the time wasted,
which was probably our fault with a wrong pronunciation of Uhland.
Part 2
