Part 2
Monday - September 22
(Rudi's birthday)
Today’s the day we finally get to meet some of the Stammtisch! The brewery tour is at 2:00.
We sleep in a bit, and have breakfast at 9:00. The buffet is beautiful. The zum Baren in Neustadt is one of our
favorite stops on this trip. And we found it just by driving by! We really have had a lot of good luck so far.
We shopped around Neustadt a bit before heading for Urach. It’s sunny and warm again today. We find the Kalte Herberge
without any problems. Two big rooms were ready for us. (Someone told us later that Val and her group stayed in
these rooms. We looked for a plaque: FADOINKA SLEPT
HERE.) The bathrooms were huge, and ours had a lovely
long tub. Ahhhhh. All this, plus a wonderful breakfast for 25 Euro per person per night! Bob in Heidelberg was
staying there also, and we were thrilled to meet a real Stammtisch member! He told us Ben and Larry and some of
the gang were meeting at the Sternen at 1:00 before heading to Donaueschingen for the brewery tour. So off we went.
At the Sternen, we met Mike (Ben), Larry, Lump, Lisa and Jim. We followed Mike and Larry to the brewery. Well,
at least part of the way. Terry is a better leader than follower, so we passed the black van (never seeing nor
hearing any Mercedes!) and proceeded blondly to the Fürstenberg brewery.
The tour took about an hour. Boy – it takes a lot of big
stuff to make Bier!
Following the tour, we were treated to Bier, soft drinks,
sandwiches and huge pretzels (with butter) in the hospitality room. We were happy to meet Gary and Carolyn.
We returned to our Gasthaus for a rest before meeting the
gang at the Sternen for dinner. Len and Shari, Beverly and Charlie, Jim and Bess and Deenice and her gang completed
today’s group.
Nate and his family were arriving as we were leaving, around
9:00. We had to get our beauty sleep and be ready for tomorrow’s Great Gathering.
Tuesday - September 23 (The Great Gathering)
Finally it’s cooled down. It rained during the night. We enjoyed having breakfast with Bob. Apparently the merriment
went on at the Sternen until the wee hours of the morning! Apparently they didn’t need their beauty sleep!
We headed out around 9:00, armed with jackets and umbrellas. Destination: Titisee. It was cold & rainy, but
we managed to add to our souvenir stash. Today, we were on the lookout for those pretty scarves with the pewter
slides. We found a bunch for under 6 Euro. (We later wished we had bought more, although Maryann had one of the
shop’s website and ordered more after we returned home!) We went back to the Kalte Herberge for warmer clothes,
then aimed for Triberg and the cuckoo clocks! Pat M. and Terry bought 9 (count ‘em, NINE) cuckoo clocks, which
they carried home with them on the plane!! That filled up the vacant spots in our van!
We stopped in Triberg at a cute place – Pinocchio’s – for pizza, minestrone soup and the most wonderful salad.
Terry even got more than six ice cubes in her Coke! That waiter got a tip, I’ll tell ya, as well as his picture
taken with Terry! It turns out, he had been a waiter for a while in NYC, so knew about Americans and our love of
ice.
PARTY TIME!!! We arrived at the Sternen around 6:15 and the place was rockin’. Some new people had arrived… We
met Paul Fisher and Don (DOWELT). What a lovely group! This was the highlight of our trip. The band started setting
up soon after we arrived. Everyone received a neat red ballcap with Gasthaus Sternen Stammtisch 2003 embroidered
on it. Ben (Mike) welcomed everyone and made some introductory remarks. Stammtisch members were asked to introduce
ourselves and our traveling buddies. I videotaped it all and it is a thrill to watch again and again! The band
played for about two hours. Len, as gallant as he is, asked me to waltz. He also led the band in a rousing tune.
The gang enjoyed the food, drink and especially the camaraderie of this special night!
It truly was an evening to remember!
Wednesday - September 24 (Bad Car Day)
It was misty in the morning, but sunny yet cool later in the day
We headed out right at 9:00, after a good breakfast. Our van is packed FULL - nine (9) cuckoo clocks have joined
us! We stopped to top off the tank just inside Donaueschingen. The car stalled a couple of blocks away from the
Tankstelle. And again. And again… Luckily, we got to the Hauptbahnhof (train station) where we called Europacar.
By now, it’s 9:45, and our hopes of getting to the castles by early afternoon are dwindling. We thought of calling
the Sternen for Lump, or calling Mike and Larry, but we couldn’t remember where they were staying. By 10:45, Maryann
and Pat M. and our packed silver van were riding on the back of a flatbed tow truck, heading to the VW place. Terry
and I rode up front with the cute young driver (about our sons’ age) who spoke NO English. I would have given more
than a penny for HIS thoughts!! How do you say “ditzy” in German?! Terry and I hurt from laughing! Maryann and
Pat M. looked so dignified back there in the van, on top of the flatbed…
By 11:45, we were on the road again in a new, slightly bigger (not diesel) black Touran van. Terry says it’s not
as quick as our silver diesel was. We passed the Bodensee (Lake Constance) and thought we were seeing things when
we spotted a Zeppelin flying over the lake. It was sunny and the scenery around Meersburg and Friedrichshafen was
so beautiful. We stopped at an old (1400’s) hotel along the way and had lunch. We arrived in Füssen by 5:00.
Pat M. and Terry got their first views of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. We stopped at a little pension in
Schwangau - Hotel/Pension
Neuschwanstein. 30 Euro per person per night for
a double. We’ll stay here two nights. We can see the great white castle in the distance from our balconies. Maryann
and Terry got locked IN their room. The lock was ancient and the key didn’t work. The innkeeper had to come and
spring them. We did get a (small) BAG of ice and 4 glasses from the innkeeper out of that ordeal! We had the stuff
to put in the glasses!
Thursday - September 25 (Castle Day)
Cool and foggy in the morning, sunny &
cool in the afternoon
The road in front of our hotel was being refinished, so we had to go out the back way. The castles are completely
socked in so we drove to the Wieskirche, where it is delightfully sunny. We kept a lookout for Mike and Larry,
since we knew they we staying somewhere near the church. No luck. Terry loved the rococo style of the church. Wants
to redecorate her house. We drove back to Schwangau and took the horse carriage to Neuschwanstein. It is a LONG
uphill walk to the Marienbrücke. This is when I vow to return to the gym when I get home, and get back in
shape! The view from the bridge was worth the trip.
The mist was wafting around the castle, making it seem even more magical than it already is. We got fabulous photos
and videos from the bridge. Eventually, the mist completely covered the castle.
We took the scenic walk down. I lost my three companions in the woods for a while, but we regrouped again soon.
(Private joke, girls - remember?!) We drove to Füssen to eat at a great Italian place Maryann and Bill had
discovered. Unfortunately, the name of this wonderful restaurant was in my money bag which was lost/stolen later
in the trip. It’s upstairs, near the Woolworth in the main Fußgängerzone in the center of Füssen.
Terry had “the best lasagna ever.” Maryann had the wonderful lasagna and the best sweet white wine. She had the
waitress write down the name, in hopes of finding a bottle later. Pat M. had the “best vegetarian lasagna” with
lots of veggies. I had a huge plate of Spaghetti Bolognese and a beautiful vegetable salad.
After some phone calls home, we headed for Tegelberg, just outside of Füssen. Maryann had ridden the luge
before, and the rest of us were eager to try! It was wonderful!! 2.50 Euro each. We should have gone a couple more
times! I videotaped my ride! We wanted to catch the cablecar up to the top of the mountain. (15 Euro) It was sunny
and clear now, and the view was truly awesome.
The hang gliders were out in force, and I got some great video of one taking off. We could have stayed here forever!
We drove to Lermoos and shopped for about an hour. We were pooped, so we returned to our hotel. Our van started
making a funny sound on the way back. Oh no… Pat M. and Terry walked down the street for some Cappucino and apple
strudel.
Friday - September 25
Sunny & cool early, warmer later
Our car handled beautifully today. (Thank you, Lord!) We didn’t think Europacar would be too happy to hear from
us again. We left Schwangau around 9:00 and drove to Linderhof. Since Maryann and I had been there, Terry and Pat
M. toured the castle while we visited the grotto. Then we drove to Oberammergau and did some shopping. On the road
again, Pat and Terry peeked in at the Ettal and were in awe at the splendor. Terry’s redecorating plans are taking
shape!
Destination: Berchtesgaden, where we had reservations at the Hotel Wittelsbach,
at Val’s recommendation. It is a lovely hotel with large rooms. We could see why Val liked it so. There was a laundromat
next door, so we spent the evening (those machines are slow!) doing laundry. We met a family from Utah there -
mom, dad and adult son, who was just completing his missionary duty nearby. They were Mormons, and the young man
explained the Mormon beliefs to us. They were a delightful group to spend the evening with, over laundry. He was
also a big help to us in using the machines!
Saturday - September 26
Pat M. and I were actually ready before Maryann and Terry! We went up for a lovely breakfast. There were even scrambled
eggs with sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes. (Val sure knows how to pick her hotels!) And the melon was to
die for!
We shopped a bit, then headed for Ramsau, where we took pictures of the church and cemetery and strolled around
for a while. We decided there were worse places to be laid to rest… What a view!
It was a short drive to Königssee and we took a boat
ride to the island of St.
Bartholomä. It was really crowded, probably
because it was Saturday. There had been a wedding in the church on the island. The bridal party was so lovely.
Then we drove to our home for the next three nights - Pension Wagnermigl in Kuchl.
Maryann and Bill had discovered this lovely place three years ago. It is truly my favorite hotel on this trip!
It has been run by the same family for a couple of centuries, and the current innkeepers are a young couple who
have two little girls, 5 and 10. Maryann brought Barbie dolls for them and they were thrilled!
We had a quiet evening. No shops were open. We ate early
and headed for bed. I called my son’s girlfriend’s family who own the Hotel Selbach, near Schladming. We will visit
them tomorrow.
Part 3
