After dawdling as long as we could, we schlepped our stuff to Innsbruck Hauptbahnhoff (main train station). It's a bit of a hike laden with luggage, but the morning was gorgeous and we wanted a last walk through town. In fact, by the time we got to the Hauptbahnhof, it was warm enough to strip off our fleeces... for the first time since we had arrived in Innsbruck.
It's supposed to hit 80 degrees F tomorrow, from what we hear.
We caught a local train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I highly recommend it. The view along the way is beyond description. In our case, the train was nearly empty and we had an amazingly pleasant journey.
Upon arriving at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we looked for a bus to Oberammergau. I found the platform for one that was leaving in 40 minutes -- time for a quick drink on the sidewalk at the local cafe.
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| Have mercy! Been waitin' for the bus all day (obscure ZZ Top Lyric). New KY friends behind. |
Sounds like a plan to me.
The bus came and we went over to the bus driver to ask for advice on where to get off. Oberammergau has 5 stops and we didn't have a clue, other than an address for our hotel. The bus driver didn't know a word of English so I had the opportunity to try to resurrect a little German. He didn't know our hotel or the road it was on, so we figured we'd wing it. As we carried/dragged/kicked our luggage toward the rear of the bus, a young woman asked, "so where are you trying to get to?" Her advice was to get off at the bahnhoff (train station) as we could get a cab and maps. So we thanked her and carried/dragged/kicked our luggage to a seat.
The bus was truly local and filled with schoolkids heading home. Pretty chaotic, but it was easy to figure it out the system. An LCD screen at the front showed you the next 5 stops coming up so we knew when we were getting to Oberammergau, the last stop being the bahnhof. But Judy and I had a sneaking suspicion that we could get closer if we could figure out the town (without a map). So we kept our eyes open, and after the third stop (where Judy spotted a sign that said E.B. Ott), we both actually saw our street. We carried/dragged/kicked our luggage out the back bus door, and guess what? We were less than a block from our hotel!! This has never happened. Actually, we've never even found our place on the first pass. And we've only found it on the 2nd pass once.
We were exceptionally proud of ourselves. Or maybe it was just relief.
In Oberammergau, we are living in a postcard. Seriously. If you don't believe it, check this out:
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| Pension Dedlerhaus, Oberammergau. |
Yeah, that's our digs here.
The Pension Dedlerhaus is a family-run B&B. The lowest floor houses their shop, which sells woodcarvings (Oberammergau's 2nd claim to fame, after the Passion Play) as well as other souvenirs. Behind a locked door is a charming breakfast room. We're at the top of the stairs, next to a deck that is ours to enjoy.
We dropped the bags and went in search of lunch and adventure. We stopped at a restaurant with a table outside: it was probaby 70 degrees F, not a cloud in the sky. We were feeling good, and I ordered in German and for the first time in our entire time here -- I'm not kidding -- the waitress let me go ahead and finish ordering. And not only did she cover her snickering exceedingly well, but she responded to me in German. Trust me. She had no illusion that I spoke German. But it was a very kind gesture that I was genuinely touched by.
Until the food came. We ordered schnitzel, and we got brats. Which we accepted (and they were really good), as I assumed I'd somehow misunderstood the menu. That was until we paid the bill, and I went by a guy in the same restaurant with the schnitzel we ordered. Oh well. At least I felt redeemed.
We wandered around town, making a pilgrimage to where the Passionspiel (Passion Play) is held every 10 years. But -- and this is hard for me to admit -- the best part was the window-shopping. For any of you who don't know me (or have been living in a cave), there is no better way to ruin a shopping trip than to invite me. I hate it. Pretty much across the board. But the woodcarving here is exquisite. We ended up picking up a small piece (50% off, and I was the one urging to get it... that never happens). Here it is.
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| Woodcarving from Oberammergau |
A little trivia: bagpipes are thought to have originated in Egypt. Virtually every culture in eastern, central and western Europe has them. Scottland is pretty much the last place that they arrived.
Oberammergau is really quiet this time of year and we felt incredibly blessed: 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, and no crowds. So we had an amazing day wandering one of the most picturesque towns I've ever seen, with no more crowds than you would expect if only locals were there. Pretty awesome.
We'd gone to the information center and heard about a Hanzel and Gretel house and a Little Red Riding Hood house, which were near each other and a little south of us. It sounded really cheesy, but we went anyway. What the heck. They are awesome! Check it out:
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| Little Red Riding Hood story, on a house |
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| Little Red Riding Hood story, on a house |
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| Little Red Riding Hood story, on a house |
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| Hansel & Gretel |
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| Hansel and Gretel |
I love this place.
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