Garmisch, Germany

 

Chris’ parents stayed into January a bit and we kept the kids out of school to take a trip to Garmisch, Germany.   And guess what we  found… blue skies!  It was wonderful.  Heidelberg had been under foggy white skies for the last couple weeks of December and it was so nice to see blue skies again.  We stopped at the town just below the  Neuschwanstein Castle for a picture and a bathroom break (70 euro cents each) and then hopped back in the cars.  We made great time getting to Garmisch.  It’s a beautiful drive through the German and Austrian alps.

 

The kids were so excited to get to the Edelweiss Lodge again.   It was fun to see all of the Christmas decorations… Not many places can pull off a life-sized sleigh as a fireplace decoration.

  The kids could hardly wait to get to the hotel buffet restaurant…   They LOVE it!

 

We spent a lot of time in the lodge relaxing, watching movies, playing games in the ‘secret loft’ (which is what we called it even though it is not really secret at all), running between our room and Grandma and Grandpa’s room, swimming in the indoor pool, sitting in the big outside hot tub, sitting in the rocking chairs by the nice hot fire, riding the teeny tiny merry go round with the little boys, and eating, eating, eating at the buffet!  What a fun place!

Luke thought for sure he was sitting by Santa Claus himself and kept saying, “Mom, it’s Santa.  Right there!”  to which I kept saying, “Luke, shhhh!”  But now that I think about it, if Santa were to come on a relaxing vacation after all of his Christmas work was through, I’m positive it would be here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One day Chris and his parents took a daytrip to the Dachau Concentration Camp just outside of Munich.  (Kids 12 and under were not allowed so I stayed at the lodge with the kiddos.)  Chris, Del and Shelley said it was interesting and very sobering.

 

The next day we decided to do the Zugspitze… the highest peak in all of Germany.   We drove about ten minutes to the base of the Zugspitze and finished putting all of our fifty layers on.  The temperature just waiting here for the train was about 12 degrees Fahrenheit.  We were cold and we hadn’t even started yet.  Jokingly I said to Chris, “This is going to be a once in a lifetime experience because I am NOT doing this again.”

 

 

 

 

We took the Zugspitzbahn (the train) about two thirds up the mountain and then took a cable car up the remaining third.  Already I had changed my mind… I would do this again in a heartbeat… it was breathtaking… 

 

 

Seriously. 

  

Right as we gathered to take a family picture the wind picked up and blew tiny pieces of ice in our faces.  Ouch!   We had to turn away and then try again in a different direction.

 

It was a mere –17 degrees Fahrenheit at the top so we could only stand to be outside for about four minutes before our face was red and sore and our teeth frozen (if we dared open our mouths).  The little boys, who throughout the day had an increasing temperature, couldn’t handle even that long.  Luckily the highest point in Germany is equipped with a big building with large observation rooms and a great German restaurant.  After checking out the views we brought everyone in, took half our layers off and headed for lunch. 

 

That picture of Emily shows that the restaurant was sitting on a cliff and had amazing views of the Alps.  Our food was really good too!

    

On the way down…

 

At the bottom after a great ride all the way down the mountain on the cable car.    

And then the next day… heading back to Heidelberg so Grandma and Grandpa could fly home.  Thanks for coming, Grandpa and Grandma!!! It was so fun!