Saturday, October 13, 2012

Adventures Around Garmisch

So working for a hotel will always have it's ups and downs, but lets talk about the ups this time around. With our job we are allowed to go on any of the tours for free (if there is an admissions fee we have to pay that, but not the transportation and what not) that are given available to the guests. Why? I have no idea,but its awesome since I am on a very severe budget. The first one we did was to the Ettal Monastery with a cheese tasting at the Shaukaserei (please don't look it up cause the spelling is not at its finest), wonderful beer, and some blue sky (I'm tellingyou, I'm using up all my good weather luck in the very begining).

A  "simple" monastery?! Looks like the White House to me!

 





Lets be honest- a blue sky makes everything look better!


The Ettal Monastery was built in 1330, but was then rebuilt in the 1700's (still before America was born- it continues to blow my mind how old everything is here). The Monastery owns most of the town land and actually uses its monastery as a boarding school. They make most of their own food and provides some of their herbs for the local liquer and cheese making.  Let me just say that in America (or at least California) if they say you are going into a church or monastery I am expecting to be impressed, but this monastery had me "wowed!" Absolutely beautiful, so extravagant, and all these other adjectives that don't mean anything until you look at the pictures so lets just do that:

Again had me wowed!


Most amazing Dunkel ever!




The cheese in action

We then went to the cheese factory where we tried about five different cheeses and had a proper Bavarian meal of wurst, beer (a Dunkel- my new favorite kind of beer, but do I remember the specific maker? Absolutely not- took notes on the history and not the beer- shameful!), and a pretzel. Next time I will forgo the meal and just stuff my face even more with cheese- so so so good! Apparently because we are tourists, we had locals coming up and taking our cheeses. The first one I was so surprised, but apparently it is the thing to do. The hazing of the tourists so to speak. The best part was when a guest looked at me and said, "You look a lot different without your hat and apron." Ouch.We then decided to get cheesecake (this is where the phrase "when in Rome" popped into my head when debating to spend that extra two euros). However, as a piece of advice- the cheesecake is in no way like Americans cheesecake. It is fluffier, in no way sweet, and sometimes has a weird jello fixture of rasberrys. I myself would never get it again, but again- when in rome. So that was our first tour- on to the next one....

Linderhof Palace



The Linderhof Palace was one of the three castles crazy King Ludwig created, but was the only one that he saw completed. The one that everyone has heard of is the Disney inspiried castle, Neuschwanstein- but we are talking about Linderhof. It is a rather smaller castle (but a castle nontheless). He used more than 25 pounds of Gold Leaf throughout the place, so it was very very expensive. He had a magic table that included a table that would rest on an elevator and rise with the dinner already set and he would send it back down when he was finished. Working in food and beverage I cannot tell you how much I want in our hotel. But seriously, brilliant man. Apparently he lost all of his teeth at a young age and forever felt self-concious. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but I will put a couple up from the ever trusty google, so you can all see the extravagance of this place.

Again, over 25 pounds of Gold Leaf
The magic table!
California king put to shame


If that doesn't convince you he also made his very own man-made cave. Thats right, completely artificial. He never even married or was social, but can you imagine that pick up line at a bar? Moving on- yes his very own cave to get away from everyone (even though he never had anyone stay at his very own castle). This man was part genius part crazy.

 






To try and top that (which you can't its his own damn cave) he was known as the Moon Prince (he was literally nocturnal), so he made his own party room. And by that I mean its really a party house and by party I mean invites to himself and himself only (remember he didn't like people). It was a Moroccan themed house/room and decorated to it's finest. Check it out...
 


We then toured the grounds, checked out the waterfall, and continued onto Oberammergau- where they hold the famous Passion Play every 10 years. Next we hit up the woodcarver's shop (I don't have that much talent in anything like this guy had for woodcarving), and then got stuck in traffic on the mountain pass. All in all a great day. Linderhof castle- done.

And now for something completely different:

And can I just say that I had the funniest moment at work the other day. We put people's trays onto a cart. Simply enough. There is a cart with only one spot open at the very bottom, so I see a nice grandpa who is struggling with his tray. I ask him if he would like me to take from him to put it on the bottom spot. He looks at me and says, "Yes please, I think you are much betting at getting low than I am." I got the weirdest look when I tried really hard to not laugh right in his face. I should have told him I solely stick to the Y-M-C-A.

And now for the motivational/traveling quote- this one fits because I am trying to adjust to this new life. There are definitely some frustrating times, some lonely times, many great times, laughing times, but its definitely an adjusting time. Its trying, but a simple bike ride through Garmisch, a day trip to wherever, etc. reminds me why I am on this adventure and I really truly love it... most of the time :) And with that being said:

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