My blog yesterday asked who would be coming to see us next week. I know - this is not really a question consistent with my blog, but I can't wait to tell you about my brother's visit. I have mentioned before that he was coming, but today, I thought I would tell you more about the visit.
He, his wife, and their 11 month old son will be flying here to see us, landing in Munich on June 4th. We want to show them so much, but they only have 8 days total, and that is including the day they land. Because of the short time and the vast amounts of things to see in Germany, we are going to do our best to give them the highlights.
I'd like to take a moment to tell you about the places we hope to see while they are here. Some of the places are return visits to sites we've already been to and that I have written about before in the blog. Others will be places we also have really wanted to see.
As with most American visitors, a journey to Germany is not complete without a day at Mad King Ludwig's famous castle - Neuschwanstein. I wrote about this in mid September, and here is what the blog said about this castle: It was built by Ludwig II, king of Bavaria in the mid to late 1800's. The castle was never completed as construction ended upon Ludwig II's untimely death. One of the most impressive sites inside the castle is a bed made for the king. It is a huge wooden bed with intricately carved Gothic cathedral-like spires with a small stained glass chapel alcove all on the bed. Ludwig II was only able to enjoy the castle for less than 6 months.
Another return site is Meersburg's old castle. I also wrote about this in September and included pictures. For a brief reminder about this castle, see Meersburg Castle from September 29th. We are adding an additional site on this day to Insel Mainau. This is an island in the Bodensee (Lake Constance) that has been transformed into a garden paradise. It is known locally as the Island of Flowers.
Another stop we hope to make is to Garmish-Partenkirchen. This is a lovely little town that sits at the base of the Zugspitze - the tallest mountain in Germany. It is a snowskier's paradise and was the site of the 1936 Olympics. In fact, it was on the occasion of the Olympics that this town was actually consolidated from two neighboring towns. As you can imagine, the towns were Garmisch and Partenkirchen. They existed as separate towns, each with their own government and economies. Partenkirchen was originally along the Roman Road and was first mentioned in written documents as early as 15 BC. Garmisch is thought to have been settled about 800 years later by a Germanic tribe from the region. Today, although they are considered one town, they have a separate feel with each city's personality still visible. Garmisch has a more modern feel, while Partenkirchen caters to tradition and olden ages.
Hiking will also be on tap with a downward climb from the Söllereck ski gondola to the Freibergsee back to the parking lot at the bottom of the lift. The views of the surrounding alpine mountains, the ancient-seeming forests and the lovely glacier lake are just some of the treats on this hike.
Some of the things I never got to mention on this blog were sites right here in Kempten. We have a Residenz, which were homes and offices of the religiously appointed leaders of the towns. We also have the Basilica, the Roman archaeological park, the gardens of the Orangerie, riverside walks, and the shopping district.
As a comparison to our little town's Residenz, we have a trip planned to Munich to see one of the largest Residenz buildings in the country. It, too, is a classic example of Baroque architecture and Rococo style that took Germany by storm in the 18th century. Shopping and a stop by the Glockenspiel, an enormous bell tower clock in the heart of Munich on the Marienplatz, are also a part of the Munich tour.
Another tour that my husband has really wanted to take is a tour of the oldest still operating brewery in Germany near a town called Freising. It is actually the site of the Benedictine Weihenstephan Abbey where the lovely art of beer brewing has been perfected over a period of more than 1000 years!
Finally, we will take a trip to the Berchtesgaden - home of one of the national parks of Germany as well as Eagle's Nest - the notorious vacation home of Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun. The road to travel up to the former home, called the Kehlsteinhaus, is one of the most scenic roadways in all of Germany.
If you continue to follow my blog after tomorrow, I will be posting pictures in mid June of all the sites we see and family photos of our visit.
The word for today is visitor: der Besucher (bay zooch ehr where the ch makes that cat sound - I just had to get one more hacking cat into the blog!)
The question for today is "How will we spend our second year in Germany?"
Auf Wiedersehen,
Frau Spitzer
