Our Golden Frontier trip to Germany/Austria:
I really enjoyed the beauty of the Bavarian Alps. Judy kept singing and humming “The hills come alive” and other songs from the Sound of Music. Overall I found it interesting how Germans love their dogs and the dogs are allowed more places than here in America. They travel with them and they are well behaved enough to follow off leash. I hear say that a dog is more welcome in a restaurant than children but can’t vouch for that rumor. Pancake soup was different but if you didn't tell me what it was I'd just think I was having chicken noodle soup. Once again I got to flirt with a mime like I did when I was in France. The tour director's jokes were old. Someone needs to update the official Golden Frontier Joke Book. Can this be so?
Lufthansa is a great airline. The aisles may be the same but the service was good. They even pass out hot wet wipes with a tweezers thing before serving meals.
I started pulling my suitcase from my house to the church when my neighbor, Dave, offered me a ride. It’s only about 10 blocks.
I got my name tag and had a group picture taken in front of the Harmony bus before we left and arrived in Chicago for our flight on Lufthansa. I watched a movie; “The Age of Innocence” but dozed off during part of the movie. Later I watched a documentary on Berlin. Service was great on the plane but I had difficulty getting comfortable enough for a good REM type sleep. I must have gotten some rest because I missed the excitement of a medical emergency. In fact it was Carol from our group. She got real low blood pressure and a combination of things caused her to loose her pulse. Fortunately there was a nurse and a doctor on the plane and she was given an IV and oxygen and successfully recovered. I’m glad because there was talk among the crew about turning around and going back to Chicago. Well, her and her husband got to complete the trip in first class.
Day 2~ October 9
Once in Munich, we got on the bus for Hotel Wittelsbach in Bergesgargen. It’s about 2 hours away and we went from a flat farmland to the gorgeous mountains. I saw waterfalls and rivers so clean and clear. I got a room of my own since Golden Frontier did not get to pair me up with a room mate. That just cost $400 more.
Only one in our group was not Catholic. We had Mass at St Francis Church, just near the hotel. The church was small and beautiful. Franciscan monks maintain it. The cemetery on the grounds was well kept and each plot was unique. They were like mini-garden memorials and many had candles lit on them still flickering. Then our group had diner at a nearby restaurant. I was surprised that there was a silver manikin holding the menu, which was reminiscent of last year’s trip to France and the silver mime man that I danced with for a few coins. Only this silver man was too stiff to dance with. Needless to say, we were very tired. The bed was warm but I got up wide away about 1AM. The WiFi hotspot you have to purchase. I had found a card with the password under my bed but it did not work.
Day 3 ~ October 10
We had a continental breakfast at the hotel and then off on the bus. We had Mass at the church in Ramsau where Father Mohr authored “Silent Night”. The church had very interesting collection baskets with a figure of St Sebastian the Martyr on them. The pews had metal plates with names reminiscent of the days when one’s family tithed by renting a pew. Another interesting thing was the hooded ciborium. Our Saint of the Day was St Frances DePortia who died in 1572. After Mass we had a scenic drive through Obersalzburg. We stopped at the high spots for some photos and I stood by the pole used as a snow marker. I never did see edelweiss but we went though the place where The Sound of Music was filmed. Then we went to Koigsee (King’s Lake). We had lots of time before our electric powered boat ride. I ate a sandwich, “Liebersplatz”, like the locals. While others from my group waited for our boat ride, I followed the local hikers on the path and it led to a scenic lookout over the lake.
The boat took us by a cliff where the tour guide opened the door and played his Bartholomew Church. We got to walk around a bit a look at a smoked fish bar and souvenirs stands and then go back. A few of us wanted to find a local market away from the souvenir stands. We went to Mueller. We ate a real nice restaurant near our hotel and had schnitzel and apple strudel. One lady in our group finished off too much wine and got a bit loud. We had a lovely clear day that ended in rain in the evening.
Day 4~ October 11
Woke up and the couple across the hall who had a terrace on the main street (unlike me with a window facing a brick wall) told me it was snowing.
We had Mass at the Church of Maria Germa.
It was pink with Rocco architecture.
The snow was beautiful but the steps to the church were slippery.
Afterward a short stopette at the hotel and we went to a tour of Salzburg.
We saw the medieval cathedral established originally by missionaries in the 700s but built, as we know it in the 17
th century.
There was a photo placard of the cathedral which was bombed in WW2.
After that we saw the medieval castle, which was high up on the hill so we took a cable car to the top of the hill.
Most of the snow was gone except on the mountaintops.
When we cam home from Austria, we had an hour between the return and our dinner so the Bedells and I got our souvenirs of Burgesgardens.
I got my sons a “smoker” which uses incense and I got a pewter chalice of the chapels we visited:
St Sebastian, St Bartholomew, and Maria Germa.
I felt pleased that I didn’t just get junk for souvenirs.
We had dinner at Bier Adam Restaurant and had a pork chop with potato pancakes and apple fritter with ice cream.
Day 5 ~ October 12
Sunday morning I read the readings at Mass at St Francis across from the hotel.
Afterward we had a quick pit stop and turned in our keys.
The bus took us to Insbruk.
We walked the streets of a medieval village of shops.
Since lunch is on our own, a few of us opted for a light lunch to hold us over till dinner.
I got my picture taken with a mime of Beethoven.
Toured a cathedral of St Jakob.
There was a special side altar with relics of two priests who were murdered for an anti socialist stance during World War Two by the names of Sel Pfarrer Otto Neurerer and Sel P. Jakob Gapp SM.
For 30 cents I got their cards.
I must admit that the cathedral was very nice.
We toured the old church of Maximilliam known as Hofkirche.
There were these really exotic bronze statues.
Looked so much like the movies.
At the upstairs chapel, I posed for my monument.
Day 6 - October 13 (Monday)
This was our Columbus Day and a day off that I didn’t have to charge for my vacation time.
We had a nice breakfast in our Hotel Wirt in Oberammergau.
We had mass at the cathedral of St Peter and Paul.
Interesting saint’s tomb with a highly decorated saint.
Our saint of the day was St Calistas who was a martyr that went from slave to pope at the jealousy of the first anti-pope.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=393
We got a back stage tour of the famous
Passion Play of Oberamergau.
Story has it that the people prayed that they be spared of the plague and it passed over without a victim.
So in return, the residents put on an elaborate Passion Play every 10 years. Our German Tour guide gave a stage tour and it's super professional for restrictions being of local origin. She was telling of the dye for the costumes and didn't know the English word for coloring of fabric. I said "dye" and she was puzzled and gestured a slit throat. Opps. Dye! Not die. We all got a chuckle. The city is known for its wood carving but everything was so expensive. For a city known for its Passion Play, there seemed to be a lot of Nativity stuff. There was a few for Lenten season that were out of my price range so I got the idea of replacing my seasonal nativity scene with a Passion scene. I came home and found this on eBay for
$54.20
.
Then we went to see Ludwig’s
Linderhoff Castle.
We had curry turkey for dinner and afterward, a few of us met a Danish Colonel outside the hotel we ate having a cigarette from a nearby NATO base.
We had a lovely conversation.
I told him I worked for NATO AFSOUTH and he gave my condolences.
Tee hee!
Day 7 ~ October 14
We visited Marktl am Inn, the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI. This was an accident and miscommunication with our driver because these two places were in reverse order. Then We went to the
Marian Shrine at Altoetting where many miracles have taken place. There is a little chapel in the square with a dark Madonna from all the candles that have been burning there throughout the years. The Cathedral was undergoing remodeling so that was a little uninteresting. However, I did go with Dan and Anita and we had our hot chocolate and strudel. We got a little off the tourist path and discovered a real nice park with a fountain of the the seven sacraments.
Some of these images were obvious but confession took thought because of the rooster clawing at the eye. I saw many rooster symbols that remind us of Peter's sin when the cock crowed thrice.
Day 8 ~ Oct 15
Tuesday we boarded the bus for Munich.
We got there in time for the
Glockenspiel to play at 11:00.
In fact we got there early enough to make “the lift” to the clock tower and view the city.
The cashier gave us a group discount rate (2 Euro instead of 2.50).
Lunch was on our own but many of us went to the famous Hofbrauhaus.
I had
Radler (beer mixed with 7-up) and a cabbage and bacon salad.
I got to pose with a gold and a silver mime in Munich. The silver mime was impressed with my silver gloves that I picked up at Second Hand store which was an equivalent of a "Big Lots" type clothing store only nicer.
We had Mass in the Jesuit Church of
St Michael's in Munich.
Well actually not in the church proper but a side chapel with many relics.
In the evening we had goulash.
Day 9 ~ October 16
We had Mass at the
Ettal Abby.
Legend is that an angel told the Duke of Bavaria to start a monastery, presented him with a marble statue. The horse supposedly "genuflected" three times in one location and the
Duke made the assumption that was the site for the construction of the
Basilica.
St Margaret Mary Alacoque was the Saint of the Day. Fr John said it was a first to say Mass at the High Alter facing the tabernacle and his back to the congregation like the old days.
Then we saw the Wies Church of the “Scourged Savior”.
I was moved by the artwork and especially the shoulder cart used for carry in pilgrimage processions. We see a lot of pictures of Jesus but few with a statue of the Scourging at the Pillar so it was fresh and a bit painful. Pictures were not allowed so you can see them here:
Our Saint of the Day is
Then the optional tour at Neiswanstien castle.
We could see the castle as we approach.
We had lunch at the Lisl hotel with soup, sauerkraut, potatoes and white sausage.
Yum!
Since there’s a 20 minute walk uphill to the castle, a number of us were willing to pay for a ride up.
However, the bus was closed for construction so that only left the horse cart.
We waited and waited and waited for over 50 minutes and missed our English speaking tour.
Day 10
We got up at 5AM for our bus departure for the airport leaving at 6AM.
It was raining most of the time but clear when we got to Munich.
While on the bus, John roasted six members with pilgrimage awards including our chaplain for his homily on the saint of the day, our big photographers, our German American ambassador, and John Sweeney, the general who always had a story.
I had plenty of Euros left and got some chocolate at the airport duty free shop.
A coworker shared this from flight tracker:
I found a two week cup of mold in my microwave. No shock there huh!
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