Leslie and David's Wanderings: 10-20 December 2023 Germany

David had business meetings in Germany from 11-15 December. So we decided Leslie needed to go and to extend it for a few days so we could explore the wonders of German Christmas Markets (Kristkindlemarkts). David had been to many before, but Leslie had only been to versions in the USA. Unfortunately, the US Government delayed approving David’s travel due to the budget delays in congress. So, our flight connections were terrible on the trip over and the trip back (took 27 hours to travel back). But it was worth the hassle. Leslie came down with some kind of cold or flu as we were leaving for the trip (probably due to the kiddos at the Christmas Festival), so she did not have a fun trip over and was exhausted by the time we got into the hotel in Ingolstadt. She spent most of the next two days, while David was working, to rest up and recover. We went to the small Kristkindle Market in Ingolstadt after David’s meetings wrapped up and enjoyed some warm Glünwein and bratwurst with David’s work associates. We then piled into a rental car and drove to Weltenburger Monastery to seek out some Munk beer. The Danube River was flooding because of the recent rains and the melting snow from the previous weeks blizzard. The main road to the monastery was closed due to flooding but we used our Apple Maps to find a back way in. The back road was very narrow and very steep. We had a little mishap on the final decent into the monastery but fortunately the damage to the car was very light. Unfortunately, the beer garden was closed for the season, but we were able to walk around and buy items (including beer) at the shop which was open. When we got back to Ingolstadt, we had a wonderful traditional German dinner of schnitzel! On the 14^th, David’s work associates headed for Munich while we headed up to Regensburg. In Regensburg we explored the wonderful Kristkindle Market around the central cathedral (yes more Glünwein) and then worked our way down through the medieval town to the river. We had lunch looking out over the flooded Danube River and walked down to the oldest restaurant in Germany overlooking the oldest bridge in Germany. When we returned to the car we found we had parked in a by permit area by accident and had a nice 20E parking ticket.

The next day we left Ingolstadt and drove down to the village of TaüfKirchen, to the south and east of Munich. This is where our friends Herbert and Evelyn have their primary home. We stayed at a German Inn where we have stayed before called Limmerhof. It’s a wonderful and quaint Inn only a few blocks from the train into Munich. We met our friend Herbert at the train station later that afternoon and took the train into Munich and spent a wonderful evening exploring the huge Christmas Market in the Marienplatz and some of the surrounding areas that Leslie had not seen before. Herbert was a wonderful guide as usual and we had a wonderful evening. On Saturday, Herbert and Evelyn were dealing with some home maintenance issues so we had a relaxing day around TaüfKirchen. Herbert and Evelyn picked us up at evening and took us to another monastery, where their boys had gone to school, for a delightful dinner. Can’t beat that monastery beer! On Sunday, Herbert and Evelyn picked us up again and took us to two small villages in the Alps. The first, Rottach on the Tegensee, had a small Kristkindlemarkt but it was right on the lakeshore and the views were wonderful. After a late lunch at one of their favorite cafes in the area (they like to go there after a day of cross country skiing), we headed to David’s favorite Kristkindlemarkt. The village of Bad Tölz sits on the bank of the Isar river. The Kristkindle Market runs down the center of the Historic main street which slopes down to the river. The old buildings lining the street add a old world charm, along with the mountains rising around the town. We strolled through the good size Kristkindlemarkt enjoying the Glunwein and bratwurst for dinner. If this place does not put you in the Christmas mood, then nowhere can!

Monday, we headed down to Salzburg Austria to add another country to Leslie’s list and to enjoy the old town. We walked through their Kristkindlemarkt and the narrow streets of the old town. On Tuesday, we headed down to the Garmish area to visit the Linderhof Palace. We had been to it before but had arrived too late to tour the interior. This time we arrived in the early afternoon and were able to secure an English speaking tour. As the other King Ludwig’s palaces, the interior was regaled in gold leaf wood working and glittering mirrors. Linderhof is the only one of his palaces to be completed and the only one he lived in for any period of time. The gardens were covered in snow and all the statues were covered to protect them from the weather. We then headed down to Garmish and walked through their small Kristkindlemarkt before have our last dinner. Herbert stopped by later that night to say goodbye and wish us safe travel. Wednesday morning we arose early and began the 27 hour trip (three flights, two long layovers) back to Houston. We arrived back at the Wanderer at 2:30am the next day and were very happy to be home!