Schwabmünchen to Bleau

The drive from Schwabmünchen to Fontainebleau was in some serious weather. It was snowing quite hard; hopefully the weather in Font is better. We figured out how to fit the large crashpad longitudinally in the car, and Gogi and Nicole managed to reduce their luggage to one backpack, so the drive was somewhat comfortable.

Autobahn in less-than-ideal conditions

We drove through some beautiful German and French countryside, including the historic Verdun region.

Nußdorf to Schwabmünchen

Monday morning we awoke to more than an inch of fresh snow. Having left our ski gear at home in the states, we were reduced to sightseeing in Austria rather than skiing (besides, we could only drive as far into Austria as Kufstein to avoid paying the toll).

View from our bedroom

After dropping Hanna off at the Bahnhof so that she could catch her train back to Wien, we parked the car downtown and started walking towards the fortress.

Walking near the Festung

Medieval walking tour

As it so happens, we walked directly to the entrance of the Alpenverein with the attached Kletterhalle. Unfortunately both were closed, due to the Oster Montag holiday.

Kufstein alpine club

Our walking tour of Kufstein was cut short when we learned that the fortress required an entrance fee of nearly nine euros--which we decided was a very effective way of keeping the foreigners out!

That afternoon we left Nußdorf for Schwabmünchen, making a quick stop for Konditorei in Rosenheim at Dinzler. This boutique coffee roaster had excellent espresso and giant pieces of cake and was packed with people on this holiday afternoon.

German latte art

It took just over an hour to drive from Rosenheim to the Stapf's home in Schwabmünchen. After dinner, Margit treated us to a selection of homemade schnapps, including some that was not quite liquid in form... more like very, very strong eggnog, served in miniature ice cream cones.

Raw egg liqueur

Ostern in Nußdorf

We have been treated to some extreme Bavarian hospitality in the last few days. We owe Shirley a huge thanks for being such a warm and generous host. One of the most enjoyable aspects of staying with a local is the opportunity to experience and learn some of the regional traditions. And the Bavarians have many Easter traditions.

Easter Breakfast

The "Easter Tree"

Shirley has an amazing place with a view of the Inn valley and snow covered peaks.

Relaxing with a storybook view

Later in the day, we took a brisk hike in lightly snowing conditions up a local hill. We had had a great time as Margit gave impromptu field lectures discussing the medicinal qualities of the alpine plants.

View Larger Map

It's hard not to hum some Rodgers and Hammerstein up here

Beech Trees

At the top was a terrific traditional Bavarian mountain hut with a view across the valley past Brannenburg into the Alps.

Leider geschlossen...

but what a view

Good thing we are used to inclement weather on these trips, as the light snow turned into huge flakes as we headed back down. It snowed throughout the evening, and tonight we have maybe a 1/4 inch of accumulation.

Ostern, oder Weihnachten?

All in all, this has been quite the Easter Sunday. Our new car is getting put through its paces, also. Practically the first day out of the factory and it held its own on the Autobahn and drove in the snow.

Schnee auf dem BMW (my first German rhyme!)

Einz

Our stay in München ended with a very easy trip across town via u-bahn to the Olympia Park for our appointment at the neue BMW Welt. It was surprisingly busy for the Saturday before Easter.

On our way out of the train station to BMW

The Welt

Scoping out our "Bretze mit butter" in the customer lounge.

After checking in for our appointment, we were each issued an identification card which allowed us entrance into the lounge area where we made a quick (and free) lunch of small pastries, sandwiches and coffee. Most BMW customers are likely not so cheap as to have to eat lunch in the customer lounge, but hey, the two people in our group who could pay in Euros are students, and those of us who are gainfully employed are paid in that monopoly money we commonly call the American dollar.

At the time of our appointment, we were met by our BMW consultant, Petra, who guided us down to the show floor where the cars arrive via elevator (that glass box shown in the bottom left corner).

Petra stopped on the landing to the staircase so that we can view our car rotating on the giant conveyor belt...what drama! We were perhaps a bit more impressed than we'd like to admit.

Once you reach the show floor, your consultant briefs you on the features of your car. While the crowd favorite may have been the keyless entry, the cupholder with drink cooling fan really held my interest. Particularly when Petra suggested that you could cool chocolate with it.

My "consultation"

After receipt of our car, we left promptly, packing our car to the gills with luggage. Thankfully, we had Gogi with us to explain German traffic laws, and Ingar to successfully negotiate the Autobahn. We arrived safely in Nussdorf in the late afternoon and were greeted with sun. Shirley's house is unbelievable in it's setting--an echt Bavarian landscape.