Reutte, Austria to Munich, Germany

The food here can be delicious, or it can be fatty and heavy.  We’ve had both; sometimes trying to order from the German menu can be complicated!! Basically, it’s pork, carbs and beer. We've got schnitzel figured out, that's for sure.

Our hotels have provided our breakfasts and they’ve all been quite tasty. In Reutte there is a basket of raw eggs on the buffet, so fresh a couple still have feathers attached, (really). Nearby is a cluster of egg timers and a contraption filled with boiling water. An egg is placed in a stainless steel cup with a long bent handle attached. The cup is lowered into the hot water and the handle balances on the edge. Take an egg timer to your table and when the sand has finished dropping you can retrieve your egg, perfectly cooked. Many eggs can cook at once because each cup has a different colored handle. Just remember which color is yours. Pair that egg with a thick slice of homemade brown bread…delicious!

Hotel in Reutte

We drive two kinds of road today. First the scenic route: a winding sliver along Plansee Lake, the largest in Tyrol. The Alpine foothills that are dipping their toes into its water surround it. Sailboats are tethered in a cove and a solitary fisherman is out early with the ducks.

Plansee Lake

The natural beauty of this area is impressive. Someone who really appreciated it all was King Ludwig. He’s built another castle and isolated it in the mountains. This one is named Linderhof. It’s the only one he lived to see completed and where he was living when he died at the age of 40. It’s small compared to Neuschwanstein, but it’s a “Wow”. The surrounding gardens and outdoor structures are as elaborate as the castle.

Linderhof Castle

The Gardens

He dedicated the place to France. King Louis XIV is on horseback in the foyer. The French court and French nobility are featured in the paintings throughout the palace and the design has elements of Versailles. The sun symbol is repeated over and over again in the room decorations.

Ludwig was supposedly fascinated by the French king because Ludwig was only a figurehead and Louie was an absolute monarch, (power envy). Ludwig, who was eventually declared insane, was beginning to show some signs of instability. His servants were instructed to address him as “The Sun King”.

He was a recluse. He ate alone at a table that was set for four and he imagined his guests. He liked to dine with the imaginary King Louie, Marie Antoinette and Madame Pompadour. The table was prepared in the kitchen (a floor below his dining room). When the meal was ready the servants turned a wheel and the table was winched up through the kitchen ceiling through the dining room floor. Ludwig didn’t want to see his servants.

He slept in a bed that is truly king-sized. It’s appointed in royal blue and the bedstead is thick, heavy gold filigree. Directly opposite the head of the bed is a window looking out into the garden to a four-story manmade waterfall that drops over a 40-step “staircase”.

The Waterfall

He slept during the day and stayed awake at night. He spent nights in his mirror room where the mirrors were placed to reflect each other endlessly. He lit the room with dozens of candles and as their light was replicated in the glass he pretended to turn night into day.

Every surface of the castle is covered with paintings or carved gold ornamentation. The seal above his throne has 100 stitches per square inch and took 5 years to complete. One of the ceiling paintings has a couple of three dimensional legs protruding from their painted torsos; characteristic of rococo style. He thought of himself as assisting the people of Bavaria because he employed them in the construction of his palaces and also as his servants.

Down the road apiece is Oberammergau. It’s known for its presentation of The Passion Play. In 1634 the town residents promised to produce a passion play every ten years if God would protect them from the bubonic plague. They’ve kept their promise. The next performance is in 2020. We decided not to stick around. We did enjoy a stroll through the town center where many wood carvers display and sell their work.

Ettal Abbey is a formidable monastery operated and occupied by the Benedictine monks. There are 50+ in residence here. They have diverse responsibilities, some make and sell liqueur, and others administer a private high school.

Ettal Abbey

Ceiling Dome

Now, the autobahn into Munich. I haven't looked, or asked until today. How fast are we really going? Top speed 105 mph. 

When we reach Munich we go out for a look around. The city center is filled with sidewalk cafes and they are packed with people. The place is literally buzzing with conversation and clinking silverware. We join the pleasant throng of pedestrians. Our destination is the Hofbrauhaus, the world famous beer hall. It happens to be so busy that finding a table is impossible. We’ll have that beer tomorrow. Tonight we find a warm and inviting trattoria. Ciao!