Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The statue is at the bottom of the photo. It was an amazing church. We had a great weekend down in the Alps with mom and dad! Auf wiedersehen!
Here is some of the interior of the chapel. It is just beautiful, full of colorful frescoes and bright marble columns.
On the way back to Mannheim, we took a short detour to this church - the Wies Kirche. This is the pilgrimage church of the "Scourged Savior". In 1730 Father Straub and Friar Schweiger built a figure of the Scourged Savior to be used for the Good Friday procession. The statue was put together using parts from several other wooden figures, the joints covered with linen and the figure was painted. However, this likeness covered with blood and wounds raised the pity of the congregation to such a degree that the statue was put aside. In 1738, the monastary's innkeepers Godmother found and moved the statue to her farm where it became an object of veneration. On June 14, 1738 she saw drops on the face in the likeness of tears. From then on pilgrimages began, thus this statue has become the center of a Pilgrimage of European dimension.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
We had another great breakfast and checked out of the hotel just as the Stammtisch group was starting for the day. The beers and cards were already flowing. This is just a shot of Partenkirchen as we were leaving.
It was a beautiful day up on top of the world. Here is a picture of our hotel. In Bavaria, most of the houses and building have beautiful frescoes on them. For dinner tonight we walked down the street from the hotel to a cozy little restaurant and topped off the night.
Here is the glacier bowl that you can ski. From the top where we are, you need to take another cable car down into the glacier. If you enlarge the picture you can see some skiers - they are the little, tiny dots.
Here we are over in Austria, cool huh? From the top of the Zugspitze you can walk across the border and you're in Austria. Although, it's not as high here - the Zugspitze is 2,963 meters high (9,700 feet) and here we are only at 2,950 meters.
It was worth the ride up! It felt like we were on top of the world!
We got off the car and this is the view from the cable car house and this is the view. It is so high up you can hardly follow the cables all the way to the bottom.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
After a good breakfast, we headed over to take the Gondola up to the highest mountain peak in Germany - the Zugspitze. The ride up was okay - to a certain point. That point was when the car is hundreds of feet above the ground going straight up the jagged rocks. As the mood changed for some in the car one of the Germans said "I can smell the fear!" Ya think? It also rocked over each support post. Fun.
Monday, February 20, 2006
After the castles we drove over to our hotel - the Gasthof Fraundorfer in Partenkirchen. This is the hotels restaurant - the two boys are doing a traditional Bavarian dance in their Lederhosen. It was fun to watch - they did their slap dancing and their dad played music and did some yodelling. The food was YUMMY!!!!
In the center of the picture is Marian Brucke - Mary's Bridge from where lots of pictures of the castle are taken. We didn't walk out there today though because they posted danger signs due to the snow and ice.
See? The snow adds to the fairytale quality of the castle.
This castle never takes a bad picture - whatever the season. I think it looks the best in the snow.
And for the trip up to Schloss Neuschwanstein we took a horse and sleigh!
One of the rooms inside the castle was just robbed in November 2005. Priceless treasures were taken and as of yet not recovered. It was a really cool castle inside and out.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Mom and dad came over for a visit so we decided to go down to the Alps for a few days. Behind the kids is Schloss Hohenschwangau. This castle was the childhood home of King Ludwig II. There was so much snow - big fun!!!!
Friday, February 10, 2006
We had a great day of shopping,eating, watching the snow fall and just enjoying the Christmas spirit. This market has a theme, the Christchild's market and here is the sentiment of the market:
Christchild's Prologue
Ye men- and womenfolk who once were children, too, You little ones who just begin the journey of your liveEach of you who rests today, and who will work again tomorrow:All listen, hear what Christ Child has to say!
In every year, four weeks before the timeWhen Christmas trees we decorate, and everyone awaits the feast, Here on this square, just as of yore, this market does appear, Which up and down the country they call Christmas Markt. This little town is built from wood and canvasIts splendour's short, will soon be gone, But yet it is eternal. My market is forever young, As long as Nuremberg does exist, as long as you remember it.
For young and old the sight of this Old Town of Nuremberg, Has many faces and their number can't be counted.Look at this square. Today in its surroundingsHigh buildings rise, and factories of modern times, And many suburbs grow, yet it remains forever,Ye men- nad womenfolk: the Nuremberg of its people.
The last month of the year has come and thus the dayWhen wishes are fulfiled and presents givenThe market's lights shine brightlyWith baubles, glitter and with Christmas promise.But don't forget, ye men and womanfolk, one thing:Those who have ev'rything don't need your presents.It's children of thes world and poorer folkWho'll tell you what it means to give a present.
It is a beautiful market with hundreds of wonderfully decorated stalls.
At the center of the market is a creche with wooden figures telling the story of Christmas.
December 23, 2005
The Christmas season is especially beautiful in Germany. Throughout the season various towns set up Christmas markets in the town square. Today we went to Germany's most famous market - the Nurnberg Christkindelsmarkt (the Christchild's Market). Since 1610, Nurnberg has hosted guests from around the from the Friday before the beginning of Advent until Christmas Eve. The city is only about 2 1/2 hours away so we made an afternoon of it!
