Berchtesgaden and the German Alps

 Yesterday was a long day so I wasn't able to write this post until after I had a little sleep. Let me explain.

Joe and I were up early, said our farewells to Zach, and caught the U-Bahn to the East Munich Train Station. Although we left our hotel at 6:20 am, the trains don't run as often on the weekends or early morning, so we barely made our 7:05 train, which meant we didn't have time to store our luggage in a locker at the train station. The train was crowded and there was really no where to sit during this 90 minute train ride, so we stood. After about 30 minutes, a lady spoke to three teen boys who were taking up five seats, and they made room for me to sit. Joe had his eye on the first class seating and eventually we both moved into that section since no one was actually checking tickets. This trip was fairly uneventful and on time which was a good thing because we had to change trains and only had 6 minutes to do it when we arrived. Whew! We were on the second train and headed to Berchtesgaden which is right on the border of Austria.

Berchtesgaden is in the German Alps and gorgeous. Our second train headed up the mountains giving us breathtaking views as we climbed higher and higher. We arrived at the small train station and looked for lockers with no success, so it seemed we would be carrying our luggage. Joe had a pretty big backpack, and I had an overnight bag and a backpack, so I felt like a pack mule. The train station is also the hub where you catch buses to the different locations around the area. There is a bunch to see, and Joe really had two things on his list. Kehlsteinhaus also known as Eagle's Nest was our first stop. We took a 15-minute bus ride further up the mountain along a one way windy road. I kept thinking my friend Wendy would hate this. Once at the top, we enjoyed the views overlooking the area including Salzburg, but it was time to go even higher. We walked through a 126-meter tunnel that went into the side of the mountain until we reached a brass and mirror embellished elevator. The elevator took us another 131 meters to the top of the mountain where we arrived at the Eagle's Nest for more amazing sights.

The Eagle's Nest was a secret hideaway and retreat for Adolph Hitler and the Nazi leaders. The entire area

of Obersalzburg was where they would spend time strategizing. Hitler only visited Eagle's Nest about 14 times but Eva Braun, his mistress used Eagle's Nest a lot. Hitler spent most of his time at Berghof, his private home in the valley. At the end of the war, the U.S. Army used Eagle's Nest as a military command post. It was the only building that survived bombings from the allied forces. Eventually, the Eagle's Nest became a restaurant and tourist attraction, but it was very clear that they did not want it or the area to become a Nazi shrine, so there were strict regulations about what could and couldn't be sold.

Joe and I spent about 2 hours at Eagle's Nest which included getting a bite of lunch at the restaurant. We both had an open-faced Ham sandwich. I didn't much care for it, but the chocolate torte we split was yummy. Then it was a wild and crazy ride on the bus back down the mountain. There were no seats available, so I was standing in the aisle holding on tightly to avoid lurching into the laps of the people around me during each hairpin turn. Back at the main hub, we waited for a different bus which would take us to Königssee Lake. We had to wait about 40 minutes for that bus, but it was only a short drive to the lake once we got on the bus. We then took a boat out on the lake and oohed and awed at the mountainsides towering over the clear water. It was so beautiful. At the widest part of the lake, our guide played a trumpet toward one side of the lake and we could hear it echo off of the other side. It was pretty awesome. About halfway, we stopped at St. Bartholomew church located on the shore of the lake. You can only get to it by boat or a long hike over the mountain. Joe and I looked around for about 15 minutes and then took a boat back to the starting point. We didn't have time for the full trip which takes nearly two hours.

By the time we got off the boat and back to the train station, it was 5:45 pm. We had two options to get back to Munich. We could take a bus to Salzburg and then take the train to Munich which would get us there around 9:15 pm. The other option was to take the same route we had taken to Berchetesgaden on two trains with a very short connection, and we would arrive in Munich at the same time. Since the second option had us leaving at 6:30 which was 15 minutes after the bus option, we chose that and looked for a place to eat nearby. Our best option was a Burger King, so Joe had a pastrami burger and I ate some of his fries along with a Coke Light without ice which is the only way they seem to serve drinks in Europe.

When we got to to the train platform, there was a message in German, and we deduced that the train we were waiting for would be about 10 minutes late. Well, that meant there was no way we would make our connection and we didn't. We arrived at the transfer station and had about 45 minutes to wait for the next train.  When it arrived, they wouldn't let anyone on the packed train. The police went from car to car asking to see the passengers' passports while the rest of us looked on waiting for the doors to open. Earlier, we saw a lot of police escorting a large group of what appeared to be gypsies off another train and over to the police station. Eventually, we were let on to this train, but not on the five or six empty cars. We all had to cram into the front cars that were already full. Apparently, they were disconnecting the back half of the train. Too bad, because once again, we were destined to stand. After about 30 minutes, someone near us got off the train and Joe and I were able to sit down for the remaining 60 minutes of the ride. Others had to stand the entire way as even more boarded the train at different stops.

During the month of June, you can travel anywhere on a regional train or bus using the 9-Euro pass. This is a great deal and it has allowed us to get around to various places without worrying about train fare. It also has been good for the rest of the country and I think everyone is using the trains to go on their holidays. As a result, the trains are crowded and delayed more than usual (according to Zach and two ladies I was talking to on the train). Public transportation in Germany is very impressive. We can go pretty much anywhere inexpensively, but there is a downside. You have to plan very carefully and it takes longer to get where you want to be.

We arrived in Munich at 10:40 pm and had a short walk to our hotel. Joe had made the reservations and it was a nice hotel. We each had our own room and I quickly removed the extra pounds I had been carrying most of the trip and was in bed by 11:15 for some much needed rest. Our stay included breakfast in the hotel lobby. Breakfast had a variety of foods including breads and pastries, meats and cheeses, vegetables and dips, fresh fruit, soft-boiled eggs, and cereal. I wanted to make sure we were back at the Central Station in plenty of time to catch our train back to Frankfurt. So we ate breakfast quickly and caught the high speed train. This train we had to pay for, but it was worth it. With a quiet car, reserved comfortable seats, and  occasional internet, I feel like I am traveling in luxury and our trip will be a little less than four hours instead of the 5 1/2 hours it took on the regional train. Frankfurt, here we come!