Oberstdorf and more, 30 May 2022

It all went a bit pear-shaped this morning. The Swan Whisperer decided to catch the bus to Achenkirch and walk down to Pertisau via Gaisalm and the dripping rock, and we agreed that I should join him in Pertisau in time for lunch. 

I discovered that there was a steamer at just the perfect time, and what better way to cross the Achensee than on one of the traditional ships? But, sadly, I misread the timetable - quite my own fault - and arrived at the pier just as the boat pulled away! Bother!

The alternative was to catch the bus but, try as I might, I couldn't find the way up to the bus stop, which was on the main road, and the bus went roaring past before I could get there! Expletives rather worse than bother! 

The buses are only one an hour, and although their core routes are the same, some go on to Pertisau, others stop in Maurach, and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason which does what. If you do have to change in Maurach, the connections wait for each other. 

So I rang the Swan Whisperer, and we agreed to meet in Maurach an hour later and have lunch there. Which we duly did. We then decided to catch the bus down to Jenbach, which would have been simply glorious had it not been raining, but as it was the scenery was still magnificent. We didn't have long there - just time for a quick look round the station,

wishing the Achenseebahn was running (only at weekends for a bit), and then got the bus - and, of course, this one had to be going to Pertisau, didn't it? There was another English family on it, I wondered if they were fans, but didn't like to ask. 

Anyway, our plan was to get off at Eben and visit the church and the museum of St Notburga, the local saint. I gather she was basically a farm labourer, but her cult seems to have grown among the locals and various miracles have been attached to her. The church is very ornate, but rather lovely, even if it does display her dressed-up skeleton above the altar! 

Then we came away and got the bus up to Maurach. It was late, but the connection towards Achenkirch had waited for it, so we caught it back to the campsite. Of course, the sun came out, so after a cup of tea and a nap, the SW went for a short walk along the lakeside - similar, I think, to the one I had enjoyed this morning. I just dozed and read and read and dozed....

There are more photos on Facebook. 

Oberstdorf and more, 29 May 2022

I was very, very tired this morning, although I had slept fairly well. So I slept through most of today's drive - a pity, because it was a scenic one - only rousing briefly to have lunch somewhere - I have no idea where - and then coming awake properly when we drove into a terrific rainstorm. 

After that, it was not long before we arrived at our campsite,

where we were warmly welcomed. It didn't take us long to settle in, and we had a cup of tea before the Swan Whisperer went off for a walk. With the terrifying unpredictability of the weather in the mountains, he had only gone about half an hour when it started pouring with rain and visibility decreased to almost zero. The poor man was soaked and, to add insult to injury, the sun came out again once he got back to the van to change! 

I, meanwhile, had got much wetter in a much happier way, as (new since we were last here, I think) there is a big pool and spa complex a couple of minutes walk away. I didn't fancy the saunas, as they are "textile free" zones, which means you have to be naked, and although I don't particularly mind, one does, in the words of a friend in similar circumstances in the Oberstdorf spa, get bored of counting willies! 

Anyway, the pool section of the complex was lovely. There was a 25m pool for lane swimming if you wanted to do that - I didn't - and a huge "family pool" with an indoor and an outdoor section, jacuzzi seats and one of those "lazy rivers" that whirl you round and round, which I always love. I spent a very happy hour there! Almost as nice as the Rupertustherme I hope to visit in a few days, and certainly a lot cheaper. Talking of which, if I go to the spa again tomorrow, which I probably won't, I must remember to claim a discount with the Achensee card - I I forgot earlier. 

The Swan Whisperer, now dry and safe, walked up to meet me, and now we are having a drink and cooking supper. It is not a warm evening, and there is snow on the more distant mountains. 

Oberstdorf and more, 28 May 2022

I really didn't feel like going to the rink to watch skating this morning, but we had various friends skating who we did want to watch. I really think another year I will give myself permission not to watch but to enjoy the town! 

Anyway, we didn't need to be there until 11:30 this morning, so we tidied up and got things ready to leave, gave back our Kurkarten and got our deposit back. Then we went to the rink and basically sat and chatted with friends, and and watched the people we wanted to see, and not really those we didn't. We grabbed a roll from the café during a resurface, and later I had a banana. 

Once the last person we wanted to see had finished, we gathered our stuff and went back to the motor home. I refilled our drinking water containers while the SW emptied and refilled things. 

On our way out of town we called in at the Edeka to shop; I wish we'd gone to Lidl, as the latter's range was better and cheaper, and one can pay by card! Oh well, we'll know for next time. 

We got away at about 16:30, and had a wonderfully scenic drive over to Neuschwanstein

and Hohenschwangau

castles, which we could see and photograph from a local church

car park. 

The Swan Whisperer said, too late, too late, that we should have found an overnight stop on that more southerly route to the Achensee, rather than north again to Peiting, and I wish he had said that earlier, because when we got to Peiting the place was full. We could have squeezed in, but we decided not to as if people take too much advantage of what is offered, the privileges could be removed. 

Park4Night found this aire, about 4km away, in a town called Schongau, which is very nice and all found except electricity for €8 per night. Also very crowded, but there is room for us! 

Oberstdorf and more, 27 May 2022

The thing about walking up and down to the rink is that it boosts one's step count enormously! I have been >5k every day since we arrived. Frightfully good for me - I wish it were as easy at home!

This morning I ended up having breakfast in my dressing-gown as the hot water doesn't heat up on "mix" - I think  that is just for the heating we have  not needed so far this holiday. And the Swan Whisperer had a cold shower, which I was not about to do! But after breakfast the water was nicely hot and I showered and dressed and then went to Norma for milk and stuff. I do love the way hens in Germany lay white eggs.

Then to the rink for the first few classes of the day, and then there was a gap in what we wanted to watch, so the SW went for a walk and I went back to Norma to get rolls and stuff for lunch.

After lunch we went back to the rink, but then there was another gap and I persuaded the SW that he didn't really want another walk so we went back to the van and both fell sound asleep! I have stayed here ever since, reading and drowsing and wishing I wanted to watch the livestream, but I don't, so...

The Wohnmobilstellplatz is rammed for the long weekend - I hope we can get out tomorrow! 

Oberstdorf and more, 26 May 2022

Today is Ascension Day, and a public holiday here in Germany, so all the shops are shut but the tourist attractions reopened - not only the posh new Nebelhornbahn, but also scooter hire, a road train round the town, a horse and carriage ditto, and the hang-gliders were out in force.

As has often been the case on Thursdays at Oberstdorf, there was nothing we really wanted to watch until the afternoon, so we spent a quiet morning doing various chores around the van. The Swan Whisperer could have gone for a long walk with our friends, but he was tired and I'm really glad he didn't as I met them coming home and they were exhausted!

We went out to lunch in a local restaurant. The food was delicious, but spoilt by too many flies. The waitress stuck a piece of tape on the end of the table which killed them, but we were still swatting them away every other mouthful. I should say this was out of doors - the weather has been lovely today and it was much too nice to sit inside.

So we didn't have pudding there but walked into the town to the ice cream stall which does sell lovely ones. Then we wandered back to the van - I did get the bus one stop but the SW didn't have a mask with him so he walked up to the bus stop and waited for me. We had about 15 minutes to organise ourselves before heading on.

And that's when I discovered that my new-found fitness had abandoned me; either that or they had made the road up to the rink steeper overnight! Had to stop three times to get my breath - very unimpressed. And after watching the Gold IV and Silver III women's artistic, I realised I wasn't going to be able to stay to watch the dances, which was a real bummer as it is my favourite discipline. So I went back to the van, stopping quite legitimately to talk to friends en route, and have been watching the dances on live stream, wishing I wasn't quite so tired and aching. Tea and chocolate has helped, but I think paracetamol will help more! ☕🍫🍵🦋

Oberstdorf and more, 25 May 2022

Still wet when we got up. But the clouds gradually cleared during the day,

and the next two days are supposed to be fine and dry. 

We went to the rink to watch a couple of friends skate, and then there was a gap, so the Swan Whisperer came back to the motor home to use the services and I went for a walk through the tourist section of the town, which I had not yet visited. Nothing much has changed, although they have moved the wool shop, and some of the shops look newer. Still lots of do-the-tourist places, though, and I was tempted by some wooden fridge magnets shaped like skated with Oberstdorf on them. But at €3 a pop, a bit dear for tossies! 

I got to the station in good time to catch the bus back - getting out at the right stop this time - and then the Swan Whisperer came with me to Norma as I wanted him to carry beer back. Of course, we met up with our longest-standing skating friends and spent too long catching up with them and missed the first couple of skaters we wanted to see! Oh well.

I stayed in the rink for the rest of the day - we grabbed a sandwich from the cafe for lunch - although the SW went for another walk. We sat with our friends for the big Bronze Women III class, and then the SW and I went and had dinner in Zorans, above the rink, sitting with yet more old friends, one of whom had skated in that class.

After which, I had had enough and came back to the van to watch the really good skaters on the livestream, but the SW stayed on to watch them live.

The Nebelhornbahn doesn't open until tomorrow, but they have been running empty all week. This morning this car was sitting quite still above the road - I suppose to test breakdown procedures. 

Oberstdorf and more, 24 May 2022

Today was the first day of competition. It is really nice this year because it is so much smaller, and it feels like 20 years ago when we were there - in those days at the Mountain Cup - for the friendship and fun as much as for the skating, if not more so. In recent years, Oberstdorf has become so big you don't really get to see people outside of your own little clique, and watching is a marathon!

The competition didn't start until 10:45, so I made a big vegetable stew which will do us at least twice with various accompaniments - pasta, potatoes, chicken, eggs... When we were ready, we headed on up to the rink. I was delighted to find the way there seems a lot less steep than three years ago, and I didn't need to stop for breath - I must be fitter than I thought!

The rink is the same

except that there are no seats in the little café, and the kiss'n'cry has two hard seats instead of the usual sofa. Some people, but not all, wear masks, but it is not compulsory except on public transport and healthcare. 

I took advantage of a lull to head down to Lidl, which is the same only different to at home. They do fresh milk, unlike in France, and also blood orange juice, which the Norma next door doesn't do. I had just missed a bus coming back so pottered around Woolworths until one was due, but stupidly got off a stop too early.

We were late getting back to the rink after lunch as the SW got a phone call and couldn't get off the line. He is far too polite to hang up on her, which I should have done, with the result that we missed some skaters we should have liked to have seen. Ah well. Stayed at the rink until about 4, but then had suddenly had enough, so came back to the motor home and flaked out with the live stream and some YouTube videos (so jealous of the Daughter, who has already been on the Elizabeth Line, as had another of our friends!).