Oberstdorf and more, 1 June 2022

We decided to have a boat trip on the Königssee this morning, although we were slightly worried about queues and how long we would have to wait if the boats were only every half an hour, but, in fact, they were every few minutes. They had need to be, too, as even though it is mid-week (on the other hand, with public holidays last Thursday and next Monday, I rather think a lot of people are on holiday this week) the boat we got on was very crowded. 

We stayed on it all the way up the lake, to Salet, which is the start of various hiking trails. Part way up, the boat stopped for a few minutes by the "Echo wall", and the MC got out a trumpet - each phrase he blew was answered by its echo! I had never really believed in that sort of echo, although it features in many books, and was amazed! 

The Swan Whisperer wanted to go up to another lake only 15 minutes walk away, so I sat in the shade and read while he did that, and then we got the next boat back to St Bartolomä, which is a very beautiful church, a couple of restaurants and not much else!

We would have liked to have eaten there, but it was still too early for lunch, so we got on the next boat back to Königssee. This took a long time to leave, and was very full by the time it did, so it was well past 13:00 when we arrived back. We lunched at the local Bierkeller - the SW had currywurst and chips and I had Munchner Weisswurst, which came with a ginormous pretzel that I couldn't finish. 

We bought a scoop of ice cream each in a local gelateria - strawberry for me and some kind of cookies for him - and ate them walking back to the van.

The SW decided we should come back to Salzburg for the night, largely, I think, so we could buy diesel at Austrian, rather than German, prices, and right by the border, the prices were a great deal cheaper than in town. We did stop at a shopping centre in Berchtesgaden, where I visited Lidl, ReWe and DM! And then on to Salzburg and a rather slow journey through the city in the rush hour, to the aire here, which is rather nicer than most city aires, having loos and showers and extremely good services. It is not cheap, but you can stay until 17:00 for an extra €5, rather than having to check out at noon. We haven't quite decided whether to spend two nights here or not.... We shall see. 

Oberstdorf and more, 31 May 2022

Yesterday started off badly but ended well; today was the other way around. 

The Swan Whisperer said he was going for a run this morning, but somehow he didn't go and didn't go and didn't go, and it was 09:00 before he finally went, saying he would be about 45 minutes. Well, I was hungry by then, and decided that I wasn't going to hang around for him, so quickly dressed and ate my own breakfast and then headed out for the boat pier once again. This time I knew what time it was due to leave, and knew that I had to hurry, but got to the pier just as the boat came into view and a couple of minutes before it actually stopped! 

It was a lovely run, first to Seespitz and then to Pertisau; it took about 25 minutes, I think, but I still had over half an hour in Pertisau before I had to get the bus back.

I went to the Steinol shop and bought some shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, which was my main reason for going there, and then pottered around the do-the-tourist shops, being very tempted by a handbag, but decided the quality wasn't good enough for the price they were asking. 

The bus back was one of the random buses that go up to Achenkirch and beyond without you having to change in Maurach. Whichever bus you catch goes all round Pertisau, so you get to see a lot of the town.

It stopped for several minutes by the Karwendelbahn (I think the driver went to spend a penny) and then again in Maurach where he got out and proceeded to have either a friendly gossip or a raging argument (difficult to tell from the body language) with the driver of the bus going in the opposite direction! So I was slightly later back to the campsite than I'd planned, expecting to find that the SW had packed up and used the services so we would be ready to go. Only he hadn't, and we had to hurry to do all that and get away before we would owe another day's fees! 

We decided to drive through Austria, but not on the motorways, and it was a lovely drive. But when we got to Bad Reichenhall, it all went pear-shaped. 

I had booked us 3 nights in the campsite - you can do that on the website - and the idea is that you collect a key from the spa which opens the barrier for your reserved place. You also have to pay for parking in the normal way. Well, all well and good, but they do not police it or check that people put the barriers back when they leave, so someone had parked in our space. We parked in someone else's space to go and report to the spa, but they basically said nothing they could do.... Wouldn't you have thought they would have arranged things better? 

So we gave them their key back, and drove down to a car park on the Königsee, which looks as though it will have some lovely things to do in the morning, including a possible boat trip. All the same, I was really looking forward to a couple of days in Bad Reichenhall, and am bitterly disappointed! 

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! ☕🍫🍵🦋