Postcard from Austria and Germany, August 2010

On Saturday 7 August I set off with my friend Sue for our visit to Oberammergau. We left Heathrow for Munich early morning, enjoying a good brunch en route. We then took a train from Munich to Garmisch and a bus to Seefeld, arriving at the Hotel Seespitz around 4pm. We had the most wonderful room with a large balcony overlooking the lake and the gardens of the hotel. First stop was a bite of chocolate cake and a cup of coffee not having eaten since mid morning; second stop was a glass of wine sitting outside in the glorious sunshine. Then we unpacked and got ready for dinner – a delicious buffet dinner enjoyed with a backdrop of sunset on the mountains!

Next morning wasn’t as sunny as we had hoped so we strolled around the little town of Seefeld. Nearer to lunchtime we stopped for an Aperol Spritzer and watched the world go by. The sun came out in the afternoon so we managed a short time by the pool before getting ready for a gala dinner in the hotel. Monday and Tuesday were much better days weatherwise! We spent both days relaxing by the pool in glorious sunshine and on Tuesday late afternoon we walked into the village and then had a gentle stroll around Lake Wildsee.

On Wednesday morning we set off for Ettal. When we got to the station for our train, we discovered that the lines were closed so we took a bus to Garmische and then took a taxi up to Ettal. After a glass of wine in the garden of our hotel we set off on a walk around Ettal and the Abbey, but then it started to rain so back to the hotel to unpack. In the evening we dined with the other members of our Group [Friends of Welsh National Opera] who we would be travelling with around Austria and Germany.

Thursday was Passion Play day so we set off at 10.30 on a shuttle bus into Oberammergau. We walked around the little town until lunch time and then joined up with our group. After lunch we walked down to the Passion Play House for the first part of the play. It started at 2.30 and finished at 5pm and was absolutely amazing. It really was the most incredible play that I have ever seen. We then walked back to our restaurant for dinner before returning to the Passion Play House for the second part of the evening – we all left at almost 11pm just amazed by the whole performance. The cast was around 2,000, including many children and there were also horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, doves, camels and even a cockerel! Everything was so very real and how they all remembered their lines for seven hours, I will never know. All absolutely unbelievable.

On Friday morning we left at the crack of dawn for Lindorhof Palace – a beautiful palace and even more beautiful grounds. We walked around the palace and the grounds for a few hours and then drove on to Hohenschwangau. Here the heavens decided to open! We managed to walk up the road for a drink and lunch and then walked up to Neuschwanstein Castle, but by then the rain was really coming down. We did manage a tour – not an impressive one - of the Castle, and then walked quickly down back to our bus – a long and wet walk. We were all thoroughly drowned by the dreadful weather. After that we drove on to Bregenz to unwind, unpack and have a nice dinner.

On Saturday Sue and I walked to the station first thing to buy our train tickets to Munich for the following day and then we joined a small group on a walking tour of Bregenz, after which we took the train across to the small island of Lindau. We were joined by three friends for a lovely lunch on the waterfront to celebrate Sue’s birthday. Sue and I then walked Lindau for a couple of hours before taking the little boat back to Bregenz. In the evening we walked along to the Floating Opera Stage area of Bregenz for dinner where we had a very nice meal and were joined by Andy [the tour administrator] and his wife Jan which was fun. Then we wandered along to our seats to watch Aida on the Floating Stage. Sadly it started to rain, but armed with plastic ponchos we were kept very dry. It was a spectacular production but rather OTT in many ways. There was so much going on that you often missed one piece of the action for another, and the cast all got very wet not just from the rain but from splashing around in the water. All the scenery was manipulated by cranes – often some extraordinary sights! Thankfully the rain disappeared by the end and we were able to walk back to our hotel in the dry!

The following morning Sue and I took the train to Munich and flew home to Heathrow in the afternoon. A lovely break, of which the visit to Seefeld and the Oberammergau Passion Play were the highlights.