Garmish, Germany

The kids were off for a week in October for their Autumn break. We lucked out and at the last minute, were able to reserve a room at the Eidelweiss Lodge, a very nice facility run by the military. The lodge is in a beautiful setting, on the outskirts of Garmish, Germany. It is nestled in the Bavarian Alps, and we awoke every morning to the sounds of cow bells from the surrounding fields.

As luck would have it, my brother Ed, his wife Shelly and daughter, Madison were there the same time as us for a dental conference. It was great to see them again and we offered (and they readily accepted) babysitting services so they could attend a dinner and golf together in a tourney without worrying about Madison.






























Outside the Edelweiss Lodge. Glorious weather!

Our first day we took a trip to Herrenchiemsee, King Ludwig II's royal palace modeled after Versailles. The castle is on an island in the middle of Lake Chiemsee. Actually, there are two islands. We had every intention of visiting both...but since this was our first day of vacation, we indulged and slept in a bit, thinking we had plenty of time to drive. In typical Ballard fashion, we took the map distance literally, not taking into account the Bavarian Alps, curving roads, cool roadside Kodak Moments, etc. SO, we arrived two hours past our initial entry time. No problem, just add Lady's Island to the list of must sees for next time! The drive each day was absolutely beautiful with winding roadside streams, towering mountains and roadside stops. Driving here reminded me of the mountains in North Carolina....two lane, winding roads with many beautiful roadside sights.


One of the many scenic roadside stops. In the upper
left, you can see some castle ruins.


A funhouse mirror on the dock. My, what long legs you have, Will!



The hike through the island took us past this inn/restaurant. The color of these shrubs was spectacular!

Once we hiked through the island, we finally came to the palace. While quite spectacular, it is not what one thinks...I guess I was thinking castle. This is a palace...now I know the difference, I guess! One disappointment was that they had already started winterizing the fountains, so they were drained and all the sculptures were covered with wood or tents. Another must see would be to see the fountains while running and the gardens and wooded paths in bloom.

By the time we finished exploring, we had pretty much shut the island down and were on one of the last boats back across the lake. We drove back to Garmish and set out to find an authentic German restaurant. We found one called The Golden Eagle. Schnitzel was enjoyed by all of us, just prepared in different ways. This was the kids' and my first authentic German meal...very yummy!






Sean eating the last bite of his jagerschnitzel.