Day
1 - We arrived in Geneva, Switzerland
and took a tour through the city. We enjoyed lunch in the shopping
district and struggled to acclimate to the time difference. After
dinner
we turned in for much needed sleep.We had visited relatives in Oberammergau, Germany in the past but always avoided the Passion Play years as the small village gets too crowded and the relatives too busy to visit. However, in 2005, after a backstage tour of the Passion Play house by one of our relatives, we made the commitment to return in 2010 to experience the Passion Play. To share this experience, we created a customized tour and opened it up to anyone that was interested. We ended up with 32 people. Below are some links to just some of the many photos we wish to share. Please enjoy.
Day
1 - We arrived in Geneva, Switzerland
and took a tour through the city. We enjoyed lunch in the shopping
district and struggled to acclimate to the time difference. After
dinner
we turned in for much needed sleep.
Day 3
- We departed Zermatt on the Glacier Express for an 8-hour odyssey
through the Swiss Alps while sipping Swiss Wine, sampling Grappa,
and enjoying
our gourmet lunch. We arrived in St. Moritz, Switzerland
and hurried to the other side of the lake to a local restaurant that
was highly
recommended. We were not disappointed.
Day 4 - We
left St.
Moritz and Switzerland
behind us and made our way through Austria
to arrive at the base of the Zugspitze. We
took the cable car to the summit and enjoyed lunch, beer, and the
breathtaking
views. We descended and headed to our hotel in Murnau, Germany
to get a good night sleep before the Oberammergau Passion Play.
Day 5 – The
entire trip was planned around the Oberammergau Passion Play. The
Passion Play cannot
be seen, it can only be experienced. Between meals and performances, we
flitted
throughout Oberammergau
visiting as many of the relatives as we could and paying our respects
to those
that have gone before us. It was good to be back.
Day 6 –
The
itinerary called for a much needed relaxing day. We took a short trip
to Ludwig’s
castle, Linderhof, and hiked the grounds before enjoying a light lunch.
We then toured
the Ettal Monastery and headed to Salzburg, Austria for dinner and a
show.
Day 7 –
We took a walking tour through old Salzburg,
paying particular attention to the familiar scenes from the film Sound
of
Music. After the walking tour we headed to the summit of Eagles Nest in
Berchtesgaden. Later, some of us went shopping in Berchtesgaden while
others took a boat tour of Konigsee. We finished the day with a
relaxing walk
along the Salzach River in Salzburg.
Day 8 - We departed
Salzburg and arrived in
Munich where we enjoyed a walking tour of the
city. We ate lunch at the Hofbrauhaus and then headed to Nymphenburg
Palace
to tour the grounds, and then on to the Olympic Park. However we
enjoyed the air
conditioning at the BMW showroom more as we sampled their wares. We
then went
to the hotel to enjoy our farewell dinner.
Day 9
- We woke early for
our last good breakfast in Germany
and meandered our way to Munich Airport. We said our
goodbyes to Ken, our tour guide, and to Steve and Kay who were staying
in Germany a
little longer. Before we knew it, we were home.