Bavarian Beauty

Winter has finally come upon us in Germany. We got our first big snow a few weeks ago and it was beautiful! Of course, we couldn't wait a couple extra days to see it so we went up to the German alps to see the snow. We enjoyed a weekend in Garmisch, Germany at a wonderful American-ized hotel and resort. We were able to read all the signs and even got to use a hot tub (something we haven't seen in 6 months). A group of us and some friends went up for a Marriage retreat. Although it was a quick weekend, we were able to see a lot of Bavarian culture. We started the weekend out by visiting a small mountain town called Oberammergau. It is famous for its wood sculpting and has a true Bavarian feel.

"Grüß Gott" is how they say Hello in Bavaria

We stopped off in Ettal where there is an old monastery. It was so beautiful on the inside and out. We even got to try some of the monastery beer (always a fun time with Holy Beer).

Later that day we enjoyed a beautiful hike through the gorge. On the way up to the gorge there was the olympic ski jumping track from an Olympic games years ago. We hiked past the Olympic area into the gorge. It was one of the most magical places I've ever seen. We hiked up a narrow pathway through tunnels, along the river. There were icicles the size of houses and cars hanging ominously off the rocks. It was like a scene out of Narnia.

It was such a refreshing time to get away to a Magical Winter Wonderland. We look forward to another trip there in the summer to enjoy some the same sights with greenery.