Germany- Luther Tour, Day 12:München and Schloß Linderhof-August 12, 2017

So nice to get to sleep until 7! We had a very good breakfast, as usual, but, what made this one even better was the presence of pretzels (Brezen), a sure sign that we are in Bavaria.

We talked to some of the folks, who went on the optional excursion to the Hofbräuhaus last night, and they said they enjoyed it. However, we are still glad that we chose not to go. We had decided that well before the trip, when we saw the price was $59 each to be taken there, given dinner and 1 liter of beer. We were sure we could get a good dinner and beer for a better price, and we did. Plus, we've been there before. We were even more sure, when the price for signing up on the trip was still 59, but now in Euros.
For our outing today, we were told to bring the whispers and gather at the bus at 8:30. there was some rain and it was a chilly 55 degrees. I was glad I had my new scarf. The city guide started at 8:36, because this is Bavaria and things are not as rigid here. She seemed to know something about every building we drove past, which really impressed me.
At 9:28, we stopped at Nymphenburg, which is pretty much required on a tour of Munich. This palace used to be the summer palace and, thus, out of town. But, over time, the city grew out to it. You can even take public transportation out there. I've had the opportunity to tour the inside of the main part and it is quite nice. Ludwig II was born here. The place is really impressive, though, because it is built symmetrically and the buildings almost make a circle. There is a museum on one side, where you can see local porcelain, as well as carriages. A friend of mine went to school on the other side. Members of the Wittelsbach family still live in part of the palace. I've never had the time to more than quickly look at the gardens in the back.
 When we got off the bus, it was chilly and raw. We were told to take photos and make use of the restrooms inside. We really were not given enough time, especially since it takes time to walk up there and back. But, I took my photos, used the restroom, and bought a postcard of the Viktualienmarkt, where my husband and I planned to eat lunch.

Somehow, I did not manage to get any of the swans that live there in any of my pictures. But, I did turn toward the open end of the complex and I got the Olympic tower.

We were back on the bus again at 9:50 and I must admit that I dozed off. I remember going past the Olympic Park, but not much else. I have taken this tour many times, though.
Suddenly, at 10:32, the sun came out! There were still clouds, but the guide said that she'd said it wouldn't rain. However, when we got off the bus 4 minutes later, the sun was gone. As usual, we were let off at the Residenz, the in-town palace, and the Bayerische Staatsoper, the opera. I've never gotten to tour the Residenz. My husband attended a concert in the plaza in front of the opera in 1999, which got rained on. My daughters and I had wisely not attended that. Brane had us turn in our whispers at this point, which was evidently why we brought them today, since we did not use them.
The guide led us to the Marienplatz to watch the Glockenspiel. She had done a very good job, so my husband tipped her 2 Euros, before she left us. The Glockenspiel is quite a show and takes more than a few minutes. The 11:00 performance was well-attended, but some people foolishly wandered off before the rooster crowed at the end. M and her 87-year-old father D were near us, so I cautioned them not to leave. Afterwards, I recommended Donisl to them for lunch, so that they could have a nice Bavarian meal very near to where we were. She thought that was a great idea.

My husband and I headed for the Viktualienmarkt after the show. This was my most extensive visit ever. We roamed among the booths selling all manner of food, flowers, plants, and crafts. We were blown away by the variety of fruits and vegetables. There were many that we'd never seen before. I also enjoyed the various statues and the sight of the Maibaum, which is a permanent structure here, but May trees are usually put up anew in villages. Some of the statues are above fountains that have fresh water that you can use to rinse your fruit, that I did one time, when I was here with students. What must it be like to live here and be able to take advantage of this market?

Green and orange cheeses?!
 

Giant pretzels and flavored pretzels.
I stopped at a stall with all manner of wooden items. I was thrilled to find some cute laser cut scenes in matchbox-type boxes. At another stall, there were so many heart decorations hanging from the tent supports! I had to get a deep red one that has decorations and a heart with Willkommen on it to hang in my kitchen.
The weather continued to deteriorate and we recalled that the guide said it wouldn't rain. She was wrong. We searched for someplace to get food that we both would like and where we'd be able to eat under cover. We found the Münchner Suppenküche about 11:45. What a marvelous idea! A place with so many soups, many of which had the same base, you just pick add-ins. I saw refrigerated case with sodas and got us Coca Cola Lights as the rain poured down outside  of the covered area. I ordered Hühnerbrühe mit Pfannkuchenstreifen (chicken broth with pancake strips) for just 4,20 and my husband got Gulaschsuppe, Wiener Art (goulash soup, Viennese style) for 4,90. A couple vacated seats at one of the high tables and we sat there warming up with delicious soup. A perfect meal in this cruddy weather.

By 12:15, it had stopped raining, but there was still a cold wind. We made our way to Kaufhof on the Marienplatz to use their restrooms. I put 0,20 on the plate, while my husband put 0,50. I saw no reason to pay more. We then went around to the northeast side of the Rathaus complex, so that he could look in a music shop and I could go in the Schreinerei, which was a woodwork shop. I found some marvelous items, including a small fir tree cut from the side of a tree, so that there was bark on one side and gorgeous wood on the other.
We then went back to the square in front of the Oper and Residenz to wait for the bus with the rest of the tour group, or at least those who were not leaving downtown. M said that she and her dad D really enjoyed Donisl and there was even an elevator down to the restroom, which was perfect for him. I was really glad they liked it. You can never be sure, when you recommend a place.
We were on the bus at 12:50, waiting on the last few. When we got going at 1:04, I checked my phone with the bus wi-fi and found it was 59 degrees. We got a little sun on the way.
Charlie had us to the Holiday Inn at 1:10. Those of us going on the optional excursion were given time to go to our rooms to use the restroom. I also dumped off the purchases I'd made.
We got back on the bus at 1:28 and headed off at 1:30. We'd paid for this excursion months ago, because I really wanted my husband to go to our destination, Schloß Linderhof, the only one of Ludwig II's castles that he hadn't visited. We paid for $49 at home, which was cheaper than the 49 Euro price for those who signed up on the trip.
The ride on the Autobahn south of Munich was lovely, with dramatic clouds off in the Alps, not to mention glimpses of villages.

There was a back up as we got closer to our intended exit, so Charlie got off early and we drove through villages until we met up with the folks who had gotten off, where he intended. Brane had to call the castle to say we'd be late for our tour.  When we pulled into the parking lot at 3:18, it was cold and raining. Brane hurried off to the ticket booth, after telling us where we could find restrooms.
After the restrooms, my husband and I made our way to the castle through the woods. We were not the last ones to reach the queue, where our group had its own line. I shook off my umbrella and we entered the castle at 3:30.
This is the only one of Ludwig's castles that is actually finished. It is a gem, if you ask me, although others might be put off by its elaborate decor. The bedroom is just incredible with all its gold leaf. I love the Tischlein-deck-dich, the table which sinks into the floor for the servants in the kitchen below to load it with food and send it back up, without Ludwig having to interact with them. It is amazing!
The tour ended about 4:05 in a souvenir shop-very Disney of them. My husband wanted to see the man-made grotto, where Ludwig could see Wagner operas. So, he hurried off to that, while I made my purchases and helped another member of our tour decide, if the video she found would be good.
Outside, I took pictures of the fountain coming down the hill behind the castle-including a selfie, the side gardens and the fountain and front of the castle.

I then headed back through the woods, pausing to take a photo of this sweet stream.

Meanwhile, my husband had trouble even finding the grotto. When he finally asked for directions, he found out it was closed. However, he was directed to the Moorish kiosk, which he was able to look in.

As I headed back down the hill to the bus, I saw a man wearing a Baltimore Orioles hat-my favorite team. I had to say something and it turned out, he did not live far from the stadium. He also told me the team had been doing better since he'd left. I was disappointed that my husband was not around to see this, but we luckily ran into him near the parking lot. He, too, was happy the team was doing better.
About 4:33, we were on the road again. It took less than 20 minutes to reach Oberammergau, home of the famous Passionspiel. My husband and I had gone to see the Passion Play in 1984, on the occasion of its 350th anniversary. We parked right next to the theater and were given about 40 minutes to look around.

We were just a short way up the street, when I realized that we were outside of the restaurant that the family ate in on our trip in 1999. That had been a very good meal.

We also had a good view of Kofel, the mountain you often see in pictures of Oberammergau. You can even see the cross on top of it.

Oberammergau is known for the play, its wood carving and Luftmalerei ("air paintings" or murals).
We got to see some nice ones as we looked around and shopped.

I found another of the little scenes in a matchbox, as well as some ornaments. We were directed to use the restrooms on the side of the theater and they were the messiest I'd seen on the trip.
We boarded the bus for the last time at 5:35 and it was a touch warmer. It was a nice drive back, but Charlie oddly drove around the western side of the city and the Olympic stadium, which we had not passed on our way out of town. D from CNN later attributed it to their general lack of knowing how to get places.
We arrived at the hotel at 7:01 and even though dinner had already started, we hurried upstairs to put our stuff, including wet umbrellas, in the room.
When we got to the dining room, we found seats next to a couple from Wyoming, whom we had not chatted with heretofore. We had a nice conversation and a delicious buffet dinner. We had to drink the can of Spezi, that my husband had picked up in the grocery store the other night, because I knew it should not go in the checked luggage.

As this was  the last night of the tour, this was our farewell dinner. Brane and Charlie said a few words, as did the pastor. Folks gave Brane and Charlie their tips and we gave them the papers that showed we'd prepaid the tips. The pastor asked the cantor to lead everyone in a song and it turned out to be one we sing in my church, too.
We spent time after dinner talking with various people and wishing a good trip to those who were not heading home tomorrow. They were a nice group, but we did not make too many connections that will continue past the trip.
We got back to our room at 9 and I found I'd walked 10,050 steps. We have tomorrow to ourselves, because we extended one day.