Bad Kissingen June 29th 2013

Kreuzberg Rhoen

This Morning it rained, but by noon it had letup a bit and we decided to go up to

two Mt.Shasta girls at the pilgrimage to the monestary

The girls

 the Franziscan Monestary were the Monks brew beer. My sister picked us up and we drove a ways and then hiked up the hill.
The weather was not great and just before we arrived at the place the rain let loose.The place was packed , it always is, but never mind we found a place to sit and the girls had beers(a maas it is 1 litre)
By the time we were ready to leave it cleared and we hiked back to the car.
It turned out to be a beautiful evening and we decided to have an al fresco dinner at the Italien restaurant by the rose garden .
We left the girls in town and Mac and I had to ride the steep hill to get home, but we are used to it, we do it every day.
Tomorrow on to Lindau and the weather is improving

June 26. 2013 Bad Kissingen Bavaria

Yesterday Cheryl and Courtney arrived here by train in the afternoon. We Mac, Magdalena and I were at the train station wondering if they really made it. And sure enough here they were.Took them to the vacation rental at Haus Bethania, which they seemed to like.After they took showers and rested a bit they were ready to go on a bike ride. we rode along the river and back to town and had dinner of wiener schnitzel for mac and Cheryl, something with chantrelles for Courtney and I had spargel. we all had local red wine called Baron.
Today we rented a bike for Cheryl because the 7 gear bikes won't work very well going through the alps, so needed my cousins Heid's bike 21 gears, Courtney is young and strong and is going with the 7 gear bike I had been using. Afterwards went to train station to by our ticket for sunday, got the special Bayern ticket 56.00 euros for all four of us with four bikes. it will take most of the day to get to Lindau at Lake Constance. have to change trains 3 times.
After getting all this done stopped behind the old church and had brats, after went on bike ride along the river to the castle at

At Haus Bethania

The 3 women looking out the window of Cheryl and Courtneys room

Cheryl and Courtney on the bike trail

Showing the girls a map of the bikes paths around BK

flower arrangement in the Kurpark

At the entrance to the schloss Aschach

Courtney in the wildflowers along the bike trail

In the meadow above Stralsbach

Aschach,were we met my sister for beer and wine
Mac suggested to take an alternative route home, uphill it went to the next village were we had a beer and then on along some wildflower meadows to mac's favorite restaurant Klaushof, he had Hirschbraten again, the girls had stinging nettle soup and a salad I had a lambchop and salad and we had Baron red wine again. then back into town after 30 miles, we left them there, they were looking for more Baron.

Venice June 16 2013

On Sunday we headed back to Venice for one last day of fighting crowds.  We caught a fast Vaporetto to San Marcos Square.  On the way we got a pic of the Realto Bridge, one of the 3 bridges that cross the Grand Canal and probably the most famous.

One of the many palazzos along the Canal

We couldn't get into Basilica San Marco but J wanted to see the Doge's Palace.  We got tickets at a museum so we walked right past the line of people at the entrance.  Inside the Doge's Palace is a rather large square with the Basilica of San Marcos in the backdrop.

The stairway leading up to the where the Doge met people.  Even the most powerful people had to climb these stairs, including the Pope.  The Doge didn't walk down stairs to meet anyone.

Another view of the square from the 3rd floor balcony.  No pics were allowed inside the palace except in the prison.  The Palace was filled with paintings by the old masters including Titian and Tintoretto.  A lot of Titian's work was lost in a fire in the late 1500s.  We rushed thru the palace because if you stopped and looked at everything you would be there for a week. 

This is the last view that a sentenced prisoner saw of the canals of Venice as he walked across the "Bridge of Sighs".   This covered bridge led from the courts of the Palace to the prison.  There is an exterior pic in the July 15 blog of Venice.

The bars to one of the cells.

After the Doge's Palace we caught a Vaporetto to Murano, an island in the lagoon that specializes in glass.  Of course Johanna wanted to shop.  Murano has canal like Venice.  While J shopped I found a patch of grass and took a nap.  After a good doze she woke me up and had gotten something for her sister.   We wondered thru town to the next vaporetto pier and caught a boat to Burano.

On the way to Burano I shot a pic of another leaning church tower.  There's one in Venice also.  This was on Murano I think.

Burano is famous for lace.  J wanted to get some presents for the Hoffman girls.  She ended up getting 3 lace umbrellas.  In Burano they paint their houses with different bright colors and have canals also.

It was late afternoon so we decided to eat at a little canal side café.  J ordered Calamari and I got pasta with clams and Mussels.  The food was great and lots of it.  J has discovered the spritz which can be made with compari or prosecco depending on which place you ordered it.   

Lunch

Some of the bright colored houses of Burano.  After laying in the park for while to let the crowds subside we headed back to Plaza Roma.  We took a vaporetto that went on a route we hadn't been on yet and came into the Grand canal form a different direction.  I think we had seen enough of Venice.  We caught a bus back to Mestre and called it a day and packed to leave the next morning.

The eisbach Fri June 21

After we reached Munich and met Felix and had a beer we rode to the eisbach.  A section of the Isar is diverted and made into an urban surfing spot.  A 1 meter standing wave has been created and the people wetsuit up and surf away to the joy of hundreds of people watching.  They stand on each side with boards in hand and when their turn comes they throw the board in the water and jump on ride it till they get wiped out. 

Munich June 22 and 23 2013

We went to the christening of Christoph and Susanne's baby Franziska yesterday. It was a big celebration after wards with Champagne, Cake and Coffee and a light dinner afterwards. both families and friends took part. .

June 23
Today we take the train back to Bad Kissingen . This week Cheryl and Courtney will arrive on Wednesday the 26th.  wow

Bad Toez to Munich, Friday June 21. 2013

After a wonderful breakfast at the hotel Leonardihof we startedon the last leg of our Isar bike trail. We left Bad toelz behind and found the trail on the left side of the river. Soon we left the river and started on a steep hill, we are now in the upper bavarien hill country. A group of bikers from Iceland passed us we had a little chat with one of them who spoke English. They were on a supported tour also heading for Munich.We past the liitle towns of Koenigshof and Geretsried dating back to 1083.
It was a cool morning and it was great biking weather unlike all the other days when it was pretty hot.
Soon we reached the  town of Wolfratshausenn , . In the 13th century it was known as a important trade and craftsmen center. Goods were brought from Venice over the passes to Mittenwald and then taken by wooden rafts down river to the Danube and on. When roads and trains were developed in the 19th century and the river was regulated transporting goods on rafts was no longer possible. Today you can book a trip along with a bunch of other tourist on the rafts, Mac already wrote a blog with videos.From Wolfratshausen the trail follows the river and we could hear the noise from the rafts which travelled on the Canal next to the river. Soon we arrived at the Benedictiner Monastary Schaeftlarn which dates back to 762. Here we stopped at the Monastary's biergarten. Their special was
Hollerkuecherl ( deep fried Elderberry blossoms) with schlag. Of course we had to order it and it was delicious. Back to the trail up a very steep incline by a little chapel on gravel to boot and then through a Nature preserve of woods and meadows to Gruenwald were we made two wrong turns and had to find the trail again. We are now very close to the city and there is quite a bit of bike traffic. the trail stays along the river  all the way to munich and it very well signed. when we arrived at  Deutsches
Museum we called felix, who was still at work but would soon meet us at a nearby biergarten.

signs along the bike trail

signs

more signs

along the trail

along the trail



the trail

along the trail

church at Schaeftlarn

Monestary Schaeftlarn

Elderberry blossoms

Holler kuecherl made from Elderberry blossoms

along the bike trail

along the bike trail

Gruenwald Castle Hotel

The Eisbach Munich

Scharnitz to Bad Toelz June 20th 2013

We had breakfast early and were on the bikes at 8.30 leaving Scharnitz. We rode back to Mittenwald along the river. Stopped in Mittenwald where we had been once before  in the winter a long time ago.,
Mittenwald is known for its the painted houses. the process is called " Lueftel malerei"Goethe  called Mittenwald a live picture book. We took a tour of the town and took some photos.
I knew about a variation of the bike trail that would take us through some beautiful meadows called Buckel wiesen (bucking Meadows) , but I also knew it would mean a pretty good climb to get there. Mac said ok so off we went to find the way which was a bit diffic ult, but found it. Up and up it went. Mac: Why do we have to climb the hill when we could be on  the regular bike trail were it is flat.Because the regular trail goes right a long a busy road with noise and bad air. In the end  the Buckelwiesen were well worth the climb as you will see from the photos. At the little village of Kruen we joined the regular trail and followed the river to Bad Toelz , found a nice place to stay went to the old part of town and had dinner. Mac had pork roast with red cabbage and potato dumpling, I had Spargel (white asparagus ) hollandaise and prociutto . Afterwards gelato and we were happy.
So far beautiful weather.

 River Isar

Mittenwald Church with paintings

Mittenwald

Mittenwald houses with Karwendel

Mittenwald

Karwendel Gondola we went up there once to ski, mac was along

Bike trail along the Buckelwiesen

Buckelwiesen

Buckelwiesen

Biketrai l along the meadows

Goatherd at the meadows

Buckelwiesen

along  the trail

Haus in Wallgau

Goat with young along the trail

Biker Tunnel at Sylvenstein Lake 

Rafting on the Isar

On the Isar

Bad Toelz

Our Hotel in Bad Toelz