Bavarian Alps

I wanted to go deep into the Bavarian Alps. So, I took a train too Berchtesgaden which is very close to Austria. Along the way you can see the typical bavarian "gingerbread" houses scattered through out the green countryside. I was mighty impressed with how strong the the architectual controls were to keep even new barns and houses to the bavarian style of architecture. However, after seeing one building after another, you did get tired of seeing the same white stucco walls, pitched clay tile roves, and decroative balconies. Can there not at least be one house that looks different!?

The night I arrived I met some friendly Germans. They invited me on a hike the next day which was fantastic. There lots of views into the surrounding valleys. At the highest point we had lunch and there was a group holding church. We ending up going for some applestruddle afterwards.

It is funny how there are similar issues in every country. From the conversation I had with my German friends, I guess many Bavarians are keen on seperating from the rest of Germany. Kind of reminds me of Scotland or Quebec.

The following day was rainy so I could not go to the Eagle's Nest (Hitler's Bavarian guest house) or Lake Konigsee. Instead I went to a museum about the Obersalzberg which Hitler had built as a retreat. It was an extremly in depth museum and even included a tour of his former bunker. It was also interesting seeing WWII from a German perspective. They did not try and gloss over anything.

I would like to say that Germans are really friendly. There was of course the example above. Another is the first day I arrived in Munich and was taking the train from the airport. A German girl struck up a conversation with me after seeing that I was reading Lonely Planet. Then, back in Berchtesgaden, an older fellow and his son helped me with a phone call to a German relative.

As I was walking around Germany, I found it really had to tell who was German and who was not. I was thinking that there would be a certain look or style but I could not see anything. My Australian friend agreed with me on this. On the flip side, many people would start speaking German with me. To bad my vocabular was so limited but it was a nice compliment. I guess this is one of the few countries where I look like the locals (as some have said).