Day 19 Brannenburg
Where: Brannenburg, Germany
When: Thursday, Sept 22, 2005
We all got up early today as we are heading to Wendelstein.
Ate at the cafe next door since the pension did not have breakfast until 8. BTW, we did not get charged for breakfast since we did not eat there, a value of 10€. How about that. You’ll never see this act in the states.
Us 4 (me, deanna, maria, kevin) walked the trails and back roads for about 1.5 miles to get to the cog train station to get you atop of Wendestein.
The views from the train of the Bavarian alps were great. But It was more beautifull when we got to the top.
We hike around the top of the mountian which took about 1.5 hrs. It was truly a great bavarian alp hiking. Completed by the sound of cowbells from the distant meadows below. It was a gorgeous day. you didn’t even need a jacket. The sun was out and so was the people.
You could have either taken the cog train from Brannenburg or the cable car from another town. I wanted to take the cable car, but we did not have car to get there and walking would have taken us about 2 hrs. It was about 20 km from Brannenburg.
Just like in Neuschwanstein, words do not do justice to the views from atop Wenderstein. So you’ll just have to wait to see the pictures. I think that this has been the first time ever for me to be above the clouds while on land.
The day was actually just starting.
When we got back….
The bells of the Cologne Cathedral are ringing right now and the 10 am mass just got done.
When we got back, around 2. Mathilda came with lunch of German goulash. Very good and she just kept refilling our plates until all the noodles were gone. Ate way too much as everyone else did too.
Went to the pension to rest and considered making myself throw up to empty my stomach as it was bloated by the goulash. Wait, my stomach is naturally bloated, so I just trested.
At around seven, Mathilda and Josef (brother and sister, second cousins of Don) came to pick us up and take us to the farm. This farm would have been Don’s grandfather if he did not decide to leave for the US. So it is a very nostalgic place.
The family of Josef (wife Anna, daugthers Monika, Marriane, twins Elisabet and Christina) and Mathilda (husband Gerhard, son Robert and daughter Petra who was not there) met us when we got to the farm. There was the obligatory introductions and picture taking.
Then it was down to business as we were offered beer and more food for dinner. I just ate an equivalent of 3 meals 3hrs ago and now I’m being offered more food. I just prayed to god to stretch my stomach so as to not offend the kind gestures of this family. After dinner the schnapps came out and did about 2 shots. This literally almost exploded my stomach. But wait, there is the farm fresh baked apfelstrüdel mit eis. Holly sheista! more food. I must have ate that apple pie and ice cream in my sleep because I just did not want to think of eating anymore.
After dinner, the table talk concered about the family tree as it was traced back to the 1700’s. There were paintings of past Dialler family members. Remember that paintings were done before the invent of photography.
Josef gave us a book copy of all the land owners along with the history of previous owners of that land. This book covers the town of Grosselhousen.
As any family gathering that happens once in a lifetime or twice. The night was getting long and there was a lot of drinking.
The conversation went along great as most of Josef’s kids knows enough english and Robert was also there to interpret. The communication was great and so was the fun.
auf wiedersehen!
Tags: C The Trip
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