I lied in the last post. I said I would post something a week ago, but I didn't end up doing it, but not because of procrastination. I've been gone for 4 days in Ireland and the two previous days I was without internet. I didn't know you needed a new password every month at my apartment building.
So last week on Sunday, I went to Tegernsee, a small lake surrounded by the alps. A friend of mine drove me in his Audi TT and we got on the Autobahn. I wasn't looking at the speedometer but I knew we were booking it, and so were the other cars. We were cruising at a speed of about 110 mph and got up to speed of around 125 for passing cars and such. American cars would crap out after a minute at that speed.
We walked around the little town and, it being Sunday, not much was open. Here are some pictures:
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| A panorama of the lake. I wish my camera could capture the almost neon blue color of the lake |
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| I love mountains |
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| An unfortunate doormat for sale. Go away English |
We stopped by the Tegernsee brewery restaurant, where the Hofbräu (Royal Brew, the same owners as Hofbräuhaus) make the Tegernsee Helles Beer. "Hell" means light, but it's not light as in low calorie. It would translate to a Pale lager. We then headed back into town via the Autobahn but got caught in some Sunday rush hour traffic, so no big speed records.
I got back and hung out with Megan and Erik. The oscars were on at 2:30, so I went to bed, woke up at 2:30 and watched them with everyone until 5:30. I have to say, those were the weirdest Oscars I've ever watched. There was no flow in that award ceremony and I didn't really understand what was going on with James and Anne....did they pregame?
I slept for 3 hours, woke up and met Megan, Chris, and Erik for our trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany's biggest ski town/area. It only took a train to get there and we all passed out for the ride. Since the town is in Bavaria, it cost only 29 Euro for all four of us to get there and back. We passed through Starnbergersee where we had been on our adventure to Andechs. It was awesome being outside Munich and seeing a place for the second time; that feeling of belonging sprung up.
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| On the gondola up before the fog |
We got to the place to rent skies and such and it was so efficient - log in on a computer and put in your size for everything, then pay, then go to each station and get boots, skies and poles. German efficiency still leaves me awestruck. When we bought our half-day passes, the lady at the counter said the mountain (Zugspitze), was very neblig, or foggy. We didn't care, but once in the gondola....we could see what she meant. You couldn't see 10 or 20 feet in front of you, and skiing in those conditions is extremely dangerous and difficult. Nevertheless, we still had a blast going down German's tallest mountain.
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| The snow and fog blended too well |
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| Taking a break? |
Because of the conditions, we only did one run. It was such a tease because my brother said the Germans love groomed slopes. Garmisch got just enough powder that day to undo the grooming and make it feel like I was in California powder. Even with perfect snow, we had to call it quits. Now I just want to go back!
As with any European ski adventure, the après ski was a must. We got some bratwurst and beer and just listened to the humorous playlist that the lodge had going (Abba, German oom-pah, German rock, yodeling, bluegrass, etc.).
It was nice on the way back because the Munich central station was the last stop for the train. With no responsibilities, we just passed out after a grand day in the Alps.
On Wednesday, classes started again. I now feel like I am in the right class, people are in the same level as me. The teacher did not speak a word of English the first day and only 3 on the second (I kept count). In last month's class, we would look in our German-Other Language dictionaries every few minutes. We are no longer allowed to do that. We now know enough German to get around a word we don't know, to define it and then the teacher will say it in German. This is how to learn a language.
Since it is Fasching today, the last day before Lent, I see myself not posting about Ireland tonight but rather tomorrow. After class, I'll head to Viktualienmarkt, where the festivities take place. I can't wait to see downtown Munich now because they were just putting up decorations as I left for Ireland.
Bis später!
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