Day 16 Our last day in Stresa

Our last day.

Breakfast was nice. We had a good table out of the way of all the hubbub. We took our time and basically stayed until 10 (closing time). So we shut the place down! Funny…I guess we are getting too old to say that at night time! So what the heck! Claim it, right??? HA! But now, rain. It’s not thunderstormy, but just a steady rain coming down and it is very hazy. So much so that you can’t really see the mountains around the lake at all. Guy and I were feeling sorry for those who were just here for the day on a tour or something. They are really missing out. We laughed because that happened to us once at Lake Garda. The whole time we were there it was not perfect weather and on the last day it was clear and we were like “oh wow…look at that mountain!” So hopefully the people here today were here yesterday or will be here tomorrow. *fingers crossed for them*

 

We went back to the room and sat on the balcony and surfed on our phones and read for a bit. We took a walk up to floor 6 because I don’t think I had ever seen the spa/exercise room. It was NICE! Almost made me want to work out! Almost. But instead we decided to walk into town because I wanted to spend the afternoon sketching out ideas for my first reverse painting project and I knew I had seen s shop with colored pencils in the window, so I assumed they’d have sketch paper. We also wanted to find a restaurant that had minestrone soup. A total soup day…a high of 63 and rain. Perfect, right? However, not a single restaurant we walked by had minestrone. Trust me when I say we were not hungry because we had only eaten breakfast 3 hours ago. But after I found my sketch pad and pencil, we went back to the Mamma Mia restaurant (same as last night) because we knew for sure they had vegetable soup (not the same thing but was close enough). They greeted us warmly, as usual, and we sat outside on the cool but dry patio. We got our soup and lovely basket of bread, then here comes the server with a big basket of pizza bread. Oh gosh… here’s the deal. It’s delicious, but we weren’t that hungry…however it was a complementary gift and you couldn’t be rude. We did our best and ate all we could. Oh my goodness I’m SO full.

 

After lunch I walked back to the hotel with my sketch pad in hand and Guy stayed back to pay the bill and find a restaurant for dinner. I took the umbrella because he had a hood on his jacket and the rain was just a heavy mist at this point. Earlier he spotted a restaurant that had perch filets and that is what he wanted. I told him I could eat anything from anywhere, so it was his choice…and to be honest I couldn’t think about food at the moment. After he said his goodbyes to his friends at Mamma Mia, he strolled around the town, found the restaurant and made a reservation. I told him NO EARLIER than 7pm…I mean we are SO FULL. He tried to ask for 7pm, they said 6:30 only. He was able to negotiate 6:45 which is a bit late for their first seating, but he promised them we’d eat fast. We always do.

 

Back at the room we had the door open to the balcony and Guy read as I sketched. Time flew by and we were entertained by music coming from somewhere. At first Guy thought it was the rooftop, but it sounded like it was coming from the room next door. He went to go scout it out and there was a wedding reception directly below us where we eat breakfast and there was live music. He said the staff seemed to be a little nervous because it was so loud, but it wasn’t bothering us at all, in fact it was kinda nice! 

 

We also thought through our timing for tomorrow (driving to Milan and turning our car in) and how we were going to try to get all our (my) purchases home. We don’t need to leave here until around 11, so that gives us a good hour after a leisure breakfast to come up and work it all out. I think it’s easier to do it that way, pack it all at once instead of some tonight and some tomorrow. Speaking of packing…here’s my official review of some luggage I bought last year called Solgaard. I saw it online and decided to try it. I bought the carry on and the “trunk” which sounds really bad, but the trunk is the big one I have on this trip. When you are packing you have all these compartments you put your clothes in. You hang the “closet” from something as you are packing it. I just lock the straps around a couple of sturdy hangers. When you are done of course the “closet” won’t fit in the suitcase because it’s too big, but you lay it down and pull the side straps tight to squish it down. Once squished you lay it in one side of the suitcase. The other side will not hold much, but it held my pillow and my small fuzzy blanket perfectly. But that was pretty much all that was going in it. The BEAUTY of this suitcase is when I get to my room, I pull the clothes closet out, and hang in it the room’s closet and loosen the straps and Viola! Everything is organized and handy! No digging through your suitcase. It’s nifty. Now the only drawback is there is no “expando” to it. You close it and you are done. If you can’t close it by setting on it, something’s gotta go. So in the photo below, you can see how organized it keeps things and there is a section between the two sections that once it is hanging, you can set things on it like your pjs you are wearing again, scarves, etc. It also pulls really nicely (even on cobblestone sidewalks) and has a nice 3 digit lock. I also have the smaller version of it that is carry-on size. It has the same exact “closet” but just smaller. Perfect for short trips. I also have the matching backpack that also comes with a closet, but I removed that and just use it as a backpack. If there was one of the three pieces I wasn’t allowed to keep, it would be the backpack. It holds a lot, but I’m not in love with it. The front part that holds my iPad doesn’t unzip far enough and the bag as a whole seems constricting and nothing opens up wide for easy in and out of your items.

 

Y’all, 6:30 came around really fast. I had to have a talk with my stomach and convince it that yes, more food can go in. We grabbed a hotel umbrella and walked into town. When we arrived at the Osteria degli Amici, there were only two tables seated outside and maybe a few inside, but within about 15 minutes the place was full. We sat outside and their heaters were on, but they were up much higher and gave the area a nice overall warmth, so all was good. We ordered Burrata with tomatoes as a starter and it was so creamy and delicious. Guy ordered the Perch and it was just as he had hoped, little tiny filets fried in butter and sage. They were light and really tasty. His best meal he says. He also got a side of potatoes that were great and I had gnocchi pomodoro. The menu had it with a Parmesan sauce with crunchy vegetables, but I didn’t want anything too heavy and I feared a cream sauce. They were totally fine with pomodoro style. When it came out the owner sprinkled some cheese on it and it was perfect. Very fresh and clearly house-made gnocchi. As good as it was, Guy had to help me eat it. As we were paying the bill, Guy was chatting with the owner (who was clearing our table and when I told him everything was delicious he replied with “yum yum”) and he said he owned the restaurant with his brother and cousin. His English was a little rough, but he said that during covid they had not received much money from the government and it was a really really hard time for them. Glad to see they were doing such great business again. Most business owners we’ve talked with said this year has been exceptional. Thank the Lord! Speaking of the Lord, I have a confession: I was holding one teeny tiny spot in my stomach for one last gelato from our favorite gelato shop on the way home. I had decided on a combo cup of stracciatela and coffee flavor.

 

The rain had nearly stopped as we walked to get the gelato from our favorite shop. Drats. Closed. So we ventured around the town but it was extremely quiet as the weather was yucky and every gelato shop that we knew of was closed. It is only about 7:45pm and normally the town is hopping. So we started back to the hotel when Guy said there was one more possibility. We walked way up into the part of town across from the boat station and lo and behold they were open. Or so we thought. We were inside but no one was behind the counter. As we waited for someone to wait on us, we looked in the case and there was no coffee flavor and the stracciatella had only a few bits of chocolate here and there, not what I was expecting at all. I just got through telling Guy I was good with just heading back to the hotel, when out popped a young girl who apologized and said she was in the back cleaning. So unsure of what flavor to pick, as there were none of my favorites, I defaulted to Nutella flavor. I mean really, how can you go wrong! And yes, it was spectacular. Guy had strawberry and we ate it as we strolled home. Nearing the hotel, the rain picked up again and we popped open the umbrella as we made our way back into the La Palma with full bellies and sad hearts that we had just finished our last day in this beautiful town and our last day of a truly fantastic trip. 

 

So, tonight is the night that I sign off with the blog. Usually the travel day home is uneventful and unless something happens that is blog worthy, this will be my last post. I’ll say this trip was one for the books. It truly filled all our expectations of finding and experiencing Art, Schnitzel and Love. 

 

 

Day 15

Friday means MARKET DAY in Stresa! Whoop Whoop! And happy First Date Anniversary to us! Year #39. Hence rounding out the title of this blog: Art, Schnitzel and now the Love part. 

 

Breakfast was nice and leisure. I got a kick out of watching everyone today. The La Palma is a lovely hotel with quite an eclectic clientele. This morning as I was coming down the stairs there was a very tall man in front of me. When he realized I was behind him he turned and looked back at me and I said “Good morning” to which he turned forward again and kept walking without a reply. His wife was coming shortly behind me and I later heard them speaking. They were French. Guy was still in the shower when I headed down for coffee and while I waited for him I did some serious people watching as my entertainment. Some young people in the room, but the largest age range I’d have at 50+. Today lots of English speakers around me with British accents. Finally conversations I can eavesdrop in on for a change. There are people in tennis shoes and jeans, and then some fancier ladies in high heels that I have noticed taking a lot of selfies. One older gal, I’d have in her mid 70’s, was VERY tan and had on a tight black leather dress. I feel like the La Palma wall flower just blending into the crowd, neither under dressed nor over dressed. 

 

After breakfast we walked into town to shop the market! It’s only on Fridays in Stresa and we missed the Wednesday one in Louino. I’m not sure I’ve shopped the one at Stresa, but it was pretty nice! I scored some great items including not one but two pairs of new shoes (thanks to the Canadian dude that was chatting it up with Guy, distracting him from my shopping) a new dress, pants and blouse, Guy bought himself a new wallet and I snagged a few other odds and ends. After scoring at the market, we walked by the Mamma Mia restaurant to make a reservation for tonight. When Guy walked up to the owner, she looked at him and said “I know you!”. They chatted for a bit and we are looking forward to our dinner tonight. This was Guy’s dad’s favorite restaurant and we have the best picture of all the staff huddled around him for what was his last photo op in Stresa. Good memories here. 

 

I headed back to the hotel with all the goods, while Guy stopped at the grocery store to get us a light snack for lunch, which was super! He picked up some cheese, bread, salami, olives and some to-die-for Nutella cookies. We had cokes in the fridge and sat out on our balcony enjoying our food and wondering how we can move here (just kidding, kind of). After the yummy food I proceeded to put my new shoes on walking around the room, then my OTHER new pair of shoes on which actually Match my new purse. Happy accident! Guy is laughing at me, but I showed him my other goodies and had quite the show and tell time. He asked me how I was going to get it all home. I said “Do you have to come?” It took him a minute to realize I was contemplating leaving him here so I could use his suitcase. But for sure my pillow and blanket will remain in Italy so as to make more room in my bag. Guy will also leave behind his old white Tshirts which he strategically brought just for this reason. We’ll make it all fit. We always do.

 

The La Palma is fantastic, but the beds are a bit hard. Last night was a little rough so Guy is napping while I catch up on the blog. The sun decided NOT to make an appearance today, so his dreams of another day by the pool ended up being a nap in the room. All is good because if he’s asleep, he can’t hear me opening and closing the Nutella Biscuit sack! ;) So after sneaking a biscuit, I headed out by myself for stroll along the scenic panoramic pathway along the town of Stresa all the way down to where it ends at the next boat stop. It was such a nice day even without the sun and I took my time taking in all the views and watching all the people sitting on the benches. I passed the newly erected September 11 memorial, the first in all of Italy. It’s a beautiful piece of art. Simple yet creative. It inspired me to get a little more creative with my photography today. I looked for the most interesting ways to photograph Isola Bella. At one point I was down on my knees photographing through a hole in the ornate concrete wall and next thing I knew, someone else knelt down beside me to take the same shot. I laughed. She had photography FOMO (fear of missing out). 

 

Back at the hotel I got ready for dinner and we took off a bit early to walk around the town. We wanted to sit outside so we dressed appropriately, however little did we know the heaters would be on out on the patio of the Mamma Mia Restaurant and before I could fully read the menu I had sweat covering my upper lip. I was going to get soup, but quickly changed my mind. I looked at Guy and said “I can’t take it”. So instead of asking to move, he switched me seats. We shed as much clothes as we could and he took it like a man, but as the evening went on and it cooled off, it got some better. I, however, sat comfy and cool in my new seat. Dinner was good and we had great service. Guy wanted gelato, but I opted for tiramisu. Once I was done, he was so full he didn’t want to get any…but there is tomorrow. We’ll for sure get one last scoop!

 

Not sure what tomorrow brings (our last full day). It was supposed to be sunny today but was not. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, but I don’t trust the forecast! Even if it poured all day, we’d be totally happy spending our last day sitting around with our feet up, because when we get home, we’ll hit the ground running again…per usual.

 

Almost for the last time, ciao from Stresa Italy. 

Day 14

A beautiful relaxing day in Stresa Italy. 

Breakfast was great. There are all these wonderful options and I end up getting the same thing every day. AND I say to myself, that’s all you need, then find myself getting one more goodie as I sit and finish my coffee. It’s vacation, right? But Guy and I both commented yesterday we’ve got some serious work to do when we get home (dieting that is). Also, Happy Birthday to my brother today! I just got to hug him through a text message this year. 

The weather was glorious and we sat outside the hotel in their front yard and planned our day. Today and tomorrow are supposed to be perfect weather, then Saturday looks like we’ve got a chance for rain again. So we decided to hit Isola Bella first thing. I had my red purse with me, the one I was hoping to get another one exactly like it. I have used this purse every day for nearly three years. It’s like an old friend and I’m not a purse changer, but the inside is all torn and it could use a replacement. 

 

We headed for the ticket office to pay for our boat ride to the beautiful little tiny island, Isola Bella. There was a small crowd ahead of us but not bad at all. We ALMOST got on the wrong boat, but the guy looking at the tickets said “No! Nein!!” Did we look German to him? That made us laugh and we walked back to the ticket office area to wait for the next boat. At least he didn’t let us get on! When our boat did arrive, we were able to get seats in the front, which is the outdoor area, and the fresh air was crisp but glorious. The ride was short but as we pulled up at least I could see my purse gal still had a booth by the dock. It was my FIRST stop and to my disappointment, no purse like mine. I showed it to her and she remembered them from so many years ago, but each year she gets a new style. She showed me what she had that was similar, but told her I would ponder it as I was hoping to get the same exact purse again. 

 

The island is really small but the shopping is unique. It’s fun but there are not tons of options. Prices are surprisingly reasonable and I enjoy looking at everything. Today it was a tiny bit crowded, but I’ve seen it worse and this is a good time of the year to come as the summer crowds have subsided. So that always makes it a bit nicer when perusing the goods. Guy found me and said I had either 10 minutes or one hour, but I knew 10 minutes was not happening, so we planned on catching the 1:25pm boat instead. I looked at every stand and you have to kind of dig as there’s not a lot of one single item and each stand is loaded with product, but digging is part of fun. Like looking for hidden treasure. I also ventured up to the top where a shop with unique jewelry was at as well as the ceramic shop with all the beautiful plates and such, but nothing jumped out at me. So as we got ready to leave, I decided to go back to my purse gal and purchase a new brown purse. She showed me all the options and how it worked. It was only $35 and I was happy to try it. Still not my favorite, but I’ll give it a go.

 

We hopped the boat back to Stresa and decided to find some lunch. By this time it is 2pm and this would be our “big” meal of the day. We went to the square as there are a several restaurants where you can sit outside and we chose a restaurant that we had been to before, La Piazzetta (they don’t have a website). I was looking for pasta today. Seated, we were in the sun and it was pretty darn nice out. I had something a bit different, buckwheat noodles with tomatoes and mozzarella. It was GOOD. Guy had Carbonara and he said it was also very good. We started with some bruschetta and also ordered some grilled zucchini to split. It was fabulous. As we were eating a couple sat down by us and asked Guy, in English, what he ordered. We laughed because as we got ready to go, their food came out and they had the same exact order as us. He had ordered what Guy ordered, she ordered what I had ordered and they also got the zucchini to split. Funny. Afterwards, I stopped for a gelato (only my second of the trip) which was coconut and dark chocolate. The best so far. 

 

Guy was anxious to get back to sit by the pool, so I scooted him toward the hotel while I sat and finished my gelato then walked around some of the shops. What a great day. The weather is perfect. Not finding too much, I headed to the hotel and chatted by phone with my sister, Tricia and Mom, then headed to the pool where Guy sat facing the sun with pink cheeks. He’s having a great day in his favorite town. After a bit by the pool, it started to cool off, so we headed to the hotel to grab our laundry and headed to the laundromat. It’s a short walk along the water and then through the town. 

As we walked into the laundromat, a lady approached Guy and with a heavy New York accent said “I don’t speak Italian but I need some help!”. He looked at her and said “Are you from New York?” She said “No, Long Island and you speak English!”. Guy said yes because I’m from St. Louis. They were not expecting to bump into other Americans apparently. So these two ladies were there with their husbands and Guy (because he had been there before) helped them get their tokens and start their machines. They were going to put the laundry in and go find a place to eat, but instead they stayed to visit with us and we all washed and dried together. Guy is huddled over with the two other husbands and by the time we were done folding up all the laundry, Guy knew what they did for a living, chatted about the high cost of this and that, and had mapped out a boat/train ride for them to Locarno. It was hilarious. We said our goodbyes, shook hands, and headed back to the hotel laughing about our new friends from the laundromat. 

 

When we got back to the room, we headed for the rooftop to split a sandwich and enjoy the rest of the evening. The sandwich was good but the view was great. By this time it’s dark and the twinkling lights lining the lake in the distance are mesmerizing, but after snapping a few photos and having our stomachs once again stuffed, the brisk breeze and cigarette smoke scooted us back down to our room. Hoping tomorrow can be a repeat of today.

 

Ciao from Stresa

Day 13 Five Countries in one day

So we drove through five countries today…that makes for a long day. 

After breakfast we packed up and with the car loaded we headed toward Stresa. The day is crisp and when I made my first trip to the car with bags someone was scraping ice from their windshield. That made me laugh. But the sun is out and the sky is blue and I’m really feeling blessed because with the perfect weather we get to see ALL the views today. I’m certain we missed lots of great scenery when we drove in to Garmish in the pouring rain. 

 

As we headed out of town we had our destination all loaded in both the car’s GPS and Guy’s phone. Alas, our first hurdle…the road we wanted to take was closed. Several cars were stopped and I rolled down my window and to a young man I said “Entschuldigen Sie bitte (excuse me please) do you speak English” and the young man said “English, yes!” So I proceeded to ask him if the road was really closed and he said “apparently so”, that is what the man in the building next to us told him. But a couple in a car went that way anyway and Guy said let’s follow them. So I pulled around to head back in that direction and before I could pull out they were headed back our way. So Guy was fairly close to a melt down as the next best route around added about 45 more minutes on to our day. Since we weren’t too far from the hotel, we just headed back there so he could talk it out with the staff. The gal at the desk was very helpful and told us we’d indeed have to take a different route, but when we put it in the GPS, it wasn’t terrible, but we’d already lost a half hour at this point and were looking at adding on an addition half hour at least.

 

I have to say, the way we took today had spectacular views. I’m sure it would have been beautiful in the other direction as well, but we wound through little towns and we were just wowed by the scenery. Traffic wasn’t too bad and we knew it would be an entire day of travel, so we just sat back and took it all in. Mountains of course…the entire day. They went from absolutely crazy fabulous, to just fabulous, then back to crazy fabulous again. At one point we both commented that it almost didn’t look like earth it was so beautiful. But let me just say that we saw mountains in FIVE, yes, FIVE countries today. Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein (yes it is it’s own country …see wiki notes at the bottom of today’s blog), Switzerland and Italy. All today. 

 

Lunch was at Heidiland in Switzerland. I know that sounds funny, but this place was the bomb. This is my first time here, but Guy’s third time. Downstairs it cost $1 to use the bathroom, but there were little tunnels the kids could crawl through for free. Ha! So he was excited to show me this place and talked about the two times he was there with his dad he couldn’t hardly get him to leave. It is basically the best gas stop of all time. And trust me, we love a good AutoGrille. But this place, besides gas, had all kinds of hot food, sandwiches, salads, like a cafeteria, but it also had shops and a grocery store and a little local Swiss-made shop with all kinds of cool stuff. I was going to have a sandwich, but I got one look a the gorgeous grilled vegetables and loaded my plate up (see pics) and clearly my stomach has stretched out during this trip because I ate it all, plus dessert. The day was gorgeous, so we sat outside and soaked up the sun and sucked down the food. Oh my goodness it was so good. From then on in the car I’d just burst out with “HEIDI HO” like I had some kind of Swiss Tourette’s Syndrome. 

 

Once we hit the top of Lake Maggiorie it seemed like the drive was FOREVER, but we eventually made it to our fav destination, the La Palma hotel in Stresa Italy. It’s a bit chilly and damp, but we still went to the top of the hotel for our obligatory shot of Isola Bella, the little island in the middle of the lake near our hotel. It’s whispering “come see me tomorrow” as it has some of the best souvenir shopping in all of Italy (in my opinion). So that will be first on my list of things to do tomorrow, THEN I’ll know what else to shop for after that. Bad thing is I know my way around the town pretty well here, so if Guy needs a nap…well, I’ll just have to grab my purse and hit the shops.

 

We were pooped from a long day, so we ordered a burger from the bar on the roof of the hotel and sat out in the chilly air eating and reminiscing about how much Guy’s dad loved this place and the good times we’ve had here. I sure does hold a lot of good memories. So after a long but safe drive, we are feeling blessed but headed for showers and bed. Buona Sera from Stresa, Italy.

 

P.S. what Wiki says about Liechtenstein: Officially the Principality of Liechtenstein, is a German-speaking microstatelocated in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy headed by the Prince of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and Austria to the east and north. It is Europe's fourth-smallest country, with an area of just over 160 square kilometres (62 square miles) and a population of 38,749 (in 2019). Divided into 11 municipalities, its capital is Vaduz, and its largest municipality is Schaan. It is also the smallest country to border two countries. Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked country between Switzerland and Austria. An Alpine country, Liechtenstein is mountainous, making it a winter sport destination. Liechtenstein is a member of the United Nations, the European Free Trade Association, and the Council of Europe. Although not a member of the European Union because it was not designed with microstates in mind, it participates in both the Schengen Area and the European Economic Area. It has a customs union and a monetary union with Switzerland. Oh…and the Prince of Liechtenstein is worth $3.5 billion dollars.

 

 

 

Day 12

I can’t believe today is day twelve. Where has the time gone? It seems like I’ve been on vacation forever, and like we’ve just arrived all at the same time. We haven’t set an am alarm since we’ve been here in Garmisch, so that’s been pretty glorious. We went to breakfast around 9 and our plates looked about the same as yesterday. The staff is really friendly here and this morning the owner was walking around in the kitchen and dining areas, so the staff was being even a bit more friendly, if that were even possible. 

On the way back to the room we walked through the outdoor pool area and Guy asked me if I had seen the inside pool. I had not! Wow! It was AMAZING inside (and hot) but there were steam rooms, lounging areas (a very zen space with mossy rocks on the ceiling) a huge heated pool with reflective black marble on the ceiling, and the entrance to the spa! It looked quite fancy, almost like it didn’t fit in the quaint little traditional hotel. I can see why people would come to this hotel. If you love hiking and outdoor activities, there are so many things to do for any and all skill levels. The hotel also has bicycles you can hop on at any time. The food is amazing and the pool and spa area are over-the-top nice! Once again, Guy has done a stellar job as travel agent extraordinaire.

 

We weren’t sure what we were going to do today exactly, but we let the weather decide for us. Today was supposed to be light rain in the morning then more steady this afternoon. However, at breakfast, our information paper at at the table said just clouds today. So we decided that morning was going to be best for any kind of outdoor activities so we loaded up in the car and drove a short distance to Eibsee lake (maybe 15-20 minutes or so by car). The drive was spectacular as we were heading straight towards the beautiful mountains that I’ve been trying to get the perfect shot of. As we got closer, I realized this was THE mountain that was the tallest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze. It is 2,962 meters above sea level (9,717 feet) and is home to three glaciers and Germany’s highest ski resort. This is the place to take the gondola all the way to the top. Nope. Not. Happening. I saw the gondola heading up to the top of the mountain and it literally disappeared into the clouds. Nope. Not. Happening. I tried to convince Guy to do it. I’m totally happy to wait at the bottom for however long it takes, but he said it was too cloudy to be able to see anything once you made it to the top (IF you made it to the top I’m thinking) and he was right. Clouds totally had the peak covered. So instead we watched the two gondolas passing each other as they leisurely made their way either up or down, dangling miles from the earth on just a tiny wire. Nope. Didn’t. Happen. 

 

In the same parking lot was also the entrance to Eibsee Lake. A gorgeous lake at the base of the mountain that had crystal clear water with a few tiny islands dotting the center of the lake. We set out on the path around the lake and strolled along the pebble path watching the fearless ducks pacing back and forth waiting for the passing hikers to toss them some crumbs. They were not even close to being afraid of us. We were going to walk around the entire lake, but once we looked on google earth, we had only gone about ¼ of the way around and we decided that the walk around the entire lake was perhaps a longer adventure than we had planned on for today and will put it in our “back pocket” for the next time we are here. After our stroll, Guy walked back up to where the big gondola was because he saw a hat in the gift shop he liked, but the shop was closed. A smaller shop by the lake said it should be open, so by chance he looked again when we got back to the parking lot and they were indeed open! So, Guy scored his first souvenir, a black sock hat that said Zugspitze on it. I told him he couldn’t wear it if he didn’t actually take the ride up, but he just stared at me like I had three eyeballs. Ha! I have a feeling he’ll ride it some day. 

 

Back to the hotel we went straight in for soup to warm up and we grabbed a nice little seat in the corner of the bar and scoped out our lunch options. I just wanted soup and a pretzel, which they had, and boy was it good. It looked like chicken noodle soup masquerading as what I think was “kitchen sink” soup, because everything but the kitchen sink was in it. But it was oh so yummy. Guy got the same soup, after I gave him the thumbs up, as well as some sliced beef and a roll. It was only 1:30 so the little cakes were not out yet, as those come out at 2pm. However, I decided on a cappuccino and it came with a little cookie, so all was good and my sweet tooth was happy. We sat and surfed the internet on our phones and when we finally got up to leave, little cakes had been put out!! I looked at my options and Guy said we could take them back to the room, but I knew dinner wasn’t that far away and I needed to leave some room in my stomach.

 

After lunch we decided to take a walk into the town that we haven’t explored yet. We saw it as we drove by, a pedestrian area filled with shops and things we might find we can’t live without. It was several blocks away but we walked in the drizzle, Guy with his new hat on and his jacket hood up and me with an umbrella borrowed from the hotel. We perused the shops and I did make a few purchases. A hat and scarf. Not necessarily for this trip, but they were fabulously fuzzy and were matching. Several people were purchasing hats and scarves and I heard a lady at the checkout talking to the owner. I think she must have been from the south because it’s not frequent you hear english conversations, but certainly not ones with a heavy southern accent! I’m guessing Kentucky or Tennessee. When I went to pay for the hat and scarf I think he thought I was going to put them on immediately, because he cut the tags off and didn’t offer me a bag. So I just rolled them up and put them in my pocket. I also bought a little handmade pin I saw in a gift shop and it will be a nice little addition when pinned to the plain hat I just bought. In and out of several other shops, we enjoyed looking but didn’t find anymore “must-haves”. 

 

Back in the room, the rest of the afternoon was spent actually planning our next trip to Europe which is a Rhine River cruise in 2023. There will be lots of us on this next adventure, so that will certainly be a good time with lots of laughs and stories I’m sure. Can’t wait. But since we are headed to Stresa tomorrow, Guy is going to work with them on rooms for next year as we plan to extend the trip for a few days after the boat drops us off in Basel Switzerland. We’ve been meaning to take the time to sit and figure out dates and costs, so we finally got that knocked out. We usually find ourselves planning on our next trip when on a trip, but we usually do that on the plane or car ride home. 

 

Dinner tonight was again 4 courses. First we had sugar crusted goat cheese on couscous, followed by soup that was a basic beef broth with a semolina dumpling. The dumpling had a bit of a texture to it, similar to polenta, and was not overwhelming with any particular flavor, but simple, hot and very delicious. We did get a few items off the salad bar. Guy had a lettuce salad, and I tried the german potato salad along with the zippy pasta salad from last night. All really good. So I had my first bad item. The “boiled beef” we thought was maybe supposed to say “broiled”, but I honestly think it was boiled. It was a bit tough, but I shared it with Guy and he put a bigger dent in it than I did. I had ordered it because I was looking forward to the root vegetables and potatoes, but the root vegetables were shavings…like an edible garnish. Trust me when I say I wasn’t disappointed in having a lackluster dish…I was already headed toward my belly being full before it even arrived. Guy, however, ordered the fried char and it was good. It was over sweet peppers and finger noodles. We haven’t quite figured out the finger noodles yet, but they were deep fried and tasted something like deep fried mashed potatoes. It shall remain a mystery. Dessert, on the other hand, was a delicious chocolate mousse garnished with peaches. The outside of the creamy mousse had a very thin layer of hardened chocolate. YUM! After dinner we were a bit hesitant to leave the building because last night we could see our breath as we walked back to our little house. But tonight I think it was a smidge warmer and the walk was brisk and refreshing.

 

Back to the room Guy has begun to pack up just a little and we are going to head to bed early. We still aren’t going to get up at any certain time, but if we woke earlier that would be fine, too. We are headed out immediately after breakfast for a 6 hour drive to complete our loop back down to Stresa, Italy. We have no certain time we need to arrive, so we’ll just be taking our time as I’m sure the scenery will be quite lovely and our day’s entertainment.

 

For the last time on the trip, gute nacht from Germany.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 11

This morning began on a low note. The burial of the Queen is today and I was glad to be in the same time zone so I could get glimpses of it through the day. I won’t see a Queen again in my lifetime nor several generations to come. I think we all find we have a bit of interest in the Royal family and if nothing else, an appreciation for her dedication and service. I can’t imagine she was a cuddly woman, but she never wavered in her duty or faith. Leading in a time where there were not many female leaders, I’m certain she prayed a lot for guidance and altho she always looked perfectly poised, I’m certain some tears were shed behind closed doors. 

 

Breakfast was quite good today. Everything you could want. Cheese, hams, eggs, bacon, sausages, cereals, yogurts, and more. The seating area is the same part of the hotel we ate dinner in last night and it’s really like being in a house as there are several small rooms you could be seated in. Breakfast was in a much tighter space than dinner last night but we sat by the window and enjoyed the sun coming in. I made a waffle and topped it with powdered sugar that came in a large cardboard container with a sifter top. I didn’t get a photo of it, but it’s in pretty genius packaging. Topped with some of the yummy sauce they put on the apple strudel, it was a pretty tasty breakfast!

 

After breakfast we did laundry and I came back to the room to watch the funeral procession as Guy stayed back to finish up the folding. Since the weather looks to be unexpectedly clear today, we decided to walk the path up to the gorge and check that out. Parking near the start of the walk, the gift shop and restaurant were closed (where we thought we were supposed to buy our tickets), so we asked a younger couple, who looked as if they had just come from that way, if they spoke english. “A little bit” replied the man, but he went on to perfectly explain the walk was about 20 or so minutes to the entrance of the gorge, you could buy your ticket once you were there, it was very wet inside the gorge like a rainy day and said “go enjoy” as he extended his arm in the direction of the path. So donning my new gloves (quite German looking if I say so myself) off we went for the lovely hike to the gorge, soaking up hints of passing sunshine and breathing in the brisk mountain air. Along the way we passed lots of people and I just happened to have my camera out to snap an older gentleman in traditional clothes going by. He was cute. Soon after, I heard little bells and looked over to see some sheep nibbling the grass with bells around their necks. Their breakfast was treating us to such a happy noise that if it didn’t make you smile, you must certainly be dead. I stopped to video them and I could have sat there for some time enjoying the simple pleasure of watching and listening. 

 

Near the entrance to the gorge we passed an adorable coffee shop and then later a hotel and restaurant that we thought might be calling us after our adventure. Guy bought the tickets and we scanned them and entered through the turnstile. I didn’t really know what I was about to see, and if I did, I might have been hesitant to go. Tunnels carved through the mountainside led you along the wet walkway that was roped off to keep us from certain death if we fell in the rushing water below. Only wide enough for one person, we’d have to stop to let people pass by. As we walked further and further into the gorge, the tunnels got longer and longer. Luckily there were holes occasionally letting in fresh air and a view outside of the tunnel which is helpful for those of us who tend to be more on the claustrophobic side. I videoed Guy as he walked in front of me and that helped to distract my nervousness. Once we made it all the way through to the other side (about 15 or 20 minutes along the path) I could see that the water rushing through the small gap between the mountains was coming from a smallish and not-so-scary river. So I actually didn’t dread going back through, but instead stopped and got as many photos as I could. Heading in, you had the fear of unexpected flash flooding that you hear kills tourists who walk through such places, but alas, this would not be the case here. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it. It was a memorable and WET experience. Going into the gorge my hair was straight. Coming out of the gorge my hair was curly and wet, but I considered it my own personal badge of courage and sported it proudly. As we exited the gorge, you had to scan your ticket again to get out of the turnstile. Guy had already gone through, but I didn’t hear mine beep so I was waving it under the scanner when suddenly the German man behind me says is a loud abrupt tone, “Go, Get Out”. So I pushed on the gate and it was indeed open. Yikes. Sorry dude. Don’t you know I was just traumatized back there by the gorge?? 🤣

 

Guy stopped at the restroom just outside the entrance but the self-locking doors were a “nope” for me as most of my good nerves still remained back in the gorge. I’d have to hold it for a bit longer. A German lady assured me there was a button to push on the inside to get out, but I wasn’t taking any chances. We made our way down to the restaurant and after ordering a hot macchiato and apple strudel (aka: survival reward) I used a proper restroom and considered myself lucky there was one so close by. Guy ordered what he thought was a sausage and pretzel and that’s exactly what it was, but it was the same exact short and fat white sausages floating in broth that I saw at breakfast and purposely avoided. Hot in temperature and mild in flavor, the not-so-appetizing looking links were actually quite yummy. Guy put a nice dent in his order, gobbling up the warm pretzel as the sun popped out and warmed our damp faces. My strudel was quite amazing and very possibly the best I’ve had so far. But also loving it was a little family of bees that after several attempts of swatting and waving them away, I gave up and just let them enjoy themselves. 

 

We enjoyed the leisure walk back down to the car and were once again serenaded by our bell-clad sheep. This time there were even more eating, so the music they made put an even bigger smile on my face. How fun. Perhaps the local people are used to such a site, because people were walking past them paying absolutely no attention to the joyful sounds. 

 

We were going to drive to a nearby lake that was on the list of “things to see nearby” per the internet, but stopped by the room for a quick break. We sat down for just a minute to watch the Queen entering Windsor Palace, and before we knew it, we were once again mesmerized by the Royal event and decided to just stay in. We’ll sit here and try to work up an appetite again for tonight. Lucky for us it is only going to be 4 courses instead of 6! 

 

Oh boy. Dinner tonight did not disappoint. Only four measly courses…🤣

 

•Spring rolls in a sweet chili sauce (to die for)

•Truffled kohlrabi (some kind of root vegetable) cream soup with croutons

•Salad bar

•Guy had Poached Cod and I had Roasted Veal

•Caramelized Kaiserschmarn with vanilla ice cream (donut/pancake)

 

We are so full we can hardly move. We sat in yet another room of the dining area tonight and it was nice. The only thing missing were the two dogs that were in our room last night. Every table had a dog but ours. I forgot to mention last night that the ladies next to us got up mid-meal and either took the dog out or went out for a smoke break, but when they returned the dog quietly went up to Guy, licked his hand, then went to go get back under the table. A gorgeous dog, too, which we were later told was some kind of German hunting dog. He was only 2 ½ years old, but extremely well behaved and she said a friend of hers takes him hunting. I was a little disappointed I didn’t get licked, but oh well. No dogs tonight, but our room was quite full of well-dressed dining guests and it was another lovely evening. 

 

Hopefully tonight I don’t dream about getting swept away in the currents of a gigantic gorge…

Day 10

Our last breakfast at the Edelweiss hotel…made it count! Ha! I did snap a photo of something I hadn’t paid attention to and that is the huge glass covering over the cheese that was weighted by a big rock. Check it out in today’s photos. Also, I forgot to mention that you can get Nutella out of a ginormous pump, hard boiled eggs and the little canned spreads I saw yesterday were quite different. Tomato spread or lemon…I didn’t get one but they looked fancy. I had more of my usual today and it was really wonderful. Not as much coffee since we’ll be driving shortly.

 

After checking out we put our next location in Google maps and set out in the rain to our next destination. Garmisch, Germany. You know how sometimes on cloudy days the colors seem a bit more bold? That was today. There was a bit more snow on the mountain tops today as the clouds hung low in the valleys. The greens seemed greener with specks of color beginning to bloom with the anticipation of fall that is just beginning to make an appearance. As we drove through the quaint little towns, there was so much to take in. The colorful houses, freshly mowed fields, and even pumpkin stands starting to pop up along the sides of the road. Everywhere you looked there were paved sidewalks for walkers and bikers. At first you think it’s going to be a golf course, but instead, it’s just tons of perfectly paved paths for the locals to enjoy. I videoed a short bit of the early drive because it was so beautiful, but of course once you decide to film, the good stuff had passed! Still, tho missing some really cool scenery, it will still be a great memory of the drive. 

 

We were on the interstate for about 50 miles or so. It was raining pretty good and I stayed in the slow lane and took my time. We have all day and we are in no rush. I’ll let the locals zip by me as fast as they’d like. At one point we decided to top off the tank, and for the first time in awhile I needed a coin to use the bathroom. It was PACKED and I stood in line for at least 15 minutes. I didn’t mind, but I hadn’t brought my mask in. Oh well, the lady in front of me had one on as well as the lady behind me. But they were the only two with them. I suppose I was lucky to be sandwiched between them like I was. The Lord clearly watching out for me on this Sunday morning that I’m NOT in church. 

 

In the distance I saw some mountains and told Guy “more snow!”. He wasn’t sure if it was more snow or low clouds, but the closer we got it was for certain snow. A few more turns and a few more miles began to reveal the beauty of this area of Germany. Considered Bavarian Alps, Garmisch is a prominent place for skiing and hiking and is very close to the Zugspitze, which is the highest point in Germany. You can take a gondola to the top and I’ve seen pictures of it. I won’t be making that ride up, but I’m trying to convince Guy he should! It’s something I tell ya! Supposedly at the tallest point there is a glass floor you can stand on and look down. No but thanks. Oh wait “Nein aber Danke”. Just in case I need to know how to say HECK NO in German. 

 

I also videoed as we drove into Garmisch. The mountains are truly spectacular and while the sun was out for a moment I tried to get as many photos as I could. Tomorrow and the following day bring the promise of more rain which might dampen the plans for some hikes. I have one fear…it looks as if we might need to pick up some sweaters. Oh drats. Shopping. I’d really hate that, but if I need to do it to keep us healthy and comfortable, then I suppose I could. *wink wink*. As we drove into the town, it’s not too terribly large or crowded and the drive was pretty simple. It has stopped raining and that is a good thing. In fact, the sun is actually out! 

 

Arriving at our hotel Guy checks us into what is the cutest little traditional looking hotel we’ve been to in a long time. It’s really cute. However, I was a little bit concerned when Guy comes out of the hotel with the front desk receptionist and says “follow us with the car”. Ok…but to where? So around the back there are several smaller houses that are also rooms. My concerns deepen as we get out and have to walk all the way to our “room”. Inside the house the floors look as if they are covered with indoor outdoor carpet and are creaking with each step. Up the stairs we go and we are led to what will be our little room for the next three nights. As the door opens, to my delight there is the cutest room with hard wood floors, a wooden bed and head board, and the coolest bathroom I think I’ve ever had! Weirdly there is a skylight above the shower and toilet, but I’ll pretend it would be impossible for someone to be up there looking in. However, the room is heated with a hot towel rack and the sink is made from an entire large stone that has been carved out. I took lots of pictures before we messed anything up and this little room with a balcony and a view screams ski villa. The the doors have the coolest handles! I think they are my favorite thing here!

 

Guy said they were serving lunch so we went inside to check it out. He forgot, but remembered that all are meals are included here. Breakfast, lunch and dinner! It’s been awhile since we’ve stayed at a place like this but in our past experiences…the food is amazing! Apparently lunch is served by the bar area and we helped ourselves to the offerings of the day. Salad with veggies, soups, venison goulash, potato casserole, all kinds of breads, spatzel with a stroganoff topping and several desserts. The place was somewhat full, but they still had plexiglass strategically placed between seating areas and you felt fine in the small room. There was a full bar with anything and everything you could think of to drink, but we stuck with water and enjoyed our lunch. I could see where it would be a fun place to hang out with your friends after a long day on the slopes. Lots of character and characters. 

 

After lunch, since the weather is pretty much perfect right now, we hopped in the car and drove about 5 minutes to to the Olympic ski jump right in the town. Garmisch was the location of the Olympics in the 1930s and is famous for the true story of Eddie the Eagle, a British underdog, who made a historic showing at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, but trained here on these jumps. We laughed and said we’d watch that movie tonight. Anyway, the area is really cool and there are actually 4 jumps…all different levels of skill. Well, it’s missing one level, that would be MY level which would look more like a curb instead of a jump. I asked Guy how much money it would take for him to come down the big one. He just stared at me then said his knees were squiggly just looking up at it. So I’m thinking he’s thinking the payoff would be more like his life insurance being payed out to me than a reward coming to him. Ha!

 

Afterwards we walked along the paths and checked out some possible plans for tomorrow. You can take a gondola ride up the mountain and walk down the ski runs that are currently just grass, or there is a waterfall/gorge that is an easy one hour walk from the bottom. We might try that tomorrow. I’m suffering from a ginormous blister between two toes that I got in Venice on our hot walk to the train station and I’m not sure I have the right shoes to handle a trek down the mountain or if my blister will play nice. If I ever return, I will be in better shape and have better shoes. But there are so many beautiful areas and paths to walk on we don’t need to get overly ambitious if we don’t want to.

 

Once back to the hotel I walked to the end of the road to get some shots of the mountains that are SO much more beautiful in person. I got the shot tonight because I fear if the weather is as bad as predicted the next few days, they’ll be hidden from sight. So I went for the bad shot with the sun over them in the evening as a back up plan in case the best shot with the sun on them in the morning doesn’t happen. They are truly amazing (and snow covered).

 

Thinking about dinner, Guy called me and told me to stop at the front desk because the information in the room read as if dinner was either at 6 or 8 and we needed to let them know which time we’d like to come. When I stopped at the desk, I told the girl this was our first night and we didn’t know for sure what to do about dinner times. She said it was open to come anytime between 6 and 8 and we didn’t have to choose a particular time. That’s good because 6 was a bit early and 8 was a bit late so we headed over about 7pm.

 

Yeah, ok…this may not be a 5 star hotel, but it is for sure a 5 pound hotel. Our meal tonight was phenomenal. Six courses. I ate everything! You didn’t get a choice on what to order, but you could refuse a selection if you didn’t want it. So here’s the rundown of the 6 courses:

 

•Smoked breast of duck on endive salad with apricot-tomato chutney (server called it turkey 🤣)

•Tomato consommé with root vegetables and pancake strips (was clear but tasted like tomato)

•Filet of confit pike perch on beetroot and lime foam (the beets underneath were the bomb)

•Mango sorbet with vanilla foam (to clear the palate of course)

•Slices of pink roasted beef on vanilla carrots with a filled potato pocket and rosemary jus

•Duo of pancakes with choclate-chili sauce and tonka bean marscarpone ice cream (I have no idea what tonka means…but it was wonderful)

 

So here’s the deal. We had a nice conversation after dinner with two German ladies sitting by us and they said the food has always been good here, but the cook they have right now is REALLY good. Also, only on Sundays do they offer the 6 course meal, normally it’s only 4, but she promised it would be very good! So we’ll see. Breakfast already looks promising, altho there is no way I would even compare it to Berchtesgaden. That breakfast was a freak of nature! Ha ha!

 

So on this very full belly I bid you good night and hope that tomorrow brings an occasional peek of sunshine. Either way, we’ll have a great time checking out this new town.