Day 7 : Oktoberfest Munich

After a depressing afternoon at Dachau, we made our way to a more festive environment to cheer ourselves up at the Oktoberfest, and also allow Frank to see some bit of Munich. 

Doesn’t Oktoberfest starts only in September?  Fun fact : The first Oktobrfest was held in the year 1810 in honour of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildurghausen.  The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race.  In the following years, the celebrations were repeated and later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into September. 

By moving the festivities up, it also allowed for better weather conditions – because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents and the stroll over “die Wiesen” or the fields were possible for much longer without feeling chilly.  Historically, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in October and this tradition continues into present times.  Each Oktoberfest would last for approximately 17 days!  That’s going to be a lot of beer and sausages served!!!  Apparently in the earlier years, they served about 8 million litres of beer!

We were very lucky to had found free parking about 5 mins walk to the festive grounds.  The Oktoberfest grounds was really easy to find, as all we had to do was follow the hordes of people in the traditional Oktoberfest outfit.  Bear in mind, this was a Wednesday early evening (we got there about 5.00pm). 

Day 7 : Dachau

We checked out from our hotel and commenced our journey towards Dachau.  We were planning to take the “Romantic Route” towards Augsburg just to see what made the route romantic, however halfway through, we had to divert due to some road works.  All I could reason out why it was named Romantic Route, was because the route brought us through quaint countryside towns instead of dull highways.

The diversion we took led us via lake Ammersee.  The access to the water was more challenging than the other lakes we had visited the last couple days, as it seemed this was more a residential neighbourhood and access was more prioritised for bicycle lanes rather than for cars.  We stayed at one of the towns off this lake briefly for a drink and a short walk, before continuing our way to Dachau, and in turn Munich.

Dachau – the biggest known draw for this town is the Concentration Camp that was established by the Nazis in 1933.  It was intended to hold political prisoners, but was enlarged to include forced labour, the imprisonment of Jews, ordinary German and Austrian criminals, and eventually foreign nationals from countries that Germany occupied or invaded.

Day 7 : End of Procrastination

It’s been 1 week into my travels… I had been less than diligent on the blog, as was still partially undecided on whether to continue on and was completely exhausted after almost each night of exploration.

But after receiving a number of requests on my blog updates, as well as thinking back on the number of times I had referred back to this blog for gentle reminders of names and incidents that had happened on my earlier travels, I am now more decided on ensuring that I will continue on updating this blog more regularly. 

It will still be subjected to availability of internet, so won’t be a daily affair.  Time to start back tracking and updating the last few days entries too. 

Do stay tuned!

Day 6 : Castles of Fussen

I had good weather so far on my trip, but was woken up this morning by the sound of rain.  “Oh no!  There goes my fantasy castle visit” I thought to myself. 

I had read earlier that if was raining or foggy, it isn’t best to visit Neuschwanstein and I had both that morning!  So I thought of options which we could do and sounded them off Frank, and which went like this – drive to Linderhof Castle (about 45 mins), Wieskirche (another 45 mins), boat trip on Forggensee (recommended by Tourist information, about 30 mins from Wieskirche), and if we still had time and weather doesn’t clear, then trip to Thermal Pools. 

So off we went!  The route towards Linderhof required driving out of Germany, into Austria and back into Germany again, and it just dawned on me that this route wouldn’t had been so easy without borderless EU – having to go through custom checks one after another just to get to a castle back before the EU and Schengen treaty was in place, would had been a real pain in the arse!

Day 5 : Lakes, Linz, & Drive to Fussen

It’s a long drive for Frank today, with about 8 hours on the road.  We decided to drive further inland of Austria as Frank had ordered a device for his 4 x 4 from Steinbauer located in Wartburg, about 20 mins from Linz, Austria. 

Though the drive from Hotel Seebrunn to Steinbauer was about 1.5hr, we stopped at a couple of lakes along the way, namely Lake Attersee and Lake Mondsee, both situated close to each other. 

When I was looking at booking a hotel around Salzburg for our trip, Lake Mondsee came up in reviews as a really nice place to stay, however available hotels around the area had gotten too pricey when I checked for rooms.  I can now understand what the hype is about Lake Mondsee – the lake was super still and calm, and very clear.  One could also see the reflection of the mountains reflected in the lake, and gives a real sense of tranquillity just being by the lake.

Lake Attersee

Lake Mondsee

Steinbauer was located in an industrial area, and when we got to the building, we weren’t sure if we were at the right place.  The building had a very futuristic design in black.  We could even see a small restaurant with a well stocked bar within the building from the entrance. 

Even the washroom was rather futuristic – 1st time seeing a Dyson tap, which comes equipped with a hand dryer.  Adrian will get a kick out of this!

On route to Fussen, we stopped by Linz for lunch and got to see the town.  Cobbled stone pathways and a very modern looking town. 

 

The drive from Linz to Fussen was about 4.5 hr, where we drove past rolling pastures, with views of mountains in the backdrop. 

Enroute, we stopped by Lake Tegernsee, for a short break, where Frank decided to take a very refreshing quick dip in the water to freshen himself up for the rest of the journey. 

By the time we reached Fussen it was about 7pm.  I was having cravings for seafood, and Trip Advisor had the #1 restaurant on their list as “Il Pescatore”. 

After checking in and settling into the hotel, we made our way to Il Pescatore, but was told that the wait was going to be long, and so we decided to look for a different restaurant.  Upon leaving, we thought it might be a good idea to make a reservation for tomorrow instead, and when I had returned to check with the staff for a reservation, an opening seemed to have opened up and we were given a seat in 10 mins. 

At the recommendation of the waiting staff, I ordered a bowl of seafood soup, while Frank ordered a home-made pasta filled with seafood.  The food was yum and definitely hit the spot for my cravings.  Accompanied by a bottle of red wine from Piedmont region, dinner was wonderful, and would strongly recommend anyone in the area to have a meal at Il Pescatore.

Day 4 : Salzburg City

We make our way back into Austria towards Salzburg, which is about 45 mins drive from Eagle’s Nest. 

My impressions of Salzburg – I really like this city.  It’s very pretty, and the river running through the city centre enhanced the personality of Salzburg.  Salzburg is also famous for a few things : The movie “Sound of Music”, and the birth place of Mozart.

Didn’t realise that they also had an Oktoberfest celebration in Salzburg, so the city centre were filled with crowds on the streets.  I would really like to see Salzburg without the Oktoberfest event, as believe it would be nicer.  So glad that I didn’t choose to stay in the centre of Salzburg, but at Hotel Seebrunn next to the lake.

We walked through the city centre, that was filled with crowds dressed in the traditional Oktoberfest outfit. 

We got curious and went into a proper store that specialises in making the traditional Bavarian outfit and Frank checked the cost of Lederhosen (the pants for guys) – we were shocked that the price can go from Euro 600 up to Euro 2,000! 

On the surface, it looked completely the same to me as those which were selling on the street stores for about Euro 60 (or less).  The lady at the store said the reason why it cost Euro 2,000 was because it was made of deer skin (I agree it feels softer, but it also didn’t feel like leather), and was hand stitched.  I wonder who would pay Euro 2,000 for a pair of pants!  I could buy a lot of things with that amount.

Key sights in Salzburg :

Schloss Hellbrunn (Hellbrunn Palace)

Schloss Hellbrunn is a villa designed in a Baroque style, and was built in 1619.  It was built as a day residence in summer for the Archbishop, and is famous for the hidden water fountains in the gardens.  We didn’t enter the grounds and walked around the exterior of the Palace. 

Attached to the Palace is also a park, and also houses the Pavillion that was used in the “Sound of Music” film.

Hohensalzburg Fortress

The fortress is over 900 years old, and is one of the largest preserved mediaeval castle complexes in Europe.  The area of the fortress with 50 buildings covers and entire area of 33,000m².  It was originally built to guarantee the safety of the archbishops; while also serving as barracks and a prison.

We took the lazy way of going up via a funicular, particularly since the fortress was situated at an altitude of 506m.  Inclusive of the ticket for the funicular was admission to the museum. 

The view from the top was definitely worth making the visit, as one could see entire Salzburg city below.

We didn’t have lunch today, and as it was rather close to dinner time, we decided to order a slice of cake to ward of the hunger pangs. 

One of the most famous cakes in Austria is the Sacher cake, which should officially be eaten at Hotel Sacher. 

I had a slice of Sacher at the Vienna branch of Hotel Sacher earlier this year, so wasn’t too hard up of needing to eat it at the same hotel, which also has a branch in Salzburg.  Frank ordered the Mozart cake, which is also a specialty in Austria.

St. Peter’s Monastery

Located next to the base of the funicular is St. Peter’s Monastery, a Benedictine monastery and former cathedral.  It is considered one of the oldest monasteries in the German-speaking area, and in fact the oldest with a continuous history since its foundation in 696.

What I found intriguing is the catacombs, as they are carved out of the rocks behind the monastery.

Bridge of Love

This bridge caught my attention.. a sea of padlocks attached to the fence just below the railing of Salzburg most modern pedestrian bridge, the Makartsteg. 

I had seen something similar when I was in Paris, with each lock written with their names or in a number of cases seen on this bridge, engraved on the lock, to represent a couple declaring their eternal devotion. 

Schloss Mirabell & Gardens

Another Palace, this was built in 1606 by the prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, as a token of his love for Salome. 

The design of the castle includes the famous sprawling Mirabell Gardens.

Mozart Museum

This building has become a tourist attraction, as it is where Mozart was born on 27 Jan 1756.

 

 

 

Other Images from City Centre

 

Day 4 : Eagle’s Nest (Kelhsteinhaus)

After a 45 mins drive from the hotel, Frank & I reached the base of the Eagle’s Nest or also known as Kelhsteinhaus, located in Germany and very close to the Austrian border.

At 1,834m high, the Eagle’s Nest was presented to Adolf Hitler on his 50th birthday as a retreat and place to entertain friends and visiting dignitaries.  It was paid for by the Nazi Party and completed within 13 months, and was marked as a unique engineering feat. 

Just at the foot of the Eagle’s Nest mountain is Obersalzberg, which was Hitler’s home and southern headquarters (second seat of power).  Though the area was bombed during the WWII, the Eagle’s Nest was miraculously left undamaged.

Day 3 : Frank joins on Road Trip to Salzburg & Fussen

It’s back to Munich airport to meet with Frank.  I am really glad that he is able to join me for a few days while I am in Europe and gives us the opportunity to catch up once again, since the last I saw Frank was in Singapore in December 2015, when he was there for a business trip. 

I took the 6.50am bus from Nuremburg – this time round I was no longer the only passenger on the bus as there were 8 other people on board.  Am I glad that the hostel is just located next to the bus terminal!  Very early morning, and got to see the sun rise while enroute to the airport.  

Upon Frank’s arrival, we went to pick up our car rental, which turned out to be a really nice car to use for the next few days – Mercedes Benz C Class! 

 

 

Day 1 & 2 : Nuremburg / Nürnberg

After 12 hours on a plane with very little sleep, I finally arrived in Munich at 5.30am.  Customs was very smooth and quick – efficient Germans! :)  Had to wait at the airport for a couple hours for the bus, as the plan was to head straight into Nuremburg for 2 nights, before going back to Munich airport on Saturday morning to meet with Frank for our road trip to Salzburg and Fussen. 

The bus ride from Munich Airport to Nuremburg was painless, and surprisingly, I was the only passenger on board the bus throughout the entire 2hr 10 min journey – my personal limo! Much better than having to take a train, as that would involved a number of changes, and more costly.

Upon arrival in Nuremburg, I had some trouble with finding the hostel as was given wrong directions by 3 different people, that led me walking around for about 35 minutes.  When I finally found the hostel, guess what, A&O hostel was literally just beside the bus terminal, less than 1 min walk away!!!

So what is interesting about Nuremburg that I chose this as my 1st stop?  Besides being a Mediaeval Town, this town contains rich German history.  It was here that the fanatical party rallies were held, the boycott of Jewish business began, and the infamous Nuremberg Laws outlawing German citizenship for Jewish people were enacted.  This city was also chosen as the site of the war crimes tribunal (Nuremberg Trials). 

 

Big Trip 2 : T-1

Doing last minute packing, and I am struggling to fit it all into my luggage – the same luggage I used on my last big trip.  You would think that by the 2nd time, I would know better huh?

Met with Aliang a few days ago, and he said that if he was to go on a long trip again, he will carry a smaller bag than what he used the last time.  It might be easier for guys to pack lesser, however as a female, we have a few more requirements to factor in. 

Big Trip 2 – Cuba, Mexico, Central America, Germany

12 more days and counting down!  Never expected that I will get a chance to go on another long trip, albeit likely no where as close to the duration I went previously.

Things happen for a reason, and as usual, chose countries that are farthest to get to from Singapore.  Reason being it’s likely that I will never get to travel to those countries on a normal leave while working full time. 

Time to start thinking of how I can be more mobile yet still earning a decent income!

From plans, its looking to be about 4.5months of travelling, covering :

• Germany (Munich and Bavaria region)
• Mexico
• Cuba (woohoo, finally!)
• Belize
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• El Salvador
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica