Delynn pointed out that we (uh, that would be me) forgot to post one of the pictures we had chosen to share. Did I mention that between Denise, Deanne and myself, we had over 600 pictures? It took quite some time to work though them all to find a nice sampling without overwhelming everyone. In the weeks ahead, I may be pulling additional pictures to liven up the blog.
So, I mentioned in the last entry that on the SOM tour the clouds were low and thick. At one spot, we were overlooking a town on a lake but we couldn't see the lake (and we could barely see the church steeple just a few hundred meters away). Well, imagine our delight when the next day broke clear with huge patches of blue sky. It was the day we had chosen to travel up to Königsee in the Berchtesgarten region of SE Germany. Actually, Berchtesgarten is a little peninsula of Germany that pokes into Austria just south of Salzburg. It is an area of breathtaking Alps and lakes.
We got up to Königsee early for the electric-boat trip out to the St. Bartholomä monastery. Only electric-powered (or human powered) boats are allowed on the German Alpine lakes to keep them unpolluted, the monastery being accessible only by boat at the far end of the lake. We silently cut through the water until the mid-point where the boat stopped. One of the boat captains then played a trumpet so that we could hear the echoes off of the shear cliff walls.
On a more somber note, we also visited the Nazi Documentation Center in Obersalzburg. It houses a display discussing the history of the Nazi use of the Obersalzburg region (the location of Hitler's Eagles Nest) and progression of how the National Socialist party took over and consumed the German people during the 30's and 40's. Much of what the did (social help for widows and orphans, institution of vacation time and better working conditions) on the surface was seemingly for good and noble purposes, but just under the facade, where most people really could not (or would not) see, the political party's purpose was evil. I am thankful that over the last decade or so, Germans have been begun to reexamine this part of their collective history in a healthy, more open manner. Whenever I visit places like the Documentation Center, it reaffirms in me the call to look at our own country's attitudes and government institutions with a more discerning eye.
As part of the tour, a small portion of the vast underground bunker complex is open to the public. Unfortunately, the Eagle's Nest was closed for the season (too much snow...). We also didn't get a chance to visit the Salt Mines that are located in this area of Berchtesgarten. I have been on the tour before and it is also well worth the time. So much to see and so little time. We recommend a trip to Berchtesgarten and Königsee to anyone that is traveling in this part of Germany.
So, I mentioned in the last entry that on the SOM tour the clouds were low and thick. At one spot, we were overlooking a town on a lake but we couldn't see the lake (and we could barely see the church steeple just a few hundred meters away). Well, imagine our delight when the next day broke clear with huge patches of blue sky. It was the day we had chosen to travel up to Königsee in the Berchtesgarten region of SE Germany. Actually, Berchtesgarten is a little peninsula of Germany that pokes into Austria just south of Salzburg. It is an area of breathtaking Alps and lakes.
We got up to Königsee early for the electric-boat trip out to the St. Bartholomä monastery. Only electric-powered (or human powered) boats are allowed on the German Alpine lakes to keep them unpolluted, the monastery being accessible only by boat at the far end of the lake. We silently cut through the water until the mid-point where the boat stopped. One of the boat captains then played a trumpet so that we could hear the echoes off of the shear cliff walls.On a more somber note, we also visited the Nazi Documentation Center in Obersalzburg. It houses a display discussing the history of the Nazi use of the Obersalzburg region (the location of Hitler's Eagles Nest) and progression of how the National Socialist party took over and consumed the German people during the 30's and 40's. Much of what the did (social help for widows and orphans, institution of vacation time and better working conditions) on the surface was seemingly for good and noble purposes, but just under the facade, where most people really could not (or would not) see, the political party's purpose was evil. I am thankful that over the last decade or so, Germans have been begun to reexamine this part of their collective history in a healthy, more open manner. Whenever I visit places like the Documentation Center, it reaffirms in me the call to look at our own country's attitudes and government institutions with a more discerning eye.
As part of the tour, a small portion of the vast underground bunker complex is open to the public. Unfortunately, the Eagle's Nest was closed for the season (too much snow...). We also didn't get a chance to visit the Salt Mines that are located in this area of Berchtesgarten. I have been on the tour before and it is also well worth the time. So much to see and so little time. We recommend a trip to Berchtesgarten and Königsee to anyone that is traveling in this part of Germany.
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