The Alps

Berchtesgaden, Germany, tucked high in the Bavarian Alps, was one of our favorite villages on our adventure. Three highlights were located in this little town, just a few miles south of Salzburg. In addition, I have heard of Berchtesgaden my entire life, since it was my Grandpa Calder's favorite place in the world.

Our first stop was Eagle's Nest. This was Hitler's mountain top retreat where he vacationed for ten years. Originally a chalet stood on the mountain top, but that was bombed, set on fire by SS troops retreating, looted by Allied troops and eventually torn down by West Germany. Today a restaurant sits in it's place, but we were there for the scenery. We took a bus ride to the top of the snowy peak where we found a gorgeous view of the surrounding Alps. 

For at least the last thousand years, Berchtesgaden has been known for it's salt deposits. In 1517, the town's famous salt mines opened for operation and ever since, this salt has brought quite a fortune to the area. For years the salt mines have been open for tours. My mother, as a teenager, along with her two brothers and parents toured these mines fifty years ago. A photo hung in my grandmother's house for proof and over the years I have heard my mother mention this as a highlight of their travels, so we simply had to add this excursion to our list. 

When we arrived we climbed into suits to protect our clothing and then jumped on a little train which took us deep under ground. 

We learned about the process of mining salt, how it is used and how it effects our body. We took a boat ride over an underground lake with a light display to add to the fun. However, the most exciting part of the tour was zipping down wooden slides to get from the higher levels to the lower levels of the mine. We had a very good laugh when the photos were presented. In fact, I have never bought a ride or tour photo before, but I couldn't resist these. (Unfortunately the original is packed somewhere, so I stole these from Katie's blog, which is a photo of a photo, transferred from one blog to another. Needless to say the quality is not great, but look at the fear on Sophia and Emilie's faces, Annie hiding, Mia choking Jenny, and Jonathan and Katie having the time of their lives! )     

 Our last stop of the day was Lake Konigssee. The lake is known for it's clear water, peacefulness and unforgettable scenery. Silent motorboats preserve the peace as they ferry hikers from one trail to another or out to the St. Bartholoma, a famous onion domed pilgrimage church half way down the coast of the lake. Unfortunately when we arrived at the lake, we were caught in a down pour, eliminating the chance for a good hike in the area.

One of our most memorable situations from our adventure took place on Lake Konigsee. As soon as we climbed onto the boat and pushed off, packed tight with a group of about fifty older German tourists, Ezra whispered that he had to go to the bathroom. Of course there was not a restroom on the boat and, in addition, the purpose of the ride was to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the area. It wasn't long before Ezra was completely in tears, squirming in my lap. The first stop was still far off. My motherly instincts kicked in. I simply could not let Ezra continue in discomfort when there was a solution. I carried him to the front of the boat and interrupted the German tour guide who was in the midst of some long explanation in German. He didn't speak English, so I had to rely on a woman nearby who did speak a little. I explained our predicament and suggested the Ezra be allowed to relieve himself out the door of the boat. Giggling, she passed the message on to the tour guide. The Germans surrounding us joined in on the giggling and the tour guide looked bewildered. He pointed to the glass door, set up on a platform. I nodded my head. He announced in the microphone something in German and the entire boat broke out in laughter. This was a moment of true motherly love. With a smirk, he shrugged his shoulder and helped unlatch the door. I hoisted Ezra up onto the platform in the center of one side of the boat, which felt a little more like a stage at the moment. I held onto the back of Ezra's shirt so that he wouldn't fall into Konigssee and did what I could to shield him from the gawking crowd, but at age five, boys are not too discrete. Ezra started urinating out the door, into what is hailed as the cleanest, most peaceful lake in Germany. The Germans began to laugh, interspersed and hushed at first, but Ezra just kept going and going, which prompted the tourists to laugh louder and harder. Before he was done, the boat was roaring with laughter. Finally I pulled him down and when we turned around, the boatload of Germans gave him an applause. As we walked to the back of the boat where we had been seated, some of the women gave me a look of approval. They understood what it meant to be a mother. Ezra curled up in my arms and whispered that he now wanted to go to sleep. I felt the same way!