Bavaria (Click on pictures to enlarge)

Actual highest point behind Bob

September 6-10 we were in Bavaria in southern Germany. It has been a dream of both of us to attend the famous Oberammergau Passion Play, and since we are currently living in Germany, what better time to do it? So on Monday morning we drove about 5 hours through many construction zone slow-downs  and arrived at our hotel in Garmisch/Partenkirchen, a town about 20 minutes from Oberammergau. On the way we saw a semi full of Mary Kay cars - pink of 
course. When we arrived at our hotel we found out that the last train and tram up to the highest point in Germany, Zugspitze, 

Highest Biergarten in Germany!

was leaving in less than 1/2 hour. Since it was a beautifully clear day we figured we'd better go right then. 

Well, we were blessed with the  most fantastic, breath-taking 360 degree panoramic view of 400 mountain peaks in 4 different countries from about 10,000 feet!  It had snowed already, so everything that high was covered with clean, white snow. It was cold (32 degrees F) and windy (22 MPH), but we

Burrrr

 could stand it for the couple of hours that we were up there - and we countered it with some hot coffee, hot chocolate and hot apple strudel! At the observation area there were several places to eat, including Germany's highest Biergarten!! They also provided a nice pile of snow for climbing on and picture taking.

Snow!!!!

Playhouse

Bob waiting in line (middle with light hat)

Tuesday morning we went to Oberammergau to stand in line (or as they say here, in queue) to purchase tickets for the  Passion Play put on every ten years by the residents of the town. When we got in line at 10:30 there was a sign that said they had 65 tickets available. Several times someone came up by the line and said they had some tickets for sale - however with our lack of German language, we never got there quickly enough. Bob checked out a couple of other locations in town but found nothing available. A man came through the line about 11:30 and said they now had 80 tickets available so our hopes were up a little. The box office opened at 12:00 and the line moved veeerrry slowly. We got up to the window a little after 1:00 p.m. and got tickets - we were going to splurge and get some decent seats, but all that was available were the cheapest tickets along the outer edges. At this point, we were just glad to get tickets - there were about 8 left when we got ours!!! 

Our seats

As it turned out, the seats were pretty good. We were in the first row of outer section seats so we had a lot of leg room - which those seated in middle rows did not have. We could still see almost all of the huge stage and were close enough to see the faces and expressions of the actors. It turned out to be everything that we were expecting, and more. We both came out of there appreciating the pain and torture our Lord suffered for us more than ever before. The play is broken into 2 parts starting this year - almost 3 hours in the afternoon, then a 2 1/2 hour dinner break, then another 2 1/2 hours of the play. It did get a little long in the evening session, but that was the crucifixion part and was very intense. Since the weather was very chilly in the evening, they provided fleece blankets for all of the audience - and everyone used them!!! All the people in the play are from the town of Oberammergau - and the acting and music were both amazing. We are very thankful that God led us to Germany at this time so that we could see something that we had both wanted to see for years.

Audience seating

Stage with covering

Setting (gray area opened for changes)

Typical Bavarian building with flowers

Typical painted Bavarian building

Cable car and huge evergreens

Ski Jump area in Garmisch

Wednesday late morning we took the city bus to the edge of town where the Olympic Ski Stadium is located. It was originally built for the 1936 Olympics. There are 3 ski jumps and alpine skiing areas which have been updated and are still used today. We took the EckbauerBahn cable car from the stadium up the mountain about 1600 feet. From there we walked back down - stopping at a small village on the way for lunch and walking through a gorge, Partnachklamm, along a very fast, powerful and loud river. Walking through the forest was so quiet and peaceful, a complete contrast to walking through the gorge. The last part of the walk was through a very light rain which was refreshing, and thankfully, not too cool, although we did wear coats all along the way. Walking down some pretty steep areas made our legs quite tired and sore so we decided to eat what snacks we had brought along for dinner - especially since it started raining quite hard after we got back to the hotel -- Nutella and breadsticks, banana and Nutella, trail mix, peanut butter flavored puffs, soda.

Partnachklamm (gorge)

Walking thru the gorge

Panoramic view of Innsbruck, Austria

Thursday morning we were off to Innsbruck, Austria, to meet up with Max, an opera student we met in 2008. On the way we stopped in the little town of Mittenwald, famous for violin-making. We were hoping to be able to get into a workshop where they were making them, but that is not allowed we found out. We wandered around the city looking for their museum, following signs this way and then that way, but we never were able to find it. I think it was hidden in some other building rather than being a stand-alone building. 

Catholic church

We did go into their big cathedral, and being in Bavaria it was a Catholic one, as opposed to the Evangelisch ones farther north. It was a typical very-elaborately-furnished-in-gold Catholic cathedral. Personally, I prefer the less elaborate Evangelisch ones, but maybe I am biased!! We arrived in Innsbruck a little early for our meeting with Max, so we wandered through the "tourist area" and had some wonderful Eis (gelato style ice cream). Max then took us on a walking tour of the city, including seeing a beautiful panoramic view of the city from a high restaurant. Needing some sitting time, we stopped for some delicious torts and coffee, etc. On our way home (and with Bob, we never take the same route back as we took to some place!!!) we drove through some gorgeous mountain scenery, seeing some beautiful falls. 

Coffee and torts

Street & Mtns. in Innsbruck

Mountain waterfall

Sun shining on Alps

As we got back to Garmisch/Partenkirchen we decided to try and find the restaurant that we had eaten in when we hosted a tour group to Germany in 2002. We found it and went in - looked exactly the same as in 2002 - with the same music and dancing entertainment. (I know the teen boy dancers were different, and I think the accordion player was, too) Just after we sat down at a big, long table a family of 5 came in and sat down next to us at the table. I heard the dad talking English to the little girl so I commented to her in English, also. She was very outgoing and started talking to me. Turns out they are a military family living near Trier, a couple of hours from Frankfurt. They were also down in the area to see the Passion Play. After visiting with them awhile we found out that the man's father was an LCMS chaplain and is now serving a small congregation in New Mexico. We invited them to visit our church in Frankfurt when they are in the area - they  said they are very active in their congregation. It really is a small world!!!!


We drove home on Friday getting home mid-afternoon. After unpacking we sat down to watch the Vikings-Saints came from the night before. Neither of us had been on the internet much so we didn't know the outcome of the game before watching it. It was fun to watch them, even though they lost. We feel there is hope for them this season, anyway.

Friends, Heidelberg, Winefest, biking and golf

A catch up of our activities over the last couple of weeks: We were so excited to meet our good friends, Curtis and Mary Wildung from Madison, MN, in Heidelberg on Thursday, August 12. We caught up on family and mutual friends while walking around Heidelberg with them and Curtis' cousins (who live and teach in Heidelberg), and then had a delicious German meal in an off-the-beaten-path restaurant. We haven't explored Heidelberg yet, so it was an opportunity for us to get a personal tour from people who live there. We must go back, though. We also took the opportunity to meet up with a member of our church who is in the military in Heidelberg, and he gave us a tour of the American areas - they are spread out in several different locations, most of which will be moving to Wiesbaden in a couple of years.
                            


Wildungs and us in Heidelberg                                                                                                                        



              

Yummy German meal in Heidelberg

On Friday, August 13, we attended a barbecue dinner put on by the USO in Wiesbaden for volunteers, workers and those who advertise in their magazine/newspaper (the area we fell under). What fun to have an American picnic - grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks, potato salad and baked beans! Bob and I have decided we are going to do some volunteer work with the USO organization as part of our committment to do something outside of the church.

After the BBQ we met up with some people from our congregation and went to the huge Wiesbaden Winefest,  where there were over 100 different booths set up by different wineries in the Rhein-Main region. Bob's favorite wine is Riesling and that's what most of these wineries make, so he loved it. As for me, I drank some of the 3 different kinds of free water from the Wiesbaden city booth!! I had to pay 1 Euro for the deposit on the glass, but then I decided it was a cheap souvenir so I kept it as a juice glass!!!

Rita and bikes on bridge over the Main River                                                                          


We have enjoyed a couple of longer bicycle trips around the Frankfurt area lately. The first, on a Saturday afternoon, was down to the Main River, riding along the river for a couple of miles, then back through parts of Frankfurt we hadn't been yet. The second, a longer ride of over 16 miles, was last Friday when we rode through downtown and south of the Main River to the Frankfurter Golf Club where we stopped and watched teams teeing off for the club's version of the Ryder Cup. Looks like a wonderful course - but a little too expensive for our pocketbooks!! Riding home through town we ran onto the Bahnhofviertel Fest - a section of the town where they had set up a lot of eating and drinking booths, had music, etc. We stopped and ate at an Australian cafe - which wasn't much different than an American cafe except that they had kangaroo on the menu!!



                                                              Frankfurter Golf Club


This past Monday we had a great over-night visit from our good friends from Cottbus, Pastor Hinrich and Gaby Mueller. We have worked with them for several VBS-type things with the mission teams from Arizona since 2005. Cottbus was the city in Eastern Germany where we lived in 2008 for 4 months. Their daughter is getting married this week in a little town about an hour north of us and they invited us to the church wedding on Saturday so that we can see what a German wedding is like. Here in Germany, you must have a civil ceremony in a government building, but can also then have a church service. We won't be going to the reception at all, but from what they told us it is very similar to an American one with a meal, program and dancing, except that they usually go until at least 3 a.m., and many times all night. The Germans do like to party long!!!!  (Why do we forget to take pictures when people visit us at our home - only remember to take them when we are away from home - we bad!!!)


We are getting back into the fall schedule at church since school started earlier this month. Bob did not have a confirmation class last year, but will have one this year - 5-6 students. Since many of them live quite far away, they (he will have a rostered LCMS DCE helping him) will have most of the instruction on Sundays, either during the SS hour or after worship. Sunday School and Bible Class will start up again the first Sunday in September when we switch from 10 a.m. worship to 11 a.m. with SS and BC at 9:30. I have started up with handbells and choir again, and have volunteered to be choir librarian this year. Our goal is to get all of our  music entered into a computer program so the director can find available music by different categories.

Our choir director is also directing our choir with additions from other churches and the community in the full Messiah (in English) which will be presented next June. Quite an undertaking, with an almost-2-hour rehearsal every Thursday night after our regular Sanctuary Choir rehearsal. Call me crazy, but I have opted out of doing the Messiah - isn't the type of music I enjoy singing, or do well with.

We have lost some key people in our congregation this summer and will lose more the rest of the year - including our President, Worship/Music Deacon and Evangelism Deacon. We pray that God will lead people to step into these leadership roles for next year.

Well, that catches you up a bit on our doings both at and away from church. Keep watching this Blog as I am quite sporadic at posting news.

Bad Nauheim - Elvis and Health Spas

Bob in front of the Grunewald Hotel where Elvis lived

Friday August 6 saw us driving about 30 - 45 minutes north of Frankfurt to Bad Nauheim, a town of about 30,000 where Elvis Presley stayed during his stint in the U.S. Army from 1958-1960. Shortly after he arrived in Germany his father, grandmother, 2 friends and body guards joined him. They occupied an entire floor at the Grunewald Hotel in Bad Nauheim.

Sign denoting place where Elvis
stood for his picture.

We also visited the castle gateway, where the photograph for the LP cover of "A Big Hunk O’ Love" was taken. We were like many fans who flock to pose for the camera in the same place as Elvis!

Bob in the footsteps of Elvis

Rita at the Sprudelhof

Bad Nauheim is also famous for its salt springs, which are used to treat heart and nerve diseases. It is Bad Nauheim after which the Nauheim bath is named. A Nauheim or "effervescent" bath is a type of spa bath through which carbon dioxied is bubbled. We walked around the Sprudelhof therapeutic bath "resort" and also marveled at the water filtration system in places throughout the city.

Filtration

On our way we stopped at a fruit/vegetable stand and got some delicious cherries from local trees. Am looking forward to some local-grown apples real soon, too. And we got to have lunch in yet another little local market-grill. A family business where a month-old baby was there in her carriage and when she needed attention whoever was available at the moment took care of her! 

Visit to Trier and Moselle wine country

Last Friday, July 30 we took a day trip to the Moselle wine area and the oldest town in Germany - Trier - settled by the Romans in about 16 BC. The bridge pictured was built starting in 16 B.C. and still in use today - now that is solid construction!! The town gate pictured, called Porta Nigra, is built of colossal, weathered sandstone blocks. Trier is also the home of the founder of modern socialism, Karl Marx. Constantine's Basilica, whose interior is the largest single room to have survived since antiquity, sits unfinished; and the imperial baths which were part of the largest bathing complex in the Roman empire can also be explored below ground. We enjoyed food and entertainment in the Altstadt (old city) square, a bus tour, and then a drive through the Moselle wine country, with a stop in Ediger for a sample!!

Groundwork Ministries Mission Team Trip

Since June 30, we have been with Groundwork Ministries Mission Team - 5 youth from AZ, 1 from MN and our daughter, Robin - doing various activities around Germany. They arrived in Frankfurt and stayed with 4 host families from June 30 until July 4. On July 1 we all went to Vogelsberg and rode on the Sommer Rodelbahn (sleds on a track down a hill), toured the town of Kronberg and had French Flammkuchen and salads followed by our daily devotion in a city park.

Early (6:30 a.m.) on July 2 we helped serve breakfast at a downtown Frankfurt "soup kitchen" and also helped them stuff envelopes for a mailing. We gave the group a quick tour of the center of Frankfurt. The team then met some youth and advisers from our church here, played games, went for pizza and then out on the town in Frankfurt.

Saturday, July 3 we spent time in the morning with our host families and then joined some young people from our Frankfurt church at an Irish Pub to watch Germany play in the World Cup (beat Argentina). In the evening one of the host families hosted all of the families and kids for a BBQ at their house. Thanks Petersons.

Sunday, July 4 the team led the children's message in our worship service and then took about 10-15 kids out for a time of singing, kid's worship and crafts. After a nice coffee time following worship we all boarded a train to Wittenberg in eastern Germany. Our train was delayed for about an hour due to a car which had rolled over onto the other set of tracks. Since we happened upon this accident first, we had to stop while police and Deutsche Bahn officials investigated. Thankfully no one was hurt. After arriving in Wittenberg we checked into the youth hostel and then headed immediately to our favorite restaurant, the Kartoffelhaus (a place frequented by Martin Luther himself)followed by some Eis (ice cream). Since it was July 4, we celebrated a little with sparklers on the street in front of the Castle Church, while trying to avoid being eaten alive by mosquitoes!

Monday, July 5 we toured Wittenberg and did a little souvenir and take-home gift shopping before boarding the train for Berlin. We had another "train incident", this time a delay in leaving due to a medical emergency with one of the passengers. We checked into our wonderfully air-conditioned hotel and then headed to dinner and a stop at a wonderful Chocolate Shop.

Tuesday, July 6 we met up with an American pastoral intern at the American Church of Berlin (ELCA) who took us on a wonderful tour of Berlin - the "bombed out church", a portion of the wall, Brandenberg Gate, and Checkpoint Charlie. For the 3rd day in a row we had a train issue - this time we missed our train (by about 15 seconds!!) due to the bus taking us to the train station being 15 minutes late!! Therefore we arrived at our Kindercamp destination of Verden (south of Bremen) about an hour and a half late. They had a bonfire with roasted marshmallows, roasted bread and other snacks waiting for us when we finally arrived at the church.

Wednesday, July 7 was planning day with the German team for the 3 day Kindercamp in Rotenberg (Wumme). What an awesome experience it was to see how the two groups, from two countries with different languages, worked so well together - all in Christ's name. Their youth and host families were amazing as far as hospitality and having fun (cherry pit spitting contest)and working together. In the afternoon we had a tour of Verden and then a "Kaffee and Kuchen" picnic on the banks of the Aller River in Verden. That evening the American youth went with some German youth to the public viewing of the World Cup match which Germany lost to Spain. They had an awesome time, though. The 3 "old-people" on the team watched the game in the quiet living room of the pastor's home!!

Thursday, July 8 Kindercamp started with 24 kids (none from the church - what an amazing outreach!) at 10:00 a.m. and ran until 3:30 p.m. In the morning we had a lesson based on the parable of the Hidden Treasure, skits, songs (German and English), games, and snacks (fruits and vegetables, not sweets). After a delicious lunch we played more games, did some teaching of English with games, and also had a baseball clinic - teaching the basics of catching, fielding and hitting. The kids loved the baseball!! That evening we went by train to Bremen where we got a tour of the city and had a great German meal of brats or Flammkuchen at an outside eating area.

Friday, July 9 was another day of Kindercamp, this time with the theme of the Lost Sheep. All the while we were in Verden/Rotenberg the temperatures were well into the 90's and the humidity must have been around 60% - unusually hot for them. They don't have air conditioning so needless to say, everyone was very worn out from both the activities and the heat. Friday evening we went canoeing on the Aller River - went about 12-14 km (about 8 miles) - stopping mid-way for a sandwich-and-apple dinner on the shore. We had 3 canoes for the 23 of us and had lots of fun singing Christmas songs, English songs, German songs - and of course, splashing each other.

Saturday, July 10 dawned another bright sunny day (we were praying for clouds!). The theme for this day was the Prodigal Son. Skits and mime skits were done by the Germans and Americans to reinforce the story. The kids fell in love with the "Woot, woot" song (Blessed Be), "Stand up, Sit down", and another silly song with lots of actions. In the afternoon we went to the school a few blocks away and played a little baseball "scrimmage". We modified the rules quite a bit to allow all the kids the opportunity to bat, run bases and field. Some of them caught on real quickly (like Pastor Christoph who got 2 home runs!!) and some will need some more practice. Sunday evening we had a great BBQ at the church, breaking up in plenty of time to get back to Verden so the youth could go to the public viewing of the World Cup 3rd place game which Germany won.

Finally on Sunday morning we got our clouds - and a little sprinkling of rain!! Pastor Christoph was totally astounded at the number of people (70) who attended the worship service, including 10 kids from the Kindercamp and their families! It was an inspiring bi-lingual worship service with the kids participating in various ways - singing, mimes, and reading lessons. After worship was the first of several "meals" shared that day - lunch at church, waffles with powdered sugar after our evaluation meeting, pasta salad and vegetable-topped bread for dinner. The youth then went en-mass again to an older pub to watch the finals of the World Cup. What an experience they had watching 5 of the World Cup matches with their new German friends!!

Monday, July 12 we boarded our last trains to head back to Frankfurt where we had our final devotion and a snack as a group in our apartment before heading out to host family homes for one last night. The group then flew out on Tuesday morning, all arriving home safely and pretty well on time. As many of them wrote, it was a bittersweet ending to a God-inspired time together. We hope many seeds were planted and we now let the Holy Spirit do his work in the hearts and souls of all those we touched these past 2 weeks.

Picture captions (top to bottom, or right to left and then down - depending on your browser)
Sledding; Devotions in the park; Elsa, Karina, Kat serving breakfast; Frankfurt host families; Waiting at the train station in Frankfurt; Dinner at the Kartoffelhaus in Wittenberg; Standing in front of the Castle Church door with Luther's 95 Theses in Wittenberg; Brandenburg gate in Berlin; Kindercamp snacks; Planning Kindercamp; Cherry pit spitting; A house in Verden; Kaffee & Kuchen on Aller River banks; The team ready for the World Cup match; Kindercamp; Sponge-passing game; Singing; Baseball; Cooling off with feet in cool water; Worship in Rotenberg; Rotenberg church; Verden/Rotenberg host families