Christmas Abroad

Although being away from family and friends is not easy during the holidays, the landscape here in Europe/Germany sure makes up for it.   Germany is a true winter wonderland in all forms.  Christmas markets, festive lights, snowflakes the size of golfballs…it is truly magical.  After spending Ryan’s Birthday weekend in Garmsich-Partenkirchen (Bavaria), we decided that we would return and “skip” Christmas.  The town(s) are simply charming here and it was a TOUGH decision.  NOT!  After arriving this past weekend, we checked-in and relaxed for our first night here to set  up our game plan.

The first true day in Garmisch was a bright and early morning of a true European breakfast spread…sausages, rolls, meats, cheeses, and not to mention the Prosecco to top it off.  Ryan has been on a skiing high…and has somehow managed to get me on board.  We spent Christmas Eve Eve skiing the Garmisch Classic, which is home to the ski competitions of the 1936 Olympics.  It was crowded with other families just like us taking time away during the holidays.    We had a yummy lunch and took pictures of the German Alps.  We did not ski the Zugspitz area, which for the record, is the highest peak in GERMANY. 

After a full day of skiing, we came back to ice and heat our aches and pains and have a glass of German wine.  For dinner that night, we took the advice of our Fraley friends and ate at the Freudenerhofer,  (sp?) which is along the cobblestone and painted buildings of Partenkirchen Village.  It was a nice Bavarian style eatery with mom and pop food.  Servers dressed in traditional garb of dirndls and liederhosen with beer steins lining the walls.   The goulash soup was fantastic…I nearly licked the bowl.  I had rouladen there, which if any of you know my mom’s recipe…would figure that it would be even better here in its’ homeland.  It was OK…but my mom’s is still WAY better.

On Christmas Eve we were even more adventurous.  We got up with the roosters and headed for Solden, Austria.  We technically drove to Hochgurgl and Obergurgl and caught the gondola up the glacier to ski.  The US Olympic Ski Team trains here…so, sure I could ski this just fine.    Let me just say for all of you average ski lovers like me…not wanting to risk your lives with jumps and cliffs…this is a wide-open ski terrain with a view to match.  We had the most fabulous time in this small ski town.  The people were more then friendly, the other vacationers were just as happy with their experience as we were.  We ate lunch at the top at hotel Riml.  Ryan finally had a good burger…something about Germany and burgers just don’t seem to do well.  I ate a lovely bowl of goulash soup to thaw out and a baked potato with garlic crème-Frisch.  YUM YUM YUM.  

We look forward to going back and staying at Hochgurgl (maybe on the mountain) because it was such an awesome experience.  I did earn a ski-snack (term for best wipe-out) when Ryan led me off-pist (off trail) and I found myself in deep snow…I was doing just fine (Ryan says it was ignorance) and then I started to feel the powder pull me down…just when I yelled “Are you crazy!”…bam….I fell face first into the deep powder.  Ryan couldn’t help but laugh…I threw out some of my sign-language and then I rolled around in the snow to make light of the situation.  It was a funny…had to be there type moment.

We had a lovely drive back along the Austrian/German Alps and got ready for dinner.  I stopped and bought more Vanillakipferls for my mom and aunts at Thron Konditorie and the ladies there were most helpful in booking us a reservation (hard to come by on Christmas Eve) at a local Bavarian pub called Braustuberl.  It is an old (still used) Bavarian music house.  Think accordions, knee-slapping dances and liters of beer with pictures of King Ludwig on the wall.

Ryan got the man plate…pork knuckle (don’t freak…it really is delicious over here), roasted pork loin and duck.  We sat at a table with a German family…you share tables at restaurants here to help offset the capacity.  I got pork medallions with mushroom gravy and spaetzle.  To top of the dinner…King Ludwig beer DUNKEL…yes…my maiden name is DUNKEL which stands for dark and HELL stands for light.  Ryan drank hell.  I was trying to save room for dessert which, was Bavarian cream topped with raspberry sauce which they heat up.  Needless to say, I was too full.  It was an awesome meal for the holiday evening.

Merry Christmas!!!  We woke up early to open our stockings, which made it all the way from Michigan and Colorado.  Ryan decided to go skiing at the Zugspitz while I was lazy and strolled around Garmisch.  My legs, arms, hands were all Jello from two days prior.  I was happy to have a day off.

Tonight we will celebrate Christmas by going to a local wild game restaurant called Wildshultz.  It reminds me of The Briarhurst in Manitou Springs, Co.  More to come on that meal.

We leave tomorrow for home, but continue our winter vacation travels with a trip to Paris, France for NYE and my Birthday.  Ryan is definitely spoiling me with these wonderful experiences, but as we talked on top of a glacier yesterday…we are making memories that will last a lifetime.