Winter Wonderland-Ready to move there

Birthdays are a happy occasion to me.  I am personally VERY happy to age (I may change my mind later in life) but, to celebrate life in my family is enjoyable.  This is a new concept to Ryan.  Last year I "dragged" him to Disney, made him get a Birthday button-pin and every Disney employee said Happy Birthday to him.  I thought it was hilarious, and a chance for us to be and act like kids.  Who wouldn't find that fun.  This year I let him decide want he wanted to do.  It didn't take much thought or talking into.  SKIING!!!!  Ryan had such a blast in Switzerland that he wanted to go again...and soon.  We had heard to much HYPE about Garmisch ski area.  Ryan had gone when he was a little boy and his parents loved the location.  Many friends of ours here and abroad have mentioned how wonderful the area is no matter what season.  After living in Florida for 8 years, I was more then ready to wrap myself in snow and the splendor of it. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

Ryan and I planned to leave on Friday and luckily his work was released early due to road conditions...it was a LONG, WHITE-KNUCKLED drive, but we made it to Garmisch late at night.  Even from driving in along the mountains and the switchbacks, you could see the twinkly lights of the two villages.  Garmisch and Partenkirchen were once two separate villages before WWII.  

Thanks to WIKI:Garmisch and Partenkirchen remained separate until their respective mayors were forced by Adolf Hitler to combine the two market towns in 1935 in anticipation of the 1936 Winter Olympic games. Today, the united town is casually (but incorrectly) referred to as Garmisch, much to the dismay of Partenkirchen's residents. Most visitors will notice the slightly more modern feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled, cobblestoned streets of Partenkirchen offer a glimpse into times past. Early mornings and late afternoons in pleasant weather often find local traffic stopped while the dairy cows are herded to and from the nearby mountain meadows.

We stayed in Garmisch proper and had a fantastic meal one night in Partenkirchen.  Both villages are unique in their character, but wonderful in their own ways.  

I had no intention of skiing on this trip as I just wanted to relax, walk, and explore the area I had heard so much about.  

Here are a few photos for you to see of the area...

The two pictures above are from our view of the mountain at our apartment...which was down the street from ski lifts and opposite the downtown Garmisch area.  We walked almost everywhere.

Alpspitzstrasse neighborhood...AWESOME!

Walkplatz of Garmisch...they had the coolest Christmas Market with awesome Gluhwein and Yodeling....

I did some window shopping.  This store was VERY expensive traditional bavarian garb.  You could even design and pick out fabric for a one of a kind dirndl

View from downtown

Vanilakipferle cookies my Nana used to make

BIRTHDAY BOY!!!!

Our drive back to reality...BOOOO!

Restaurant we ate at in Partenkirchen.  Traditional Bavarian in every sense of the way.  Reminded me of German Park back home.  Great food...pork knuckle, bavarian filet of pork beef and turkey along with spaetzle and green beans and bacon.  Delic!

Ryan was always fascinated with my maiden name DUNKEL...being German in it's own way, he was curious to know where in Germany my ancestors are from.  He did a little background work and found out that we are from Southern Germany, otherwise known as Bavaria.  I couldn't be more happy about that region.  Unlike our region we live in now, southern Germany if filled with warmth and kindness with their people.  The food, beer and pastries are to die for and the scenery is self-explanatory.  It turns out they have a DoDDS school here, so I am now on a mission to get a job teaching there when Ryan gets out of the AF next year.  

I met an American woman from Colorado who married a German man and has a "german" son who lives in Garmisch.  She has been here 17 years and doesn't consider anywhere else home and I can't say that I blame her.  Maybe I have biased eyes now for the Bavarian area, but each time we have traveled to S. Germany, we love it.  Maybe it is our calling, our future...who knows.

What I do know, is that we will be back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  I will ski the Zugspitz, ice skate at the Olympic stadium (1936 winter games), eat black forest cake and learn how to do bavarian dancing in my custom dirndl get-up.  For those of you reading this and planning your European vacation...this area is a MUST!  Central to Austria and Switzerland...even Lichtenstein...you can have it all!

Bavaria...I will see you soon!