BAVARIA TRIP:  BERCHTESGADEN

WE THEN DROVE OVER TO BERCHTESGADEN.  THANKS TO CONSTRUCTION ALONG THE WAY, AND STAU (TRAFFIC JAMS), THE TRIP TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR LONGER, BUT THE SCENERY MORE THAN MADE UP FOR IT.

FIRST STOP, THE SALT MINES (SALZBERGWERK).  THIS WAS A NOSTALGIA VISIT, AS WE HAD VISITED HERE WITH CAROLYN AND EARLE IN THE EARLY 1980s.  NOT MUCH DIFFERENT, AND I DON'T THINK THE SUITS THEY HAVE YOU WEAR HAVE BEEN CLEANED SINCE.  NO HATS THIS TIME THOUGH.  

HERE WE WERE IN THE EARLY 80s

LIKE I SAID, IT HASN'T CHANGED MUCH, BUT WE SURE HAVlE.

PUTTING ON "THE UNIFORM" WAS A LITTLE TOUGH TO FIGURE OUT

THERE ARE SEVERAL SLIDES THAT YOU TAKE TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL.  GRANDMA DID VERY WELL!

AND OF COURSE, SOUVENIRS FILLED WITH SALT.  WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED, BUT SALT WAS A VERY PRECIOUS COMMODITY AND THIS SALT MINE HAS BEEN PRODUCING SALT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

MARK REMEMBERED THE LITTLE BOX OF DIFFERENT COLORED SALT CUBES THAT WE BOUGHT FOR HIM IN THE 80s.  BELOW IS THE PICTURE OF THE ONE HE BOUGHT HENRY THIS TIME.  HE CLAIMS THERE IS LITTLE DIFFERENCE.  WE DON'T REMEMBER ALL THAT, BUT WILL TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT.

A LITTLE ICE CREAM AFTER THE TOUR, ALONG THE RIVER THAT RUNS THROUGH BERCHTESGADEN.  UNBELIEVABLE SCENERY.

THIS IS OUTSIDE OUR HOTEL ROOM.  IT WAS NOT IN THE TOWN, AND COWS ARE GRAZING JUST BEYOND THE FENCE.  THIS HOTEL WAS SUPER.  THE KIDS REALLY ENJOYED THE SWIMMING POOLS, BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR.  I EVEN GOT IN THE WHIRLPOOL/HOT TUB FOR A WHILE.  HENRY GOT A FOOT MASSAGE!

SARAH AND MARK CONSULTED WITH TRIPADVISOR AND FOUND A GREAT BAVARIAN RESTAURANT RIGHT ON THE SHORES OF THE KOENIGSEE.  IT WAS JUST GETTING DARK WHEN WE GOT THERE, SO NO GREAT PICS OF THE LAKE, NEXT TIME...THE SMALL LIGHTS ACROSS THE WAY ARE IN THE DOCKS WHERE THEY STORE THE BOATS.

ANOTHER GREAT SCHNITZEL AND A GREAT BIER AS WELL.

BACK TO THE ROOM FOR A FEW DRINKS, AND THE KIDS PLAYED ON THEIR "DEVICES", I'M TOLD THEY'RE CALLED.  I'M NOT SURE WHAT MADDIE IS DOING UNDER THERE...

THE NEXT DAY WE BOOKED A PRIVATE TOUR OF OBERSALZBERG, WHERE HITLER AND HIS MAIN GUYS HAD HOMES AND LIVED WHEN NOT IN BERLIN, OR ELSEWHERE.  IT USED TO BE AN AMERICAN RECREATION AREA AFTER THE WAR, BUT, AFTER WE GAVE IT BACK, THE GERMANS HAVE TURNED IT INTO A VERY TASTEFUL "DOCUMENTATION AREA", AT LEAST WHAT IS LEFT OF IT.  WE WERE WAITING IN DOWNTOWN BERCHTESGADEN FOR THE TOUR.

WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE KEHLSTEINHAUS (EAGLE'S NEST) WAS STILL OPEN.  YOU HAVE TO TAKE A BUS UP A VERY STEEP AND WINDING ROAD TO GET TO THE ACCESS.  THERE IS A TUNNEL THAT GOES ABOUT 150 METERS TO AN ELEVATOR TO GET YOU TO THE TOP.  THE SAME ONES THAT HITLER AND GUESTS WENT UP.  WE HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE, BUT IT'S VERY BREATHTAKING.  MADDIE HELD GRANDMA'S HAND ON THE WAY UP ON THE BUS.

AS PART OF A PRIVATE TOUR, WE WERE ALLOWED TO SEE THE EMERGENCY POWER GENERATOR THEY HAD THERE.  IT IS THE ORIGINAL ONE, AND STILL WORKS, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT USED NOW.  IT IS A SUBMARINE MOTOR.  GERALD FICHTEL, I TOOK THE PICTURE OF M.A.N., FOR YOU...

HENRY WAS VERY IMPRESSED, AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THIS PICTURE.  THE TOUR GUIDE ALSO SHOWED US A COPY OF THE BLUEPRINTS FROM THE HOUSE.

EAGLE'S NEST FROM THE PARKING LOT BELOW.

WHAT A GREAT VIEW.

THERE ARE GATES NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE TUNNEL.  THE GATES ARE ORIGINAL.  THE HANDLES ON THE GATES WERE TAKEN UPON ITS CAPTURE BY THE AMERICANS.

THIS MARBLE FIREPLACE MANTLE IS IN THE MAIN DINING AREA.  IT'S HARD TO TELL, BUT AMERICAN SOLDIERS CHIPPED OFF SOUVENIRS.  THAT PRACTICE WAS STOPPED AFTER A SHORT TIME, SO IT WAS LEFT AS IT IS.

THE OUTDOOR AREA IS A PATIO AND NOW AN OUTDOOR RESTAURANT (WEATHER PERMITTING).  THE BIRDS LOVE IT.

MOM AND I WAITED FOR THE KIDS TO CLIMB A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE TOP.

BACK DOWN TO THE BUS, AND FURTHER DOWN TO THE DOCUMENTATION CENTER.

NORMALLY THE BUNKERS UNDERNEATH THE AREA ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.  THEY ARE EXPANDING THE DOCUMENTATION CENTER, SO WE COULDN'T GO IN.  OUR GUIDE TOLD US THAT THEY FOUND AN UNEXPLODED BOMB NEAR THE BUNKER THE WEEK BEFORE WE WERE THERE.

THE ENTRANCE TO THE DOCUMENTATION CENTER.  LIKE I SAID, IT IS VERY TASTEFULLY DONE, DOCUMENTING THE PAST, BUT NOT GLORIFYING IT.

HERMANN GOERING'S HOUSE USED TO BE NEAR HERE. NOW IT IS A MODERN HOTEL.

THIS IS HOTEL ZUM TURKEN.  IT HAS BEEN A HOTEL FOR A VERY LONG TIME.  IT IS VERY NEAR THE BERGHOF, WHICH IS WHAT HITLER'S HOUSE WAS CALLED.  THE SS USED THIS HOTEL FOR BARRACKS, ETC., AND THE SMALL GUARD HOUSE WAS USED FOR JUST THAT.

THESE TWO PICTURES SHOW WHAT'S LEFT OF HITLER'S HOUSE, THE BERGHOF.  IT'S A RETAINING WALL,  WHERE MOM IS STANDING WAS A LARGE ROOM WITH A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE VALLEY BELOW.

THIS SMALL BUILDING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN, IN TOWN, WAS THE MAIN GUARD HOUSE.  ANYONE GOING UP THAT MOUNTAIN HAD TO PASS THROUGH GUARDS LOCATED HERE.  IT'S EMPTY NOW, BUT RECENTLY WAS A SMALL BUSINESS.

THAT EVENING WE HAD DINNER AT THE HOTEL.  THEY ALSO HAD A WOLPERTINGER; THEREFORE, THERE HAS TO BE A PICTURE OF THE WOLPERTINGER.

WE LEFT BERCHTESGADEN EARLY IN THE MORNING.  THIS WAS THE RECEPTION AREA OF THE HOTEL.  IT DOESN'T DO THE HOTEL JUSTICE, AS IT WAS A GREAT HOTEL, AS MOST PEOPLE ON TRIPADVISOR RELATE.  

NEXT STOP, MUNICH, AND DACHAU