We were in Germany this summer and to this day, that is all we think about. From Munich through the Alps, the people were outstanding.
 
From the Global Pass, to travel First Class by train, to five star hotels and the best food ever presented, we were in paradise. There are many art galleries, museums and delightful hotels. Walking tours and beautiful beer gardens are required as a part of your day throughout Germany. 
 
One day we visited a wonderful little town called Prien, had lunch on the patio of the quaint little restaurant on the Lake and afterwards took a boat to visit Herrenchiemsee island and see the King Ludwig Castle, modeled after Versailles. On the way back we stopped for a quick look at the Chiemsee Outlet Store. Yes, they have fantastic outlets! From there we went to the Corbin Hotel in Freising, a Fung Sei Hotel. For the evening we had a walking tour of Freising and later a wonderful time at the Monastery dining with sandwiches and beer and talking about the fun of the trip so beautifully arranged by the Munich Tourism Bureau. 
 
The next morning it was off to Starnberg using our First Class Eurail Pass. Starnberg is a nice town with lots of shops and beautiful views of the Starnberg Lake. This town is a must! That afternoon we cruised to Berg and disembarked from the ship right in front of the Hotel Schlossberg. This was paradise overlooking the lake and our room had a private balcony, We also found the food in the restaurant some of the best in Germany. Just before dinner we went to the Votive Chapel and the Cross marking where King Ludwig was murdered or drowned. There is still a question concerning his death these many years later. 
 
The next morning it was back to Starnberg to catch the train for Nuremberg. My friends, this is my kind of town! Our guide, Tom, was so well versed that the history exploded while traveling with him around the City. From the Nuremberg Court House, a visit to St Johannes Cemetery, a neighborhood Baroque Garden and more, we were ready to move. Our hotel was the famous Lowe’s Hotel, privately owned by one of the nicest gentleman we had the chance to meet. Mr. Lowe on arrival offered champagne and we knew he was a "first class man!" 

After checking in we headed for the Documentation Tour and a tour of the Castle in Old Town. After having drinks and dinner in a delightful Italian Restaurant (and we are in Germany), we went to this marvelous upscale nightclub in Nuremberg and had coffee.  What a night! There is never a dull moment in Nuremberg!
 
The next morning it was off the Regensburg. Tim, a professor at the college, met us at the train and we headed to the Hotel Alstadt. He led us on a walking tour of the town and told us about the Dampfnudel, a warm desert topped with vanilla cream. Delicious!  From the Sausage Kitchen we had a wonderful cruise up the river and dinner at a Biergarten in the evening. This is a picture perfect town with many tourists. It was recently added to the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage cities.
 
The next day we were met at the train Station in Passau by Josefa. Is there anyone more hospitable? Then it was off by car for the grand tour, including a short stop in Austria, which is only down the road. From there we visited the Saint Stephens Church and walked to lunch at the Rathskeller down on the waterfront,

That afternoon we cruised the river on one of the most beautiful cruise ships afloat today. Known as the "Crystal Cruise" it is a Swarovski adventure. From the bathroom to the chandeliers you will not believer the thousands of crystals made by the famous designer that sparkle on this ship. Make reservations today!
 
We were then off to our hotel the White Rabbit, a beautiful property right in the heart of the city. You can not find a better, more reasonable, more restful place in Passau to stay. Almost directly across the street you can find the Holy Spirit Restaurant.  Just beautiful! Covered in vines, it creates the ambiance of another world. It was the perfect place to top off a wonderful day.  You must try the famous wine of this restaurant!
 
The next morning it was off to Mittenwold. This was a rainy day and that seemed to make it all the better. We had lunch at the Hotel Appledorf and a wonderful walking tour of the facade paintings under our Munich umbrella's given to us by the Munich Tourist Bureau at the beginning of the trip. The highlight of the day was a tour of the Violin factory and a complete demonstration of how a violin are made, down to hearing it played by its maker Anton Sprenger. The night was free for "pizza" and taking beautiful sunset pictures of the town. Sleeping that night was not so easy as they were filming a German "Hollywood" film outside our window on the main street of town.
 
Morning again and the German Trains were on strike for two days, so we were picked up at the station by Gabriele Janetz and taken to our next stop, Garmish—Partenchirken. Garmish was the site of the 1936 Winter Olympics and it is a friendly, picturesque little village.

As the morning progressed we were taken to the Zugspitze. As we ascended by cable car into the Alps, we were told it is the highest mountain peak in Germany and it was beautiful. There was summer snow and you could really see why skiing in Germany would be spectacular. Peter, the cable car’s Technical Director took us into the control room where we got a detailed view of all the workings of the cable car and a history of the mountain. The views are the best you will find anywhere and this is another must on your tour. 

For lunch we were taken to the Zugspitze Hotel to dine with Caston and his wife Nicola. We dined in the garden, (something out of a movie), and had a tour of this wonderful property. Caston told us he had a surprise for us and led us through the door to a horse and carriage waiting outside to give us a tour of Garmish. Zed, our driver was a local and gave us all the history of the area. Don't forget their hotel, as it is right in the heart of the Garmish.

After the tour there was a short window of time for shopping and I put my running shoes on and off I went. The Christmas shop of Kathe Wohlfahrt is the best in Germany. They sell real German made products and not Chinese imports. You can order wonderful items from their website at www.kathewohlfahrt.com  Next we went to the visitor’s center, where they gave us beautiful copies of vintage Garmish travel posters.  

Our next stop was Murnau where we stayed at the five star hotel, the Alpenhof Murnau.  This is one of the finest properties in Germany. It is a business hotel that lends itself to just about every luxury available today. The rooms are large, well appointed and very quiet. As a matter of fact sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine listening to the breeze was a treasure.   
 
Our tour of Murnau included the lively marketplace, the Castle museum, the church and the Post Hotel where you can see the pewter knife and fork used by King Ludwig when he lunched there. We also visited the graveyard where Gabrielle Munter, the artist Paul Kadzinsky’s ex girlfriend, is buried. We then had lunch in the Alpenblick restaurant in Uffing overlooking a beautiful lake.
 
After lunch we had the  surprise of being taken to the town of Oberammergau, the home of the world famous Passion Play, where a tour in English had been arranged for us to go back stage to see all of the costumes, props and the photographic history of the production. Standing on that stage was a thrill, knowing the millions that have seen the play, and touching the cross and the crown of thrones will certainly make a difference in your life.
 
It was time to go back to the Alpenhof Hotel. We had dinner in its world class Hoffman’s Restaurant, where we met the chef, and had a delicious meal of lobster with avocado, quail stuffed with pigeon breast, and hibiscus mousse. Again, this property is absolutely beautiful, the food is phenomenal and worth staying their anytime, but especially if you are going to attend the Passion Play in Oberammergau. It is only 30 minutes away! The next production is in 2010 so make your reservations now.
 
In the late afternoon we boarded the train and traveled back to Munich and stayed in the Deutsches Theatre Hotel right in the heart of the City next to the Deutsches Theatre where we were lucky enough to grab hot tickets to see Max Raabbe and the Palast Orchestra. Talk about going back in history, Max styles the extravagant show with feelings of the 20s and 30’s using cameras, huge feather fans, and more. What a show!
 
After a good nights sleep we were off by train to the airport and the final moments in Germany. If you have not been in the Munich airport, you have missed one of the most unusual airports in the world. Everything is there from banks, shops restaurants, beer garden, its own brewery, and so much more. Even stranded there you would have a great time.  
 
From the Club Lounge to our Business Class flight back to the states with LTU Airlines, we were ecstatic. It was a blast. When you travel to Germany allow yourself at least two weeks You will be more than pleased with a planned itinerary that can be prepared by the  German Tourist Bureau. You will not regret one thing they tell you about Germany! GO! We have now discovered that you don't have to see all of Europe, but you MUST see Germany!