The Events of Monday, July 11, 2011

                A nifty feature of our "Italian Villa in Bavaria" is its mechanized darkening shades. A simple push of a button moves these shades up or down. No clunky cords to pull or ear-rattling noise to hear. These blinds are also programmable, going up at a set time in the morning and coming down at a set time at night. The kids didn't think this feature very remarkable yesterday when the blinds went up at 7:15, and they didn't need to wake up until 8. However, today, the blinds served as the perfect alarm clock to wake the kids and get us going on our day.

                Tour guide Ben's plan for today was some driving along the Romantic Road to visit a famous church and then a famous town in Bavaria. The drive was pleasant. The kids read or watched the scenery. Luscious rolling green hills made one of the girls make a comparison to Ireland. Farmland made up most of the countryside with fields of corn and barley and pastures with a few cows with cowbells. I was intrigued by the architecture of the homes. Every chalet we passed, complete with window boxes full of flowers, seemed to be attached to a very large barn in the rear. It makes sense in winter to have the barn attached to the house, and avoid walking in all that snow. Very smart.

                After about an hour of driving we arrived at our first destination -- Wieskirche, Germany's "church the meadow". Legend has it that, years ago, a farmer was given a carving of  a beaten and whipped Christ as a devotional object. Then in 1738, supposedly the figure wept and the pilgrimage began. First housed in a barn, then in a small chapel, Wieskirche was completed in 1754 to provide an appropriate home for this weeping Christ and to accommodate all the pilgrims coming to pay homage. The church is ornate and very colorfully decorated, but does not distract the worshiper from worship. Instead the images focus on the positive side of Judgment day, that forgiveness is available to all who ask.

                As I stepped into the church, my first word was, "Wow!" It was hard to take it all in at first. In what has become an almost routine for us when we visit churches, we gathered in a tight knit circle around Ben and listened to him quietly read about what we were seeing and what unique features to seek out. That finished we separated to take photos and peruse the church at our own pace.

                Shortly after we went our separate ways, a group of about twenty older German women, gathered at the back of the church and burst into song. The song was hymn-like in structure and content and incredibly worshipful. I was able to translate most of the lines, and hearing those voices harmonically raised in prayer in such a lovely space was simply wonderful. We can't plan for experiences like these, but they keep happening to us. Often we will tour a church at the end of mass and hear the organ's postlude or hear a choir practicing or the organist running through some pieces. Our trip has been filled with these wonderful spontaneous musical moments. Moved by this moment, we exited the church to amble through the countryside and return to the car.

                Driving on, we came to the Eschelsbacher Bridge which arches over the Pöllat Gorge. Jim pulled over and let us out, so that we could walk across the bridge. He found a pull-out on the other side, parked and met us halfway across. Looking down 230 feet provides an interesting perspective.  At the end of our sight line, it appeared the river was running one way, yet under our feet it appeared to be running the other way. It actually looked like it was running uphill.

                Our next stop was not far. It was the quaint town of Oberammergau, known for the Passion Play it puts on each decade. Relieved to have escaped the Black Plague, the townspeople vowed that they would produce this play the first year of each decade and have done so since 1634. Even though we missed the 2010 performances, it was fun to tour the town. The entire town is similarly decorated. Frescoes with religious themes cover all sides of every building in town. Of particular note was the frescoed Pilat's House.It was here that we had hoped to watch woodworkers at work, but the schedule was changed and they do not work on Mondays. Undeterred, we toured several shops full of exquisite wood carvings. Most of it was very well done and also very expensive, but Abby found a necklace with a wooden cross with a cut-out of Jesus that was right in her price range.

                Our contract with our car leasing company calls for an oil change every 20,000 km. Having passed that mark, Jim has been on the lookout for a place to change the oil. We spied three possibilities on our way into Oberammergau and stopped by all three on our way out. However, it turns out that the Renault needs a special filter and therefore no one could help us today. We found a Renault dealership on our way home, but they were booked for the day. Guess Europe has not yet discovered Jiffy Lube.

                Jim and Ben dropped the girls at home and went in search of a Renault place closer to our home. While they searched, the girls and I enjoyed some down time. We took turns on the house's computer, read and played games. Soon the boys returned with news of some success. They had been able to make an appointment for an oil change for Friday. The only catch is that it will cost 150 Euros. Ouch!

                The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent relaxing, reading, blogging and playing games. The kids even pulled out some school work to get their minds in gear again. It feels like we have been on the go most of our time in Europe. There is so much to see and so much to do, so we need to plan in some breathers. Today was that welcome breath. Refreshed from our relaxing day, we headed to bed early. Tour guide Ben wants an earlier start tomorrow....6:30 am. Ouch!!