It was a short drive from Oberammergau to the village of Bad Kohlgrub. There, at the base of Hörnle Mountain, Marcus delivered Vicki and me to the Hotel Shillingshof. We pulled our rollybags out of the bus and waved goodbye to Marcus and the driver.
Water puddled here and there but the rain had stopped.
Houses and businesses were as neat as pins with beautiful Bavarian-style woodwork. Signage pointed out nearby hiking/cross-country ski trails. Just up the street was a ski lift.
Bad Kohlgrub and ski environs. Image from https://wepowder.com/en/hornle (accessed 6/19/2022).
The place catered to skiers, both downhill and cross-country.
A car pulled up the narrow street. We stopped. The car stopped beside us. Inside was a woman in uniform.
She leaned across the seat and began scolding us through the open passenger window, first in German, and then (since we were not responding appropriately), in English. Apparently the bus in front of us was not properly parked. I shook my head in protest. “I am not the driver.”
This didn’t seem to matter. A law was being broken and scoldings were in order. She continued.
“Ma’am, I’m just a tourist.” I interrupted. “We’re both just tourists.” This is not my guilt to carry.
She drew a deep breath. Then she issued a visible harrumph of disgust and wheeled away.
“What was that all about?” Vicki and I looked at each other as the car disappeared over the hill.
“Come on!” I hoped Marcus and the driver would dodge the harrumphing policewoman of Bad Kolgrub.
Hotel Shillingshof.
We crossed the street to the hotel.
The decor suggested that Hotel Shillingshof catered to the ski and spa community, and, occasionally, to the Oberammergau Passionsspiele crowd.*
We discovered from the desk that this was, in fact, the place where other EO guests were staying. We had come to the right place. We even had a room. We threw ourselves into it.
Refreshed after a shower and dinner, we went for a stroll in Bad Kohlgrub. The cool rural atmosphere was refreshing. We saw the skilift and the downhill paths cut through the woods. We stopped to look at a herd of feeding sheep. A bit further on we caught the sunset. The wet grass of the field had been flattened by this afternoon’s storm.
The Bavarian landscape is idyllic, traditional, and very Catholic. Folks here wear lederhosen and dirndls for real. They are proud of their roots and deeply independent. Some even call Bavaria the “Texas” of Germany.
We returned to the room for a good night’s sleep and an attempt to whip some jet lag. Tomorrow we would meet our fellow travelers at breakfast and depart for the Danube.
*Bad, in German, refers to a “bath,” “medical spa,” or by extension, “resort.” Many place names carry this sticker, such as Bad Kohlgrub or Bad Schandau. You might even say that in this part of the world a bad place can be a very nice place!
We will be returning to the Mediterranean in September of 2023. From the port of Athens, we depart for Ephesus and Patmos, then sail for the Holy Land. There, we disembark for day trips to Jerusalem and the Galilee. Following these experiences, we return to Greece, via ports in Cyprus—Limassol and Paphos—and the spectacular volcanic island of Santorini. Onboard lectures give focus to life in the biblical world. English-speaking guides will meet us at each port. We partner with Norwegian Cruise Line for a “mid-sized ship” with a “bigger experience.” For more details click the link here.