In Allgäu, we stayed in an apartment in Pfronten and skied nearby Breitenberg. Our first day turned out to be a little frightening, because of a thick cloud that settled on the mountain. At first, it wasn't too bad. We could still see the lift through the fog, and so we skied on the trails alongside it. But later in the afternoon, we lost sight of the lift. We could hear it but couldn't see it. That's when I decided to quit. Bob, on the other hand, wanted to continue, but since majority rules and the boys agreed with me, we went swimming instead.
We went to the Kristall Thermal Baths in Schwangau, home of King Ludwig II's famous castle, Neuschwanstein. It's actually in the photo behind the boys, but it blends right into the mountains.
We also crossed the border into Austria and skied Berwang. The boys liked it better because of all the jumps that were set up along the runs. Therefore, we ended up skiing Austria the rest of the trip.
Of course, we had to spend one day touring the area. We made a stop in Schwangau to get a better look at Neuschwanstein.
And near Steingaden to see the rococo Wieskirche, built on the site where a farmer saw his wooden statue of Jesus crying.
We also stopped in Oberammergau, a very touristy town in Bavaria famous for the Passion Play they put on every 10 years. Despite its commercialism, its a charming town with the facades of simple buildings painted to make them look baroque (Lüftlmalerei).
What will it be next year--Obertauern or Allgäu?
