Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany

Fay Weaver said this place was "beautiful," and she is soooooo right! 

Here in the German Alps, we found --

beautiful parks with scenic backdrops,

extensive gardens in the downtown city district, and

friends from home! 

1936 Winter Olympics

The 1936 Winter Olympic Games were held in Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany. Beside this meadow are three ski jumps with the oldest, used in these Games, being on the left. The newest one (on the right) was completed in 2007. So who wants to take up ski jumping?

Inside the Olympic Stadium, statues grace the walls and miniaturize visitors. 

We rode a gondola to get a different perspective on the stadium. Imagine this site with 45,000 spectators, a foot of snow, and expert skiers -- not to mention the hot chocolate, mulled wine, and a pretzel or two.

 

Fourteen minutes later we were atop the mountain and gazing toward a small brown building on the opposite hillside. This was King Ludwig II's hunting lodge, an idyllic escape. Tourists can visit today.

Jestetten, Germany: Our New Digs

For the next couple of weeks we are living in Jestetten, Germany, 

a rural community 

where fire hydrants receive artistic attention --

colorful flower boxes adorn old buildings;

country paths lead past deer blinds; and

the Rhine River features Europe's largest waterfall. 

And this is a bike ride from our new digs!

A Day in the Sun

A visit into what Shakespeare called "The Green World." This is the Sihl River after several days of heavy rainfall.

A Swiss farmhouse with house, goat, laundry on an outdoor line, and a satellite dish.

A bridge across the Sihl -- Adventure awaits.

Front yard decor. "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!"

Grossmunster and The Reformation

At age 33 Huldrych Zwingli in the 1500s initiated the Reformation in Switzerland as Martin Luther had done in Germany. Down came the Roman Catholic paintings and statues: simplicity supplanted the ornate. Zurich became a religious center.

This is Grossmunster which was founded in the 9th century by Charlemagne on the site where three martyrs, the patrons saints of Zurich, were thought to be buried.  Charlemagne's statue graces this tower.

The church's statuary surprises contemporary visitors who expect religious figures and discover musicians, horses, and even a two-bodied creature instead. 

Voila!

A Tribute to the Rev. Ed Raynis

"God made the beasts of the earth after their kind,...and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good." - Genesis 1:25 (Everything -- including the snakes!)

"O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?

He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, 

and speaks truth in his heart."( Psalm 15: 1-2)

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,..." (Matthew 28:19a) 

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 38-39)

Yesterday Roger and I took a train to St. Gallen, a town whose founding dates back to the 600s AD. Known for its Abbey Library with manuscripts going back to 300 BC and an authentic Egyptian mummy, guests don special felt slippers to see these treasures.
The textile industry was a thriving business in 18th century St. Gallen. 40,000 women worked from home embroidering cotton and muslin. Embroidering machines expanded this industry and by 1913 "embroidering was Switzerland's largest export industry, with St. Gallen accounting for around half of the entire world production of textile" (The ROUGH GUIDE to Switzerland). This is St. Gallen's Textile Museum which was showing a special exhibit called "Secrets" and billed "For Women Only." We did not visit -- but were tempted.
The Euro Soccer Tournament is over. Spain proved victorious but not so the nine bigger-than-life soccer players in Zurich's Central Train Station. Isn't there a proverb that would be an appropriate caption here?