Chiemsee Trip, south of Munich, biggest lake in Bavaria

How are you doing? I’m doing fine. I can’t believe I have been here for 2 weeks now and it seems like all I’ve done, besides work from 8-5, is shop and eat. It is still white asparagus season here and many of the restaurants offer various asparagus dishes, so I made it my mission to try as many as possible. Fresh asparagus with butter, boiled potatoes, and pork roast, asparagus lasagna with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and light sauce, sweet asparagus soufflé, and so on.

This weekend we took a little day trip to the Chiemsee, just south of Munich (München) near the German Alps. The drive was beautiful and took about 2 ½ hours. We stopped several times on the way and finally arrived by 12 (original take-off time was 7 am). Once we found parking, we followed the crowd to the boat dock, purchased ride tickets, and got in line for the first part of the trip. The Chiemsee is the biggest lake in Bavaria and is known for its 2 major islands (Herreninsel and Fraueninsel) where King Ludwick the II built one of his many palaces. The one we saw was on the Herreninsel (gentleman’s island). It was very lavish and I took some (unauthorized) pictures of the interior. (Turning off the flash drastically reduced the sharpness of the picture, but you get the idea.)

King Ludwick II Palace on Herreninsel at Chiemsee

Foyer to King Ludwick II Palace at Chiemsee

After the giant palace we got back on the boat and stayed there until the end of the ride (anchoring at Fraueninsel and the tiny city of Gstad). The weather was gorgeous and the wind felt great. The lake was beautiful and in the distance we were able to see some snow topped mountains.

Before leaving we stopped to eat (again) and I had a wonderful pork roast with potato dumpling and cabbage salad. For dessert, a piece of cheese cake with pears. J The drive home was a piece of cake. Most of the trucks had disappeared and traffic was really light. I got to drive an average of 130 km/per hour, which is right around 80 mph. We got home by 9 pm and I happily went to sleep (thinking of all my family and friends in the United States). J

King Ludwick II - private bed chamber - Herreninsel Palace

Today I think I will take it easy and enjoy Mothers’ Day in a quiet setting by myself. I am saddened that I am unable to celebrate this day with my mom, and I have decided to visit Ljubljana, Slovenia (former Yugoslavia) on Memorial Day Weekend, if possible. This will give me the opportunity to visit my mother’s birth place and go back to the country my mother thought she was unable to reenter, once she was displaced during World War II (she feared that she wouldn’t be able to leave)