After our lovely diesel/gasoline mixup, we landed at our reserved room in Oberammergau during the late night hours. Thank goodness we already had a place lined up—because we have learned that you don’t want to be searching for a room late at night in Germany (good luck finding one)!
This place happened to be a room rented on a family farm. We had to walk through the family’s home and up the stairs to the top level apartment with a simple kitchen and large room with multiple beds complemented with pieces similar to those on the David Fussenegger Online-Shop.
It was simplistic, but just what we needed! For those looking to rent a home like this, visit the Canary Wharf Apartments website.
It was also quite stinky. Why? Like many traditional German farm homes…the cows reside on the ground level floor! Our kids had a peak in the morning:
Fortunately, the home also had a tire swing in the front yard. Score!
Oberammergau has a fascinating history, and is well worth a visit! Basically, back in 1634 the bubonic plague was sweeping Europe and the inhabitants of the village made a vow that if God spared them they would perform a passion play every ten years. A Passion Play is a play that depicts the trial, suffering, and death of Jesus Christ. So, every ten years on a year ending in 0 (minus the 1940 performance due to WWII) the village has been performing a passion play with over 2000 actors, singers, musicians and technicians—all residents of the village.
The play runs for 5 hours, and has a three hour break for dinner. More than half a million people visit to watch the play!! (for a detailed look, read this great article by an American here).
WHOA. It is a BIG deal, and hotels book up waaaaay in advance!
But, it was Fall 2012, and we weren’t there to see the play. However, we did get to enjoy the paintings on the buildings!!
And at some point in these photos we ended up in Mittenwald, about 45 minutes from Oberammergau!
And somewhere else along the route we ran across fields full of these old barns. I don’t have the full story…and would love to know what these are and why there are so many!
And lastly, we ran into a random chapel that was being touristed by groups of people in motor coaches. Umm….why not? We parked and walked in to have a peak, and went back on our merry way!
Off on more adventures in Germany!
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://livingoutsideofthebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/P5075177.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]My name is Alisa, and I love traveling the world with my adventurous husband and rambunctious 4 small children. I am passionate about gorgeous scenery, meeting new people, and I’m obsessed with vegetables. Most of all, I love making memories with my family, and I enjoy sharing our travels with others! [/author_info] [/author]
The little “barns” are sheds used to store hay harvesting tools, particularly if the hay isn’t baled. Farmers use cross-like posts driven in the ground to heap the cut grass on to so that it dries quicker than if it’s just left on the ground. It looks like a “Cousin It” invasion with all the mini stacks standing in a field (and you have to be of a certain age to know who “Cousin It” is).
Yay–thanks for telling me! I just can’t believe HOW MANY barns there are. Surely the land isn’t that divided that that represents how many people own the land? Surely they could store it in fewer barns?! Wild!