Our destination for the second week of this European vacation was Oberstaufen, Germany. This is a small town in the southwest part of Bavaria. Nestled in the mountains is a tourist destination for the local people. We stayed at Mondi-Holiday, a resort with chalet-type apartments. While tiny, they had all of the things we needed to be quite comfortable.
The English-speaking staff showed us the shortcut into town and since our stomachs’ were grumbling we immediately set off. The shortcut was all uphill and I was plenty grateful for the hours spent on a treadmill and at the track this past year. Atop the climb was a small town filled with a beautiful church and many nice places to eat. My favorite so far has been Spatzle mit Kase (a Bavarian macaroni with cheese).
We went to Mass on Sunday to a totally German service but since the Catholic service is universal I had no problem joining in. I even sang one song since I knew the melody. The service was accompanied by a choir with organ, violins, and timpani so it was quite lovely. The congregation was predominately older people and we were told later that the younger folk hold Christian values but do not care for a church that does not seem to fit in the 21st century.
This weekend Oberstaufen held a street market or neighborhood festival. Kiosks of food surround tables and a musical stage. We ate sausages, roasted chicken, french fries (which are huge in Europe) , roasted almonds and different kinds of cakes. I drank Apfelschorle (apple juice with fizzy water) while Mike sampled the local beers. The music was Bavarian what we might call oomph music. It made you want to swing back and forth which much of the crowd did joining in on refrains. The night ended with a five-piece Alpine Horn band (think Ricolla cough drops) which was peaceful and seemed to be the same song over and over. I enjoyed mostly watching the locals enjoy a favorite pastime.
