Happy 2013! It is very exciting to think that in less than two weeks we will be back home, catching up with family and friends, patting our beloved pets...and speaking only English! We have had a fabulous holiday, but as they say - there's no place like home.
Yesterday, we had a wonderful day. We drove briefly through Austria until we reached the rather large German town of Garmisch. Brett Jnr had found that Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a former Winter Olympic venue, was hosting the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and was keen to see if we could get tickets. Luckily, we managed to secure seats at the 2pm qualification round, which was fantastic. After walking for nearly 45 minutes through the town and across railway tracks and fields, we reached the Olympic stadium. A colourful, excited crowd waited under sunny skies for the spectacular ski jumps. We were not disappointed. Needless to say, the German jumpers were particularly well-supported. Music, a hot air balloon and cheers filled the air while big television screens and commentators kept the crowd up to date. Within an hour, the jumps were over - but what an hour it was! All I can say is, those ski jumpers are incredibly talented and fearless.
Last night, after celebrating the dawn of a new year at our local Gasthaus Hirsch,we came home before Brett and the children headed off again into Fussen for some more celebrations. We were told, "oh, yes, there'll be music and fireworks". Little did they know, all the fireworks would be set off by the hundreds of locals who brought along their own explosives! Still, the family said it was worth it and are all still in one piece!!
Today, of course, was a slower day and a much later start. We drove through some of the pretty nearby towns such as Kempten, Nesselwang and Pfronten. The weather is incredibly mild ( about 7 degrees celsius by day). Apparently, this is some of Bavaria's warmest winter weather in nearly fifty years.
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| The lovely tourist town of Garmisch |
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| Garmisch's McDonald's - "I'm loving it!" |
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| Statue in Garmisch |
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| Hotel Zugspitze, on our way to the Ski World Cup |
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| The daunting ski run, Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
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| Crowds excitedly await the start of the Ski Jump Qualification |
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| Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
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| Another safe landing |
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| Thrilling jumps at Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
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| Fearless |
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| Sean, Eloise and Brett enjoy the Alpine Ski World Cup |
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| Inspirational |
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| Crowds loved the excitement of the jumps |
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| A wonderful atmosphere under sunny skies |
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| Eloise, Brett Snr, Brett, Sean and Tricia welcome in 2013! |
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| Eloise and Brett Snr on New Year's Eve, Gasthaus Hirsch |
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| Driving towards Nesselwang, Bavaria |
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| Tegelbergbahn and Neuschwanstein Castle by night |
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| Ski instructors welcome in 2013 at Tegelbergbahn - above and below |
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| Traditional Bavarian music at Tegelbergbahn's night ski run |
Tonight, we drove back to Tegelbergbahn to watch the ski instructors do a special New Year nighttime run from the top of the mountain. Locals and friends sipped hot mulled wine and listened to traditional Bavarian music as the skiers descended, flares in hand. It was a perfect ending to our first day of 2013. Ein Gutes Neues Jahr! Tricia
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