The drive to Lermoos took a long time. Our side trip to Fuckersberg took us off course. Then we had to stop for gas and a potty break, happily at a truck stop instead of on a snake’s nest. We got back on the autobahn and headed west. The route took us through Munich. I was getting hungry and suggested that Bill just park somewhere so we could eat. He was in a hurry to get to Lermoos, though, because he had a paper due for an online class he’s taking. The slow Internet at the Moorhof, and the beer spa, had sort of distracted him, and he needed to get to our next hotel so he could get his work done.
As my blood sugar dipped, I became more fatigued and annoyed. Bill could tell. He looked at me and could see my facial expression darkening by the second. But we were stuck in slow moving Munich traffic; then he made a couple of wrong turns. I commented that Munich reminded me a little of Charlotte, North Carolina, for some reason… not that I think Charlotte and Munich look alike. It was more the traffic than anything else.
Anyway, the Munich traffic sucked. My mood was souring. Bill was nervous and irritated. He programmed the GPS to find us a restaurant. He got off at some exit not far from Munich and the first gasthaus he got to was closed. In frustration, he started cussing, which for some reason annoyed me. I guess I don’t mind when he does it casually, but when he’s annoyed and swearing, it bothers me for some reason, especially when I’m “hangry”. So I told him I’d just eat chocolate… or he could find me a McDonald’s or something that doesn’t close on Sundays or have a “pause”.
Then, just as he was about to turn onto the road taking us back to the autobahn, I spied a busy looking Italian restaurant called Ristorante Il Brigante. What a God send that place turned out to be! Bill pulled into the parking lot. We walked into the restaurant and were immediately seated on the very busy covered terrace outside. The people next to us had little kids and while I normally like kids, I was in a shitty mood. They were playing Uno and I was secretly hoping I’d either get some wine and bread pronto or they’d finish up and move on.
This was waiting for me when I got back from the bathroom. Bill rocks!
By the time I got back from the ladies room, Bill had ordered a half liter of primitivo and San Pellegrino. The folks with the urchins had left and I tried to figure out what I’d be having for lunch. I might have chosen one of the specials had I had the chance to read the whole board, but as it turned out, I had spaghetti carbonara. Bill had pizza. All the waiters were Italian and the one who took care of us was very charming. He walked around singing.
Heart attack on a plate! But it was delicious! I probably should have had something with more protein, though.
Bill enjoyed his pizza. I have to admit it was very good.
I took this picture wanting to capture the cows in the field right next to the patio… I caught something else instead…
If you look at the above photo over Bill’s right shoulder, you might notice an interesting looking man. I didn’t see him at first, until I had gotten over my “hanger”. The guy sitting behind Bill is apparently a Buddhist monk. He was with a young German woman who seemed absolutely enchanted by him. I watched the people at the table give him a pair of what looked like hand knitted green socks. He bowed and smiled and, I have to say, he had the most peaceful and gentle countenance I’ve seen on a person in a very long time. Just looking at him put me at ease.
I mentioned it to Bill who explained what he knows about Buddhism. I still don’t know much about it, but I was really moved by his presence and how kind and decent he seemed to be. It’s not often you run into someone with such a peaceful and pleasant aura. He seemed like a very special person just by his manner. I didn’t even speak to him, but his body language said enough. I forgot my initial annoyance and relaxed, truly inspired by just watching the monk interact with his companions. He left before we did, with the German woman who seemed so enchanted by him.
Edited to add… My German friend, Susanne, says that the monk is Toyoshige Sekiguchi from Japan. He is rather famous and is currently a guest at a farm in Hohenschäftlarn, which is the town where the restaurant where we had lunch is located. It turns out the reason I thought the monk was so peaceful is because his life’s work is all about promoting peace and nuclear disarmament. Of all the places we could have eaten… How amazing.
After lunch, we had a round of espresso and some heavenly tiramisu…
Bill paid the check and we got back on the road. I put the top down on the Mini and we headed south. I love watching the Alps as they rise on the horizon.
First awe inspiring look at the Alps…
As we continued driving, the beautiful weather turned to clouds and the temperature dropped. And… I had to pee again. So we pulled off the road and I found another wooded spot. We put the top back up and headed into Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is every bit as pretty, touristy, and crowded as I remembered from our last visit in 2009. We passed the Edelweiss Lodge and got on the beautiful road through Tirol that we used to drive on the way to Edelweiss. Lermoos is really not far from Garmisch, so we were soon at the Zugspitze Silence Sporthotel, a very quaint and traditional hotel offering great views of the mountains.
The view from our room…
Bill enjoys it…
I took a bunch of pictures because the mountain kept changing as the weather did…
Horses grazing peacefully outside the window…
I entertained myself taking pictures while Bill worked on his schoolwork. Later, we had beer for dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was then that I noticed yet another tourbus in the parking lot. The hotel was hosting a large group of seniors, one of whom was having a birthday. The very organized leader of the group led everyone in a German birthday song that I had never heard before. It was kind of cool. They all seemed to be having a great time, though I did feel a little like I had stumbled into a Hoveround convention.