Pilgrimage

BAVARIAN CROSSING

My vacation in the summer of 2008 came after personal events in the year of 2007/2008.

During some time I realised that I had to seek out some (real) freedom in the free air, rid of the city. Preferably some place untouched by human hand. My trip across the German alps lasted 40 days. It took me from Salzburg in Austria, crossing souther Germanys Bavaria from the east in its most furtile point, the alp foreland across to Bregenz in Austria.

I walked (mostly) the famous German walking route, the Maximillians weg, named after the last (ruling) Bavarian King in the 19th century, Maximillian II. But in the reverse direction towards the sunset. The route goes over most of the summits in the varied forest covered, initial alp landscape, ranging from 400-1900m over sea level. My pictures below are from the trip, reflecting the "original" art work in the world, the mountains, lakes and rivers, forests, colours of the sky etc. All by the "hands" ofGod, when he was thinking, in contrast to man, not really thinking, as for example the egomaniac Ludwig II's selfprojecting architecture (his castles Linderhof and Neuschwanstein), and Hitlers summerresidence Obersalzberg.

Eessay here

The route across Bavaria

about 450 km at foot in 40 days

Königsee, north side looking south

Towards “Steiniges Meer” in the National park of Berechtenesgarten, Königssee

Takita looking at the first encounter of the only real desert in Germany, the entry into “Steiniges Meer”(2200m)

Looking east into “Steiniges Meer”. It’s completely quiet, no people, only the howling of the wind.

Looking west up on the passage into “Steiniges Meer” where I almost lost my way, getting into a panic, as clouds suddenly were entailing us in cold fog, making it impossible to find the way forward. The labyrinth up here is dangerous often claiming deaths due to bad weather suddenly sweaping by with no warning.

Kennedy, no form of fear at all, on the contrary he surfed down numerous glaciers on his all four paws, barking happily.

Takita within the “Steiniges Meer” looking at the sunset.

Looking at the way out of the desert

Views towards north at the Königsee reservoire

same

on the eastern shores of the Königssee. Found an Inn on the way out of the nature reserve where the cows were being milked in the other room, and it was served by a 10 year old girl in traditional costume, who got so exited or confused seing me and dogs that she forgot all I ordered apart from milk for the dogs.

Leaving Berechtenersgarten facing the hillside looking east at the hill where Hitler erected his odd summer residence "Obersalzberg". In his latter years he spend up to 150 days a year there, planned to be sourrounded by residencies of his ministers Göring, Himler, SS troupers and a giant bunker system. The following images are to show the similarity with Ludwig II in their search to seperate them completely from their "subjects" taking refuge in the solitude of the mountains and spetacular views.

Obersalzberg pre 1940, historical images, looking west at the Watzmann, the town of Berechtenes garten in the background far out left

Looking norteast at the mountains

The panorama room after the rebuilding, with the famous view on the mountains

Watzmann, Germanys 2cnd highest mountain, passing it to the north

Tour offers in Bad Reichenhall. Very popular here.

Kaiser Wilhemls haus, an old inn in 1550m led by an old couple. I had pea soup, cake and a glas of milk.

On every summit in this region there a large cross on the rocks. This one a giant metal one. Not fitting in the camera.

Kennedy looks towards the west over the side towards Ruhpolding

Looking north-west at lake Chiemsee

Its a pretty religious down here, on a small hill in the next village these three art pieces. Art in this region solely consists of religious motives.

Taking a rest, a lot thinner

A tourist attraction, old church from 15th centur. Art as religious motives...

Wood work is pretty big in this region

Another Inn ("Alm") run by to old geezers. Not many dogs in this eastern region, only cats. They drive in the cattle them selves, taking hours to finish. There's always the same items on the menu. Plain bread and cheese being the standard, with the occasional Kaiserschmand, a kind of sweet omelette made of flour, milk, butter, sugar, eggs served with jam or apples.

Teegernsee the famous Brauhaus

My walking stick

Every small town in Germany has a WWI+II memorial with dusins of dead males

Typical historical facade in Chiemgau, notably the shudders. The flowers are elementary, an unavoidable element in virtually ALL houses in ALL Bavaria.

The river shores where I spend some nights. I showered in the ice cold rivers when the sun was out , waking up considerably.

Traditional costumes at cityfestival, biergarten opening, male dominated

Kennedy resting in some hay

Country side is very green. Grass is kept short by either cows or farmers machines to avoid avalances in the winter.

Arriving at Wachtelsee with crystal clear waters

Wachtelsee from the west looking into Austria

The thin path across ridges giving an occasional angst of falling

Zugspitze Germanys higest mountain

There’s a lot of cows in these parts, the west still have the traditional breed with big black round eyes. Theyre very curious when dogs are walking past but really peaceful always. We must have met several hundreds, perhaps thousands on the way.

Me, with more beard, waking up mostly with the sun every day at 6am. It starts to get light around 4.30 if its not cloudy

Ridges are very rocky and getting sharper between Linderhof and Füssen, a national park with thick forests and windy mountains. You see a lot of wild animals on these roads, all kinds. There were a lot of climbing in these parts, I had to help Takita sometimes. They manage amazingly to almost climb steep hilly sides. At this point they were hunting some "Gams" so I got out the camera. Mostly I avoided photographing as it was a disturbing element, but then again I wouldnt be able to show how it actually is: Noone these days care to listen to a keen description.

Takita resting in the grass overlooking the plain to the north

A note someone placed

Coming out of the nature reserve: The first glimpse of Schloss Neuschwanstein, one of Germanys most famous attractions

The river Inn, with a deep turkoise colour chaging with the rain to brown. I spent 3 days in a franciskan monastery. One night two owls were fighting on the top of the church screaming with almost human voices.

A sidestream to Inn in the valley leading into the Unterjoch pass, one of the walking roads leading into Austria. In the roman times there were only 2 wellused passes and trading routes: One of them Brennerwhere Hannibal walked over to enter Rome.

On the way to Unterjoch in Austria

Houses have scales in Allgau, almost all of them

On the ridge at the highest point in Schneidegg, Germanys sunniest cityin West Allgau.

First glimpse of Bodensee under the sunset

Finally at Bodensee at the Austrian side. When I arrived in the rain in Bregenz at excatly 9pm the last day of Opera Tosca was held, people pouring in. I realised that the stage set was the gigantic eye, also seen from the ZDF european soccer finals.