 1 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Today, we meet Rolf and Maria at their home in Neufahn. This is their neighbour's incredibly tidy house. The neatly stacked firewood looks as though it was cut with a laser. Also, different from us and Americans, German houses usually use the roof space; presumably, they don't need room for air-con ducting. |
 2 Sunday 27 June, 2010 We then drove with Rolf and Maria in their van via the C roads to Simsee and then turned south to Samerberg/Grainbach. The most noticeable thing for an Australian or American was that there was no decrepit farm machinery lying around abandoned and rusting - just neat window boxes full of geraniums. |
 3 Sunday 27 June, 2010 We stopped at a favourite restaurant of Rolf's called the Gasthof Maurer at Hochriesstraße 30, Samerberg/Grainbach |
 4 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Our young wives keep us young (at heart at least). |
 5 Sunday 27 June, 2010 The same two larrikins again. I ordered what I thought was bratwurst but got the same old pork, gravy and dumplings again that I had had for the past three days. I wanted something different, but it serves me right for ordering in German and not having the faintest idea what I was saying. |
 6 Sunday 27 June, 2010 This was a very pleasant place and the meals were very good as well. Notice the couple dressed in lederhosen and dirndl. |
 7 Sunday 27 June, 2010 This group played very soft Bavarian music - not Oompah - Oompah stuff for the tourists. |
 8 Sunday 27 June, 2010 It is a short 10 minute drive to Neubeuern very near the River Inn after which Innsbruck is named, |
 9 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Neubeuern (pronounced Noy - boy- rn) is a small tourist town with plenty of places to quake thirst and satisfy the inner person. |
 10 Sunday 27 June, 2010 I am sure they enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed theirs. |
 11 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Dominating the skyline is the Schloss Neubeuern. It is now a boarding and day school for girls and boys, providing education up to the Bavarian university entrance qualification. |
 12 Sunday 27 June, 2010 The castle's tower is called the bergfried or keep. The flag flies the blue and white colours of Bavaria. |
 13 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Fees at the castle are extreme. It costs a one-off fee of €1,800 ($2,500) 0n top of which a boarder pays €31,860 P.A. ($45,000) and a day student €13,800 ($18,000) P.A. |
 14 Sunday 27 June, 2010 This style of building decoration is called Luftmalerei (air painting). It is derived from the name of a house called the Zum Lüftl that was owned by Franz Zwink (1748 – 92) of Oberammergau who pioneered the practice. |
 15 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Luftmalerei images often have a religious or historical theme. The colours lasts for about three generations so some Luftmalerei are quite old. |
 16 Sunday 27 June, 2010 On this building, Christ is on this corner while the Virgin is on the other corner. The building is a museum and Information centre |
 17 Sunday 27 June, 2010 They really do wear lederhosen and dirndls. I really like them: they say "I'm proud to be Bavarian" (or Tyrolian as the case may be). |
 18 Sunday 27 June, 2010 We decide to walk up to the Schloss Neubeuern but it was too much of a climb for the ladies so I, regretfully, had to escort them back (terrorists you know). |
 19 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Behind the tree is the Parish Church Immaculate Conception. The Stangenreiter is an Italian restaurant. |
 20 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Rolf told an interesting story about the clock tower of the church. There are three holes in each face of the tower and at night fires would burn in combinations of the holes to create a message - that is, a binary code. |
 21 Sunday 27 June, 2010 We walk past the Parish Church to find sustenance, of which we were badly in need. |
 22 Sunday 27 June, 2010 As we had not eaten for at least an hour, maybe even 1½ hours, we stopped at Haschl's Cafe for refreshment. |
 23 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Jenni and Maria had a great chat in Germenglish. |
 24 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Wood carvings under the eaves. |
 25 Sunday 27 June, 2010 The lady who made these cakes was Brazilian and worked at the restaurant. It was one of the best cakes ever. |
 26 .Sunday 27 June, 2010 But sadly, she refused my offer of marriage. |
 27 Sunday 27 June, 2010 The Inn River is just the other side of the trees. |
 28 Sunday 27 June, 2010 We then found ourselves driving at high speed (for an Australian) on the autobahn back to Neufahn. |
 29 Sunday 27 June, 2010 The reason became clear when Rolf stopped the car in the middle of the village, jumped out and joined the locals in a tent set up to watch the soccer. Maria continued the drive home and immediately turned the TV on. |
 30 Sunday 27 June, 2010 Germany was playing England and they were ahead. From the excitement of the TV commentators, I thought Germany had already won but it was only half time. While I had a quiet snooze, Germany went on to win 4:1 (after which Rolf came home). |
 31 Sunday 27 June, 2010 During our conversation Rolf said that I was very serious and that I was probably a banker. Horrified, and to claw back some cred, I proclaimed my working class roots and a lifelong interest in cars, motorcycles, motor racing, aircraft and the US Mercury, Gemini & Apollo programs. |
 32 Sunday 27 June, 2010 He said that there was an aircraft museum in Munich that we should visit, to which I hastlily agreed. Meanwhile Maria darned my sock and then served refreshment consisting of home-grown Johannes Berries and pancakes. We also had hot chocolate with milk straight from the cow. Next stop: Zugspitze - Germany's highest peak |
