Kloster Andechs am Ammersee ~ September 26th

Sometimes there can be a bit too much of a good thing. Like hiking. I am not used to hiking this much two days in a row. But it is what we did, 1.) to save money but also 2.) because it was the only way to get to Kloster Andechs ~ a monastery that was a frequent pilgrimage destination in ages past and is known for its extremely strong beer. The only reconciling ~ and utterly wonderful, I might add ~ part to the entirely-up-hill terrain was the amazing trees along the very quiet forest trail and the view down into the city and the lake Ammersee. When we finally reached the cloister, we crowded around with other tourists to listen to a real Bavarian band play as a pair of newlyweds left the church under a shower of rose petals....a definitely unplanned surprise experience for us!! After resting our legs, we found the Biergarten nearby and tasted some of the monastery's excellent brew before heading back downtown by bus.

Since we had time to spare before our train came in, we decided to use the opportunity to go to the docks down at the Ammersee and *of course* get some gelato...and for me, buy 6 more postcards.....I think the postal system is going to get a nice look at my address this year, ha. It's a joke with my roommate and anyone else who knows about it in the group: Erin always buys more postcards than she can keep track of and postcard writing is always on the evening agenda for trips. I basically take my pen and letter-writing materials wherever I go now.....So! The lake was a pleasant change in scenery after all the mountains of yesterday and yielded plenty of wonderful pictures for my photo album. I have my personal favorites, but I hope you enjoy all the rest of them!!

~E.

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Pictures for this post: http://picasaweb.google.com/Smilegirlerin/KlosterAndechsAmAmmersee#