June 28, 2009

Written July 18

Friends and Families ,

Today we left Mittenwald Germany and drove south to let Henry see a different country. We started out with no more objective than to cross the border into Austria. Of course, from Mittenwald, that can be only about a 15 minute drive.

It took us longer because we took a back road. The view was pretty spectacular but, unfortunately, we can't share it in pictures because the road was narrow with no place to pull off. Take our word for it, when driving through these parts, use side roads to get a feel for how the Alps serve as a spectacular boundary between Germany and Austria.

	Once through the mountains and into the very flat Austrian farm land, we kept to side roads because we didn't want to pay the road tax required for the highways here. That's how we ended up going to the Inzing traditional costume ball -- or it seemed like a costume ball anyway.
	We pulled into the parking lot to join a stream of folks headed to a big tent up above us. It seemed like we were the only ones in modern dress with the local Inzingers wearing costumes right out of the Middle Ages.
Up in the tent, we could see that Inzingers know how to start a party -- eat and drink. We might have joined them, but there didn't seem to be a spare place for three and besides, we were feeling very foreign and chose to leave the Inzingers to themselves.
	Farther east in the inland valley, past Innsbruck, we stopped in the village of "Hall in Tyrol." The small central part of town was almost deserted but we can always find a church. This particular church was striking for its relics, from the glass library wall of skulls to the altar-adorning skeleton. Christianity has had some strange practices over the years!
	A few more pictures for Henry's Facebook page, a quick snack at an outdoor restaurant, and we were off for the return to Germany.

The drive back was as spectacular as the ride over but, once again, my picture selection doesn't do it any justice so I'll let you use your own imagination. Or, better yet, put a road trip from Mittenwald to Inzing and beyond in your own plans.

Tomorrow, Henry and I will cross again into Austria - walking. But that's another story.

John and Marianne