Innsbruck, Austria, Another Castle and A Tyrolean Entertainment "Experience"

Hey everyone!  I hope you're still with me on this tour.  I've been kind of knocking out the posts this week, so I can get back to some of my normal blogging.  This has really been fun, though, to share this experience with you.  After our "workout" to view King Ludwig's castle, we enjoyed some z's as we made our way into Innsbruck.

The Man and I immediately took off on a "mission" to buy me a new flat iron.  We were convinced mine had been fried in our last hotel (electrical hookups are a subject for another post).  We were very comfortable walking the streets here.  You can see just how clean it is!  Long-story short, I 

found a good, European flat iron (now I have one for next time).  Good hair, happy me!

This was a Hilton Hotel -- adequate but not fancy.  We were at the end of the hall, & there was a balcony 2 steps from our door.  This.......

more than made up for the room!

Also this view......the Austrian Alps!

On our before-mentioned excursion, we were also looking for a grocery store.  You know, for the usual supplies like wine and munchies!

  We walked past this store twice before we realized it actually was a grocery store.

It really looked more like a night club, all shiny and sparkling, and with a mirrored ceiling!

Okay, this is the last one, I promise!  It was just so clean and sparkly!

We had a good night's sleep and were ready to go on another tour today.

Again having to resort to postcards, because we were getting a lot of this.

Anyway, I'm sure most of you have heard of The Passion Play, but in case you haven't, here is Wikipedia's explanation:  The Oberammergau Passion Play was first performed in 1634 and is the result of a vow made by the inhabitants of the village that if God spared them from the effects of the bubonic plague then sweeping the region, they would perform a passion play every ten years. A man travelling back to the town for Christmas had accidentally brought the plague with him. The man died from the plague and it began spreading throughout Oberammergau. After the vow was made, not another inhabitant of the town died from the bubonic plague and all of the town members that were still suffering from the plague recovered. The play is now performed in years ending with a zero, as well as in 1934 which was the 300th anniversary and 1984 which was the 350th anniversary (though the 1940 performance was cancelled because of the intervention of the Second World War). It involves over 2000 actors, singers, instrumentalists and technicians, all residents of the village.

  

Most of the little town is painted like the one above, depicting fairytales.

Amazing!

We only had about thirty minutes to poke around in some of the little shops, but I can be a "power shopper" when the need arises!  Lots of wood carving, which was very interesting to The Man.  Too bad I think those antlers are just gross, because this shop had a bunch, or maybe a herd!

I've always loved these, but I didn't buy.  I did get some cute wood-carved Christmas ornies -- just have to wait to see them at Christmas time!

This is Linderhof Palace, another one of King Ludwig II's creations.  This was his summer home, but it was also his favorite.  The outside might lead you to believe it was a more modest abode, 

but think again........

There was no inside photography allowed, so I scanned these from a small book we bought.

If it could be incased in jewels and crystals and covered in gold, then King Ludwig II did it!

The grounds are spectacular!  The King had Linderhof built in a park that his father owned and used as a hunting lodge.  King Ludwig II remembered accompanying his father on these hunting events, so this is where he wanted to live. 

This fountain goes into action every half-hour, so we were all poised to capture the event.

I am lion, hear me roar!

This is a Moorish Kiosk that the King saw at the 1867 International Exhibition.  He bought it and had it moved to the grounds of Linderhof.

I hope no one has gone blind from all that glitz and bling, because we are back on the coach to Innsbruck, where we will dine on our own and then attend a traditional Tyrolean evening of entertainment and drinks.

 The evening's entertainment was provided by multi-generations of the Gondolf family.  But before we even get started on this event, I need to share something with you -- I am claustrophobic.  While I can usually control it through breathing, there are times when I feel an all-out panic attack coming on.    Our tour group was the first to arrive, and I was immediately concerned with how many seats had been packed into this room.  I felt more uneasy with every coach-load of people who came through the door.  My sweet hubby could tell that I was starting to panic and suggested we leave.  We were just going to take a cab back to the hotel, but Annette (tour guide extraordinaire) came to the rescue and gave us a table right in front of the doorway which had been reserved for any of the guides or coach drivers who wanted to watch the show.  I was okay as long as I didn't look back at the packed room.  Crisis averted, and The Man & I were able to enjoy the show.

Now you know what lederhosen looks like!

Everyone seemed to have multi talents.

This young woman played several instruments and danced.

She was also very pretty!

The accordion player always had the sweetest smile on his face as he played and watch the other members of his family do their performances.  I think he really enjoyed what he was doing.

The final curtain call.

While the evening didn't get off to a great start, it ended on a happy note.

Next stop is Salzburg -- think Julie Andrews!