Alpen Caravanpark Tennsee

Tuesday 7th September
We left Schwangau and drove the very short distance to the Austrian border (it wiggles over and around the mountains). Getting across the border was painless, but a very sharp left turn immediately after a big river bridge took John by surprise but he skillfully manoevred the van around at a road junction. (Sat-Nav Susie was shouting 'turn around when possible', so he had no choice!) A few yards onto the right road and we came to a sign directing vehicles over 2.8 ton to divert to a weigh-bridge. A Belgian motorhome followed us. Well - we do weigh 3.8(!!) so thought we'd better, but it seemed that it was just commercial vehicles because we (and Belgians) were waved on. We thought we were in for a pricey surcharge for driving on an Austrian road for about half an hour! Peter had already warned us not to use the Austrian motorways.

We stopped in Lermoos as we saw a real supermarket - Spar. It might have been a bit more expensive than Germany, but the veg was good and we enjoyed looking round at the different stuff. Very soon we were back in Bavaria again and the plan was to find Grainau station for the rack railway up the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Bavaria. We drove through a very pretty valley but didn't find the station so drove on into Garmisch-Partenkirchen. There we did find the station and got a copy of the timetable, but decided not to go today, but if the weather is up to it, to do it on our way back next Saturday.
Instead we carried on to a mile or so away from this campsite. We couldn't go direct as the site office is closed between 12 and 3. But Barmsee was on our list of places to see, so parked up and followed the footpath all around the lake and ate our picnic in sight of the very rocky mountains - and a (rather elderly and portly) couple swimming in the lake. And so we arrived at Tennsee - no wonder we couldn't find 'our' lake on the map - it is just a little pond! But the campsite is amazing. Our four nights here are part of the package we booked through the Camping & Caravanning Club - ferry, camping, transport to + tickets for the Passion Play at Oberammergau. The chap in reception was very welcoming and gave us lots of information - together with our keys! We felt as though we were being upgraded as our info says we are booked on a standard pitch, but we have our own tap, drainage, 16amp electric + if we had the right connection with us, mains gas supply. But our key with tag 32 on it, is to our private bathroom!!! The upstairs of the loo block (separate entrance!) has piped music, heating and Travelodge-style corridors. We have a loo, basin, shower cubicle and bidet where we can leave our shower gel and towels etc. as it is just for us. (Did we hear 'camping never used to be like that in my day'?) We did have to pay a bit extra for wifi, but we do have 24 hours-worth of use over the 4 days so could even reply to emails if we received any!

Wednesday 8th September

We could have caught the bus at 10.21 to Mittenwald and used our complimentary card which gives us free parking/bus journeys while here, but we had some washing to do and didn't feel like rushing to be ready in time. So we cycled there instead - about 3 miles, along good stony paths through green rolling meadows, but we soon realised how much 'down' we were doing. Brainwave time - we could come back 'up' on the train! Just chatting to an English couple in the town (they had been to Oberammergau a few days ago) and they had a train time-table in their pocket - one every hour, so no problem. Went off for a walk around the Kurpark (and a DNF), a cycle through the streets of immaculate chalets and gardens, a walk through the busy main street with its cafes and souvenir shops, a hot drink at a cafe when it rained for 10 minutes - and so to the station.




First hurdle, get tickets from machine - successful. Next, carry bikes down 2 flights of steps and up 2 others. Next, hoist 2 bikes over a huge 'mind the gap' and up 3 large steps into the train. Next, try to understand what the guard is meaning when he indicates we have put the bikes in the wrong place (at this point telling him we are only going 1 station!). He then disappears forwards, to return a few seconds later to punch our ticket and move on down the train. Next, we arrive at Klais station - er, where is the platform? I spotted a narrow strip of tarmac a very long way below us, so pressed the button, climbed down first and received the first bike from John. Next, the guard, further along the 'platform', blows his whistle! I wave quite meaningfully to him and John just gets the first few spokes of the second bike through the door before it closes on it. Fortunately, that opened it again, and thanks to a couple on the train who helped John down, we survived! It did get us back quicker though - just 10 mins on the train and 10 mins bike downhill to the campsite.

Quite enough excitement for today - need to get ready for dinner in the site Restaurant (using our complimentary card for a free drink, of course!)