German Adventures, Day 5 - Oberammergau and Linderhof

On our fifth day in Germany, after Dad took Mom to the airport, we headed out to explore southern Germany. First stop was Oberammergau, which was all decked out for the 2010 Passion Play. I SO wanted to actually see the play, but it was too expensive and it just didn't work out logistically. But we enjoyed exploring the town.

Oberammergau is also known for its elaborately painted houses. The two below are the most famous - the top one shows the story of Hansel and Gretl, the bottom is painted with scenes from Little Red Riding Hood.We left Oberammergau and headed to Schloss Linderhof, the smallest of King Ludwig II's three castles. We toured the inside, but I was most impressed with the grounds and the building itself. It was such a gorgeous afternoon.
I had visited Linderhof once before, but this was my first opportunity to go in the Venus Grotto where King Ludwig used to have music and scenes from operas privately performed. It was really cool in there!
On the way back to Garmisch, we stopped by the Ettal Monastery, which was absolutely amazing inside! Here are couple of photos of the Alps from the day - the Zugspitze was incredible in the sunset!