Definitely No Betty Crocker

Eibsee

Being an Edelweiss employee has a lot of advantages when it comes to seeing Garmisch and the surrounding areas.  Unfortunately, it is based on a first come first serve basis and guests always are in front of staff when booking.   Thursday I was wait listed for a delightful cheese factory tour.  I was excited to say the least, but after walking the 40 minutes to the lodge I was informed that today was not my lucky day.  Although I was a little frustrated and disappointed a couple girls and I decided to make a trip to a nearby town to visit Lake Eibsee instead.  After figuring out the bus system and upsetting more than a few passengers at the amount of time it took to count our change we were on our way.  I should have been visiting mountain lakes my whole life because it was absolutely gorgeous!  There were mountains surrounding us on every side and we could see the cable cars leading up to the top of the Zugspitze, the tallest point in Germany. I've never seen water so clear and clean.  Unlike lakes at home there was no litter...anywhere!  We rented a paddle boat and began our exploring.  After paddling for a while I decided to jump in and cool off.  Of course I didn't take into consideration that the water was around 55 degrees.  That was the quickest swim I've ever had! After going into hypothermic shock I tried to get back on the paddle boat with no success.  I finally boarded after sliding in on my stomach (picture a penguin sliding on it's belly onto the ice...that's me.) Haha the old men on the dock really got a kick out of that one.
I've found myself a local German lad, Matthias (pronounced Mat-ay-hiss).  He's a young gun that likes to smoke his cigs and drink his jager.  Don't worry, family.  He's just a resource of the community that I'm using for good information and a free bike.  It's really interesting to talk to him and compare the differences between the U.S and Germany.  When discussing the drinking age he was in shock that you had to be 21 to legally drink.  His first question was "What are you supposed to do between birth and 21 years of age?!" It's quite a challenge to have a conversation with him that doesn't involve hand signals and drawing on napkins, so hopefully my English expertise is a benefit.  On my day off we took an impromptu hike to the Partnachklamm Gorge.  Despite the rain and my horrible choice of shoe (still fighting the blisters from that 5 mile walk) it was an amazing sight!  You hike on a narrow passage carved into the side of the mountain with the river gushing below.  There is green moss growing overheard and a light mist in the air that makes the long walk chilly, but worth it for the view.  For 3 Euro it's definitely a must see!
One thing that I'm not impressed with is the communal kitchen in the Abrams.  You must provide your own cookware, dish soap, utensils, etc.  Luckily, it's right across the hall from my room, but with limited cooking supplies (one pot and plastic silverware) we've been reduced to cooking soup and if it's a special night, macaroni and cheese.  PB&J's were the go to last week, but I'm already tired of them.  We're going to need to invest in some kitchen items before too long or I'll need to take out a loan so I can indulge on all of the great dining options Garmisch has to offer.  Speaking of going out to eat, I had the best Italian the other night!  It really made me miss Torino and the ease of the Italian language.  Visiting my old stomping grounds is now on the ever growing list of to-do's.
Ciao for now!