Dear Liebchen Clemmie,

The LTC and I spent a terrific weekend (together, woo!) in Berchtesgaden, with a stop in Munich on the way. 
Munich was fun (for two hours, LTC would add here,) and positively teeming with humanity. I’m sure the bright sunshine brought everyone out. We had been driving for a few hours so our primary goal was securing food and beverage. We spied a rooftop cafe and tucked into beer and flammenkuchen, while watching the masses below from high atop our perch. What’s flammenkuchen you ask? It’s a Alsatian-Moselle dish (aka tarte flambé) that has nearly a cracker thin crust that’s topped with crème fraîche, thinly sliced onions and well, bacon. Of course there are other combos but the aforementioned is classic. Did I say YUM?! The LTC of course, loves it because it is reminiscent of his favorite food group, pizza, and it pairs beautifully with beer. Happy man. 
After we were recharged, we entered the flow of tourists throughout the Marienplatz gazing up at the Glockenspiel and new (1874) town hall (Rathaus,) St. Peter’s Church and elbowed our way through the Viktualienmarkt – basically a daily outdoor market. The most unusual sight we stumbled across was a makeshift Michael Jackson memorial that sits at the base of an “official ” memorial and directly across the street from the decidedly fancy Bayerischer Hof; where incidentally a young pop star was staying that day, much to the delight of swooning, autograph and selfie seeking, sometimes sobbing, young girls that were more or less blocking the walkway and spilling into the street. I could not identify the young man and object of their affections, so that makes me officially out of the loop on boy bands. I can live with that. 
After our side trip to Munich, we continued on to Berchtesgaden, which is close to Hitler’s Obersalzberg compound and Eagle’s Nest which became a de facto second seat of his government in the mid 30s. We arrived with just enough time to take a walk around the village, and then have dinner at the rooftop restaurant (it was a rooftop kind of day) in our hotel, the fabulous Hotel Edelweiss. I was especially thrilled to be able to order an Aperol Sprizz, albeit at twice the price I was paying in Italy but no less delicious. Besides the incredible view, we also discovered the hotel has an amazing spa included. Easily one of the nicest places we’ve stayed, well, anywhere!
The following day we walked throughout the rest of town, discovered we could take a cable car up the mountainside, and then hike to the spot where you catch a bus to the base of the Eagle’s Nest. Since 1952, the access road has been closed to traffic and only busses run from the documentation center to the top. It’s perfectly clear why once you get going – the road is just wide enough for the bus, the drop offs are steep and long, the turns are nail biting; in short, the bus ride is something Disney imagineers might create, only the views and twisty turns are real. Once you’re off the bus, there’s a 460 meter tunnel blasted out of the mountain you walk down before you get to the gold and brass (very blingy) elevator that takes you another 460 meters straight up into the Eagle’s Nest. When you arrive, elevation is 6,017, the view is spectacular and only tempered by thoughts of the original purpose of the place. Many original features still exist but the building itself now houses a restaurant, in the very room, in front of the very fireplace that Hitler would greet foreign heads of state and conduct meetings with his henchmen. I think it’s appropriate that now people of all kinds, places and beliefs come together in this place and break bread and share and love one another. 
The documentation center at “base camp” I’ll call it, actually sits on the site of the original summer house Hitler rented, then bought – then “bought” the entire town and built his special off limits area. As we learned, this would also include massive subterranean bunkers and shelters for Hitler and his inner circle. Again, fascinating but fascination tempered by knowledge, realization and a slight sense of nausea when considering the diabolical plans that were created in the space we occupied.  
We spent two very full days in Berchtesgaden and would like to return in the winter (I know, crazy right?!) for Christmas markets, skiing and a different view of this darling little alpine village.