Mountain Mule's Travels: A VISIT WITH MY COUSIN IN UFFING AT STAFFELSEE

Our day started out by checking in with my cousin Elizabeth and her friend Johannes. We drove down from Ulm, and after a short visit at their house we all got into their car and took off.

HISTORY & RELIGION BAVARIA

Our first stop was Oberammergau, the home of the world famous passion play in which the whole villiage participates. As luck would have it we got there just in time for a tour.

The next time the play will occur is in summer of 2010, we signed up to get the e-mail notification for tickets. It would be a once in a life time to see the passion play there.

The first play was held in 1634. After being hit hard by the plague in 1633 during the thirty years war and losing 80 of its citizens, the town made a promise to god that they would stage a passion play every ten years, if only he would spare them of the plague in the future. No one has died of the plague in Oberammergau since then.

Her we are during our behind the scenes tour.

All the actors play characters which are their age so no makeup is required to change the age.

While the seating area is covered the stage is not. This must have been the place where the saying "The show must go on!" was coined. Even when it snows as often it does in the late October the show continues.

The building has seating for 5,000 people and the stage has as many as 800 on it at one time.

The City sends out a notice that all residents are to start growing out their hair and their beards a year in advance of the play. Even city residents who are military and police are allowed to grow out their hair. The town has a population of a little less than 5,000 people and 2,400 more or less choose to participate directly in the staging of the play. This becomes a logistical issue, getting all those folks to have a shot on the stage. The main actors are chosen by the town and the director, but every citizen has the right to participate if even via a small part in a large group scene.

This table, used for the last supper scene, is over 200 years old. Interestingly the play now depicts Christ and the apostles as jews that they were rather than in christian garb, thus the minora. This was major, but postive change.

Follow this link to the Oberammergau Passion Play site: http://www.passionsspiele2010.de/

ART BAVARIA

From Oberammergau we took off for the Kochelsee (lake) to see the newly open Franz Marc Museum. Here is just a little taste of the beutiful work of the "Blauen Reiter Gruppe" of artists. Franz and Maria Marc actually lived on the site in a house, now in front of the museum from 1910-1914.

Another example of the work of Franz Marc. Follow this link to the web site of the museum for more information: http://www.franz-marc-museum.de/

TECHNOLOGY BAVARIA

To round out our day we swung by, the close by, power plant at the Walchensee. Thsi really reminded of us of the Cushman Power Plant at the end of Hood Canal by Hoodsport in the Washington State. This actually the large terminus of a serious of smaller plants feeding the Walchen see. Even parts of the Isar River are re-directed into this plant.

Follow this link: http://www.eon-wasserkraft.com/ for more information on powerplants and the Walchensee plant.

Turbins!! too cool! Oh well of to afternoon coffee on the lake and then back home. Great day! Great Friends! and Great Fun!