Hinterbrand Lodge

Updating some more pictures.  This past March we went down to Berchtesgaden and stayed in a history filled lodge.  The current name is Hinterbrand Lodge.  This lodge was used by many in the Nazi era.  Dietrich Eckart was a German Nationalist writer and early member of the Nazi Party, who considered himself Hitler's mentor. He hid from the Weimar government and stayed in this cottage.  It was captured by the US Army and has been used by the Army in many ways since then.  They now allow people to rent the lodge out for special functions.

The front of the lodge.  There was still a lot of snow in the area and we had quite the adventure making it up to the lodge the night before.

This is a pictures that I found after we got back and shows (left-right): Hermann Göring, Reichs War Minister Werner von Blomberg, and Hitler visiting the Hinterbrand Lodge in 1935.  We were sledding in the exact location they are standing in the picture. 

We went skiing at the local ski area.  It may be hard to see, but on the left side of the picture right above the ski hut is the Hinterbrand Lodge and on the ridge in the background is Hitler's Eagles Nest.

Hitler's Eagles Nest in the upper right hand corner.  You can also make out the road leading up to the Eagles Nest.

The skiing.

The friends.

Obertaurern, Austria

Still getting caught up on sharing some of the pictures from past trips.  We went to a ski resort in Obertauern Austria at the end of Feb.  We stayed in the town you see below and could ski 360 degrees around the town.  The weather was fantastic, nice and warm.  Had a great time and enjoy the pictures.

Obertaurern, Austria

If you look close you can see the hotel we stayed in, its the green one.  It was great because it had an indoor pool and hot tub.

Yes, that is a chair lift going to the top!

The views were incredible!!!!!!!

Shanan skiing

It was so nice that we took a break to enjoy the sun.

And did we mention the view!!!!

And more view!!!!

London, England

We are finally posting our pics from our trip to London.  We went to London back in February and had a great time.  We went with the same group that we went to Paris with.  Hope you all enjoy the pics.

We flew from Munich to Stansted airport and than took the train into the city.  This is Shanan at Liverpool Street Station.

We checked into our hotel and than went to a local pub for our first english breakfast.

Our main mode of transportation was the underground tube.

Our first stop was Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

Double decker and Big Ben

Our favorite tour guide is Rick Steves

Westminster Abbey.  This church was first founded 616 on the present site.  This is the site of the coronation of the English and British monarchs.  The Abbey is full of tombs of previous monarchs and notable people.  Some of the tombs we saw were Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Wilber Wilberforce, Charles Dickens, and George Hendrick Handel.

The back side of the Westminster.

Shanan and a double decker bus.

Big Ben at night.

Out in front of 10 Downing Street.

We went to the British museum.  It had a huge collection of world civilization artifacts.  It was incredible to see all of the history in one building.

This is the Rosetta stone created in 196 BC and discovered by the French in Egypt in 1799.  It was instrumental in decoding the Egyptian hieroglyphic writing.

Bust of Rameses II at the British Museum.

These sculptors were taken from the Parthenon in Athens. 

Aztec skull.

This is from the great State of Washington all the way in London!

This is the Hoa Hakananai'a from the Easter Island's.

We had our first Starbucks since we left the States.

Big Ben at dusk.

The London Eye.

Our hotel was right next to St Paul's Cathedral.  This is where Princess Diana was married.

Shanan pretending to be Princess Diana.

St. Paul's Bells

View of St. Paul's from across the Thames River.

Shanan in front of London Tower.

Font of London Tower.

"Beefeater" at the Tower of London.

Tower Bridge seen from the Tower of London.

Tower Bridge.

We rode the London Eye.  That is Big Ben and the Parliament in the background.

Shanan in front of Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace.

Palace Horsemen.

Lion at Trafalger Square.

Yes it does!!!!

London specialty desert.

Yum!!!!!