Now that Gwen Wren is eating pretzels, I have had a few little bits of time to work on a post I have been meaning to do for several weeks. This is old news, but worth sharing. We had a great weekend back at the end of January in which we traveled to the Chiemsee, also sometimes called the Bavarian Sea (quite a hyperbole), for the annual German bat researchers' meeting.
Actually, Rachel was there for the meeting; Wren and I were there to do some sightseeing.
There are two major islands in the Chiemsee, the Fraueninsel ("women's island") and the Herreninsel ("men's island"). As you can see in the above photo, the Fraueninsel is covered in large part by a convent--hence the "Frauen" moniker. The conference took place at this convent; we even slept there and ate there.
Here is the view from the window of our room. We told the nuns we were coming with a baby, so they gave us the biggest room they had: the bridal suite. That's a bit of a weird concept, a bridal suite at a convent! Not quite the atmosphere most people would seek out for a honeymoon.
In between talks, Rachel would come out of the conference room (more like a conference cabin) to nurse the Wren. It was COLD, but the setting was spectacular. In the background is the Herreninsel, home to a monastery (hence "Herren"). In the middle ground is a smaller island, the Krautinsel ("weed island").
Lore has it that the men from the Herreninsel would meet up with the ladies from the Fraueninsel on the Krautinsel, as depicted in this painting I found at the center of the Fraueninsel. The photo isn't the highest quality because I took it in a hurry. I wondered if I was at risk of impropriety taking pictures of what looked like some kind of altar or shrine.
I also felt a little nervous approaching the convent's church. The only entrance was through the graveyard.
Gwen Wren and I spent most of our time walking around the perimeter of the Fraueninsel. And around. And around. When we got too cold we would return to our room, or sneak in to the back of the conference cabin where I would drink the free coffee and listen for how many times I could hear the word "fledermaus" (the talks were mostly in German).
Gwen Wren and I would also join up with everyone for meals, where Wren got a chance to meet some of our batty German friends. Dina frequently took Gwen Wren off our hands during the meal breaks. Gwendolyn was a fan of Dina's scarf. If you look closely at the photo, you may notice that the fare is in fact beer, not food. We stayed up late every night drinking beer and socializing.
Silke was also a big Gwen Wren fan. And vice versa.
A few times, Rachel skipped some of the drier talks to hang out with Gwendolyn in our room.
On the second day, I decided to break the monotony of the Fraueninsel by taking Gwen Wren over to the Herreninsel. On the ferry ride over, I saw this guy fishing near the Krautinsel. I thought of my dad.
In addition to a monastery, the Herreninsel also houses another one of crazy King Ludwig II's crazy castles. This one was modeled after Versailles. Inside, it is even more opulent and ornate than the more famous Neuschwanstein. No photos allowed, but if you want to see some, you can look
here.
Actually, Rachel was there for the meeting; Wren and I were there to do some sightseeing.
There are two major islands in the Chiemsee, the Fraueninsel ("women's island") and the Herreninsel ("men's island"). As you can see in the above photo, the Fraueninsel is covered in large part by a convent--hence the "Frauen" moniker. The conference took place at this convent; we even slept there and ate there.
Here is the view from the window of our room. We told the nuns we were coming with a baby, so they gave us the biggest room they had: the bridal suite. That's a bit of a weird concept, a bridal suite at a convent! Not quite the atmosphere most people would seek out for a honeymoon.
In between talks, Rachel would come out of the conference room (more like a conference cabin) to nurse the Wren. It was COLD, but the setting was spectacular. In the background is the Herreninsel, home to a monastery (hence "Herren"). In the middle ground is a smaller island, the Krautinsel ("weed island").
Lore has it that the men from the Herreninsel would meet up with the ladies from the Fraueninsel on the Krautinsel, as depicted in this painting I found at the center of the Fraueninsel. The photo isn't the highest quality because I took it in a hurry. I wondered if I was at risk of impropriety taking pictures of what looked like some kind of altar or shrine.
I also felt a little nervous approaching the convent's church. The only entrance was through the graveyard.
Gwen Wren and I spent most of our time walking around the perimeter of the Fraueninsel. And around. And around. When we got too cold we would return to our room, or sneak in to the back of the conference cabin where I would drink the free coffee and listen for how many times I could hear the word "fledermaus" (the talks were mostly in German).
Gwen Wren and I would also join up with everyone for meals, where Wren got a chance to meet some of our batty German friends. Dina frequently took Gwen Wren off our hands during the meal breaks. Gwendolyn was a fan of Dina's scarf. If you look closely at the photo, you may notice that the fare is in fact beer, not food. We stayed up late every night drinking beer and socializing.
Silke was also a big Gwen Wren fan. And vice versa.
A few times, Rachel skipped some of the drier talks to hang out with Gwendolyn in our room.
On the second day, I decided to break the monotony of the Fraueninsel by taking Gwen Wren over to the Herreninsel. On the ferry ride over, I saw this guy fishing near the Krautinsel. I thought of my dad.
In addition to a monastery, the Herreninsel also houses another one of crazy King Ludwig II's crazy castles. This one was modeled after Versailles. Inside, it is even more opulent and ornate than the more famous Neuschwanstein. No photos allowed, but if you want to see some, you can look here.
1 comment:
I enjoyed this account. No wonder people are enchanted by the Wren -- she has the most enchanting smile. Beautiful scenery.
Christina
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