Icking
Miriam's grandparents and their family moved to this Bavarian village in the 1930's, after life in their home city of Berlin became too dangerous under the Nazi regime.
The house where Else and her family lived before the Second World War: we're pretty sure that there were no solar panels or satellite dish then
View from the main house, which would have been familiar to Else: the modern bungalow replaces a smaller one which she had built in the 1950's
Miriam donates a copy of her Granny's book to the local free "library"
The onion dome, characteristic of many churches in the region, of the modern church in Icking
Wolfratshausen
We stayed in a modern house on the edge of this old town, which is situated on the River Isar.
Part of the Altstadt
In former times loggers used to cut down trees in the Alps, make them into rafts and float them along the river Isar to Munich where the wood would be sold. Then it was back on the train, and repeat.
Thumbing a lift, Wolfratshausen-style. You select the direction (Richtung) you want, sit on the bench and hope that a passing vehicle will pick you up.
Playful Madonna and Child statue, located on the side of a bridge over the River Isar
Musical bench outside a bank, with optional 2-part harmony
No sign of "flag wars" here: Germany seems at ease with its array of European, national and regional flags
Elmau
A regular feature of Miriam's childhood holidays was to stay at Schloss Elmau, which has more recently been turned into a luxury resort. We paid a brief visit but got the distinct impression that day visitors were not particularly welcome. The countryside is open to all, though, and we tested ourselves with a walk - in the latter stages, a climb - up to the peak of Elmauer Alm.
In the foothills
Distances are indicated - rather subjectively - by walking time
Panorama: as we get higher, the scenery becomes more mountainous
Germany lives up to its forested reputation
OK, now it's getting steep
Other locations
Double time at Kloster (convent) Schäftlarn: unfortunately, the sundial can't be adjusted for summer time
In the garden at Kloster Schäftlarn: in the garden with us is Hansi, the daughter-in-law of Else's former neighbours in Icking. Hansi helped us a great deal during our visit, and has a remarkable story of her own, having escaped from East Germany during the Communist era
We took a one-hour boat trip on the Starnberger See. A full tour of all the villages and towns around the lake takes nearly 4 hours
One of the smaller craft on the Starnberger See: we saw many yachts and other pleasure boats, and there are several bathing places around the shore where visitors can enjoy the water at a temperature of about 20 degrees at this time of year
The village of Iffeldorf lay near the end of a circular walk around Fohnsee and two smaller lakes. Germany has invested heavily in solar power
Lunar rover in the Space gallery of the Deutsches Museum, Munich: it is only a model, but getting a real one back from the Moon would put a bit of a strain on the budget
The Bäckerei is a major German institution: this one is attached to a supermarket in Icking