Mittenwald

The Karwendel overlooking Mittenwald

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Doug is guest blogger today: Thursday in Mittenwald has been a day of wandering and remembering. We visited the major sites in my two years as a student here and talked through the memories that surfaced. It is interesting and moving to return to and explore a place in one’s life that has approached mythological proportions.

The early morning gave us views of the Karwendel and Wetterstein mountains that suround the town, but they soon collected clouds and eventually rain. I recalled how that which gives so much definition and beauty to the place can also feel oppressive. We revisited places where I had rented rooms and paths I had frequented, and memories popped back into my life. Everything has changed, and yet much can be recognized. The guest house I lived in is a private dwelling, the mill building replaced with a new residence. We found many friendly people as we explored and found our way to Karl Roy, my main teacher at the Geigenbauschule 38 years ago. One of Karl’s neighbors searched the town on bicycle for us to correct directions he had given us.

Doug at Geigenbauschule

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Greater prosperity and a more highly developed tourist industry have changed the surfaces and the details, but the mountains, and the architecture, and the underlying culture change less quickly. It seems the violin culture of the town is in decline, but that feeling probably depends on who one listens to.

The dramatic scenery speaks for itself and is truly impressive as is the charm of the village. Tourists--most of whom are German--have their own culture that is an interesting study in itself. A surprising number of couples have matching outdoor jackets, others wear lederhosen and kneesocks. The general Bavarian look is sturdy and well-fed. Lisa, conscious of her own overly thin legs, notes that Bavarians have legs like tree trunks. She bought some shorts and pants in a shop in town, and was startled to find that she wore the smallest size they had available, an experience she has never had in the United States.