With our knees in tatters and our waists a little slimmer – grilled cheese sandwiches notwithstanding – we had one more day left on our trip, and were determined not to climb another mountain. However, before arriving at our hotel on the beautiful lake Tegernsee, we had one more stop to make.
When we did our first BMW European delivery three years ago, Stu had read about a certain non-public dirt road between two fields that is a favorite spot for European delivery fans. If you position your new ultimate driving machine just so, you can snap it with the famous fairytale castle in the background. Of course, we had to do this, and the dark clouds rolling in made for a spectacular backdrop.
This time around, two farmers in their tractors were happily chatting with each other right at the entrance to the dirt track. Since we weren’t supposed to be there in the first place, we felt a little self-conscious asking them to move, and made do with the cow pasture on the other side of the road. Having upgraded our photography equipment this year, we were able to both be in the shot.
The photo shoot done, we packed up before we could get into any trouble, and meandered through some more rolling countryside to the Hotel Bachmair Weissach by lake Tegernsee. They belong to Design Hotels and are therefore part of SPG’s loyalty program, so I was able to get our room there on points. What I love about SPG’s Design Hotels and Luxury Collection is that they have the feel of independent hotels, and reflect the country and culture they’re in, while still affording you all the benefits of a global loyalty program. Hotel Bachmair has a Bavarian look to it, from the chalet-style architecture, to the dirndls worn by the receptionists, to the cute little wagons they used to cart our luggage around. They even have a traditional wedding chapel on the grounds.
We were upgraded to a gorgeous junior suite, and while we arrived too late to enjoy their onsen-style spa (much to my dismay), we did enjoy a late dinner in their excellent Bavarian restaurant.
The next morning, we had time for a stroll along the Tegernsee before leaving for Munich. There are several picturesque lakes in the region south of Munich, and the Tegernsee has to be one of the prettiest (although the Chiemsee isn’t half bad either, and features another of mad King Ludwig’s castles on an island in the middle). And sadly, that was the end of our vacation.
