Vicki riding the German trains.
The End of the Line: A Rainy Dash in Oberammergau
Our train pulled into the small station at Oberammergau, Germany. It had been a short night and a long day. We had flown from Cincinnati to Chicago to Munich. From there we took the DB south into the Alps. Given that five hundred thousand tourists are expected to attend the Passionsspiele (“Passion play”) Oberammergau this year, I thought this last segment of the train ride would be more crowded.* As it was, we nearly had the car to ourselves.
The clouds gathered for some extra drama near Oberammergau. The storm to come was fierce.
Vicki had been dozing, but she jolted awake as we hit the platform. Positivity is hard to maintain when you’re hungry, exhausted, and standing at the literal end of the line.
“Now what?” she asked.
We were here as guests of Educational Opportunities. We weren't attending the play ourselves, but we were supposed to link up with a group that was, then tag along for some sightseeing and a Danube river cruise. The only problem? We didn’t know who the group was or where they were staying.
“It’s a small village,” I said, trying to sound convincing. “We’ll find them.”
Of course, this kind of reckoning doesn’t always work out the way one wishes, especially in far away places where English may or may not be spoken, but here we were. It was late afternoon in the village country with clouds dark and roiling overhead and about to let loose a tree-cracking thunderstorm and we had been up all night and all day traveling and were a little hungry and seeking a group of Americans whom we didn’t know. It could have been worse. We could have been in France.
The Oberammergau train station is at the end of the line. Image from https://www.catholicpilgrimoffice.com/oberammergau2020 (accessed 6/19/2020).
The 15-Minute Window
We dragged our bouncing "rollybags" across the river into the heart of Oberammergau—a picturesque maze of boutique hotels, galleries, and kitschy shops. I hovered over my phone, praying for a Wi-Fi signal. Suddenly, a message flickered through: A bus will pick you up at the train station in 15 minutes. Marcus is the guide.
I fired back: What kind of bus? but the message failed. My international data plan was non-existent.
There can’t be that many busses or Marcuses in a train station in Germany can there?
We raced back toward the station, wheels rattling over the gravel as the first heavy raindrops began to fall. We sprinted past the ticket office, our “grand tour” of the village lasting all of five minutes.
Embracing the Chaos
When we arrived back at the station, there was one bus in the lot. The driver was getting out. “Stay put,” I told Vicki and trotted across the lot.
“Hay-low! Are you Marcus?” I asked the driver as he locked the bus door.
“No,” he replied, puzzled.
I turned to walk back to where Vicki was standing. A second bus pulled up. I ran. The wind was rising and rain was really coming now.
A lean fellow leaned out the door. “Hi,” he chirped. “I’m Marcus. Hop in.”
How he knew who we were, I’ll never know. Vicki beat me up the stairs before I could ask.
Marcus quickly explained the situation: the five-hour Passion Play had already begun, the groups were all inside, and there had been a massive mix-up involving several buses. Since there were no taxis available, Marcus had simply brought the big bus to fetch us.
The villages of Ettal and Oberammergau. Image from https://www.catholicpilgrimoffice.com/oberammergau2020 (accessed 6/19/2020).
I didn’t exactly understand any of this but that was ok. All I knew is that the windshield wipers were swishing the falling gob drops from the glass and we were not standing in them but sitting in a empty but dry bus with two strangers somewhere near the Austrian-German border. There was even a chance of a hotel room in our future.
Marcus grinned: “Yah, it’s all screwed up.” His eyebrows arched.
I know, I thought. It often is. But that’s ok. This is what makes foreign travel exciting!
Vicki was just giving me one of those sideways looks that she does.
*The Passion Play of Oberammergau is a presentation of the ministry of Jesus performed by the residents of a small German village once every ten years. The excellence of the presentation has captured worldwide attention. Unfortunately, because of the covid pandemic, the 2020 presentation was pushed forward to 2022.
We did not make it. That’s ok. 2030 is coming.
Should we pull out of this current situation we hope to return to the Mediterranean in September of 2023. From the port of Athens, we will depart for Ephesus and Patmos, then sail for the Holy Land. There, we disembark for day trips to Jerusalem and the Galilee. Following these experiences, we return to Greece, via ports in Cyprus—Limmasol and Paphos—and the spectacular volcanic island of Santorini. Onboard lectures give focus to life in the biblical world. English-speaking guides will meet us at each port. We partner with Norwegian Cruise Line for a “mid-sized ship” with a “bigger experience.” For more details click the link here.