We drove two hours in pouring rain and lots of road changes due to construction and ended up at the Swarovski Museum. This is a remarkable place. We spent about three hours in there. We bought the tickets and entered the giant grass and crystal waterfall head. 

Entrance to the Swarovski Museum.

There are about eleven exhibits separated into rooms divided by a thick curtain. First we saw the world's largest jewelry stone that was some three hundred thousand carots. We passed along a two story wall filled with gems and crystals as we continued on to the first exhibit which was a mechanical museum. 

One of the crystal walls.

It had wild electronic legs similar to the Herbie Hancock. Video from the eighties and much, much more. Then, and we shall see if I can recall all eleven here...we went into a massive crystal dome that changed colors and echoed in strange way as you moved toward the center. 

Then there were a few rooms of various artists making three dimensional art with crystals and video. There were massive natural looking crystals in varying colors and varying opacities, there was a video of an opera singer singing in the crystal dome, four famous buildings made totally of crystal, mazes of color changing false crystal shapes and so much more. I realize now that there is way more than I can even describe here. I apologize, but with the sparse internet I can get at these old little hotels I am not able to load photos with my blogs so I will have to add when I get home. I, personally am not a fan of reading wordy blogs so I understand if you wait until I add the photos in a couple weeks when I get back.

After the amazing, well displayed, and interesting tour, we entered the shop :-) 

My wonderful boyfriend bought me not one, but two pieces of jewelry!! I got a ring and a bracelet. Everything I wanted, I got. He also bought a beautiful gift for his mother. We had our previously bought lunch in the car. It was semi clear skies when we left the building but while we were eating lunch, it began to pour again. We drive our sturdy, speedy Mercedes four more minutes to Mittenwald, Germany. Our GPS, once again lead us astray but we parked and found our hotel on foot....AGAIN. No problem.

This hotel is our favorite yet. This is our first small town of this trip. The hotel is called the Alpenrose and it is totally traditionally Bavarian. There are antlers, or as my family calls them, dead animals on the wall. There are smalls glass windows that look like they are made of wine bottle bottoms. We sat in the bar and easily imagined being there when the beer was served by wenches in pewter flaggards. We walked the town to do Al little shopping but it was late and we hit only one shop. It was a traditional tracht store. Tracht is the traditional clothing of the local people in this region.  That means lederhosen for the men and boobalisious dresses for the ladies. I bought a top that looks li,e the upper half of a dress. We had to co e back to the hotel because every shop was closing. Good thing because in would have  bought everything at that store and more. Apparently, it is a religious holiday tomorrow and everything is closed. Good to know!!

The bf was hungry early again, I am learning this now...this boy needs to EAT! So we decided to eat at the hotel since it was such a beautiful place. We sat in a carved dark wood bench alcove with lanterns and everything alpine and Bavarian. We both ordered white wine and enjoyed them immensely. The bf had a deep, rich garlic cream soup, then a cheese dumpling that came in about two inches of clarified butter which freaked the calorie conscious bf out completely. 

Nonetheless, he LOVED it. I had the game sampler with a creamy mushroom sauce, spaetzle and cranberries. I mean, we gotta keep the animals employed, right? We finished with a shared apple strudle with ice cream, pudding, and cream. The middle, which, I have never had with a streudle before. It was incredible, and with studding ourselves for. I washed that dessert down with a local hazelnut schnapps which I know I have in my room anyways but it was recommended so I had to have it....plus it is ...AMAZEBALLS!!!!

It was fan fabulous to just stroll up the stairs to our cute room and relax. I showered, he found soccer on the TV. We are as content and as happy as we can possibly be. Goodnight.