2024 Sunday Sept 1

Starnberg to Diessen

First day of walking on the King Ludwig Trail. First days are always a time of getting the routine down, and this day was a bit more stressful with fixed schedules at both the beginning and ending of the day. We knew it would be a long day and we had to take a train to Starnberg from our overnight spot in Bernried, and at the end of the hike, we would board a boat to travel to Diessen. The last boat was at 5:00–can’t miss it!

7:50 am – 5:30 pm. 15.5 miles on the walk + about a mile walk to the station in the morning. 42,066 steps. Elevation +830 feet.

Click here to view Richard’s Relive video. Choose to view full screen by clicking in the upper left to see both comments and the video. 

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Last view of Lake Starnberg before we head off on the King Ludwig Way.
Beginning the hike through the Maisinger Schlucht forest. This water tap was sadly the last we would see for the day.
Some wildlife in the forest. While we have banana slugs in California, these slugs are thinner and are orange.
The Maisenger See.
The Aschering parish church. We just missed being outside for the noon bells.
Aschering was the first town where we saw these blue poles with icons describing their town. Along with the church, this was about all we saw of the town. Definitely no services.
Our hike literature highlighted the Andechs Kloster, established in 1455, in this day’s hike. Being a Sunday and possibly a festival, the parking lots and bus lots were full and people were everywhere. The monastery runs the Andechs Brewery, the largest monastic brewery still run on an independent basis by an existing religious order community in Germany. From observing the patrons on Sunday, they look to be very successful.
The Biergarten was serving food as well as drinks, we were seated nearby this fish stand selling grilled lake fish. It looked very popular.
The kloster church was at the top of the hill. Our time was limited, but this was a must visit location.
The church at Andechs Kloster.
The baroque altar of the Andechs Kloster church is striking.
We’re seeing a lot of churches with ceiling paintings depicting observers from above. Sometimes it seems to be Biblical or secular scenes, but sometimes it shows observers from heaven above.
The tower could be climbed, but since our time was limited, Richard agreed we could go on.

This is a very short video/audio of the oom pah band entertaining all of us at the jetty. Click to play (you may need to turn your sound up.)

Our boat that took us from Herrsching Jetty to Diessen, across the Ammersee.
We were happy we made the last boat! No more worries for this first day.
Folks were out enjoying the water on this very hot day. We saw sailing vessels, paddle boarders, water skiers, and swimmers.
Paddle boards were available to rent. This unique vehicle had a slide to enter the water whenever you like.
The kids on our boat had a slide between the top and bottom decks. It was quite popular.
Now in Diessen, it didn’t take long to check out the town. It is obvious that fishing plays a pivotal role in the town.
Our hotel was quite nice with a balcony (overlooking the local auto shop) but we decided to check out restaurants around the town square. We enjoyed the meal, and enjoyed the decorated restaurant.

8 Responses

  1. Fantastic day! Loved the Kloster Church. Really stood out. Lots of interesting places around you. Seemed more interesting than your usual day on the Camino. Glad I wasn’t with you. Would have been so worried about making the last ship sailing wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the journey. Seems like a bit more planning this trip?
    Dan
    Churches were amazing! Glad you made your ship on time! Hope the weather stays nice and that you continue to have a safe journey! Wendy

    1. I got a laugh about your worry about the last boat. I stress over it too, but after 50 years with Richard I know he’ll have a Plan B if we miss it. We knew not to dawdle and actually had almost an hour to have a beer and ice cream (yes—together!) before getting on the boat.

  2. “Dragging a bit” you say? 42,000 steps and you’re dragging a bit? Well, they’d be dragging me in a box to the nearest cemetery at the 32,000-step mark, and reporting: “Fraid he was a drag. Poor fella just didn’t have it in him to keep up.”
    You two amaze.

    1. We always seem to be dragging at the end of the day, but an amazing regeneration takes overnight and so far we’ve been ready to go the next morning. I suspect you feel somewhat the same on your marathon bike rides. There are many more bike riders than walkers on this trail—ever given it any thought?

  3. So cool mom! Amelia loves the the sign with farm animals on it she told me what they are all and the sounds they make 🙂 miss you guys, love you more!

    1. We have more fun looking at the poles and seeing what is important to the village. Amelia is so smart that I am sure she can give the farm sounds for us. I can’t wait to have her recite them for me, and to see Zeigen running circles around us all. Love you and miss you too. Kiss the munchkins for me.

  4. Day 1 was a success! Kudos to you! 🙂 I’m glad you were able to stop and stay hydrated on the long trek. I wonder if they have Dr. Pepper in Europe (I don’t recall seeing it). It must be so nice to end the day with a delicious meal and a toast.