Spring in Bavaria!

My oh my! It is so beautiful here :) When I first moved here I was walking around town with someone who had been here a bit longer and he said, "Just wait, come spring you will really believe you are living in a fairytale." Haha... yeah right I thought, this town is frozen over and the people are mean. I was so wrong and he was so right.

Yesterday was May Day. I rode my bike to a neighboring village ("willage" as my Germans friends pronounce it in English) to take part in their May Day ceremonies. It is strange going to events like this, because I do not know the language, I feel that I don't really experience it, I watch it happen. I like it though, I like the having the opportunity to use what little German I know to get a brat with sauerkraut and find a rock to sit on and watch. I watched the kinders run around in their dirndl’s and lederhosen. Not only were the kinders in the traditional dress, but so are the Grandma's and Grandpa's, and well everyone in between. There was a little 5 piece band playing traditional music and everyone was walking around in good spirits. I can't think of a better place I could have spent my Saturday afternoon.

One of the fairytale like qualities of Garmisch is that it does not have to be a festival day for people to bust out the lederhosen and dirndls. Any day I go out walking I am sure to find someone in traditional dress going about their business. Yes, I do live in a fairytale land, even the houses all seem to possess potential for some sort of magic.

Spring is effortlessly coming alive here, it is fabulous. Every day I walk by the same trees as they fill out, fluffing their leaves and brightening the fairytale land. Going anywhere now takes twice as long with as many gorgeous tulips that are popping up. The colors are brighter than anything I ever imagined Germany could produce. Along with the vegetation sprucing up it's appearance I feel that the moods and disposition of the German people around me is doing the same. Yesterday more than 5 people smiled at me. That is definitely a record for here, I almost felt welcome.