Bad Tölz, Germany (part 4)

Time to hear from the other half of The Culinary Couple!

As the old adage goes, home is where the Army sends you, and for three years Bad Tölz was home to the Wiley family.

Bad Tölz is a quintessential Bavarian town located at the foothills of the Alps. It is also the birthplace of yours truly; what’s there not to like about it??

The clear blue Isar River is the line of demarcation between the old and new city. Emmie and I began our visit to the historic town center on the right side of the Isar. After parking the car, we walked along the picturesque Marktstraße, or Market Street. Unfortunately, most of the stores were closed because it was Sunday, but that didn’t stop us from window-shopping for dirndls and lederhosen (still common garb among locals) and browsing the cozy cafes and chocolate shops. What we found so charming about Bad Tölz were the colorful frescoes (called Lüftmalerei) that adorn buildings and houses, like fingerprints of centuries past.

At the top of the cobblestone street was the Baroque church Mühlfeldkirche, we glanced inside for a quick peek of the ornate décor.

Next we hiked our way up the Kalvarienberg (Calvary Mountain), past the 14 stations of the cross, to Saint Leonard’s Chapel. The chapel was built in 1718 and overlooks the city of Bad Tölz.

One peculiar aspect of this church is the jeweled skeletons on display under the altars of prayer. Apparently this was a way to honor saints and holy figures of the time. Both eerie and enthralling.

Our next destination took us to where it all began 28 years ago that day. We followed Krankenhaus Straße to the hospital where I was born. The yellow building on the hillside is now used for therapy/medical purposes and called Reha-Zentrum Isarwinkel. My wife made a very special shirt for the occasion.

{September, 1986}

Of course no birthday is complete without cake. The Bienenstich (bee sting cake) from Café Schuler came highly recommended by my godmother, Tess. Bienenstich is a classic German dessert made with sweet bread topped with honeyed almonds and filled with vanilla custard. Schmeckt gut!

Unfortunately, our time in Bad Tölz was short-lived, as we had our sights set on Munich’s Hofbrau Haus that afternoon. As we departed, we drove through the newer section of town with elegant spas and breathed in the fresh Alpine air.

Read previous recaps here. Next up: We drink bier.

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