Oberammergau

Woke up and the morning was overcast and rainy. We set off for the 30 min drive from Garmisch to Oberammergau and joined the throng already there. Oberammergau has features of pictures painted on the house walls and is well known for its wood carvers. It is a village of about 5000 people and you mmust be either born inthe village or have lived there for 20 years to qualify to participate in the Passion Play. It is still early to try to process the whole event - a choir of 50, and orchestra, a cast of something over we , estimate 600 on stage at one time, live pigeons, horses, camels, donkeys, sheep, goats. It commenced at 2-30 and the first part went untipl 5pm when we had to make our way up to a hotel on the edge of the village where our meals were being proivded. The second part commenced at 8pm and finished at 11pm and we then had to make our way back by coach to our hotel. It is all in German but we are supplied with a book of the gtext which is fine in the first half when there is still enough light to read, but the second was a different matter. The stage area is all n the open but the auditorium holding about 4800 people is under cover. We've bought a book of the Play as no photos are allowed. There are many stunning tableaux dotted throughout the play which are revealed as the choir sings or the narrator offers his comment. I have included one photo which is one I took of a publicity hoarding at the back of the ticket office of the crucifixion scene. We had to rug up as the evening session was quite cold - to-p temp for the day was only about 8 or 9 degrees. Its a strange feeling now with this day behind us - little to look forward to except the plane next week. WE head to Munich now.