[Magdalen] Garmisch/P Chit-Chat.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

An online ad from the newish US Military resort at Garmisch/P  (Bavaria),
Germany brought back some memories.
 
The resort, the Edelweis, was intended to replace a series of smaller
hotels scattered around Garmisch/P and environs.
 
I think there were four such hotels for US Military in the 1960's.
I can recall names of only two of them:  The General Patton, and
the Eibsee.
 
We were clued in early on that the best choice, especially with a
family was the Eibsee, on an Alpine lake of the same name, and
overlooking Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze  (TZUG-shpi-tze).
Restaurant and rooms overlooked an extraordinarily beautiful vista
at the Eibsee.  This hotel is now back in German hands, and it
has been remodeled and it is pricey.
 
The General Patton was for field grade officers only, and we only
stayed there the last year we were living in Frankfurt/M.  The  most
remarkable feature there was a gigantic mural of the region painted  in
Bavarian Alpine Style around the large restaurant walls.
 
We stayed at the General Patton about three times in the 1990's.
It was open (as were any military recreational facilities) to US
Government employees GS 15 and above.
 
There were two other hotels for non-field grade officers and enlisted
and all I remember about them is that one had an American style
steakhouse in the basement, and the other a nice Chinese restaurant.
 
The Edelweis Resort was built de novo to replace all these  facilities,
but opened just as there was a huge drawdown of US Military in  Germany.
They must be using the General Patton to some extent, because I see
they are serving their Christmas and New Year's buffets in the  restaurant
with the mural.
 
Sadly, the German government has complained about non-military
staying at the Edelweis, so it's out of reach for all but active and  
retired
(20 years +) US Military.
 
 
 
David Strang.