Due to continuing rain (three days worth), we stayed in Garmisch and walked around looking for familiar landmarks, again from the 1950’s. During my father’s tour of duty in Paris, we always spent Christmas in Garmisch. Our first Christmas as we arrived at the Green Arrow Inn on Christmas Eve, my father assured me that there would be snow on the ground for Christmas. Early on a still-dark  Christmas morning, as promised by my dad, there was snow falling. He awakened me to show me the falling snow. As we went into the hotel restaurant that morning, I ran in and greeted everyone with the comment that my daddy had made it snow for Christmas.

Fast forward 60 years, and we are walking around Garmisch in late April. Snowflakes fall among the raindrops… my dad is still keeping his promises.

We walked to the Olympic Ice Rink, only to find it secured with guards and barb wired fencing as the town prepared for the upcoming G7 Summit.

The next day in the still falling rain, we walked out to where the Green Arrow Inn used to be. The buildings were still there, but the facility was now very guarded as it would be housing all the police and security forces for the upcoming G7… thwarted again!

My last “trip down memory lane” was to visit the churchyard and cemetery near the location of the Green Arrow Inn.  To my surprise it was not secured and we were able to enter through the gate and walk among the beautifully maintained graves. When I visited this cemetery 60 years ago on a cold, Christmas Eve, there were candles lit on small trees on each grave. Families walked around visiting the graves listening as a brass band played Christmas carols on the back porch of the nearby church. I hope these traditions still continue.