With love, from Berchtesgaden -- she likes it!

Shopping area in Berechtesgarden. You can see the Eagle's Nest from here.
Jewelry store on the right.

The refrigerator magnet and the Belgian chocolates were the easy part.
The most stressful part of the recent Band of Brothers tour of Europe was finding The Real Gift for my sweetie back home.
As we passed through European cities and villages I kept an eye out for possible venues. The tour boss said, "Don't worry. There's plenty of time for shopping at the end of the two weeks."
I worried.
Let's see. If it is earrings it needs to be a French wire. Should it be a gold setting, or now she doesn't want gold settings? Prefers stainless or sterling? Can't remember. Oh boy.
Berchtesgaden was the Alpine resort home to all the greatest Nazis. If you were anybody at all, you had a place near the Fuhrer in the gated community on the gorgeous mountainside. When the Allies finally took over the town, the streets were empty, if you lived here, you were a loyal Nazi and were not out waving at the boys.

Where does one begin?

Today Berchtesgaden is still a beautiful city and it has a very nice shopping district. We stayed there for our final three days, taking in the mountains and still waters. The big train station built especially for Hitler and his henchmen now flies the Burger King flag, leaving no doubt about who won the war.
There's also a dandy jewelry store just down from our hotel with nice stuff. The Band of Brothers tour boss was right -- as usual.
So the afternoon after our ascension to the Eagle's Nest, I descended with some dread into The Shops. The tension was palpable. Palms sweaty, we begged assistance from the busy clerk. She spoke German and very little English. I don't think she even knew what I meant when I said "wife" (hausfrau?) and gestured to the glass cases, glittering with so much I know nothing about, labeled in euros.

Housfraus from the village.

Fortunately, just as I was about to glaze over and "settle" for anything, I found Patty Bryant for a quick consult. It wasn't long before my fellow traveler had rejected my tentative pick and spotted just the thing in the window. It wasn't earrings, it was a necklace. She said she liked it and told me why. We looked it over and talked about Kathleen.
As the proprietor wrapped it up and explained in really bad English how I could get the taxes refunded if I filled out forms and stood in another line at the airport in Munich, I was joined by another fellow traveler, dropping in to the shop.
"I love it!" Bev exclaimed, and all the tension was gone. That night I packed it away with a satisfying sense of conclusion.

Today Kathleen received her box. Earlier, she put the magnet on the fridge and snorted at my joke which implied that the lovely magnet featuring the Zum am See lake scene was to be The Real Gift. She's nibbled at the Belgian Chocolates, but never really had a taste for European sweets, including their cookies.
So this was it. She slid the box open and. . . she loves it! No, she really does, she's not just being nice. "So simple, and beautiful," she purred.
Thank you Ron, thank you Patty, thank you Bev, and thank you Berchtesgaden.
It's good to be home.

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(left) The pearl on the sterling setting did the trick.