Cowbells in Possenhofen

Typical of large European cities, Munich's hotel rates hover around 100 Euros per night. When those 6 million visitors strut through the city gates for Oktoberfest, though, the hoteliers can easily get away with charging double the normal price. Wanting to stick to my budget, I decided to sleep outside the city of Munich proper and take the train in. Even though it was a 40-minute trip, staying in the tranquil lakeside town of Possenhofen was worth it. I felt like I was in a separate world where modern rules don't apply.

Our B and B owner consistently called Daisy "Prinzessin"

While out for a walk after breakfast, I could smell delicious smoke rising from chimneys and mingling with the fall mist. The unsteady clonging of cowbells traipsed over the lush, green fields. I wish photographs could capture sounds and smells.

We saw traditional Bavarian architecture adorned with cascading flowers. It's almost as if the house itself is saying "Grüß Gott" (Greet God, the regional way of saying hello).

Bavaria fought hard against Luther's Reformation and is still predominantly Catholic. Miniature chapels and religious wooden carvings punctuated our route to the lake, called Starnbergersee.

On a clear day, you can see the Alps

This lake is where Ludwig II, builder of the famous Neuschwanstein castle and grandson of Ludwig I of Oktoberfest fame, mysteriously drowned in 1886. His cousin Sisi lived here in Possenhofen Castle when she wasn't needed as Empress of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Today, it is a beachy summer paradise for the city dwellers.

I am under the impression that Bavarians have found the good life. Men wear feathers in their hats. People display potted plants like team flags. Neighborhoods, nestled in exquisite natural beauty, feature intricate woodwork and cows wearing cowbells: the manic drive for efficiency that churns in other places melts away in surroundings like these. I know that I will never live in Possenhofen, but I hope to somehow adopt a leisurely Bavarian elegance in my lifestyle. It's partly "Stop and smell the roses," but that is not active enough. If I could coin a new phrase, it might be something like "Go ahead and use your cowbells," by which I mean, "Add an extra layer of richness to your life, ignoring the demands of efficiency."