I am back from a tour of Bavaria. I saw fairy-tale castles and palaces, lovely Alpine lakes and meadows, medieval towns and baroque churches. The centerpiece of the tour was the Passion Play at Oberammergau, a dramatization of Christ’s last earthly week.

So for the past two weeks I have not been thinking about history in Northern California at all.

I learned about “Mad” King Ludwig II and prankster prince-archbishop of Salzburg Markus Sittikus. The Sound of Music featured prominently in our tour of Salzburg, because guides figure all Americans want to see where it was filmed.

I ate lots of hearty meat-and-potatoes traditional German meals. I drank mineralwasser and apfelschorle. I brought home a bagful of my favorite Ritter Sport candy bars.

But any connection to California? Well, as a matter of fact, there is one. I’ll tell you all about it next time.