Big day today! We boarded a van (all of us, in one van...tight squeeze) for the two hour trip south to the Alps along the Austrian-German boarder to visit the castle Neuschwanstein. About a decade ago when I visited Munich with my Summer soccer team we also made this visit, and I was eager to make it again. I have hazy memories from the first time, but all memories are good ones. Though it was a bit of a long time to be spending in a crammed bus, once you arrive it is well worth it.
The castle is one of Germany's most popular tourisit attactions and places to visit. The castle itself was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle. There's not much to say about the castle and surrounding area, other than it really is a beautiful place. The pictures and videos I took don't do it justice, but they will give you an idea of what we experienced.
On our way back we stopped at the "Church of the Medow"...the name didn't ring a bell, but when we got there I vaguely remembered visiting it in the past. The exteriror of the church is pretty nice, but it's the interior that is incredibly gorgeous. Again, hopefully the picutres and videos convey some its beauty.
Back in the van and back to Munich for our last night. For dinner we went to anthother "traditional Bavarian" restaurant for more Dunkel and pork...dinner for me was roast suckling pig (roast baby pig) with dumplings. It was really pretty good, but not as good as the first night's pork knuckle. Tomorrow we leave Bavaria and head to Stuttgart where we'll make a stop at a castle and teaching academy. On the road again...
Some general thoughts about the trip so far...summed up in one word: AWESOME! In a bit more detail...we have been shown around by two terriffic guides, Annette and Alexander. Alexander is like a walking encyclopedia. The knoweldge of all things German has been indespensible. We are very fortunate to have two great guides that have literally taken care of everything for us and made our trip through Bavaria nothing short of remarkable. The Goethe Institut and the guides have arranged everything. Though our days are busy, the only thing we have to do is make sure we show up on time and ready to learn and explore. Transportation is arranged, tickets purchased, reservations made, and all food and drink at our group dinners and lunches is paid for. We're treated so well, and has only added to the awesome experiences. As the trip continues I can only expect many more wonderful experiences!
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