Neuschwanstein

We saved the best for last. During our last big day in Europe, we travelled from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to another of Ludwig II castles. This castle is called Neuschwanstein. It sits up in the Barvarian Alps, very close to the border of Austria. We actually drove through Austria to get there. This is the castle the Walt Disney modeled his Cinderella castle after when he was creating the Cinderella castle. Many still refer to Neuschwanstein as the Cinderella castle. It is only 1/3 finished because King Ludwig died before the project was finished. Will and I were dropped off by mom and dad at the bottom of the HUGE hill you have to climb to get to the castle. Once we reached the top, we looked around the courtyards and then took our tour of the inside of the castle. After the tour, we trekked even further up the mountain to what is called the Marianbroke Bridge. On the way up to the bridge, we passed an incredible sight. Ludwig II father had a castle down the hill from Neuschwanstein. As you walk up toward the bridge you pass a sight of the other castle and the huge lake that sits next to the castle. Marianbroke bridge crosses a huge gorge with a steady flowing waterfall runs underneath. The water fall is from the melting snow above on the mountain tops. We walked back down and met up with mom and dad for the drive home.

Newschwantein as we walk up to it

Inside the inner courtyard of the castle

Will posing gangsta like he owns the place :)

Us waiting for our tour

The sight on the way to the Marianbroke Bridge, the yellow castle is his fathers castle. The white blob next to it is the lake. The streets at the bottom is where we started, it was a long walk :)

View of the castle from the bridge

The gorge hundreds of feet beneath us

We didn't have a camera but we did have an iPhone. (iPhone to the rescue again!) The pictures aren't ver clear but give you an idea. It was completely beautiful! I love the castles of Bavaria!

Oberammergau and Linderhof

On Saturday we decided to get a late start. We rolled out of bed and had breakfast downstairs at the Frauendorfer. Traditional German breakfasts consist of white bread that is hard on the outside (brotchen), meat, cheese, yogurt and granola, fruit, and of course, Nutella. We got so full we were starting to feel tired again. Mom wasn't feeling good so we let her rest while Dad, Will and I travelled to the close by American base and to a lake up a mountain a few hundred feet.

That is the lake behind us, it is just frozen with snow covering the ice. Beautiful mountains right?

Once mom was feeling better, we all piled in the car for Oberammergau. On the way to Oberammergau, we stopped for a little while at Ettal, the Monastery where Bonhoeffer hid out and wrote during WWII. It is a beautiful walled monastery with a intricate chapel inside. These monks are also famous for their Liquor. They make their own liquor at this monestary called Ettal Liquor.

Mom, Will and I infront of Ettal

Inside the Chapel at Ettal

Will holding a bottle of Ettal Liquor

Oberammergau is another small German town but it has something unique about it. During the plague in the 17th century, like all other towns in Europe, Oberammergau had many people dying in their town. They made a deal with God, that if he would stop the plague they would perform a play of his life, death and resurrection every year after. Well, the plague did end and Oberammergau performed this play ever year after the 1600's. Well, it became world famous and too expensive and time consuming so now they perform it every 10 years during the summer. This summer is when it will be performed again. Oberammergau also is famous for its paintings on the houses in town. The one Will and I are standing in front of is the house were the story of Little Red Riding Hood is told. We strolled through this town window shopping and such before we left for the castle Linderhof.

Little Red Riding Hood House

Will loving kraut!

Linderhof is one of the three castles built in Bavaria by Ludwig II. He was a Bavarian king in the late 1800's. He never married or had children and taxing his people to build these elaborate castles was what he loved best. He built Linderfhof for his obsession with hunting. It is a relatively small castle especially compared to Versailles we visited earlier. But it has incredible gardens that you can really only see in the summer and a natural cave he converted into an opera house.

In front of Linderhof

We returned to Garmisch-Partenkirchen to eat once again at the Frauendorfer. It was a perfect night to a perfect day.

Dachau and Munich

After leaving Rothenburg, we went to the town of Dachau. Dachau is also the location for a WWII concentration work camp. Will and Dad went to the concentration camp while mom and I went shopping around town. We have been numerous times and thought we could do without another trip. When Will came out of the camp he said it was very sobering. The concentration camp includes a 30 minute informational movie about the camp, a musuem, the barracks that housed the inmates, gas chambers, etc. This was a camp mainly for working prisoners not for mass killings.

After we left Dachau we went to Munich for a few hours. We saw the world famous cathedral and the town sqaure. The town square houses the Glockenspiel. It is really just a giant cookoo clock on the bell town attachted to the town hall. We also went to the Hoffbrau Hause in Munich. This is a Beirgarten where huge pretzels and huges beers. This is also where Hitler began his movement and many of his marches on the barvarian government.

From there we left for Garmisch-Partenkichen where we stayed for two nights. We ate at our hotel the Frauendorfer Gasthause. It was Saint Joseph day in Barvaria and the Frauendorfer was packed with people and hoppin. They had a huge Barvarian band playing through the dinner and young dancing boys in lederhosen.

We ate schnitzel and sourkraut and sang along with the best Germans around us. We slept good that night :)

Will inside of Dachau Concentration camp

At the gate to enter Dachau. The gate says "Work makes free". The inmates were told if they worked they would be set free, but like much of the other Nazi promises, it was not true.

A horrible picture but the only one of all four of us outside of the information center at Dachau.

The cathedral in Munich

Will in front of the gate in Munich

In front of the Glockenspiel in Munich

The enterence to the Hofbrau Haus

Hofbrau Haus museum eating our wurst and kraut

The Hofbrau Haus women would carry these huge amounts of beer at one time. I tried just a few and my arms are weak!

Big ole pretzel infront of a big ole keg

The lederhosen dancers

Barvarian band at the Frauendorfer

Night in Rothenburg

We left for the little German town of Rothenburg right after dad left school on Thursday. We drove the 2 hours south to the German state of Bavaria and begun our trip through the romantic Germany.

Us in front of the most photographed spot in Germany.

Mom, Will and I in front of out bed and breakfast.

This town is a mideval walled city that has many tourist. We stayed at a cute little German bed and breakfast. Soon after we arrived, we walked the wall around the city before we had to make our dinner reservation.

Will and I walking the town wall

We ate dinner and went on the Night Watchman Tour. This tour has been given by George, the Night Watchman, for 17 years in Rothenburg. The tour shows how a Night Watchman would protect the town from things such as fire, invasion, etc. during the sleeping hours of the evening. You walk with George around the town starting at 8 p.m. and he gives you the history of the town and a little taste of what it would be like for a night watchman in the 16th century.

George, the Night Watchman, is a really funny guy. So, we took a picture with him.

After a good nights rest, we left the next day for Garmisch-Partenkichen.

Paris Day 3

We decided to leave a little later than so we could sleep some more. We arrived at the Louvre at 10:00. We saw the Mona Lisa, Winged Triomphe, and Napoleon’s apartment.

Can you see Keeley waving in the background?

Will at the Mona Lisa

Will in comparison to a HUGE painting

Napoleon's living room, I mean really? Is that really needed?

We aren’t huge art history people so we quickly moved to the Paris Opera House which I went in and thoroughly enjoyed. I love the movie Phantom of the Opera so I wanted to make sure and get inside to see this one.

Next we went to the Pantheon which is quite impressive but a sad building. Keeley explained to us that it was built in honor of the greatness of man. It is sad to think that this huge building is really just the worship of man and his accomplishments apart for God. I wish they knew we are nothing without God.

 Will in the Pantheon, big place!

The tomb of Marie Curie in the bottom of the Pantheon

We ate a traditional French lunch and went to the Orsey Musem as our last stop. At the Orsey we saw a Van Gough exhibit, it was incredible.

Keeley examining some painting

We left there to Keeley’s apartment to pack and celebrate Keeley’s birthday (Saint Patrick’s Day) and head to our fast train home to Germany. We are totally wiped out!

Paris Day 2 After Lunch

After lunch at a local Greek place, we left and went to Saint Chapelle. This quaint little church hidden behind a large Government building tells the story of the scripture from Genesis through the gospels in stain glass.

We left Saint Chapelle to go the Rodin Museum. This is the museum that houses the Thinker sculpture. We sat in front of him and thought for awhile as our feet rested. We met as great American family traveling with their twin 5 year old boys. They were from Dallas and we enjoyed sitting and talking with them.

Next we searched for the two most famous café’s in Paris. After we found them we departed to the Eiffel Tower! We stopped at the metro stop Trocedaro and walked toward the Eiffel Tower from the front side.

Keeley decided to skip climbing the Tower but we toughed it out even though our feet were feeling awful! It was only 5E for both of us so we climbed to the second story (which is a better view than the top because you are closer to the things below) and were exhausted. We took some amazing pictures and then climbed down.

Us from the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower

The Sine River view from the 2nd floor of the Tower

Will took this picture from the 2nd level through the bonoculars. Can you see Notre Dame?

Once down, we left for L’Arc de Triomphe. We also climbed this one and after the Eiffel Tower we thought it would be easy but little did we remember, we had walked so much already that day. We did get to the top and this view was breath taking. We saw the Champes l’Eysse, the Eiffel Tower, the Invalids, and the rest of the city.

Arc de' Triomphe from the Metro Stop

From the top of the Arc

The Champs-Élysées from the top of the Arc

After walking between 13-15 miles (depending on Keeley GPS or my pedometer) that day, we turned in for the night!

Will exhausted on the Metro after a long day!!