Germany Day 2

Jenn:

Hello from Austria! We have free wireless so I’m trying to catch up on responding to some emails in addition to posting on the blog. When internet costs between 4-8 euros an hour, you get pretty good at preparing everything in advance so that you are just uploading all the stuff during the paid time! Thanks to everyone who has added comments or sent emails along. Mom and I look forward to checking email and the blog to hear your reactions and get your responses each night. We’ve laughed pretty hard a few times.

We had a long day today starting with a 6 am wake-up call. Our first destination was the village of Rothenburg, Germany. This is a walled-in town from the medieval times. The entire area is surrounded by a wall that is connected by a series of watchtowers. I was very excited to take photos of the rooftops from a variety of angles. So, when the tour guide led the entire group into the market square for shopping, I asked where the specific tower was that I needed and headed quickly in the opposite direction. I couldn’t believe that no one else took the opportunity to view things from a different perspective. It was simply beautiful, very peaceful, and totally quiet!

We then learned firsthand about road construction in Germany (according to our tour guide the Germans are famous for ALWAYS working on the roads and never being finished) as we sat in terrible traffic for quite a while. Our next stop was a biggie…in fact, it’s the entire reason we are on this particular tour. Mom has always wanted to see the Neuschwanstein Castle that inspired Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. It was built by King Ludwig prior to his untimely death after it was determined he was mentally unfit and therefore unable to remain king. Wow! What a sight to see. We visited the little town and then headed up the hill to take a guided tour of the castle. There was a lookout bridge that basically handed you the castle on a platter right in front of you-incredible. The tricky part is that the bridge is very high in the air and a bit wobbly. When we got there, mom said I could just go and take the pictures because mine would turn out better anyway. After seeing how amazing it was, I went and found mom and told her she did not come all the way to Europe to NOT have this opportunity and sent her down to get a look for herself. She was floored!!! The castle was interesting inside, but the most impressive part was its location in the terrain. It is literally set in the alpine mountains with majestic views of glacier filled lakes, the Alps, and gorgeous villages from every window in the place.

Our afternoon drive took us through the Alps for the first time on the trip. When the tour guide started the soundtrack from the Sound of Music as we crossed the border into Austria, mom got all choked up. I had no idea what was going on so I asked her if she was mad at me. She said she was just overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. This was a relief because I’m a bit notorious for unintentionally making mom cry. I’ve actually gone 8 whole days and this was the first set of tears…glad to know they were happy ones!

We arrived at our hotel for the evening, which is right outside Innsbruck, Austria. The scenery is breathtaking here. While our family-owned “pension” is a bit on the rustic side, our room has a view of the rooftops and the Alps that no one would complain about. We are tired and mom is in bed. I’ll try to get her to catch up on this entry and edit it another night adding her perspective.

Rothenburg: Beautiful Rooftop Looking Out to the Green Valley

Rooftops Toward the Town Square

The Wall Around the City-You Walk at the Level of the Railing!

Beautiful Architecture and Charm

Headed in to the Town Square

Sue:

Today was a great day. We got to a little town called Rothenburg, which is a medieval village that is truly authentic with a wall surrounding it. There were dates of the 1400’s stamped in the buildings! This little place is where the story of Pinocchio was said to have been set. Wait until you see the pictures – it is a treat going back to that era!

The castle at Neuschwanstein was spectacular and I can see why the king chose that setting, in the middle of alpine lakes and the Alps. The castle is younger than I expected, only built in 1869 and never finished. It is also a bit smaller than I expected, I should have gone to St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey AFTER the castle! King Ludwig II was declared mentally unable to rule, so he was de-throned. The next day he and his psychiatrist were discovered mysteriously drowned. The mystery of the deaths still is unsolved and Ludwig never married. There is some speculation that he was gay.

We then started our drive through the Austrian Alps. They are majestic and our tour director popped in the CD of “The Sound of Music” with “The Hills Are Alive…” I just became overwhelmed with emotion in this beautiful country and it hit me that I was really, really in the Alps! I started to get chocked up and I tried to stop it, but the tears just kept coming. I guess I didn’t know how much I have wanted to come, saying someday I would do it. That someday hit hard and fastJ

Our hotel is a skiing hotel, very rustic and a combination of cozy and European chic. Our window has a view of the alps – just unbelievable. See you in Switzerland!