Sunday, June 8, 2008
The theme of today's blog...trains and walking (as usual)!
This morning we checked out of Hotel Modern “Any thing but” (Amy). We caught our train and headed to Fussen. We have become accustomed to sitting in 1st class because we were too old to buy EuroRail passes in 2nd class (must be under 26) so when we were forced to sit in 2nd class we realized just how lucky we were to sit in 1st class. The car behind us had a grade school class on a fieldtrip and the car in front of us had a boy scout troop. Both seriously lacking chaperones! But we got really cozy with our neighbors. No lockers were available in Fussen so we began the hike to find our priciest hotel yet. It was by necessity not by choice, there wasn’t anything cheaper in Bavaria. Our hotel spa (we actually never saw a spa) was a 15 min. trek from the station through the town and up into a park area. Leavenworth sure got the setting right for the theme. We felt at home so close to mountains that could be the Eastern Cascades. The hotel is just like a dream. We couldn’t check in because we were too early but we left our bags and headed on a scenic walk along the river (looks like the White or Napequa Rivers outside of Leavenworth only much wider and deeper!) to the town square and to the bus station to catch our bus out to the sites of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. The Hohenschwangau is the older of the two castles mainly occupied by Bavarian King Ludwig I. It is an amazing castle on a little hill built as a retreat for the family. The castle is still retained by the royal family though it has been used as a museum since a year after Ludwig II death. The wood in the castle is amazing! Walnut parquet floors with each room displaying furniture of a different type of wood, Lebanese cedar, ash, walnut, cherry, etc. Gold plated statues, center pieces, fine china, a snooker table from the 1600s. It’s pretty amazing! The castle has been redesigned a number of times most recently after Napoleon burned it to the ground. After Ludwig I’s death, the crown passed to Ludwig II because his elder brother Otto was mentally ill. Ludwig II had an eccentric personality and he enjoyed spending more money than the treasury held. He also loved Wagner & his operas. So he combined these two loves and began building a number of castles the most famous of which is Neuschwanstein located across the valley on the next mountain side. Ludwig II actually watched the castle construction from
the bedroom window in Hohenschwangau. Built to honor Wagner’s German Fariy Tale Operas (almost all including a swan, Ludwig’s favorite animal) the castle’s interior has swans gracing every surface and each room is dedicated to depicting one of Wagner’s operas. In the King’s reception hall there are over 137 swans. And you know how I LOVE birds! (Yuck!) The most impressive room, and this is saying a lot when you consider all the wood carvings, tapestries and that every square inch of finished castle is hand painted or gold leafed, was the throne room. Missing the throne itself, which was never actually completed, the throne room has an amazingly detailed mosaic floor, a 1 ton golden replica of Ludwig II’s crown as a chandelier with semi-precious stones in it and paintings of the 12 apostles looking to the throne for his words. The 4 sainted kings are above and to the rear and above all of them Jesus “King of Kings” over seeing King Ludwig II. This castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. I felt like a little girl so giddy to be in a real castle. Only 1/3 of the castle
was completed because the parliament cut Ludwig off from over spending and had him declared insane and the very next day he was found dead in a lake with his doctor. No one ever found out what happened. Conspiracy theories abound I’m sure! The Fest hall was also amazing and designed after Wartberg Castle’s fest hall which we saw in Eisenach! All in all it was phenomenal! We ate at a little Italian place (they love their Italian here) San Marco, and I had a salad, and broccoli pasta. We are 
thanking God for little things like veggies. It’s easier to get fruit than veggies here. After dinner we sat in the sun by the St. George fountain and ate lemon gelato. On our way home we heard orchestral music coming from the courtyard of the Rathaus and we saw a great German orchestra giving a free community concert. They were very good. Settled in for the night and enjoyed out super amazing room with fluffy pillows and comforters!
The theme of today's blog...trains and walking (as usual)!
This morning we checked out of Hotel Modern “Any thing but” (Amy). We caught our train and headed to Fussen. We have become accustomed to sitting in 1st class because we were too old to buy EuroRail passes in 2nd class (must be under 26) so when we were forced to sit in 2nd class we realized just how lucky we were to sit in 1st class. The car behind us had a grade school class on a fieldtrip and the car in front of us had a boy scout troop. Both seriously lacking chaperones! But we got really cozy with our neighbors. No lockers were available in Fussen so we began the hike to find our priciest hotel yet. It was by necessity not by choice, there wasn’t anything cheaper in Bavaria. Our hotel spa (we actually never saw a spa) was a 15 min. trek from the station through the town and up into a park area. Leavenworth sure got the setting right for the theme. We felt at home so close to mountains that could be the Eastern Cascades. The hotel is just like a dream. We couldn’t check in because we were too early but we left our bags and headed on a scenic walk along the river (looks like the White or Napequa Rivers outside of Leavenworth only much wider and deeper!) to the town square and to the bus station to catch our bus out to the sites of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. The Hohenschwangau is the older of the two castles mainly occupied by Bavarian King Ludwig I. It is an amazing castle on a little hill built as a retreat for the family. The castle is still retained by the royal family though it has been used as a museum since a year after Ludwig II death. The wood in the castle is amazing! Walnut parquet floors with each room displaying furniture of a different type of wood, Lebanese cedar, ash, walnut, cherry, etc. Gold plated statues, center pieces, fine china, a snooker table from the 1600s. It’s pretty amazing! The castle has been redesigned a number of times most recently after Napoleon burned it to the ground. After Ludwig I’s death, the crown passed to Ludwig II because his elder brother Otto was mentally ill. Ludwig II had an eccentric personality and he enjoyed spending more money than the treasury held. He also loved Wagner & his operas. So he combined these two loves and began building a number of castles the most famous of which is Neuschwanstein located across the valley on the next mountain side. Ludwig II actually watched the castle construction from
the bedroom window in Hohenschwangau. Built to honor Wagner’s German Fariy Tale Operas (almost all including a swan, Ludwig’s favorite animal) the castle’s interior has swans gracing every surface and each room is dedicated to depicting one of Wagner’s operas. In the King’s reception hall there are over 137 swans. And you know how I LOVE birds! (Yuck!) The most impressive room, and this is saying a lot when you consider all the wood carvings, tapestries and that every square inch of finished castle is hand painted or gold leafed, was the throne room. Missing the throne itself, which was never actually completed, the throne room has an amazingly detailed mosaic floor, a 1 ton golden replica of Ludwig II’s crown as a chandelier with semi-precious stones in it and paintings of the 12 apostles looking to the throne for his words. The 4 sainted kings are above and to the rear and above all of them Jesus “King of Kings” over seeing King Ludwig II. This castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. I felt like a little girl so giddy to be in a real castle. Only 1/3 of the castle
was completed because the parliament cut Ludwig off from over spending and had him declared insane and the very next day he was found dead in a lake with his doctor. No one ever found out what happened. Conspiracy theories abound I’m sure! The Fest hall was also amazing and designed after Wartberg Castle’s fest hall which we saw in Eisenach! All in all it was phenomenal! We ate at a little Italian place (they love their Italian here) San Marco, and I had a salad, and broccoli pasta. We are 
thanking God for little things like veggies. It’s easier to get fruit than veggies here. After dinner we sat in the sun by the St. George fountain and ate lemon gelato. On our way home we heard orchestral music coming from the courtyard of the Rathaus and we saw a great German orchestra giving a free community concert. They were very good. Settled in for the night and enjoyed out super amazing room with fluffy pillows and comforters!
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