Tuesday, April 4, 2000

Our night train from Firenze pulled into Munchen at around 06:35.  We disembarked the train and went to the waiting lounge.  Chris and I wandered off to buy our train tickets from Munchen to Fussen.  We found a great deal.  There is a Bavaria pass that entitles 5 people to travel virtually anywhere in Bavaria for $20.  So for $5 each we were able to go to Fussen.  When Chris and I returned to the waiting lounge to share our joy - the look on Kris' face was not so happy.  He had left his pouch that held his money, credit cards, and medical insurance card on the train.  The train had departed.  He reported it to the lost and found station at the train station, but as of yet hasn't heard anything.

We caught the 08:51 train to Fussen and caught the bus from there to Schwangau.  In Schwangau it was only a five minute walk to our hotel - Hotel Alpenstuben.  I can't say enough about this hotel - for $37.50 each, a night, it was great.  The rooms were lovely, and comfortable and the balconies looked out on Castle Neuschwanstein.

We checked in, unpacked, and showered (night trains make one feel quite grungy).  Then we went for a walk - a long walk - around the lake and up the hill, through the forest.  Up, near the top, we found snow and threw a snowball or two.  It was invigorating and refreshing up there.  The air doesn't come any cleaner and the view was spectacular.  We could see Castle Hohenschwangau on the other side of the lake.  The weather was more perfect than weather has ever or will ever be.  The sky was the richest cerulean blue.

We had to cut our hike a little short because, since it was the off-season, the hotel restaurant stopped serving dinner at 7:30pm.  After dinner we walked again - but this time in the opposite direction, towards the town of Fussen, looking for a pub.  We didn't find a pub, but we found a SPAR gas station that had a great built in supermarket.  It is an interesting experience walking in the dark where the only lights are the illuminated castles on the hill.  It becomes challenging when you know that the unseen road under your feet is the same road that all of the horse carriages use.

Back at the hotel we rested our weary feet and consumed the goodies we had purchased while watching some German TV.  German TV is quite interesting and different than that of the USA.

Wednesday, April 5, 2000

Wednesday was castle day - we had the complimentary breakfast at the hotel (a bounty of breads, cheese, meats, pate, and tomatoes) and then set out to see the castles.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't like that of the day before.  It was overcast with occasional rains.  The first castle on the agenda was Neuschwanstein.  It's a steep walk up the hill to the castle (although the aforementioned horse carriages are available).  Schloss Neuschwanstein is the castle that the Disney castle is based on.  The castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.