Once upon a time there was a crazy king named Ludwig II. During his short reign he constructed a structure out of a fairy tale: Neuschwanstein Castle the “Cinderella Castle.” Today we visited said castle located on a lake near the Germany-Austria border. After a hot and stuffy bus ride we walked for about 20 minutes up to the castle for a guided tour. The views from the top of the hill were spectacular. On one side there was flat open countryside with lakes and houses dotted throughout the landscape; on the other side were jagged mountain peaks and a raging river. Unfortunately the outside of the castle was under construction, so the immersion of the historical time frame was somewhat ruined. The castle interior was spectacular with elegant decorations and original rooms and furnishings. There was impressive woodwork and there was even a man made cave on the upper floors. However, the tour was very short and we were quickly herded into the multiple souvenir shops located in the castle. Despite the castle being very nice, I left feeling underwhelmed by what I had seen.

Next we visited the town of Fuessen and ate a delicious meal in a small German restaurant. Later I got ice cream and enjoyed walking through the colorful streets of the pedestrian area. The next stop was a very elaborately decorated church in the middle of nowhere. We were driving through rolling hills and past herds of cattle when we arrived at the church which could only be described by the phrase: “looks can be deceiving.” On the outside it was plainly decorated and surrounded by farms and flocks of chicken. On the inside there were gold and marble decorations and beautiful paintings in the ceilings and walls. It was one of the most impressive churches I’ve seen in Germany so far.

The trip has been a lot of fun, however I am starting to get a little home sick. I am excited to return to Delaware in a few days.