Before I start, the castle itself was beautiful… the conditions were not. Today was a very rainy and cold day, but it was still a very eventful one. We met in the lobby at 8 AM, grabbed some breakfast, and got on the bus to go to our first stop of the day: Castle Neuschwanstein. When we got there, it wasn’t raining to bad (it was more or less just a drizzle).
At the bottom of the big mountain (the castle was at the top), there was a gorgeous lake that we got to see called the Alpsee lake. The fog was hitting the lake just right, and it was a wonder to see with the mountains in the back.
We then stopped at the cafe, and grabbed something quick to snack on. I had a cappuccino and some bread. Once we all met outside of the cafe, the trek up to the castle began… as well as the rain. I had my umbrella, so I didn’t get terribly soaked but I can not say the same for everyone else. As we progressed on what seemed like a hike, the downpour of the rain worsened. I think I enjoyed seeing what looked like horse-drawn carriages. They were gorgeous, but unfortunately left their poop on the streets for us to smell and have to avoid.
A little before we arrived at the castle, we stopped at a beautiful viewpoint and took a group picture. At this stop, you could see the mountains and a waterfall. Our tour of the castle was scheduled for 11:55 AM, so we still had time to kill as it was only 10:50 AM. We ventured on past the castle and up the mountain until we reached a bridge with the prettiest view (in my opinion).
We finally walked to the castle entrance, and just waited until it was our time slot. Several groups were doing this since the rain was coming down extremely hard. Once our coats dried off, many of us were just left shivering in the cold until we were able to enter the castle.
The castle tour itself was very short, but also very beautiful and cool. With the castle being built in the 18th century, it was very impressive how well everything was preserved. Something interesting was that there was a floor covering on the parts we walked on, but it matched the tiling and design of the original floor to keep the illusion of the room original. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed to be taken.
There were some rooms under renovation, so our tour was cut even more short than usual. Either way, I am still very grateful to have toured the home of King Ludwig II. What was astounding to me was that he lived by himself (other than his servants). For example, his dining room was very small and it was immersed in paintings. I believe our tour guide said it helped him to not feel as lonely.
Once our tour finished, we stopped at the gift shop. After some gifts were bought, our trek back down began. About halfway down, we stopped at a donut shop that had classic german donuts. You got a portion (3 donuts) for 3,50 euros. The donuts tasted like warm, powdered bread with cheese inside… very different than donuts in the United States.
Although our original lunch plans were to go to a nearby town, it was far too rainy to go and enjoy the town. So, we all collectively decided that we were going to get lunch at the restaurant next to the outdoor donut shop. I had spaghetti with meat sauce, and it was delicious! It tasted so natural, well-made, and it did not feel too heavy on my stomach (which is always a plus).
After lunch, we continued walking back down until we got to our lovely warm and dry bus! Needless to say, almost all of our socks and shoes were DRENCHED.
Before heading home, we stopped at a Pilgrim Church nearby. It was gorgeous, and all the paintings were very well-presented in my opinion. At the gift shop, I got some funky sunglasses. Finally, the bus took us back home, and almost 100% sure that everyone’s first move was to shower and put some warm socks on. The rest of the day we worked on presentations and relaxed. Tomorrow we present, so… see you tomorrow!
Talk soon!
Kaylee Uribe