Today we woke up and hopped on the coach bus with a little bit of fear considering we had the same driver who hit the sign yesterday. Luckily, we made it to the castle safely. Unfortunately, it was pouring when we got there and did not stop once until we left. We began by walking to the nearby lake where another castle was visible. Dr. Feick told us that this castle was actually built by King Ludwig II’s father. I thought it was funny that Ludwig II decided to build a massive castle right next to his father’s slightly smaller one. From below, the castle looked small amongst the mountains, which we could only see parts of due to the fog.

We took the hike up to the castle and got absolutely soaked on the way. Once we got closer to the castle, it was shocking how massive it really was, which also showed how massive the mountains truly were as they made the castle look small from further away. I was also shocked that they were able to build such a difficult construction project so long ago in such a dangerous location. We went to a platform where we could look out over a valley, waterfall, and of course; the castle. Despite being ridiculously foggy, it was amazing to see.

After waiting in the rain for a while, it was finally time for our tour. While the majority of the castle interior was not finished, the rooms that were finished were beautiful. We learned a little bit about Ludwigs’s obsession with Richard Wagner and other parts of his lifestyle. It made me kind of sad to see how he lived, because despite having all of this wealth and luxury, he chose to spend it alone in his castle and did not like socializing.

After the quick tour of the castle, we walked back down the hill and made a stop at a restaurant along the way. At the restaurant, we decided to get donuts there that were popular with previous years groups, which were amazing. We also changed up our plans a little bit and decided to just eat at this restaurant. Fox, Evan and I all got schnitzel, which was decent, but not as good as previous schnitzels.

After leaving, we stopped at a church in the middle of nowhere. I wasn’t expecting much from this stop, but the interior of the building was ridiculous. The artwork was super ornate and beautiful, and maybe even a little bit excessive. Every time I go into these heavily decorated churches, I wonder how much time and money was put into the decoration. It really shows how significant these buildings are to the people who built and worship in them.

After a quick stop at the church, we got another kind of donut that they sold near the church. This one was also really good, but not quite as good as the first one. Someone stole some of my donut (Dr. Feick :(.

We got back to the hotel and immediately warmed up with a hot shower. I spent the rest of the night preparing for our presentations tomorrow. Wish me luck!