Today we took a trip to the revered Neuschwanstein Castle in the outskirts of the Alps. The drive wasn’t bad at all, and upon our arrival, I realized it was well worth it. It’s hard for my brain to perceive that some of the backdrops I have seen aren’t pictures and are in fact real. Being from Pennsylvania, the sizes of the mountains and valleys associated with said backdrops are unlike anything I have ever seen. The weather was sunny and crisp, and after an uphill walk, we finally reached the main attraction of the day. Towering over me stood the medieval behemoth that is Neuschwanstein, chock full of winding towers and detailed balconies.

Whilst the outside was stunning, it was the inside that blew my mind. King Ludwig II was an interesting man to say the least, and this reflected as such in his interior design decisions. The details in some of the rooms are hard to comprehend. Dozens of intricate portraits, golden chandeliers and thrones, and a massive man-made cave. Upon the finishing of our tour, we retreated back to University Augsburg for a talk from the head of production at the MAN facility we visited earlier in the week.

This presentation maintained the through-points we have been learning about since Monday. Innovation, logistical concepts, etc. I was specifically curious about the R&D of fuel cell technologies going on at MAN. It is easy to gloss over innovative sections of companies and focus on the production of tried and tested revenue streams, but MAN makes sure to hit all areas. In regards to differences between cars and trucks, I think regulatory issues are highlighted. I feel it would be “easier” to regulate trucks (routes, emissions, etc) in the coming years than cars, where the individual has more autonomy than a company such as MAN does. Overall, I got a little bit of everything today.