First of all, I’m obsessed with horses and I also have a strong feeling that when I die I will reincarnate as a horse, so I was super excited to be around some horses today at the Neuschwanstein Castle! It’s also the Chinese Lunar Year of the Red Fire House, so I try to embody this spirit by taking the time to appreciate nature and being carefree. Though we didn’t ride the horse carriage up, the hike was very scenic and just so surreal to see in person. I could definitely imagine myself galloping through this forest as a horse in my next life, it’s just so peaceful. I love hiking when I’m home, so this was a good switch up from the factory tours by being outdoors, roaming around. We took a tour of the inside of the castle and WOW is all I have to say, I was genuinely in awe of how beautiful and intricate the interior design is. Surrounded by forests, mountains, and fresh air, it was easy to understand why King Ludwig II chose this location for one of his most famous castles. When we finally entered the castle, I was amazed by the level of detail in every room. From the murals and chandeliers to the elaborate woodwork, everything felt straight out of a fairytale. Seeing the castle in person was even more impressive than any picture I had seen beforehand.

After the tour we hiked back up the bridge to see a birds-eye view of the castle. This was a nerve racking experience due to the high volume of people moving around the small bridge and wobbliness of most of the wood planks. So it was hard to move around and I felt uneasy wobbling on a bridge that’s so high up. The bridge seemed to sway with every step, and I found myself gripping the railing much tighter than necessary. However, the view was worth every second of discomfort. Standing above the valley and looking out at Neuschwanstein Castle surrounded by forests and mountains felt surreal. It was one of those views that makes you stop and appreciate where you are because pictures simply cannot capture the scale and beauty of it.

Once we headed back down the hill, we went to a nearby town called Füssen where we looked inside some shops and got sandwiches from a cafe. I’ve been itching to get a least a few rings while I’m here as I collect rings and I wear at least one ring on every finger, but unfortunately most of the rings we saw were close to €100. I hope to do some more shopping to find rings that are within my budget.

After we regrouped we visited a Catholic church called The sanctuary of Wies where we listened to the choir. The acoustics in the church were amazing, the music sounded very clear. Looking around at the art on the ceiling while hearing the angelic voices of the choir, I felt like I was dreaming. This was a very ‘pinch myself’ moment where I was filled with the whimsical spirit of a horse yet again and I felt like I was ascending up into the clouds.

While on the bus, most of us slept the whole time just about every part of my body was sore. I have pre existing back problems that have been exacerbated by this trip, so I’m really trying to focus on remaining positive and grateful for all these experiences through the pain I’m feeling. I’m glad that we had the chance to wind down and sleep early after the trip because we had no further obligations for the rest of day. So I read my book, went on a walk, and worked on some blogs before going to bed early.

This weekend, I’m looking forward to exploring more of Augsburg and going to Munich! This week has really flown by and I’m so happy to be here!!