We are a little sad this morning to be leaving The Netherlands. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. It's beautiful, clean, people are gracious hosts and many of them speak English so it makes traveling easy. However, we're exited to return to Germany. There is so much to see there. The weather in The Netherlands continues to be overcast and quite cool so we're hoping as we travel south it will warm up a bit.
Just entered Germany. Scenery remains the same, with large green pastures and cows grazing. However, the speed limit on the freeway disappeared! Look out Germany, Bob Elliott is back!!!! All of a sudden cars are ZOOMING on the road. Just stopped for lunch on the autobahn (freeway). Oh my goodness. The burger was AT LEAST twice the size of a Big Mac, probably more. We cut a little of it off for lunch and will save the remainder for another meal or two. Guess Germans think Californians like BIG meals, since it was called the California burger. We have never seen a burger that big. Now, continuing on our way as the sun breaks through the clouds just in time to let us fully appreciate the scenic road.
Day 2:
Spent the night in Heidelberg. What a delightful town. Large enough to have everything we need. Yet small enough to feel like a town, not a huge city. Spent a little time touring the old town and driving along the river. There was a huge castle on the hill as well as many lovely homes. We stayed at a great hotel, complete with an enormous buffet breakfast. Once again, the omelet was gigantic!!! Not sure if they always make their portions this large or if they think it is what folks from the U.S. expect. At any rate, we left half of it on our plates. Now, on our way to Munich. Another cloudy day, but warm and no rain.
The road to Munich is beautiful. We are in the midst of winding roads that meander gracefully up, down and around the mountains. Sheep graze nearby on emerald green grassy fields. Occasionally we spot a storybook-like house with a red roof setting on the top of a knoll. Once again, thousands of fluorescent yellow flowers adorn the fields creating a patchwork of color. We wander in and out of forests filled with pine trees. There's lots of current road construction so it forces drivers to slow down. I actually like having to slow the pace. It gives us an opportunity to appreciate and absorb the spectacular scenery.
After a gorgeous drive we arrived in the bustling city of Munich. Wow!!! There are so many people here. We arrived at our hotel and Bob parked on a side street while he went inside to check in, get the room key and ask where to park for the night. When he returned he said, "well, this will be an adventure." It seems we have to park down a side street in an underground structure which takes a fob to enter. So, then we have to haul our bags up to street level and walk down the block to the hotel. Once at the entrance, there is a secret code to press which opens the door and leads to a narrow, dark and somewhat unkept hallway. At the back of the hall there is an elevator. It faces the neighbor's backyard, complete with chain link fence. Once on the elevator, we arrived at our floor, only to walk down another dark hall to our room which needs a traditional key. Inside the room it's a bit like a small cabin. There are twin beds, shag rugs from the 60's, and mid century furnishings. Don't try to stand up near the walls because the ceiling is quite sloped. As I sit here on the sofa I must lean forward to avoid hitting my head. Oh, and the bathroom has windows with no coverings. Should be an interesting view at shower time for the neighbors - and there are LOTS of neighbors! Well, it certainly will be an interesting night.
Once we were settled we walked to the Marienplatz, the town center. Evidently there was a big soccer game today so the square was filled to the brim with people, both locals and tourists. We walked around and took photos then headed for the Hofbrauhaus, a huge and very famous pub. Bob drank most of an enormous stein (1 liter) of dark beer. We found ourselves sitting next to a family from Australia and we had a great time with them. On the walk back we stopped to admire the glockenspiel but the figures weren't revolving so we snapped a few photos and moved on. After an enjoyable afternoon in the square we walked back to our hotel (this gave Bob a chance to sober up :) Tomorrow we are on our way to Wurzburg so that we will be ready to spend the following day driving along the "Romantic Road." Can't wait. Should be beautiful.
Day 3:
After a quiet, peaceful night in Wursburg we were on our way to travel the Romantic Road. What a beautiful adventure!!! The road was just as magnificent as advertised. It took a bit of work with the GPS to ensure that we stayed on the country road and off of the freeway but the effort was well worth it. This area is absolutely gorgeous. Rolling green fields with waves of green grass swaying with the wind. Once again, there were scattered fields planted with delicate yellow flowers. It's such a vibrant pop of color. We passed pine tree forests with water babbling in tiny brooks. The ancient towns along the route were magnificent. They were a mix of walled medieval towns with some towns that were 2000 years old (like Augsburg, where we will stay tomorrow night). We drove between the towns and then got out of the car to walk around and see each one of them. Each town has its own unique personality and characteristics but something they have in common is the slow pace of life. Residents walk or bike to run their errands and take time out to talk to neighbors and people on the street. I saw many people carrying fresh flowers. There's always at least one huge church within the village and more of them, if it's a larger town. Streets are all cobblestone and the buildings are either very old style brick or stone. In one village we had to cross two very gracefully curved foot bridges over a lovely canal to enter the walled city.
We were so very blessed with weather today. The forecast called for showers all day. Sometimes as we drove it would rain but EVERY time we got out of the car to walk it stopped raining and the sun came out!!! Never needed the umbrella. We are in the middle of the Romantic Road tonight and will complete it tomorrow We will stay at a small town at the end of the route for the next couple of nights so we have an extra day to relax and plan where to go next!
Day 4:
Today we completed most of the Romantic Road and the scenery continued to confirm the magnificence of God's creation. During the morning hours we continued to be surrounded by gently rolling hills covered in beautiful hues of green. We passed through a few more medieval walled towns with cobblestone streets. Really like the way these towns are arranged with a large town square where people can gather, sipping coffee (or something else) and just spending time together. It seems we are so busy in our lives that we don't make enough time to just gather, relax, and enjoy being with one another.
We decided to save the last town on the Romantic Road until tomorrow since we are tired and it's getting late. There are two major palaces for us to explore tomorrow, one of them being the castle that inspired Walt Disney when building the castle at Disneyland.
As we approached the hotel which will serve as our base for the next couple of days we discovered it is on an incredibly beautiful alpine lake with a perfect view of the Alps. When Bob went to check in
he arranged for us to have a room overlooking the lake - sooo excited!!! In the early evening, the sun broke through the clouds sending rays of light shining on the lake. It illuminated the glacier green water and shined a light on the snow covered mountains. It's as if we had entered a beautiful painting. We had a balcony with a small table and two chairs so we were able to sit outside and enjoy the beauty. Had dinner at the restaurant downstairs so we could continue enjoying the view. Still in awe over the incredible natural beauty of this aline area.
Day 5:
We woke up this morning and tentatively planned our route for the next two weeks until we arrive in Paris. There's still a lot we want to see and do so we'll have to keep moving along. After our planning session we were off to see the two palaces/castles. First, we went to the Castle Hohenschwangau, which was built by Maximillian II in the neo-Gothic style of an English castle. It's the smaller of the two castles and was the residence of Ludwig II when he became king after his father's death. Ludwig began building a new and much larger castle on a nearby peak. He was an avid student of the Middle Ages, reading and study everything he could access. He designed the castle with a medieval motif.
When the country was conquered by the Prussians and Ludwig was removed from power he continued to build his castle but was in tremendous debt. When the new government could not get him to pay his debt they had him declared insane and exiled him to an island where he later died. Although the palace was never completed, it was opened to the public for tours soon after Ludwig II's death in 1886. It is now one of the most frequently visited and photographed buildings in the world.
Our visit to the castles was amazing. It was very overcast this morning, with periods of rain. Still, we thought we would be indoors most of the time so we stuck with our planned visits. When we arrived at the castle parking lot we learned that we needed to climb a steep hill to see the smaller castle. We set out on the climb, which included quite a few stairs as well as long steep uphills. Finally, we arrived at the castle (pant, pant, pant). Once inside, of course, there were MANY more stairs since there were no elevators when the castle was built. Okay, I mastered the climb and the stairs. I'm on the way down the hill, feeling quite accomplished.
It was time for us to see the new, larger castle built by Ludwig. Yahoo!!! There's a bus to take us up the mountain!! I could barely contain my excitement. We arrived at the top, or what I naively thought was the top. We started walking up the path and we walked, and walked, and walked...uphill, downhill, uphill (you get the picture). Now, add rain and hail, yes hail, to the walk. Finally, we arrived at the entrance. Believe me, this castle is very protected by this mountain!!! Once inside, there were five stories open to the public so, you guessed it, more stairs - lots of them. Stairs built in a circular stairway so you are not only exhausted by the time you are finished, but you are also extremely dizzy. At one point during the tour we looked out the window and it had begun to snow!! Wow!!! Does it get better than this? In a castle in the Bavarian Alps and it snows!!! Finally, it was time to make our final trek back to the bus stop. Had it not been for the EXTREME patience of my dear husband I would have not made it back up. I was ecstatic when we arrived at the bus stop and even more thrilled when we arrived back at our car.
The castles were magnificent and I'm so glad we saw them, but both of us decided that we wouldn't return. One trek up those mountains is enough. When we got back to our hotel and asked about good restaurants for dinner, they told us about one that was only one-half mile away. I bundled up and assumed we were walking. At least it's flat and no stairs. Bob looked at me like I was crazy. He said, "we're not walking anywhere else today, even if it's next door"!!! Yay, Bob. So excited!!!
We had a great, traditional German dinner. Well, at least part of a dinner. Both of us were starving yet neither of us could finish our dinner. We are quickly learning that Germans do not go hungry!!!
We are extending our stay here another day. Tomorrow we are venturing about an hour out of town to another one of Ludwig II's castles...That's assuming both of us can get out of bed in the morning. Tomorrow will be our last full day in Germany before we cross the Alps in Austria and Italy. Looking up at them, there is LOTS of snow so it could be an interesting trip.
Day 6:
We got up this morning to more cloudy/rainy skies. We spent some time at breakfast talking with absolutely lovely couple from Maryland, Rick and Kim, who we met at the hotel yesterday. It's always so enjoyable to talk with other travelers from the U.S. Soon it was time for all of us to get on the road so Bob and I said goodbye to our new friends and set out to visit Ludwig II's third, and only completed, castle. It was a beautiful drive on the way to the castle, which was about an hour away from the hotel. We drove through gorgeous alpine meadows with the magnificent Alps in the background. There is still a LOT of snow on the jagged, sharp peaks which make them appear quite imposing and inaccessible. There were a couple of lakes along the way with glacial green water. In spite of the gloomy skies and rain the scenery is spectacular. As we ascended the mountain, the weather became quite cold. Before we arrived at our destination it began to hail. At one point it even began to snow - very softly and gently.
By the time we arrived at Linderhof Castle it had stopped snowing and hailing but the rain persisted. I was secretly hoping the walk to the castle wouldn't be as long or difficult as the ones yesterday. It had not been particularly enjoyable to take those long treks in the cold and rainy weather. To my great delight this castle was much more accessible. Even at a slow pace it was only a 10 minute walk, with only slight ups and downs. Yay!!!
The castle was magnificent. It's not as large as the others, but it has a very warm and welcoming tone. It seems that Ludwig II had also been a huge fan of the French kings and culture so he designed this palace in a French motif - very different from the medieval designs we saw yesterday. The grounds are magnificent. Manicured gardens and fountains give the grounds a very elegant, formal French look. Quite impressive.
We made our way back to the car and began the drive back to the hotel. Occasionally the sun would tease us and show itself for a few minutes. The light on the snowy Alps was breathtaking. Kept having to remind ourselves they are real and not a painting.
Tomorrow morning we are headed for Italy, via Austria. Hoping the rain will eventually stop as we travel south. Really looking forward to spending time in the beautiful Tuscany area.
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