Into a bright blue day
It's good to wake up slowly in the morning. It's good to put on the weather channel and realise (to the oom pah pah of the background music) that the day is bright and blue. It's good to look out the window and see the valley and the mountain ranges stretching away into infinity.
MDH and I had decided to drive across to the famous fairytale Schloss Neuschwanstein, the prototype for Disneyworld's Cinderella castle. It was pleasant, zipping along roads that looped around craggy mountains and snaked through green fields. MDH had somewhat mastered the art of driving on the right (wrong?) side of the road, and was beginning to enjoy speeding along (literally).
We managed to get tickets into the castle before lunch, which left us with an hour to walk there via a steep and dusty path through the surrounding woodland (most people decided to take a coach or horse drawn carriage instead).
Once at the top, we were rewarded by a deliciously cool breeze...and a gloriously sticky chocolate covered giant pretzel.
The tour of the interior castle was well worth the money. King Ludwig II was obviously a talented designer and a raving loon. Wagner inspired murals everywhere. I was most impressed by the fact that he had flushable lavatory in his private bedchamber. And a tunnel leading from his dressing room to his offical rooms of state, complete with stalagtites. His own personal hermit's cave for spending hours in contemplation. Well, I guess when one is rich, eccentricity can be rather an asset. After the tour, we walked round the path until we reached a lookout point offering a magnificent view of town of Schwangau as well as King Ludwig's family castle.
There were some wooden benches under the pine trees nearby, so we sat and ate our picnic lunch there, just enjoying the sunshine and the smell of the forest.
Of course, a big group of tourists arrived soon after and began jostling for places on the lookout.
And over the din, there were the familiar sounds of home:
"Oy! I told you oredi, dun play near the etch! Wait you fall down, den you know!"
Yes, you in the Singapore Wind Symphony jacket, I was the shameless eavesdropper who was choking gracefully on her cheese sandwich.
(By the way, can someone explain to me how some Singaporean kiddies happened to be travelling in April, so close to mid-year exams - I thought school holidays aren't until June!)
MDH and I had decided to drive across to the famous fairytale Schloss Neuschwanstein, the prototype for Disneyworld's Cinderella castle. It was pleasant, zipping along roads that looped around craggy mountains and snaked through green fields. MDH had somewhat mastered the art of driving on the right (wrong?) side of the road, and was beginning to enjoy speeding along (literally).
We managed to get tickets into the castle before lunch, which left us with an hour to walk there via a steep and dusty path through the surrounding woodland (most people decided to take a coach or horse drawn carriage instead).
Once at the top, we were rewarded by a deliciously cool breeze...and a gloriously sticky chocolate covered giant pretzel.
The tour of the interior castle was well worth the money. King Ludwig II was obviously a talented designer and a raving loon. Wagner inspired murals everywhere. I was most impressed by the fact that he had flushable lavatory in his private bedchamber. And a tunnel leading from his dressing room to his offical rooms of state, complete with stalagtites. His own personal hermit's cave for spending hours in contemplation. Well, I guess when one is rich, eccentricity can be rather an asset. After the tour, we walked round the path until we reached a lookout point offering a magnificent view of town of Schwangau as well as King Ludwig's family castle.
There were some wooden benches under the pine trees nearby, so we sat and ate our picnic lunch there, just enjoying the sunshine and the smell of the forest.
Of course, a big group of tourists arrived soon after and began jostling for places on the lookout.
And over the din, there were the familiar sounds of home:
"Oy! I told you oredi, dun play near the etch! Wait you fall down, den you know!"
Yes, you in the Singapore Wind Symphony jacket, I was the shameless eavesdropper who was choking gracefully on her cheese sandwich.
(By the way, can someone explain to me how some Singaporean kiddies happened to be travelling in April, so close to mid-year exams - I thought school holidays aren't until June!)
posted by tscd at 6:21 pm
3 Comments:
Did you go onto the Marienbruke? A damn scary experience!
When you are there, go on a hike! Go up to the Drehhuette to have some local delights (including beer) which tastes much better after a few hours of walk. Look for the Landlord. Her name is Mausi. Tell her I did send you... she's family.
:-) stw
mrs budak: Yes I did, it was amazing! MDH got vertigo and I laughed at him. Poor guy.
Stephen: Beer does taste better after a walk! Unfortunately I have already returned from Germany...but I'll keep that in mind for my next trip!
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