Breakfast consisted of an assortment of cheese, meat, fruit, and some strong coffee. With just a half hour drive to our next destination, we spent the morning walking around. If the weather wasn't as nice, I imagine we would have hit the road much sooner. Oberammergau is a completely different town in the sunshine. The colors are more vibrant, the surrounding mountains are more visible and breathtaking, and you are able to take your time walking through the streets admiring the woodcarvings in every window.
For the majority of the morning we walked around looking for either souvenirs or a bathroom. Apparently Oberammergau is another one of those towns with no public restrooms. We finally made our way to the visitors center which provided a perfect view of the mountains. For whatever reason, I couldn't seem to take the right picture without a person walking by, a car zooming through the picture, or the sun hiding behind the clouds. We came up empty handed with the souvenir search, but we did manage to find a bathroom before heading to Neuschwanstein Castle.
Once again, the drive through Bavaria was beautiful. After some confusion and research, I discovered that Bavaria is a free state in the southeast region of Germany. It is still part of Germany, but can be compared to one of the 50 states in America. It is not uncommon to see men in lederhosen or find yourself stuck driving behind a tractor, which was the basis of our short drive.
The Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most popular castles in Europe and sees roughly 6,000 people each day during the summer months and 1.4 million people each year. A great question we would be asking ourselves was "Why didn't we buy tickets online before coming to the castle?" There was a line snaking throughout the ticket building and an equally long line outside leading down the walkway. From the entrance of the roped off ticket line was 40 minutes, but the line was further down the walkway leaving us to wait for approximately 50 minutes to an hour. It was noon when we arrived and after the hour long line we wouldn't join a castle tour until 4:20pm. We waited anyway, and waited, and waited, and waited.
With four hours to spare, we decided to get lunch and walk around. There are three different attractions to see in the small village of Hohenschwangau: Neuschwanstein castle, Hohenschwangau castle, and Museum of the Bavarian kings. We bought tickets to tout Neuschwanstein castle and decided to walk up to Hohenschwangau castle for our own tour of the courtyard and surrounding gardens.
Before the hike up to Hohenschwangau, we grabbed a bit to eat at a hotdog stand. My mom kept commenting that she wanted a traditional German bratwurst before leaving Germany. I think she had high hopes of this magical hotdog that had some secret ingredient that would make it taste unlike any hotdog she has ever had. We started by ordering one hotdog and my mom said I could choose what flavor: pork or beef. I chose beef and immediately after she says the magical hotdog she always envisioned was the white pork one. If she had a preference, she should have chosen in the first place. At the end of the day we ordered one of each and they tasted just like any other bratwurst I've had. But sure enough these were from Germany, so they were probably better. It completed the task of satisfying our hunger.
According to the map, the walk to Hohenschwangau was about 30 minutes long, but after our many pitstops it would be closer to an hour and a half before we reached the castle's courtyard. Part of the walk was along the lake with a beautiful viewpoint once the path splits to the right continuing to the castle. The viewpoint was a cliff above the water covered by many trees. It didn't seem that there would be any lookout point until walking through the trees and up to the rail to see an expansive view of the lake. The rail extended for about 20 feet until it dropped off down the side of hill. Looking over the edge of the railing revealed a path down to the water's edge where a small building seemed to be sitting in the water. It was time to do some exploring.
My mom was in a dress and scandals, so I would be adventuring on my own down the side of the cliff. It wasn't as steep as some other points on the cliff face, but one wrong step and I would have been swimming. After some crawling and clinging to trees as I swung around rocks, I made it to the water. From the edge of the water you could see that the building was half underwater and empty except for a couple floating boards and driftwood. Being separated from the main path with the cliff as a sound blocker, I found myself in almost complete silence. It was cool and damp hidden under the trees, and an eerie feeling crept through my body. I felt secluded, and was eager to escape. I made my way back up the mountain as fast as I could while still feeling secure with my footing. I was relieved to join the rest of the tourists at the viewpoint.
We continued up to the castle, stopping a few times along the way to take pictures. It's surprising how difficult it is to take a good picture. We struggled to get the right angle, nice lighting, and an aesthetically pleasing background. No matter how hard we tried to take the perfect picture, it was always the candid ones that turned out the best.
Hohenschwangau castle was owned by the knights of Schwangau until the 16th century. Afterwards, the castle was passed between ownership and parts were destroyed during various wars. In 1832, the later King Maximilian, father of King Ludwig II, acquired the ruin and had the castle rebuilt according to original plans. After its completion it used to be the summer and hunting residence of the Bavarian royal family.
We soon turned the corner to walk through the courtyard of Hohenschwangau. The palace garden was designed by Domenico Quaglio and extended by Georg Friedrich Ziebland and Peter Joseph Lenné in 1851. All the fountains in the garden reflect the romantic style of the palace's rooms. We walked by the Lion's Fountain which symbolizes Christianity and the Swan Fountain representing the local identity and knighthood. The rusty orange color contrasted the vibrant greens of the garden. I wouldn't mind waking up every morning to have breakfast in the garden of a summer home up on a mountain over looking the lake, future husband take note.
We enjoyed a nice break in the garden and observed tourists as they floated in and out, interacting in interesting ways. A particular favorite display of mine was when an older man went up to a water fountain to have a drink and take a picture. The fountain was an old man holding two swans with water flowing from the swan's mouth where you took a sip. We were sitting at a bench just a few feet back watching little kids and adults enjoying the unique water fountain. There was a swarm of children around when a man walks up trying to get a picture in front of the fountain. After a few minutes of waiting and getting aggravated with the children, he finally takes his picture and leaves unsatisfied. I wonder if it occurred to the man that he was in a tourist area where personal space doesn't exist. It is interesting how people respond to crowds in such different ways.
We had about an hour and a half to make our way back down the hill which would take about 20 minutes and up the opposite hill to Neuschwanstein taking about 50 minutes. The walk to Neuschwanstein appeared to take every single second of those 50 minutes. It was a mountain, so we were walking uphill the entire time while dodging other tourists, buses, horse carriages, and the frequent horse droppings. Most of the path was in the shade, but I was nearly breaking a sweat as I stared at my watch disappointed when only a minute would pass each time I checked our progress. We finally made it to the top with time to spare.
Neuschwanstein is just as beautiful and breathtaking as everyone made it out to be. I would have expected the giant gray castle to have a cold, off putting feel. Instead, the surrounding environment where the castle was embedded in the mountainside overlooking the lake and bordering towns provided great beauty, not to mention its ample size.
With 20 minutes until we would be taking the castle tour, we decided to walk around the courtyard and areas that were open to the public. This castle was significantly more crowded than Hohenschwangau and you couldn't take three steps without running into someone.
We spent the remainder of our wait outside the castle walls sitting on the rock ledge. By we, I mean I sat on the ledge while my mom held her composure trying not to have a heart attack. Over the ledge was a drop down the side of the mountain that would certainly break your neck if anything else. There was a group of men sitting on the wall, so I didn't question its safety before jumping up. It wasn't until I peeked over the edge that my stomach dropped. I couldn't let the fear show in my face or else my mom would certainly lose it, but I attempted to hold myself together, too stubborn to actually step down from the ledge. My mom finally compromised by standing by me and holding onto my legs for dear life in the unlikely event I went toppling backwards. 
It was time to get lined up and start the castle tour. I felt like a frying egg out in the sun, so I was welcoming to the shaded indoors. The tour starts in the residential part of the castle in the servant's rooms on the first upper floor. The rooms on the second floor were never finished and today there is a shop, cafeteria, and multimedia room. On the third and fourth floors are the apartments and state rooms of the king. The second floor was meant to be the guest chamber, but because of Ludwig II's untimely death the floor was never completed.
Walking through the servant's rooms, we were instructed that pictures were not allowed to be taken inside the castle. Challenge accepted. The interior of the castle was without a doubt beautiful and worthy of photography, but I wanted to take pictures merely for the sake of breaking the rules. It was more fun pushing my luck to see what I could get away with rather than having the ability to take pictures to begin with. Although I was set on breaking the rules, I still attempted to be respectful while ending with sideways, blurry, and misconstrued pictures. It was difficult to hear the tour guide, not to mention she didn't tell us anything we couldn't read in the brochure, so I took it upon myself to have a little more fun in the castle.
My favorite rooms in the castle were Singers' Hall and Throne Hall. I must have good taste because Singers' Hall was one of the king's favorite projects in addition to the Throne Hall, the most important room in the castle. Singers' Hall occupies the entire fourth floor of the eastern section of the castle. This hall was allegedly the location of the famous Singers' Contest which is featured in Richard Wagner's opera "Tannhäuser." I was intrigued by this room because of the bright green, forest scene. The murals in the hall depict the saga of Parzival and the Holy Grail where the forest scene is of the sacred forest that surrounds the Castle of the Holy Grail.
The Throne Hall caught my eye because of the royal blue colors in the pillars and ceiling. The hall was inspired by Byzantine churches, in particular the All Saints Court Church in Munich. The combination of church and throne room illustrates Ludwig's interpretation of kingship, as a mediator between God and the whole world. This idea is expressed in the cupola decorated in stars and the mosaic floor decorated with earth and all its plants and animals. The joining of heavens and earth, God and king were evident in this room through the grandiose detail and awe-inspiring setting. 
Every room in the castle was different, unique, and equally beautiful. Fourteen wood carvers worked over a four year span to complete the bedroom. The dressing room ceiling was a painting of a garden bower with vines opening to the sky. There was even a cave inside the castle that used the natural rocky landscape to create a hall. Shy King Ludwig II built Neuschwanstein with the hopes of withdrawing from public life only to create one of the most visited castles in Europe.
Before heading down the hill, we went on a 15 minute walk to Marienbrücke, Mary's bridge. Of course our 15 minute walk turned into 30 minutes as we stopped to take pictures along the way. As a child, Ludwig had already grown to love the scenery of the Scwangau area, including the waterfall in the Pöllatschlucht above Neuschwanstein. This gorge was discovered by Maximilian II, but Ludwig II replaced the wooden railings during the building of Neuschwanstein. Marienbrücke is now even more strong and secure being made of iron, but my mom still wouldn't walk out on it. I was beginning to have doubts about whether my mom would have the guts to go camping and sleep hanging from a tree tomorrow night.
Standing on the bridge and looking at Neuschwanstein, it became obvious why Walt Disney was captivated enough to design Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty's Castle after this castle. Depending on how you looked at the castle, you could almost see different sections of various Disney princess castles. The view was spectacular displaying the entire castle as if it was floating on a bed of trees. Behind the castle and in the distance was a beautiful landscape of fields, water and more trees. Located on the only hill for miles, standing on Marienbrücke felt like being on top of the world. I was busy taking pictures and I could see my mom slowly getting intrigued and interested. She asked if I wanted a picture standing on the bridge with the castle in the background. I challenged her to come a few steps onto the bridge to take the picture. Slowly, one step at a time she inched onto the bridge to take a picture. I encouraged her by focusing on the view rather than the crashing water hundreds of feet below. We finally managed to get pictures of both of us before my mom started getting nervous and backing off the bridge. Maybe I underestimated my mom's ability to overcome her fear of heights.
After a few more minutes of taking in the view, we began our decent of the mountain. We decided to take an alternative route and found stairs down through the trees rather than the smooth pavement meant for cars and service vehicles. Before getting to the path we stopped to buy an æbleskiver. When my mom suggested we try them I had no idea what she was talking about. As we were walking up I saw people walking down holding a paper cone full of dough balls covered in powdered sugar, who would have guessed these are called æbleskiver. Similar to a donut hole, an æbleskiver is a traditional Danish pancake and they are delicious! By the time we reached the bottom of the mountain we were covered in powdered sugar with full bellies.
We were off to check into our hotel in Füssen at Suzanne's B&B & Gardens. Luckily, Füssen is only a fifteen minute drive from Neuschwanstein Castle. It is a quaint little town with most restaurants and shops within walking distance of Suzanne's. We had some difficulty finding the bed and breakfast and passed it at first because the directions weren't completely accurate, or because we were too distracted by the train tracks, farmers, and pastures to notice our turn. We were instructed to park in a field just past the building. I climbed out of the car over dying grass and stickers and made my way to the trunk and our suitcases. Suzanne's was difficult to find because it looks just like every other house on the street. There was a little sign and house number indicating that we were at the right location. Getting into the building was another challenge. There was a keypad to type in a passcode and what looked like a doorbell, I finally settled with knocking on the door. An older woman, Suzanne, greeted us in perfect English and didn't miss a beat showing us around the house and giving us instructions on how to enter the passcode, when breakfast was served, how to access the internet, and what time checkout was. There was a lot of information thrown at us at once and we would be lucky to get back in the building later. Our room was absolutely beautiful with a little porch overlooking the garden in the backyard and mountains in the distance. Light came pouring in the window and natural lighting brightened the room and filled us with serenity.
As my stomach was beginning to make noises, it was time to walk through the town and find dinner. Suzanne gave us directions to a terrific restaurant, but by the time we started walking we had forgotten the directions and what it was even called. My mom and I have been wanderers this entire trip, and it just made sense to continue with the pattern and find something eventually. There was a race going on in the city with people of all ages dressed in running attire. It was nice to see so many people with their family and friends cheering their loved ones on as they ran through the streets. Because the town was so crowded, we knew it might be difficult to find a restaurant. There is a good possibility that we ended up at the same restaurant Suzanne suggested because it was similar to what she described; however, there is no way of telling because I didn't even remember where it was or what it was called. The waitress snaked us through the tables and out the door again to the back patio. It was a cool evening that was perfect with a light sweater and some warm food. We sat in the very back next to a planter box filled with pink and purple flowers.
For dinner we ordered schnitzel with tomato-cheese gratinated and fried potatoes to share. We also ordered one semolina dumpling soup and one tomato soup to start us off. We practically licked the plate clean. The food was what I would have expected traditional German food to be like, salty, greasy, and delicious. The menu was full of schnitzel with various accompanying flavors; however, schnitzel and meatloaf were the main dishes for the majority of the menu. We weren't sure the difference between apple fritter and apple strudel, so we closed our eyes and pointed to apple fritter. We certainly were not disappointed with the result. A warm, doughy apple slice appeared in front of us covered in whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. Once again the bowl was licked clean and we were beyond full.It was to nice to walk off the excessive amount of food we had just consumed as we finished our last minute souvenir shopping. The town was full of farmers and livestock, so we bought a cowbell for my step dad and a deck of cards for my friend CJ. I thought I was doing a nice thing by getting him a souvenir; however, I soon realized that I would be on the receiving end of an endless number of jokes. I messaged him later in the evening telling him of my recent purchase. I knew he would give me a hard time if I didn't get him anything, but I failed to consider the other approach. He instead made fun of me because I cared enough to think about him. I just couldn't win.
Our final sightseeing stop was at the Pilatushaus, the museum's collection of Paintings Behind Glass. In 1955, a large part of the collection of the Murnauer brewer Johann Krötz was added to the collection, and by the end of the 19th century there were over 1000 paintings. When you look at verre églomisé paintings you see the smooth, untreated side of the glass and the paint on the other side. At first you can often see reflections, lights, and mirrored backgrounds of yourself. With the right distance and correct angle you are able to recognize the picture. Verre églomisé have their own unique charm, and the fragile picture medium is difficult to paint on, but fascinates its' viewers. I admired the fine detail of the Cribs and the history of the passion play, but this was my favorite exhibit. I enjoyed looking for different meanings and pictures within the painting as a whole.
