19 April 2008: We checked out of our campground in Munich and headed towards Garmish-Partenkirchen, which has the tallest mountain peak and straddles the German-Austrian border. Unfortunately it was raining, so we figured there would be no visibility if we took the Zupspitz, their cable car, to the top. So instead, we toured around the town, checked out some auto show they were having, drooled over the European Audi’s (TDI’s that you can’t get in the US!) and stopped for lunch. Just like the previous day, I ordered curry again. This time, it was Thai chicken curry. I guess I’m really getting ready for Asia next.
It was only a short drive to the small town of Schwangau, so we arrived in the late afternoon. Down the street to the campground, there were working barns, stables with horses and ponies, and the locals roll around in horse drawn field machinery. It was definitely a very quiet and peaceful countryside.
This town is also where the crazy King Ludwig II’s castle, Neuschwanstein, is located. And, that’s where we went the next morning. Before you get up the hill to the castle, there’s Mary’s bridge that crosses a VERY tall valley and has the best view of the castle. If the scenery didn’t take our breath away, it must have been the nervousness of standing so high up on a thin bridge and the three planks that are holding you are shaking every time someone else on the bridge takes a step! Anyway, the castle was so huge and such a perfect fairy tale looking castle from afar as we drove in at sunset the day before, and it looked the same close up. You can see why Disney wanted to use it as a model for their logo. We also had some fun on the ride down the hill from the castle, which was a horse drawn carriage.
After a less than spectacular lunch (the area around the castle is very touristy!), we got back in the camper and headed up North on a scenic route called The Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) that starts from the town of Schwangau and takes you through Germany’s heartland. Once a trade route, it takes you through through Germany’s most beautiful towns and scenery. It was very scenic. The grassy hills looked so perfect that I felt like we were driving alongside a never-ending golf course! But, a couple hours into it, we were ready to make it to the next stop, so we headed to the autobahn. On it, you must keep looking at your rear view mirror if in the far left lane or else the tiny dot that could be a Porsche, Audi, VW, BMW or Benz could be there in a split second. Sean claims that the camper went the fastest ever that day, just keeping up with traffic.
We arrived at a medieval walled city toward the other end of the Romantic Road called Rothenberg and took advantage of their camper right outside the wall. It’s too bad this was only a camperstop, and not a campground with a playground, because as we parked and opened our doors, Kailani instantly made a buddy with a 4 year old girl named Elenora (Ellie for short). Her family was also driving the Romatic Road, but from the other end, on their way back home to Bologna, Italy. Both girls must have been too cooped up driving that day. They were doing laps around the parking lot as an elderly German couple sat at their folding table/chair set , sipping wine and giggling at them. We did a short sunset walk into the city to check it out, but it was pretty dead that Sunday evening.
It was only a short drive to the small town of Schwangau, so we arrived in the late afternoon. Down the street to the campground, there were working barns, stables with horses and ponies, and the locals roll around in horse drawn field machinery. It was definitely a very quiet and peaceful countryside.
This town is also where the crazy King Ludwig II’s castle, Neuschwanstein, is located. And, that’s where we went the next morning. Before you get up the hill to the castle, there’s Mary’s bridge that crosses a VERY tall valley and has the best view of the castle. If the scenery didn’t take our breath away, it must have been the nervousness of standing so high up on a thin bridge and the three planks that are holding you are shaking every time someone else on the bridge takes a step! Anyway, the castle was so huge and such a perfect fairy tale looking castle from afar as we drove in at sunset the day before, and it looked the same close up. You can see why Disney wanted to use it as a model for their logo. We also had some fun on the ride down the hill from the castle, which was a horse drawn carriage.
After a less than spectacular lunch (the area around the castle is very touristy!), we got back in the camper and headed up North on a scenic route called The Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road) that starts from the town of Schwangau and takes you through Germany’s heartland. Once a trade route, it takes you through through Germany’s most beautiful towns and scenery. It was very scenic. The grassy hills looked so perfect that I felt like we were driving alongside a never-ending golf course! But, a couple hours into it, we were ready to make it to the next stop, so we headed to the autobahn. On it, you must keep looking at your rear view mirror if in the far left lane or else the tiny dot that could be a Porsche, Audi, VW, BMW or Benz could be there in a split second. Sean claims that the camper went the fastest ever that day, just keeping up with traffic.
We arrived at a medieval walled city toward the other end of the Romantic Road called Rothenberg and took advantage of their camper right outside the wall. It’s too bad this was only a camperstop, and not a campground with a playground, because as we parked and opened our doors, Kailani instantly made a buddy with a 4 year old girl named Elenora (Ellie for short). Her family was also driving the Romatic Road, but from the other end, on their way back home to Bologna, Italy. Both girls must have been too cooped up driving that day. They were doing laps around the parking lot as an elderly German couple sat at their folding table/chair set , sipping wine and giggling at them. We did a short sunset walk into the city to check it out, but it was pretty dead that Sunday evening.
1 comment:
Fantastic! To bad it was raining. Jason and I had the opportunity to snowboard on this mountain! It's incredibly awesome. I remember the guys telling me to look way down the mountain to focus on a rock and then all I had to do was point that snowboard down... that ride must have lasted a half hour. Can't wait to hear details of the next leg of your trip. Good luck with the London accomodations!
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