Eurotrip2011: Day 7

Munich (Neuschwanstein)

The inspiration for the iconic Disney castle was our Day 7 destination - Schloss Neuschwanstein. This fairytale castle captured my imagination when I visited in 2004 and I was more than pleased to be returning. Our hosts, my beloved and I started the morning with a trip to the bakery for some much needed sustenance. The long drive ahead in chilly conditions proved so picturesque that numerous stops were required to capture the natural beauty that surrounded.

Our first glimpse of the castle instantly put all four of us in a fantastically buoyant mood.

After purchasing our entry tickets (it seems that one can now only enter the castle at a designated time for a 30 minute guided tour) we commenced the long climb to the castle entrance. Fortunately, there were numerous photo and food stops along the way, which made the incline more manageable (especially for the nearly knee-less like yours truly!). While the castle itself is pretty spectacular, views from its high windows over the lush landscape are pretty special too...don't you think?

 
After our tour, we headed to the nearby Marienbrücke, a bridge suspended so high above the gorge below that both my beloved and I chickened out and crept only to its edge before darting back to the safety of the adjoining concrete path. Our hosts were braver and took advantage of the excellent photo opportunities the bridge offered. After our brush with danger (okay, I'm a wimp!), we descended to the foot of the mountain. Delicious smells lured us into a typical Bavarian eatery, where I enjoyed Spätzle (small egg and flour dumplings) topped with cheese and my beloved opted for pork. As my belly had been a little upset since my time in Dubai, I was told that a weißbier would help. Only in Deutschland would this logic stand...and this is the kind of logic I like!

We decided not to have dessert and, on our way home, instead drove to a monastery with an adjoining nursery, restaurant and beer garden. Here we chomped into some apple strudel and imbibed yet more beer while listening to the chiming of the old church bells.

Bellies full, our evening involved flopping on the couch, watching a movie and eating even more! I retired mid-way through the film with an achy tummy (probably no surprise given the vast quantities of delicious food I had consumed!) and a real inability to keep my eyes open.