schloss neuschwanstein

Little did we know that a trip to Fussen, Germany, would be over 2 hours away from Munich! It really is a DAY trip. So we woke up after a fairly decent sleep, grabbed some pastries nearby (the lady was soo sweet and tried so hard to speak English but we all ended up pointing and grunting anyway), and hopped on the train.

From Fussen, we had to take a bus to Schwangau. We wandered around, hoping to grab some lunch and head up to the castle. Like always, we walked around like crazy hobos for 30 minutes. There is something about always looking for food that gets to you. And it doesn't ever get easier, either. We are always, always looking for food! We decided on a place called Cafe Weiner. I know you're laughing. But it was actually pretty fancy and our waiters were fantastically nice. I had one of the best sandwiches of my LIFE- ham, turkey, and pineapple. Mmmmmm. I am taking notes on food here because I have been adventurous...Jeff, you would be proud. However, being a fancy place, there is a focus on leisure and enjoying and savoring your meal. Thus our lunch turned into an extended affair.

Along those lines, we need to talk about something. It's called water. And in Europe, if you didn't know, the whole having water at a meal is totally different. First of all, there are like 14 options. Ok, I am exaggerating, but only a little. Water is not free here. You can have water in a glass bottle, iceless, with "gas" (sparkling), without, mineral water, regular water, or ask explicitly for "house water" which is tap water (and I still can't figure out how much it is)...and it always costs more than, say, a soda, or alcoholic drinks. I just want to take this opportunity to thank America for having free, non-confusing water for cheapos like me. THANK YOU!

Anyways. Schwangau is a charming, fairytale-esque town. Like the castle, think Disney. SO cute. But so expensive. I have to be honest here...our planning for this trip didn't work out as well as we had hoped. With the extra time at lunch, we had to wait for a later bus, and thus it took longer to walk to the ticket booth. While we thought it would be fine as tours last until 5, it was after 3. And after 3, you can't buy a ticket. Soooo, we didn't get to tour inside. But we still were able to trek up the mountain/hill to see the amazing castle! It was soo gorgeous.

Brittany, Kathy, Caroline, Me

It was Kathy's dream to dress up like a princess for this...so she did! It was tucked under her jacket as we walked up. Got a few glances, most likely of admiration. ;)