Barvaria

May 30th, 2017 – Grainau, Bavaria, Germany

Today was our first full day in our beautiful Bavarian Apartment. We all agree that this may be the best apartment we’ve rented on our trip. Our German hostess Carolin is so thoughtful in the way she decorates and equips our rooms and the facilities in general. Not to mention how beautiful our setting is at the foot of the Zugspitze mountain.

Our objective today was to get up early so that we could drive over to Fussen where we would meet our driver for a tour of Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau Castle, Linderhoff Castle and the little town of Oberamergau. This was a relatively inexpensive tour and we soon find out why. Our driver, “Laddo” an Aramaic Turk who immigrated to Germany, will largely just take us to each sight and give us some general narration of the landscape and topography along the way. L’addio says, “on zee right you zee trees, on zee left you zee mountains weet trees, here you zee happy cows.” Nothing like the private tours we’ve had in Italy. Each of the castles we will be visiting do not allow private tour guides and we will be utilizing the guides at each location. We are staying in Grainau, which is near Garmisch-Partinkirchen and Fussen is only 21 miles to the west of us. However, it will take us about 45 – 50 minutes to get there because there are mountains and lakes between us and Fussen and the route will take us into Austria and back into Germany, plus there is truck traffic and it is difficult to pass them. Our plan is to depart at 7:30am so we can meet our driver at 9:00.

We had hoped to have a healthy and nourishing / low calorie breakfast here in our apartment. But if you read yesterdays Blog, you know that we weren’t able to order groceries. At least we got some water to go with that 15Euro bottle of Barolo that we picked up at the gas station. We scrounge around in the morning and go through provisions we’ve purchased along the way. We have a jar of peanut butter, some jelly and jam, some honey and Elisa has 4 slices of gluten free bread. Now you have to realize that gluten free bread pretty much tastes like cardboard when it is fresh. You have to imagine what it tastes like after it has been sitting in the back of our car for 4 days. Elisa offers up a couple of slices to us, but there are no takers. Instead we opt for some stale Italian breadsticks with peanut butter. Yes, stale breadsticks taste better than gluten free bread. Carolyn was also able to pick up some bananas at the gas station. They are a little green but she has one anyway. Needless to say, our early makeshift breakfast was relatively light but hey – God forbid any one of us should miss a meal. You have to remember, we gorged our way across Italy like a plague of locusts. In fact, they Italians are declaring the day we migrated north into Austria and Germany as a new Holiday – the day the plague was lifted.

We manage to get on the road at 7:30. Navigation on my iPhone says it will be a 51 minute drive. We do encounter traffic and we end up arriving at 8:45. Fortunately, we are on time. Laddo shows up and explains how things will work. He will take us by mini-bus up to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. Arrange for our tickets and leave us to explore and partake in the guides at the castle. He drops us of at the entrance, passes us our tickets and tells us how to get there and what to see. Our tour starts at 9:55am and it will take about 1 hour. We then can explore the Marienbrucke bridge that overlooks Neuschwanstein and then we can make our way down the hill to visit Schwangau and the Hohenschwangau Castle. He will be picking us back up at 1:00PM to take us to Linderhoff and Oberamergau.

First a little background for you. Neuschwanstein is the famous “fairy tale” castle built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He built a total of three castles during is short reign. Two of them done in a Baroque / Gothic style but Neuschwanstein was a testament to medieval architecture. What is odd about that, is that King Ludwig ruled from 1865 through the time of his death in 1889. He lived well after the times and eras from the castles that influenced his design. Neuschwanstein, is his most famous and of course the inspiration of a young Walt Disney who would go on to construct his own Castle at the Disneyland theme parks. King Ludwig was a man born in the wrong time. By the time he would inherit the throne as a result of his father’s (Maximillian) passing, the monarchy was practically a figurehead position. By the time of his birth, a Bavarian republic would exist and the parliament would largely govern the people. However, the King of Bavaria would be expected to be involved in the politics of the time, but in reality he had very little power. What he did have though was a large family fortune that was augmented regularly by the Government because of the families former sovereignty. At the age of 18, when he would rise to the throne, he was ill prepared. He led a sheltered life under the tutelage of his mother. He was a learned man with a keen interest in science, music and literature. He would spend his childhood growing up in the Castle Hohenschwangau. This castle had very early roots but it was largely renovated by his father, King Maximillian. As a boy, young Ludwig would look up at the rocky crag of a peak known as Schwanstein, atop of which stood the ruined remains of a much older castle originally built in the 1100’s.

When Ludwig became King he made it be know that he would build a new castle atop Schwanstein – hence the name Neu(new)Schwanstein. However, before he would start work on this castle, he would build Linderhoff castle. It is a relatively small castle, and was used by Ludwig as a summer retreat and hunting lodge. It is basically a one bedroom Bachelor pad. Quite a nice place, I might add. Ludwig, would become a patron of Richard Wagner, a famous German composer of operas and music. Ludwig became totally obsessed with Wagner and his tales. Neuschwanstein would be dedicated to the medieval tales expressed by Wagner.

When we arrive, at the site of Neuschwanstein, we see that it is high up on a hill. There are 3 ways to get there. 1) walk up the hill – it will take 40 – 60minutes, 2) horse drawn carts that seat about 11 people and 3) a bus service. We opt for the horse drawn cart. Carolyn and Trent have been keeping tabs on their various modes of transportation on this trip and this will allow them to “tick one more box”. Our horses today are Roxxi and Shotzi. They are ½ bothers – born of the fame father but different mothers. These are big horses that are pulling the wagon and its payload of 11 people up the hill. Our driver tells us that today Shotzi is being lazy and making Roxxi do most of the work. We soon understand why that might be – because after we are part way up the hill, Shotzi decides to take a massive dump. Our driver courteously pauses the wagons so that Shotzi can finish. The only problem with this is that I am seated directly behind Shotzi and I have a prime viewing and smelling location for the entire activity. After what seemed like an entire bale of “used” hay was expelled, our driver uses the reins to give Shotzi i a swat on the rump and tells him to get going. Soon both horses are leaning into their harnesses and they make quick work of the mountain and we are soon there. We see that we still have about another 10 minute walk up the hill to get to the entrance where our tour will start. We begin to make our way up and we come to a fork in the road and Trent tells us that we should go right. After about 5 minutes of walking up hill, we are suddenly reminded of a time when Trent suggested that a steep set of steps in Positano would take us back to our hotel. They didn’t and guess what, the trail we were on wouldn’t get us to where we needed to be either. So, just like in Positano, we have to backtrack. We make our tour with a few minutes to spare.

As imposing as the Neuschwanstein structure appears from the bottom of the hill, the castle is not really that large. Many of the structures surrounding the castle, really had not practical or structural purpose. They were simply built to honor the medieval and fantasy castles suggested in Wagnerian operas. For example, the towers and spires were largely ornamental. Similarly the large keep that served as an entry to the main castle courtyard was not really used for anything either. One other reason that the actual usable portion of the castle is relatively small is that they had to work with the confines of the mountain top. The original intent was to largely use the foundation of the old castle, but it would prove to be in too bad a condition and it would have to be completely removed and a new foundation would need to be laid. It is said that the original cost estimate to build the castle in 1869 expressed in current value would be about $230 million – but with over runs it would be valued at over $800million. Our guide explains that although King Ludwig would complete the exterior of the castle, only a small part of the interior would be completed prior to his untimely death in 1886. It is suggested that because of the cost of the construction of Neuschwanstein, Ludwig would have to borrow heavily significantly draining the family fortunes. He would be arrested in 1869 while residing at Neuschwanstein, overseeing construction. He would be found to be unfit to rule. He would be held under house arrest at a nearby palace on the shores of his beloved Lake Schwangau. But shortly after being commanded to the residence, his body and that of his personal psychiatrist would be found dead. Although the death is suspicious, it is also suggested he may have committed suicide. That mystery has never been solved. However, immediately after his death, his Uncle Maximillian III would take over the throne and he would immediately halt all construction on Neuschwanstein and one other castle Ludwig had under construction. Within 6 weeks after Ludwigs death, both sites would be opened to the public for a fee – so it became a tourist attraction even back then. Today it draws and estimated 1.5million visitors a year. They come year around to see Neuschwanstein in the different seasons. No one is complaining about How much Ludwig spent anymore – it is a huge moneymaker for Bavaria.

The rooms that were completed include his bedchamber, the kitchen, a throne room – sans throne as it was not constructed by the time of his death. Also completed was a large drawing room. The portions that were completed are really amazing. We think he may have been the Michael Jackson of his time. He was very artistic and everything he did was over the top. Although the castle was a tribute to medieval times, it did include some modern conveniences of the 1800’s – including battery and electric power for certain appliances, and a telephone. What he created is truly a one of a kind monument. If you read about Neuschwanstein on Rick Steves website – and if you recall in one of my very first post, some of the members of our traveling group think Rick Steves is an idiot (#rickstevesisanidiot), especially when it comes to packing tips – he sort of suggests that Neuschwanstein is a faux castle and its too touristy. He suggests that why see this when there are so many “real” castles to look at. From our perspective, we agree it is touristy, but we are certainly glad we didn’t miss it. It is really spectacular.

Our tour of the castle takes about 45 minutes and the requisite visit to the gift shop puts us over an hour. We then decide to take the supposed 15 minute walk up to Marienbrucke – it takes us about double that. It is up a steep hill filled with switchbacks. We huff and puff our way to the top and we are glad we did. The bridge is for walking only and it spans a gorge carved by the mountain stream that has been cascading down the hillside for centuries. The narrow wood and steel bridge is jammed with tourists. There is a staff person there at the entrance to the bridge whose job, I can only imagine is to monitor how many people are on the bridge at the same time. From surveying how many people are out there, I surmise that he pretty much “sucks” at his job. Nevertheless, Trent and I push our way through the crowds and step onto the steel and wood bridge. We feel the boards under our feet flex and sway as we and the many others walk along the bridge. I finally find a spot and before I can take any of my own pictures, I am being bombarded with request from other tourists to take their picture on the bridge with the castle in the background. Finally, the crowd begins to thin out and Elisa and Carolyn make their way out onto the bridge, but just far enough to get some photos. The view of Castle Neuschwanstein is magnificent. Once again Minerva, the goddess of hope, has been with us. The weather forecast called for rain starting at about 11:00 am. But the skies remain clear and the temperature is comfortable.

Once we are done taking photos, we take the shuttle bus back down to the bottom of the hill. Make sure you have a 1 Euro coin on you when you head down. The driver does not make change. By the time we get to the bottom of the village and finish looking at the shops it is about 12:00 noon. We look up the smaller hill to Castle Hohenschwangau and we decide, to have lunch instead of making our way up to that castle. After all, this older and more original castle looks like the servants quarters as compared to Neuschwanstein. Also, by now the weather is very warm and a bit more humid, signaling the coming rain. We dine in a nice hotel restaurant and Trent and I have some nice cold beers. Elisa her water and Carolyn a coke. For Lunch, Trent and I have the grilled Schweinewurtzl (pork sausages) mit sauerkraut and kartoffelpuree (mashed potatoes). It’s very good. Elisa and Carolyn both opt for the grilled salmon. It is very well prepared and cooked just perfectly. Their meal comes with the boiled potatoes and grilled vegetables. Elisa complains that the vegetables are more of a garnish for the plate than a side dish. She loves her veggies and they are often hard to come by at restaurants in Germany. With our bellies full – again – we wait for Laddo, our driver to return to pick us up.

When he comes, he explains that we will be driving for 35 minutes toward the East to get to LInderhoff and then on to Oberamergau. He suggest that we take our car and follow him, as we will be much closer to Garmisch when we end our tour at Oberamergau. We agree, because if we were to return to Fussen with him, we would have an hour drive back to our apartment. The tour is now turned over to his son Auggie. He will be driving us to Linderhoff. We stop along the way for photos at Plansee, the largest lake in all of Austria. It is a beautiful mountain lake with a surface area of approx 3 sq km. and it is about 78 meters deep. The water is a cool blue color from the minerals that runoff the mountains into the lake. It is much cooler here because the weather is beginning to change. The rain clouds called for in the forecast are beginning to form. An interesting side fact about Plansee, is that during WWII, this area was also home to a sub-camp of the infamous Dachau concentration camp. It was here that descendants of the Maximillian royal family were held during the war as they opposed the Nazi regime. At the outbreak of the war the family had fled to Hungary for safety, but were eventually captured. They were then held at this sub-camp of Dachau near the lake. The family members survived their internment at the camp and were released at the end of the war. The one remaining heir to the throne now lives in Munich.

With the photos now complete we head off to Linderhoff. This castle is tucked into the woods, it is so unlike Ludwig’s other castle Neuschwanstein which projects itself into the air and surrounding landscape. Auggie explains that Linderhoff was Ludwig’s summer home a place where he could get away from the politics he detested and where he could be alone. As we walk down a winding gravel lane and emerge from behind a stand of trees there lies Linderhoff. Having just come from Neuschwanstein, we are first taken by its modest size – modest at least when it comes to castles. Ludwig had this castle constructed in the 1860’s. We take our tour with a young man who is very knowledgeable about the castle and speaks perfect English. He explains that Ludwig would come this castle to be “alone” – meaning he would have only 20 staff attending to his needs while at the castle. This castle is a testament to Ludwig’s love of the French monarchies of Louis XIV and XV – the last absolutist monarchs of Europe. This is what he longs for; he would prefer not to have to cede his power to a parliament. He would come to Linderhoff to get away from such politics. This castle is laid out in a symmetrical plan. It has only one bedroom (excluding the smaller rooms for the staff on the lower level). It has a number of drawing rooms for the display of art or musical instruments. It has a throne room where he would receive visitors (but he did not accept visitors here). It has a dining room that is relatively small, because he would typically be dining alone. The dining room had a smallish dining table that would sit atop a platform that could be lowered into the floor where kitchen staff would set his table and food and raise it back up to him, this way he did not even have to see his staff, It was reported by staff that Ludwig would often have the table set for 2 or more people so that he could engage in an imaginary dinner with musicians, artists and other royalty from times gone by. The staff would say they could hear Ludwig have animated discussions with his imaginary guests. Ludwig’s bedroom is huge, measuring about 10 meters square and over 20 feet high. It is designed to reflect the size and adornment of Louis the XIV’s bedroom. Once again with all of its Baroque grandeur it is over the top. The woodwork is all adorned with gold and so many object d’arts are displayed, just as it was during Ludwig’s time. The furnishings, art work and drapes are all original Unfortunately, we are not allowed to take photographs inside of the castles. The tour is relatively quick due to the small size of this 1 Bedroom “bachelor pad”. We spend a little more time walking the grounds. There is some renovation work going on in the “water feature” in the back yard of the castle. This feature is a tall set of cascading steps, where water from nearby springs would feed the fountain. This feature that extends more than 100 meters up the hill side culminates in an ornate fountain of horses. Ludwig had this built so that he could look out at something other than the hillside when he was in bed. Once again a little over the top.

We meet back up with Auggie and he leads us to Oberamergau. This little town is a very well preserved Bavarian villiage. Many of its buildings are painted with storied themes taken from folklore and fairy tales. One such home has scenes taken from Grimm’s fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood. Oberamergau is also famous for the performance of the Passion Play once every 10 years during Christmas. Many of the shops are dedicated to selling Christmas ornaments and decorations. Carolyn and Elisa set off and begin shopping and Trent and I do what we do best and find a sidewalk beer hall. Finally, the weather that had been predicted befalls us and it begins to rain. It is not falling very hard but it falls steadily for about 20 minutes and then stops. By then Elisa and Carolyn are ready to be picked up.

By now it is about 5:00 pm and we find that we have spent the entire day on the road seeing these sites. We also note that once again our step count is at about 15000. We’ve been regularly averaging about 5 to 10 miles per day of walking. We must all be losing weight – oh yeah – I forgot about the plague of locusts thing. Hopefully, we won’t be going home with a lot of “excess baggage” – if you know what I mean. Then I remember an old Italian saying that was shared with us, “tonite we eat – tomorrow we diet”. As we head back to our little apartment we decide that we will stop at a grocery store along the way to pick up just enough provisions to have dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning. Elisa has missed cooking the most so far on our 18 days on the road. So tonight she will cook and with the limited items we have, she manages to make a lovely sautéed chicken dish served over pasta. We have a large dinner salad and fresh fruit cocktail to cap it off. We opened the 15Euro bottle of Barolo that we purchased at the gas station and as you might have guessed, it is not very good and barely drinkable. Imaging that, a gas station not having decent wine. Well, it does come in handy as Elisa uses it in the making of her chicken dish.

For probably the first time on our trip we push ourselves away from the dinner table feeling pretty comfortable and far from stuffed. It is a good feeling. We all relax and catch up on phone calls to loved ones back home, read our email, and do our social media thing. Then 3 of us enjoy the last of our limoncello that we picked up in Italy – we are a little sad. We should have picked up 2 bottles. With the washing machine and dryer available – yes they have a real dryer here – no need to hang clothes out to dry – we catch up on our laundry. Before you know it, it is going on midnight and it is time for bed.

What a wonderful day – again.

Aufwiedersehen!

More later.