Friday – Today was another day made magical by God; His creation, His ideas and His uncanny ability to hold off bad weather. We left Lindau this morning and rounded the eastern tip of the Bodensee into Austria. Following the alpine road we wound through lush green valleys full of towering Hemlocks, hills studded with small villages and aquamarine rivers tinted by the stone that the water falls over. The sheer size of the mountains took my breath away. Snow glistened on the multiple facets of these stone giants. We entered Hogenshwangau and the two castles, Schloss Newschwanstien and Schloss Hogenshwangau sat on the ridges above us. Newschwanstien looks like a page torn out of a fairy tale. The white towers reach into the sky and are sharply contrasted agains the green of its surroundings. A wooden bridge spans the gorge beside the castle and the roaring lacht falls can be seen over 200 feet below. Turrets grace every corner of the castle’s keep and the walls seem to meld right into the stone outcropping it is built on. N.S. was built by King Ludwig II who was eccentric to say the least. The man was captivated by myths and fables and was even declared insane right before he drove the country into bankruptcy. He mysteriously ended up dead in a lake two days after his diagnosis WITH the physician who diagnosed him. Murder or suicide??? Ludwig had stories illustrated in murals along the castle walls, each depicting a strikingly handsome tragic hero who many believe he identified with himself. Although he only spent 172 in the castle he did not refrain from adding any luxuries. He even had a scene form Richard Wagner’s musical reconstructed in his castle.(It is speculated that him and Wagner were lovers and that his homosexuality is what categorized him as insane) Regardless of Ludwig’s long line of blunders it is clear that his castle is more magnificent than any before it. I felt like I was in a different world, I can’t imagine how he must have felt, knowing that every mile of the distant lands that can be seen form the windows was his and at his disposal. After viewing the castles we headed into the nearby town of Fussen, where we strolled through the Altstadt and shopped. It was amazing how close the alps were to this brightly colored town. There were a lot of outdoor gear/sporty stores which I enjoyed looking in and I’m sure they’ll come in handy when I live here someday….
From Fussen we headed north and are now in Schogenau. It’s a nice town, quiet, but very charming. We ate supper at this old house and were on like the 4th floor in the attic. You could look down though an opening and see the staircases cross haphazardly, it was really neat. I have never seen such a huge wine collection, there must have been over 100 and they were all unique to a particular region which I thought was cool. Tomorrow we’re headed back to the Art Museum in Munich and we are visiting Dachau, it will be an emotional day for sure. I pray that I have the ability to fully comprehend the range of events that took place and the chain of events that led to such a tragic period.
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