Die Berge und mehr: Las Montanas y mas: The mountains and more

We decided to head back a different way, so we headed south into Austria, where we were not even met with a sign regarding the change between countries, much less a border patrol.

We took a road through the mountain range and found the lake we had seen on the map, which was beautiful and it wrapped around the mountain for a good distance so we stopped multiple times to take photos. The best part was when we drove around the edge of the mountain and the moon was directly in front of us glistening off the lake...today was priceless.

Me taking a pic of the chicas, who were freezin in the car!

Bob at the beautiful Austrian lake.

Check that out!

...and the view...

and it doesn't get much better than the night of a lunar eclipse!

We continued on our way after grabbing some food at a hotel restaurant on the lake and got back to the flat with plenty of time to go out to Rachel and Tsveti's favorite place, Cokeybar...I don't think that is spelled right. Anyways...Tomorrow our trip ends back in good ol' Barca...but this trip has been amazing and today was the perfect way to end it.

Travelin' fools, having conquered western Germany by car(s).

Rachel and Me

The gang

Fantastischer Tag: Dia Fantastico: Fantastic Day

So we woke up to start our last full day in Germany to Rachel making some fantastic French toast in many flavors...mmmmm. Then the 5 of us hopped in the car and headed south...that's correct. Apparently you can drive another hour and a half south before hitting the Austrian border if you leave from Munich.

Kiddos in the back.

Mad driving skills in the pouring rain on the way to Fussen, Germany.

We made it to Fussen...now what is so special about it?

CASTLES. (I told you we became major fans!) Namely two castles belonging to King Ludwig, one of which was the family summer home when he was younger (Hohenschwangau) and the other, built and dedicated to his friend, and composer, Wagner (Neuschwanstein). Unfortunately for the viewers, the only way to see the truly extraordinary interiors is to go there yourselves...the artwork was incredible. I wish I could have taken photos just to attempt to capture it, but I guess this is the teaser for a trip to the south of Germany!

Hohenswangau

On the climb...Tom, Tsvetelina, Rachel, Bob

A break before we get tto the top: Me and Rachel!

It was raining...I refused to move for fear of getting even MORE wet.

View from the castle portal where cameras had to go away :(

The main stair

The "summer home" castle from the mountain

Now, up the hill to the icing on the cake, the castle built by ("crazy") King Ludwig, who had grown up in the previous castle, but wanted his own...less than a mile away.

From the side...it's definitely huge.

View from the rear of the castle

Yes...this is the castle that Disney's Sleeping Beauty's castle was designed after...

make's you wonder, "donde esta el principe azul?"

Politischer Stadt: Ciudad Politica: Political City

We had an appointment set up by our main man, Mike, to meet at the Marienplatz fountain at 10 am. We freaked out thinking we would be late after our the metro line Rachel had taught us to get there by last night wasn't working. We didn't realize until the announcement came on about 2 or 3 times in German and 1/2 of the people peaced out... Finally we got the hint and tried to follow someone to another line, assuming they would be going to a line that would work...but I picked the wrong person and we ended up standing in what is equivalent to metro center in DC...but bigger, a bit confused. Bob and Tom got us set straight again and I just followed along. We got to Marienplatz right on time. It was colder than I thought it would be today...I think the first sunlight we've seen since getting to Germany threw me off, but no complaints--the sun was surely missed! We met our guide, Michael, a school teacher in Bavaria, originally from outside of Wurzberg. He took us around the city and shared his wealth of knowledge. I didn't take many pictures, but below are a few of the ones I did take.

Die Frauenkirche-one of the most famous images of Munich because of the memorable bulbous shapes atop the two towers. Apparently Pope Benedict had some connection, though I didn't manage to catch what it was.

artwork inside Frauenkirche

Tom, our super-knowledgeable guide (who is mid-deep-convo with Tom), and Bob

Das Rathaus-Glockenspiel: basically a 15-minute long, lifesize cuckoo clock!

Staatskanzlei -State Chancellory, where the office of the head of the Bavarian State government offices are, as well as the Chancellor, himself, who was in a meeting while we were touring the building. Architecturally it is a really interesting re-interpretation of the old parts of the building which were destroyed in bombings, and the connection to the only remaining part of the previous building, the center, with its fantastic dome and colorful columns.

The interior of the old part of the Staatskanzlei, redone after bombings and, "kids having fun in the ruins."

Can you see it?!

We got back to Rachel's but she hadn't gotten home from work yet, so we took a nap in the car, which we are just paying for by day so we don't have to go find a garage or something. Then we all hung out and went to get pizza from a local place to eat at the apartment. Rachel and one of her apartment-mates Svetelina invited another intern from Kraft, Manuel, to meet up with us before we all headed over to the other "Kraft flat" where the Kraft interns were all gathered in the hallway of the apartment having a party. Someone should have designed for this better!

Bob, Tom, and Svetelina

Bob, enjoying an incredible peanut-butter cookie offered by the host.

Hanging out with the international Kraft crew.

Someone in the apartment apparently had a thing for Canada...

Manuel...demonstrating the best way to enjoy a party in the german apartment hallways.

Rachel!

Munchen: Munich: Munich

After a full day of "touristing"...this is a new verb I created just now...we finally arrived in Munich, on Schwarzmannstrasse...at the apartment owned by Kraft Food Corp, of all things, where Rachel Green, one of my close friends from High School, is living for her internship. She invited us in, gave up her bed, and fed us cookies...how much better can it get?!

We did have a 3 hour dinner at a restaurant near Marienplatz, the main square in Munich...things in Europe are just a little bit slower where I've lived most of my life...but I think I'm starting to enjoy it.

Tomorrow we're meeting up with a co-worker of one of Mike's contacts who, "owed him a favor." He will be taking us on a tour of the city and bringing us to some pretty important government spaces...Mike is basically like God, I think.

PS-I've missed Rachel!

Dachau...:Dachau...:Dachau...

So this is Dachau...

"...shows the historical background to the Third Reich. The preceding history does not necessarily mean that everything that followed had to happen the way it did, or that it could not have turned out differently. But the seeds of antisemitism, racism, and disregard of human dignity and democracy had been sewn during the preceding period, and gained ground after 1933 with alarming speed.

Each of us today is shaping the background history of tomorrow."

-Chaim Schatzker

"Work will make you free"

Rothersberg-Stadt eins: Rothersberg-Ciudad uno: Rothersberg-City One

Woke up, said goodbye to Mike and Matthew and headed south. At Mike's suggestion we hit up Rothersberg, which is considered "typically German," and one of few, if not the only remaining walled cities.

We walked along the guard's path on the interior of the wall around the city.

...Bob would have been a giant...

Contrast

The construction of the walls was crazy. It looked like the structural columns and beams were a mold and the puddy for the wall was squeezed into it, much the way those play-doh games work.

Two roads diverged in a German City...

There's something enchanting about bridges...

Old cities set up a perfect display of layers without introducing an excess of heights and forms.

Time to get on the road to Dachau, then Munich for the rest of the trip!