Trip to Germany, Day 2, Neuschwanstein

One of the advantages of traveling with Bill and Sonya is that he is a veteran. Assuch, he can get us on military bases. InGarmisch there is a wonderful base, the Edelweiss Lodge, designed as an R and R facility. The base had great bus tours and Bill signed us up for several.

On Saturday, June 12, we took the first bus tour and went to Mad King Ludwig's second castle. The name is "Neuschwanstein" which means "new swan castle." This is the famous castle after which Disney's

Cinderella Castle is modeled. You have seen photos of it. Ludwig's symbol was the swan, and there were plenty around the castle. The castle was unfinished as Ludwig was declared insane and his money tied up, such that he could not finish the castle. He then died under mysterious circumstance shortly thereafter. The story of his death is that he and his physician drowned in shallow water in a lake near Munich. Both were good swimmers.

The bus took us to the bottom of a hill and we could walk up, take a shuttle, or ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Bill, Sonya, and I walked up, dodging horse meadow muffins, and telling jokes about the flies. Carol was the smart one waiting for us at a nice cafe.

Inside the throne room of the castle is a painting showing another castle Ludwig would build after he finished Neuschwanstein. Ludwig was essentially the king of Bavaria and had a very large treasury when he started building. The treasury was amassed over generations of kings. Ludwig spent nearly all of it on his castles; that spending, along with his probable homosexuality, and his preference for sleeping by day and wondering around at night, was the reason he was declared "mad."

Photos could not be taken inside, so these are all from the outside of the castle. The top photo is a general view of the castle. We could take pictures out some windows, and the second photo if of a bridge nearby. We had to wait until our scheduled time and we took this picture of the entrance and of Bill and I waiting. The bottom photo is another view out a window and shows the castle where Ludwig was raised. This was purchased by his father, Maximilian II, and remodeled into Schwantstein. Ludwig was not born here, but spent much if his youth in the castle.