FUN-photos: Prague to Trieste – September, 2013

November 11, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-photos: Prague to Trieste – September, 2013 

Our trip started on September 16th. We flew to Prague from London on the 17th. Then we trained to Munich for opening day of Oktoberfest. From there we rented a car and drove to Dachau and on to Füssen to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. (#17 on the list vying for the New 7 Wonders of the World) Next we headed to Salzburg and Vienna where we dropped the car. Then we headed to Budapest and on to Trieste by train. We spent the night in Villach, Austria to eliminate the overnight train.

If you click on the first picture it will allow you to create a slide show. And it turns out they are in ascending order (in other words, the first is actually the last) So if you click the back arrow you will see them in order. Enjoy!

FUN-travel: Füssen, Germany to Salzburg, Austria

September 27, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Füssen, Germany to Salzburg, Austria 

Day 8 – Monday, September 23 – Füssen, Germany to Salzburg, Austria – sunny w/clouds – high 60’s

What I LIKEFussen, Germany 2013 59

  • 7:30 – machine cappuccino not bad
  • 8:30 – breakfast – really nice spread
  • 9:00 – drive to castles (I’m so on time I got another 10 travel bonus pts!)
  • 9:10 – park & walk up to ticket booth
  • 9:15 – pick up tickets for 9:25 reservation tour for 10:25 (you lose your position if late)
  • 9:30 – get in line for bus ride to top – 1.80 Euro pp
  • *really long line
  • 9:55 – bus finally comes
  • 10:05 – arrive for walk to Mary’s Bridge for photo op (over 100 yrs old & engineering fete)
  • offers spectacular views of Neuschwanstein Castle
  • 15 walk down to castle entrance
  • 10:24 – arrive for 10:25 tour – just made it!
  • 1st floor – servants quarters & kitchen
  • 2nd floor – never finished – supposed to be guest wing
  • 3rd floor – features Throne Room – 2000 lb chandelier – gold plated brass can be lowered to floor – floor consists of 2 million mosaic tiles – all walls & ceilings are painted
  • living quarters contains kings bed & took wood carvers 4.5 yrs to carve
  • contains multiple huge wall tapestries
  • features man made cave & winter garden area – w/colored electric lighting & real waterfall
Mary's Bridge 2, Fussen

Mary’s Bridge

  •  4th floor – study & office
  • concert hall he never experienced – completed 1 week before he died – once a year concerts held here
  • over 300 stairs in tour
  • kitchen has multiple ovens & stoves – state of the art for 1869Fussen, Germany 2013 24
  • 10:55 – tour over
  • go to 2nd floor for 3D movie showing the original final castle plan

Neuschwanstein Castle FUN-facts:

  • runner up for one of the New 7 Wonders of the World
  • inspiration for Sleeping Beauty & Disneyland castles
  • built from 1869 to 1886 by King Ludwing II
  • he died mysteriously and building ceased
  • he was spending way too much money & was declared insane
  • next day he & his psychiatrist were found drowned in a Munich lake
  • only 1/3 complete
  • only lived there for 172 days
  • designed by a stage painter – not an architect
  • gravity fed fresh water & sewer systems
  • built over the ruins of 2 medieval castles
  • incorporates state of the art technology for 1869
  • Europe’s most spectacular castle
Fussen, Germany 2013 58

Hohenschwangau

  • Chris wants to walk back up to Mary’s Bridge for back up photo opFussen, Germany 2013 31
  • 11:45 – need to get back down for 12:25 tour of 2nd castle
  • take 30 minute walk trail & book it down in 15
  • then walk up to Hohenschwangau castle for 2nd tour
  • childhood summer & hunting home of King Ludwig II
  • 12:25 – starts on 1st floor – Queen’s living area
  • includes “king size” billiard table, study & library, bedroom & living room
  • 2nd floor – kings quarters
  • 1:30 – cappuccino break
  • **2:00 – back to car
  • 2:20 – found it and drive out (always need to remember visuals for finding them)
  • 1.5 hr beautiful drive thru countryside before autobahn
  • ***4:30 – get iPod to work!
  • 5:30 – arrive Salzburg proper
  • 6:00 – arrive Hotel Rosenvilla – more like B&B w/15 rooms in residential area 15 min walk to town
  • 70 and sunny!
  • 6:15 – happy hour – Trummer Pils beer break
  • 6:45 – walk to city center for mini Oktoberfest
  • 7:30 – dinner @ Hagenauerstuben – caramelized sheep cheese on mixed leaf salad, fried sausages w/cabbage, mustard & fresh horseradish (finely shredded looks like cheese & really hot) Hannes Reeh “Unplugged” merlot – Yummy! $85

What I DON’T LIKE

  • 6:00 wake up – no coffee until 7:30
  • *have to “hurry up & wait” for 30 mins
  • **can’t find car – Chris thinks it’s in a different place than I do – feel minor panic – there are multiple parking lots w/lot more cars than when we arrived
  • ***car radio totally complicated for manual operation
Fussen, Germany 2013 56

Lake at Base of Hohenschwangau

FUN-fact – During WWII, Neuschwanstein took on a sinister role. The Nazi’s used it as one of their primary secret storehouses for stolen art. After the war, Allied authorities spent a year sorting through and redistributing the art, which filled 49 rail cars. It was the only time the unfinished rooms were put to use.

FUN-travel: Munich to Füssen via Dachau, Germany

September 27, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Munich to Füssen via Dachau, Germany 

Day 7 – Sunday, September 22 – Munich to Füssen via Dachau, Germany – sunny w/high wispy clouds – high 60’s

What I LIKE

Dachau, Germany 2013 2

Dachau Train Tracks

  • 7:00 – wake up
  • usual routine
  • ready to go before planned (I get 10 travel bonus pts!) they’re like gold stars from Mr. “I’m always ready to go way ahead of schedule”
  • 9:00 – walk to train station to get car – leave bags at hotel
  • having a car allows freedom to come & go as you please
  • *only takes one u-turn to figure out directions
  • 10:20 – car loaded and ready for drive to Dachau
  • GARMIN WORKS!
Dachau, Germany 2013 3

Front Gate Translation “Work Will Set You Free”

  • 11:00 – arrive Dachau
  • free & includes audio guide
  • 11:30 – 20 min film in museum
  • get to enter all areas – see barracks, gas chamber, crematorium, religious memorialsDachau, Germany 2013 16
  • 1:00 – drive to Füssen
  • 3:00 – arrive Hotel Schlosskrone
  • tell little white lie to front desk – “we’re on our honeymoon” – Chris says “every day is our honeymoon”
  • get room upgrade! has couch – separate toilet room – separate shower & tub – remodeled in 2011
  • front desk very hospitable & helpful – take care of tickets for castle tours tomorrow
  • take off for walk in small, pedestrian only area town square
  • 4:00 – Ludwig Hotel Café for snack of mixed salad – egg, tuna, cucumber, bell peppers, onion – 2 pint beers – $16.70 Euro
  • 4:30 continue walk around town square
  • 5:00 – room R&R – nice little nap
  • 7:30 – dinner downstairs @ Chili’s – hotel Italian restaurant – 2 free glasses of house wine – quite good Italian – order pizza w/salami, red & green chilis & buffalo mozzarella w/tomatoes salad – pretty good & 2 more glasses of wine – 36 Euro
  • 8:45 – we’re done & ready for bed!

What I DON’T LIKE

  • *get turned around coming out of garage – only have map – GPS w/bags @ hotel
  • hard to comprehend the torture that went on at Dachau & all concentration camps
Dachau, Germany 2013 7

Sculpture Made By Prisoner Picked From International Competition

Not so FF (FUN-fact) – Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany in March, 1933.  In the twelve years of its existence over 200,000 persons from all over Europe were imprisoned here and in the numerous subsidiary camps. 41,500 were murdered. On April 29, 1945, American troops liberated the survivors.

WATCH – (What Are The Chances) – Brian who let us sit @ his Oktoberfest table had a grandfather that was imprisoned @ Dachau. He was Polish (not Jewish) and was an engineer who made airplane parts. His status kept him alive and treated better than most.

Dachau, Germany 2013 22

Where Barrack 3 Once Stood