Europe Trip

Well it has been a little while since I updated this blog... and you guys aren't letting me forget it :) So I figured I would give you a little taste of our latest adventure, and then maybe do a little back-tracking.

We recently got home from a 2 and 1/2 week trip through Europe. As you can imagine we took many photos... almost enough to fill an entire computer! So even with picking out just a few highlights, there are still many photos,  so I will do a few installments of our trip so I don't scare away the few readers I have, or crash this site. Also... I haven't edited any photos yet, because I know if I wait to do so, this post will never happen. So forgive me if some of the photos are a little dark or need some cropping etc. Right, well - "Let's start at the very beginning... a very good place to start! When we read we begin with ABC when you sing you begin with do re mi... " Sorry, I digress. We started off our journey in Munich, Germany and that is where we will start with this post:

 

(Left) Munich New Town Hall on a main plaza Marienplatz. It contains the city government buildings and Glockenspiel. This is where the Bayern soccer team had their end of season celebration and got their trophies. (Right) A beautiful yellow cathedral: Theatine Church, which according to Wikipedia, was built as a gesture of thanks for the birth of the long-awaited heir to the Bavarian crown, Prince Max Emanuel, in 1662.

 

 We got to go to an enormous technology and science museum that was completely overwhelming!! They had some totally rad stuff there though. They had an entire floor dedicated to boats and planes. They had several different planes and boats throughout the years - we both agreed that our dads would pee their pants of excitement and spend an entire day on that floor alone. They also had a room full of instruments, that is the room I am in for the video... though I have no idea what "instrument" I am playing with. They also had a room of glass and ceramics, and that some glass making demonstrations. I can't even begin to tell you all the other sweet things they had there. It completely wiped me out.

On our last day in Munich we rented bikes and cruised through the town and all around the English Gardens, in all their enormity. I mean come on, they needed two maps to show it all! It was absolutely beautiful though, we enjoyed a lovely picnic near a pond with ducks, birds, trees, etc. 

We took a day trip to Dachau concentration camp. This was the first concentration camp opened in Germany and served as a training ground for SS guards and a model for all other concentration camps. The entrance gate says "Work makes you free". They had tripple height bunk beds (that they had to share with more than one person at times). There was also a "prison" there that went on for what seemed like forever. Some cells were divided into four sections that were too small to sit or stand in. 

 After Dachau, we headed down near Fussen to visit the Hohenschwangau (yellow) and Neuschwanstein (white) castles. The Disney castle was based off the Neuschwanstein castle. They were beautiful buildings in a beautiful setting, and the insides were crazy! (Sorry pictures were not allowed). The queen and king lived on different floors (and the children had a separate floor as well!). They would only eat one meal together, and that was the only time they saw each other. (Except if the king chose to take his secret passage from his bedroom to visit the queen's bedroom). Also, Neuschwanstein was a castle dedicated to the arts, so all the rooms were decorated based on different plays or operas. There is even a "cave" room. No joke... it's like a disney ride in that room. So random!

Rothenburg! 

 A fabulous traditional German meal in an old traditional restaurant. So fun!

Our last day in Germany we traveled on the romantic road up to Frankfurt to catch our overnight train. The romantic road is an old road that travels through several perfectly preserved medieval towns. It was like being in a fairy tale story. Driving was a bit of a challenge, with roads not well marked and no GPS, but the countryside was beautiful, and we made our way through well enough. We spent most of our time in Rothenburg, which is the best known and most popular town along the route. It still had the original wall surrounding the city that you can walk, cobbled streets, and a Christmas village store that is straight out of "Clamation Christmas"!!! It was amazing! The other town we spent the most time in was Wurzburg. We saw the Residenz, which was breathtaking, and climbed to the old fortress for a lovely view of the town.

Well, if you made it through, congratulations!! Now take a break and I will try to be back soon with the next installment: Paris!