Germany: June 19

We decided to take a break from tours today.  We were wiped out!  We rented bikes and toured Garmich.  We rode for a long time.  First stop was to view the ski jump from the 1936 Olympics held right here in Garmich!

Then we went on a big hike to see a beach, waterfalls and a river :)

 The view of the river from up high...my toes tingled we were so high! 

 My love.

After that we biked to the Olympic center.

 Funny story here.  The bike I was given wasn't working well.  I was complaining about it to Tj and he was acting like it was just me.  So, finally he switched bikes with me.  Well, he soon found out the bike had issues too and was irritated with it.  Well, we got to the Olymic training center and Tj tried to ride his bike up on to the sidewalk and he went head over heels over the handle bars!!  I saw the whole thing like it was in slow motion and I was laughing so hard I was crying.  You can see the two women there in front of that car that witnessed the whole thing.  They didn't know if they should laugh or cry!  I felt bad laughing, because I was worried about him, but it was just funny.  He was fine, but really mad at the bike :)  Needless to say, when we got back and turned the bikes in they got an earful from Tj and we didn't pay for that bike rental.  That's a story we'll never forget!

Germany: June 18, Neuschwanstein

We arrived at Neuschwanstein and the castle was huge! There was also another, smaller, castle next to Neuschwanstein - it is the Hohenschwangau castle.  Hohenschwangau was the official summer and hunting residence of Maximilian, his wife Marie of Prussia, and their two sons Ludwig (the later King Ludwig II of Bavaria) and Otto (the later King Otto I of Bavaria). The young princes spent many years of their adolescence here. Ludwig loved the area so much, so he decided to build Neuschwanstein here for himself.  He was said to have been a recluse.  He died before the castle was finished and it was opened to visitors in 1886.

To get up to Neuschwanstein, you have quite a hike!  But, it felt good to get some exercise after sitting on a bus for the last 3 days, and an airplane before that!  We had to wait before our tour started, so we hiked up higher for the higher views!  There was this little tiny bridge that thousands of us tourists were trying to get onto for this picture.  It was a little insane, and scary!  We were really high up on that little bridge!  This castle was the inspiration for the Walt Disney World castle.  I can see the resemblance.

 That's the little bridge we were all crowded on!

 Apparently, the castle is always undergoing construction.

Then we got to go on our tour.  Photos were strictly prohibited inside the castle! 

 A replica of the castle.

The views from here were just outstanding.  I think it's so beautiful it almost doesn't even look real!

Then it was back to the resort.  We walked around Garmich again, and of course had to get our daily dose (or two) of gelato!

Germany: June 18 Church in the Meadow

Our tour today was to Neuschwanstein and the Church in the Meadow.  Everything was so gorgeous!  We went to the Church in the Meadow first.  This church is one of the most famous Baroque churches in the world and is considered one of the most beautiful.  The church is located in the rolling foothills of the southern Bavarian Alps.  The history of the church here began on June 14, 1738 when it is said that tears were seen on a wooden statue of the crucified Christ situated in a field in the small hamlet of Wies. The news quickly spread and masses of pilgrims from all over the world began traveling to Wieskirche to see the statue and to worship and pray. So, in 1740, a small chapel, still on the property today, was built to house the statue and to accommodate the visiting worshipers.

A couple of pictures of the front of our resort before we left.  It was another gorgeous morning!

 I could sit and look at this ceiling all day!  So pretty!!

We also had the most amazing homemade doughnuts right across from the church - I still am dreaming of those things!  I've never had anything like it!
It was definitely a farm - the Shetland ponies were so cute!

As was this little German man in his lederhosen!  We asked him if we could take a picture with him :)

Then it was back on the bus for the trip to Neuschwanstein!

Germany: June 17, part 2

After we got back from Dachau, we toured around Garmich for a bit.  It is just so breathtakingly beautiful here!  We had pizza at an Italian restaurant - it was amazing.