We invited our guide and his wife (Ron and Alfreida) to go to church. It was really really cool. I’ll be honest and say, I didn’t really want to spend the time going, I wanted to see as much of Europe as I could – but I can also be honest enough to say I am so glad we did, because this was a really great part of Europe to see. Singing hymns I know in English while listening to the german, hearing an exchange student from CA speak, the missionary from UT speak and the other one translating for us the whole time, was priceless. I am proud of Master D being out in the world, knowing he’s helping other people and having to step out of his comfort zone. What an amazing bunch of young men!

After church Ron drove us out to Bavaria, went ahead of a 2 hour long line and got us tickets to the very last ‘english speaking’ tour.  He also secured us a taxi ride back, with a guy named Charlie who spoke to us in German the whole time and none of us understood a word of it.  This was Mad King Ludwigs childhood castle – he didn’t think it was nice enough for him so he had to build another one on the hill across from it – and bankrupt the country. My camera and words cannot capture the views of these 2 castles. The photo is of Brandon & Melanie Lake deciding what to order for lunch in view of both castles.

Walking up to the first castle, Hohenschwangau- this is the village and lake below. It was a tourist madhouse btw. If you ever go, make reservations!  

Here’s the view from ‘Hohenschwangau’ (in the fountain garden) to ‘Neuschwanstein’ What is with the Germans and their long words?   

A couple years ago we did a 3000 piece puzzle of Neuschwanstein and it was so hard to put together, I couldn’t bring myself to break it, so I framed it. This is the view from the walk up to the castle. 

Our ‘English speaking’ tour guide that we waited 3 hours to go on through the castle spoke a lot like the priest from Princess Bride but was less understandable. Cherie burst out laughing after the first word. Everyone in the group was asking each other what he’d said, and it wasn’t spoken with a German accent.   I didn’t pick up on much except that Ludwig “loved” the composer Richard Wagner and dedicated most of the castle to his operas. I am also pretty sure Ludwig can be credited for giving the LGBT community the rainbow idea – since he was obsessed with them and even tried to invent a rainbow making machine and flooded the other castle bedroom.  They tell you no photography allowed inside either castle. 

Sometimes I don’t follow directions and snap some photos in castles you aren’t supposed to. But I couldn’t resist Mad King Ludwig’s Jesus with rainbow in his chapel.