Germany (part 2)

---

Castles. More importantly, Neuschwanstein Castle. -LINK-there is all the information on the actual castle, and not just my view of it. First I had to get to Fussen, where this particular castle and another are located. I rode a train with other members of a walking tour from Munich to Fussen. I met this Canadian, Toby who I shared a train ride with, and a rather hostile game of "My Farm." For complete rules and regulations of "My Farm" please see an Aulstralian named Vince that is on a train somewhere in Munich. I'm sure he'll explain the rules for you like he did for me and Toby. So me and Toby play "My Farm" on the way to and from the castles. In between shouts of "My pig" and "My hay!" there were tiny mini conversations that really showed me how different a Canadian can be from a Texan. We talked about politics, gun rights, Obamacare and other crap. I'm surprised we remained friends after all of our debating.



So me and Toby get to Fussen along with others from the tour group. We walk UP the mountain to where Neuschwanstein rests on the top. This place is a direct copy (okay here's a bit of info... this is the castle that Walt Disney has to pay royalties to for the copy of the castle as the Disney castle) of a princess castle. The story of Ludwig is so outrageous, but when put into context this castle and its ostentatiousness, it all kind of fits. This history of Nueschawnstein goes:



King Ludwig II was born in August of 1845 in Bavaria, which is now part of Germany. When his father died unexpectedly, Ludwig was to become King in 1864 at the tender age of eighteen. At the time of his coronation in 1869, Bavaria was a parliamentary monarchy much as England is today. The King received a salary and acted as the social head of the government but had only limited powers to run the country. Without real control with regard to the affairs of state, Ludwig's interest turned quickly to art, architecture, construction and music. The King had inherited an immense family fortune and saw no value in hoarding the funds in the bank, but rather decided to spend massive sums of money in the development of his interests, which included the employment of the Bavarian people and the development of the arts in his country. Many rumors and stories were developed around Ludwig, during and after his death. Like all geniuses, his peers were unable to understand his motivations. Called the "mad King of Bravura", Ludwig was cursed with alcoholism and took certain drugs for his severe periodontal disease, which resulted in the loss of most of his teeth. The kind disappears under suspicious circumstances.



or if you didn't want to read that, here is an Australian telling you about it [

]









All of this was told through story. This king was bat-shit crazy. He had unicorns and swans ALL over the entire inside of the castle. There were massive rainbows painted above the throne. The amount of money spent on this castle could fund small countries for centuries. Not only was it located in the Alps, but it was an amazing experience and a great piece of history.





I stayed in Munich until the end of my trip. I learned the metro system pretty fluently (finally) and even walked away learning some German. I had a great time at all the bier gartens, and I had a great time catching up with Mateo, who graciously gave me a place to sleep and maps and ke

---