Trip: Fussen

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Christmas
After returning from our journeys up north, we got back to Tim's place and enjoyed Christmas together. It was so nice - though I really missed Christmas with my family and seeing my Grandparents. Christmas Eve we opened presents, we all got fun gifts but the best gift of all was the amazing present Philip gave Tim...a miniature albino buffalo figurine with green eyes. Lemme tell you - this caused Tim to laugh like nothing I have ever seen, he started crying! And all the rest of us were cracking up and red in the face because the gift was so little and silly and yet it brought A LOT of enjoyment to us for the next few days. Next best gift was from Sarah and Delpha to Philip - a furry moose stuffed animal who we named Moosen. He journeyed with us all over Europe - he's quite the world traveler now ; )
Christmas Day was spent at Brian and Aimee Klaeger's home in Eschenbach (i.e. Isengard). We had breakfast with them and other single soldiers who weren't able to go home for Christmas. They gave all of the soldiers gifts for coming and even gave me a gift! After breakfast, we played games and I watched people play games. Tim and I enjoyed watching Miracle on 34th Street together with his parents. After these festivities, I donned an apron and got to work helping Aimee get ready for the 60+ people she was expecting in her home for Christmas dinner. It was an AMAZING dinner! Brian and Aimee are missionaries to the soldiers on post in Grafenwoehr - it was wonderful seeing them together and their hearts desire to reach out to military familes and watch them work together in imitating Christ throughout their home. It was a good Christmas, spending it with family and friends in Christ.
Fussen
We all packed up to leave Zettlitz on Saturday afternoon to head on our 7 day journey throughout Europe.
First Stop: Fussen
Sights to See: Schloss Hohenschwangau Castle and Neuschwanstein Castle
We got there late enough to eat some delicious German food at a quain little restaurant, drink some hot fruit punch at the hotel, and head off to bed. Sunday morning we trekked to the castles where we secured tickets and were able to see some amazing structures that were built many years ago. Hohenschwangau Castle was the home of Maximillian II, where he rebuilt the home in 1832 though the castle was orignially built in the 12th century as a fortress. The castle is mainly famous because it was the birthplace of Ludwig II who was the Bavarian King in the mid to late 19th century.
As for Neuschwanstein Castle, this is a famous castle because it is the one that Walt Disney received his inspiration for the 3D castle design you see at the beginning of all Disney movies. It was built by Ludwig II in 1869 and was never fully completed. The castle was so grand! Richard Wagner (a famous composer at the time) was best friends with Ludwig II and it's neat to think about how Wagner composed some of his music while visiting Neuschwanstein - if you ever listen to his music, you will realize it grand and powerful...just like the castle and the scenary around it depict.
Enough about history - sorry if it bores any of you! I just find it interesting and since I've received such HUGE history lessons of the past few weeks - I don't want to forget them! : ) Thanks for bearing with me!
Also - at one point, the tour guide told us that the paintingsin every room of Hohenschwangau would not depict blood because that was not something that was apart of the era. Well....I totally saw a painting with blood in it. An arrow had pierced the side of an angel in the corner of one of the mural wall paintings - hahaha, I pointed it out and then everyone on the tour group was like "WOW! There's blood!" I don't know - it was funny at the time ; )
Another thing - Moosen had gotten left at the hotel room. It was really sad! So we decided to go back and find it. Philip went in to reclaim his dear animal and came out with his lil moose and said the hotel people had found the animal and called it "something for knder." That became one of our biggest sayings throughout out journeys...is that something for kinder?!?
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Picture of Neuschwanstein Castle within Hohenschwangau's Castle walls
Inside of Hohenschwangau Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle - so regal!

Enjoying the sight of the Alps in the distance...

More to come...

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2010 at 9:45 AM

    Everything is so beautiful with the snow!! I love it. Enjoy, enjoy and God bless you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LoisJanuary 7, 2010 at 12:47 PM

    I hope the rest of your time there is really fun and that you make lots of memories. Tell Tim "hello" from Jeremy and I. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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