Sunday, November 24, 2013

Castles & Camels

Hello all! I am writing from snowy Switzerland =) Although it is beautiful here, it has been a long few days. After Prague I made the journey to Munich, Germany on Thursday morning. As I mentioned in my last post, the nonstop travel has really started to get to me. I have felt absolutely exhausted and I feel like the further into my Eurotrip, the less welcoming the people are. Simply put, I just haven’t felt like myself at all! So when I arrived to Munich around 6pm all I wanted to do was get into bed and sleep. I quickly learned that wasn’t going to happen when I walked into my 40-bed room on a Friday night. I decided to walk around the city for a few hours and I’m glad I did. It was another beautiful city AND I tried my first German sausage!


One thing I’ve learned about European food is that they do not feel the need to make it pretty. There are no ketchup designs on the plates and it’s not served in $50 portions that would fill a mouse. It is simple and delicious. Oh and the sausage was only €2.60! I will also add that I had a cinnamon bun the size of my head after…


When I got back to the hostel I was quite positive I was going straight to bed but of course I convinced myself out of that idea. As tired as I was, I can’t justify going to bed at 8pm on a Friday night while I’m traveling in EUROPE! So, I decided to hang out in the lounge area and before long I was having drinks with new friends. I ended up meeting some really amazing people that night.


Around 1am that night, this Asian woman came out of nowhere. I’m not exactly what it was about her that had everyone cracking up. It could have been the fact that she was hitting on all of the young guys OR possibly the 8 stuffed camels she had hanging around her neck. Either way, we all had a good laugh!


On Friday I took a day trip to Fuessen, Germany and visited the Neuschwanstein Castle. Yes, this is the “Disney Castle!”


I spent most of the day with four American guys that are in the Air Force and are currently stationed in Germany. It’s always nice to meet Americans. The story behind this castle is actually very interesting. King Ludwig II wanted a place far away from his people so he began to build this castle in the Bavarian Alps in the summer of 1868. Ludwig lived in a fantasy world and dreamed of building a holy empire. Although he did have some power, it was very limited. During the last years of his life he spent a lot of time alone, fantasizing about his ideas. In 1886 the government declared the king as “insane” and was forced to step down. The following day King Ludwig and his psychiatrist were found dead at a nearby lake. They had apparently drowned. It was clear that the king fought for his life but to this day it remains a mystery as to what happened to the two men.




I made it back to Munich just in time to make it to the Ballet! I have been trying to do something new in every place that I visit. I really enjoyed the orchestra in Prague and the Ballet was even more spectacular!




When I showed up at the Opera House for the Ballet  I was yet again very underdressed - even more so than the orchestra. When I got to the box office the worker told me that they were sold out. I was really disappointed and then an older woman came up to me and said, “I have an extra ticket, my friend wasn’t able to come tonight. Do you want it for €10?” It was such a blessing! I ended up having a great seat at one of the most beautiful opera houses in Europe!


I don’t think my 39 other roommates were very happy with me when I woke up around 7am on Saturday morning to catch my train to Interlaken, Switzerland. I am becoming an expert at packing and getting ready in the dark! To avoid an entire paragraph of what sounds like complaining, I will keep it simple and just say that Saturday was a very long day. About half way through I found myself fighting back tears at one of the train stations. When I got to my hostel I was exhilarated to hear that I was upgraded to my own room for free. A good night’s sleep was definitely necessary!




Traveling certainly has its ups and downs and yesterday was definitely the lowest I’ve felt since I arrived in September. As I was wandering around in the snow I was hoping to find somewhere to eat (at a reasonable price!). In the distance I saw a little place lit up and as I got closer I realized it was a little Irish pub. I couldn’t have been happier. I walked in with a huge grin and was welcomed by the friendly staff. All I kept thinking was this is exactly what I needed. Switzerland is outrageously expensive. The cheapest coffee I’ve seen is 5 Francs (about $5.50). The grocery store had very few items under $5. My simple chicken sandwich ended up being 18.50 Francs! I was okay with that. Finding that little pub definitely turned my night around.

This morning I planned to take a day trip to see some of the Swiss Alps. When I got to the train I was informed that my train pass wasn’t valid for the train I needed to get on and I would have to buy a ticket. I decided to just go back to the hostel. I think this was a blessing in disguise because I desperately needed rest. I ended up sleeping the entire day! Normally I would have felt guilty. I hate taking naps and missing daytime, even when I’m home. But I feel much more refreshed and ready for my last week. Tomorrow I head to Paris bright and early! And a week from tomorrow I will be on my way home. I am starting to get excited! Have a good week everyone =)

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful pictures. We are excited for you to come home. Love and miss you.

    ReplyDelete