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| Most of us with the Castle on a Hill in the background. |
[Author's note: I rely on a few things when making this blog. The first is WiFi. I've solved that problem by renting a portable wifi device. The second is a manner in which transferring pictures from my phone to the computer. Google Images usually succeeds in this endeavor, but sometimes my "back-up" feature doesn't work as I'd like...tonight is one of those nights. Please read the post below and then look at the pictures posted today. If tomorrow finds the pictures available, I will make changes.]
It is the 8th day of our trip. We have seen many different castles, churches, and medieval structures. We have learned more about Baroque, Gothic, and Art Nouveaux architecture than I ever expected. We have walked along cobblestone streets, dined on local cuisine, and met some amazing people. The kids will have a ton of stories. I encourage those reading this blog, especially the parents/guardians, to engage in conversation about all of the things you've read about.
I am sitting in the lobby of the Ibis hotel with Mr. Jones. We were just chatting about how our high school foreign language education has faded from us, but comes back when we put it into practice. For me, it is French, for Mr. Jones it has been German...watching him think about and remember different German words/phrases has been great. He has even gone on to teach the kids some of what he knows. This bit about language relates to the kids learning about the different styles of art and architecture. If we don't use it frequently our brain stuffs it into the back of our heads and we may lose it forever. By having conversations about what they've experienced, it will make the trip live a little longer.
You may think that the trip is ending with the notes above, but we still have a few more days ahead of us. The days, however, will be different. Berlin is a modern city. It will feel more like home than any of these places we've visited. In fact, it might feel the most different from the place we visited today...but I am getting a little ahead of myself. Before seeing our castle on a hill, we still needed to see a bit of Munich.
We began our day in the usual manner. Breakfast and then the bus...but the bus was not the bus. The laws governing tour buses in Europe are very strict. Drivers cannot be on the road for an extended period of time. The buses have monitors that log in times. Any violations can mean a license forfeiture or hefty fines. Norbert is vert conscious of these laws and limits (and we are glad for his concern). The buses also need regular maintenance too. Our trusty bus had hit its mileage limit and needed a routine maintenance check-up. This means we needed a new bus...and boy did the company take care of us.
We departed our hotel and headed for the BMW World. It wasn't far from the hotel. It was basically a showroom for all of BMW, Coopers, and Rolls Royce. The kids could walk around and sit in some of their cars...and wish that they had them at home. It was so fun hearing them all talk about which car would be theirs and how cool they thought the cars might be to actually drive. I didn't have much hope for this stop on the tour, but overall, I think people enjoyed visiting it.
While visiting the BMW World, our local guide Colette arrived. She was a firecracker. Her English was really good and after a brief mix-up of communications, we hit the road. Colette was able to make lots of jokes and relate the content of her tour to our kids. They were laughing and answering questions. We visited the Summer Palace of the German kings. It was modeled on the Palace of Versailles. We also drove past a few other important Munich monuments, but I think the thing the kids will remember the most was Colette providing recommendations for lunch. The options were all Metro station food stalls, but the kids really liked the experience of getting local food.
After grabbing a bite to eat, we were off to Neushwanstein Castle. It is a mix of different architectural styles. It is also much younger than most of what we have seen on this trip. The castle's most prominent features are said have inspired Walt Disney. It is easy to see how this might have influenced Walt. It is beautiful. It was built around 1869 by King Ludwig II. He was said to have been a bit mad, but we equated to being eccentric. The castle wasn't completed because of his untimely death at the age of 40. He didn't even get to live in it for more than half a year. The rooms that were completed were surreal. They prohibit photos, but I tried to steal a few when possible.
What made our visit even more special is the weather. All week long, I have been fretting over the weather. I want the kids to have the best possible time and that becomes difficult when nature does not cooperate. We have seen the sun, but we have also been rained upon. It has snowed while we've been on the bus and the temperature is much colder than we ever had hoped for...until today. Today, it all worked out. On the way to the castle, it started snowing again. When we arrived, a light snow was falling, but the sun was emerging. The temperature was frigid in Munich, but nearer the castle, it seemed manageable. As we hiked up the path to the castle, snow was falling off of branches and hitting unsuspecting tourists. It made the visit all the more majestic.
When our visit came to an end, we departed for a small nearby village. We were met by Paul Bonf. The owner of one of the town's restaurants. We escorted us to our tables and proudly served some chicken fillets and Bavarian style potato salad...it is made with mustard. For dessert, he gave us potato pancakes and apple sauce. As we wrapped up dinner, Paul made an announcement. He had a surprise for us. We followed him into a nearby room and he began to tell of us local customs. Basically, the village has regular parades on Sundays. They wear their best outfits (Lederhosen, etc). The villagers are modest people, even poor, but they have immense pride. Whenever Paul struggled with English, Gina translated for him. She told us about his town's custom of hanging special banners for special occasions. The village also has a few items that are for the whole town. One of these is a giant banner that was hand-stitched, on both sides, nearly 100 years ago. Whenever the parade occurs, people from other villages know Paul and his friends. His whole speech was humble and heartwarming.
The customs of this small town are struggling against modernity. He tried to compare his town to the celebration of October-fest, but we all understood that there is something more special in a town looking after itself. Paul waved to us as we boarded our bus and left for Munich. In his arms was his grandson, a boy who had no idea who we were, but who, in a few short years, would be carrying banners for his town. Who, in a few more years, would inherit his father's hand made lederhosen and leather jacket. A boy, who when he became a man, will be faced with the challenge of working in his father's restaurant of going off into whatever the world has in store for him. My guess is that the boy will choose a humble life of farming, running a restaurant, and keeping a custom alive for his own kin.
The public Facebook album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10156023851350760&type=1&l=83a2ab00ef
Mr. Lavoie, frustrated that technology isn't working, but thinking about a village an hour or so away, where traditions are...
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