This is one of the many short trips that I ever did. As I mentioned from my previous journal that my work sometime involved in Frankfurt and when the training or work takes about 2 weeks, the weekend in between I will be free. On 23 March 2002, I chose to go to Ausburg to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. I was bored earlier in the week and most of my other colleague already made their plan. For some of them that live one or two hour flight away, they go home to meet the people they love. I live in South East Asia and a very long trip to go home. Therefore, I went to a travel agency in my training centre to get a ticket and book myself a hotel in Munich for the night I will be arriving. Hotel around the castle in Ausburg are very expensive. I’ve been advised my the lady at the travel agency and follow her advise. My flight routing is from Frankfurt to Munich and coming back by a small airport near Ausburg.

Since young, I am fascinated with stories and wondering if one day I can go to the place of what I read in the book. Wanting to see Neuschwanstein Castle started when a friend was telling me that the castle from Walt Disney actually exist and is was at Germany, I was about 9yrs then. Therefore, when I worked in Germany, this is my opportunity to see it. I arrived Munich in the evening, took a train to a city centre and go to my hotel. Since I am not familiar with Munich, I just went down to the supermarket downstairs, get some food and drinks, and get back to my room and watching TV. I fall asleep while doing that.

The next morning, I got up around 7am, went to the central train station, and went to Ausburg. It was a fine journey but in March in Germany, it is still so cold. I remembered my fingers get numb easily and my stomach get hungry so easily too. I reached at Ausburg and I went to the travel agency there and got a ticket for a bus ride to the castle. Along the way, I can see only snows and very foggy site. I believe if it was summer, the hills and the scenery will be much better. I arrived at the foot of the castle before noon. Not many people on the bus that go to this trip. We were informed by the bus driver to get back to the bus by 4pm. It stuck to my head to be punctual later because in Germany, if they say 4pm means 4pm, if not they will leave without you. I climb up with my sport shoes it was very slippery. The hill is a bit steep. I do it slowly and just taking my own sweet time. My mission is to get to the top and to see the castle from near.

Finally, I arrived near the castle and I looked around the view and an iced river beside it. Neuschwanstein to translate into English is New Swan Stone Castle or some says castle of the Swan Knight. The castle was build by Ludwig II and he is the king of Bavaria. Suddenly it looks so real to me, from the vision of the Walt Disney castle to the real thing;-). To cut a story short, Ludwig II was declared insane by the state Commission. His later found dead in shallow water in Lake Starnberg, drowned, along with von Gudden, the psychiatrist who certified him. The reasons his dead remains unexplained until today. I did not go inside the castle because I did not buy the ticket in advance and I found out from some people, many of the rooms and area are closed to public. Therefore, I do not see the point to go inside the castle.

Since I am alone, I just mind my own business, walking slowly, observing the surrounding and helping the Japanese tourist-taking photo for them. There are so many at that time;-p. When I had enough, I walk slowly down of the hill. I reached the bus earlier then 4pm and they brought us to Ausburg train station. From there I took a taxi to the Ausburg airport. It was a small airport and then I found out, my plane is a 12 sitter. I had a bad experience before in Indonesia when I took a Fokker but this plane ride really change my mind about small plane. I arrived in Frankfurt safely. I have my dinner first and then to my training centre in Seeheim, south of Frankfurt city. I did not get the chance to take many photographs, as I was alone and my hand and fingers are so numb, so what ever you see here is what you get to see. I have no regret because I do want to see the castle again if I was given a chance. Lately I found out from a local newspaper that Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the finalists of the New Seven Wonders of the World 2007. I am satisfied and happy I made the decision to come to see the Neuschwanstein Castle, J

We climbed up the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, on the Holentalle via ferrata route.

We set out at 6:45am on the Hollentale route.  In all, it was an excellent day.  We hiked a steep uphill route for about two hours, then arrived at the Hollentalangerhutte (the last restaurant/inn along the Hollentale).  We hiked a bit further past the hut and reached the base of the first via feratta portion.  At the top of that section, we were within view of the glacier. 

More to come...

It was a pretty miserable day, cold and misty and grey weather. It was one of these days when you rather stay in bed and sleep, read or watch tv only interrupted by the occasional trip to the fridge and other necessary calls.

Well, we, that is, my hubby and I, had promised ourselves that we do this short day-trip today. So we forced ourselves to get up and ready and into the car by 2 pm. We were based in Garching near Munich and the drive to Garmisch-Partenkirchen shouldn't take longer than one and a half hour. And it didn't.

The cable car station was easily found, just by following the signs "Kreuzeckbahn". The station turned out to be a very modern installation, just a few years old. The cable cars are in fact cable "eggs". They slow down when they glide into the station building and are boarded by stepping from the platform into the moving "egg". Works like a breeze. They sit a dozen persons, but we had one of our own. It wasn't crowded at all, probably because of the nearing end of the season and the miserable weather.

The "eggs" have windows all around and we got a hazy view back over the valley and up into the clouds.

Then we entered the clouds and didn't see anything anymore. We didn't dare say it out loud, but we were both secretly hoping that we would break through the clouds before we reached the end of the cable.

The moment we saw the blue sky and the sun was really breath-taking. The whole day we were more or less in a bad mood because of the weather, this was all forgotten now.

We hiked and hobbled around the area for just a little more than one hour. There was about 30 cm of snow. We climbed an "idiots' hill" for novice skiers (there was no skiing now) and on the way down we've been on our backsides as often as not. This was so much fun! Kids, hihi!
Now we were really sorry that we didn't get here earlier.

At 5 pm the last "egg" descended with us in it.

This was the day when the idea for the summer vacations in Austria was born. Hiking in the mountains is fun!

Kreuzeckbahn (in German)

We stayed overnight in Garmisch, in a hotel that was like two joined by an underground bunker corridor. Very strange.  Our first night under a duvet.  Different.

Today, the CASTLE!  Up, showered, dressed, ran for food and on the bus ready and eagerly awaiting the quick trip.  Of all days, someone was 10 minutes late!  It was nearly 8 am before we got on the road for the short trip. Almost everyone wasted pics on what we thought might be the castle. Finally we pulled into the small village at the bottom of the hill and took the shuttle bus up to the castle area. We had a few minutes to gather our breaths again before the tour began and we got to see much of the castle. Only those parts that were completed prior to King Ludwig's death were on the tour. His quarters, and throne room on the 4th floor, servants on the 2nd floor and the large 5th floor ballroom, which was never used by Ludwig. 

This was the next best day, it was up there with the 30 mile walk of the 25th. We got a train from Innsbruck to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, home of the highest mountain in Germany at 2, 964 metres. We bought two round trips to the 2, 962 level. The cable car ride was seriously scary, easily the scariest one I've been on. When we were nearing the top, you couldn't see anything, there were clouds all around. When we got to the top, there was SNOW everywhere. Snow!! In August!! I knew it was cold but I wasn't prepared for all the snow. Everything was frozen over, it was -6 degrees up there. We couldn't see anything at first, the mountain was swathed in cloud. But luckily, the cloud cleared, opening up some amazing views. It was incredible. It was weird walking around up there because you were still technically on the ground yet above the clouds. It was surreal.

After a while of wondering round, we got a shorter cable car round down to the Zugsptiz Glacier. My first glacier! :) Walking around on a glacier was surreal too. We saw some ominous looking black clouds and decided to leave, and we got the cog railway back down to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. That was painfully slow and boring, breaking all the way down the tunnel through the mountain. It was an amazing day though.

So... after spending 6 hours (spread out through last month) in a snowdome where I live I got the chance to try out a real mountain with 5 others! The first day was awesome... I spent all day on a green/blue slope (easy-medium level) and though falling LOTS of times it was really fun.

It wasn't until next morning when I woke up that I seriously felt like someone had beaten me with a baseball bat... knees, bum, arms, ribs, head.. I think I managed to fall on everything... really, I have never had an entire bum cheek being perfectly blue/black before... damn that hurt..... so trying to reduce the pain I went sloooooooowww.... but was still great!

Last day I think I mentally got over the aches and after a bit of warm up (and a LOT of encouragement and instruction from Tony) braved a red slope (medium-difficult). Well, here's the thing.... I didn't really snowboard down it, it was more like... ehhhh plowing.... my bum got a good massage from that. The top bit was rather steap but at the end of the day I felt like a champ when I finally got myself together... put on some speed and was flying down the slope and over the snow drifts and bumps!

The area was also very beautiful, the sun was out, no wind, everything great and the loveliest little cottages where you could eat lunch. One place though I seriously think that they deep fried everything, even the schnitzel, and have never seen one so big it took up most of the plate (sort of similar size if you take an American football and mash it flat... though it tasted better haha).

Bottom line – if you are fit (make an honest self-assessment or you will have a really bad day), have some hiking boots, a good day pack, 50 euros, and a day to spare, you owe it to yourself to hike the Zugspitze. Budget breakdown – 50 Euros approximate. It costs about 20 euros to rent the necessary equipment (harness, rope, crampons, and helmet), a few euros for the entrance fee at the Eingangshutte, and about 25 euros for the cable car ride down when you are finished. We rented from WNalpin http://www.wnalpin.de/Home/home.html. The people in the shop were very helpful and stayed open about half an hour late on a Friday to help us out! Highly recommended. I left with just under 3 liters of water and drank all of it. Ideally, I would have left with 4 liters of water and 6 Powerbars or some other type of food. I consider my hiking buddy and myself to be in better shape than 80% of Americans (yeah, yeah… I know you are thinking about fat American jokes right now), and it took us over 9 hours to do this. I will point out that we saw a girl about our age and her father complete the climb well over an hour faster than we did – and they didn’t use any equipment other than crampons for the glacier! RESPECT!!! The route starts in Hammersbach, accessible by car or train from Garmisch. There is a parking area on the edge of town. There are signs that say parking is not available in Hammersbach. After looking around, I have to say that these signs are 100% true. The parking area is reasonably priced and you can buy tickets there for up to 48 hours. In fact, there were a few people camped out there. From the parkplatz, it is a short walk to the beginning of the trail to the Klamm Eingangshutte, which is about an hour from the start of the trail. The walk from the train station to the start of the trail is even shorter. The walk from Hammersbach to the Klamm Eingangshutte is uphill (and at times severely uphill) but otherwise not particularly difficult. The path is clearly laid out and seems to be well maintained. You could do it before first light if you really wanted to. After paying the fee to go through the gate at the Eingangshutte (check the hours if you want to set out very early because it might not be open when you get there), the trail leads through a canyon that looks to be perpetually wet. Having a raincoat is very useful here. While you are getting wet, you also have the opportunity to see some waterfalls and a loud stream. Very cool. This ends and turns into a path similar to the one leading before the Eingangshutte. From here it is about an hour to the Hollental Angerhutte. Again the path is not very difficult, but it is uphill and very steep at times. The next landmark is the Hollental Angerhutte. This is positively the last place to buy any type of food or use a toilet before you get to the top. As far as time goes, you will probably be around 1/3 done at this point. The nice well laid out paths end here. After the Hollental Angerhutte it is all broken rock or worse. Also, the altitude began to have an effect here. The trail winds for about half an hour to a rock face and your first taste of the via feratta. At times the trail is not plain to see, but you need only look for painted orange circles on the rocks to find it again. This is followed by about another half an hour of scrambling and hiking before arrival at the glacier. Another website stated that you do not need crampons to climb this glacier in the summer. I sincerely do not mean to insult anyone, but on 29 July 2007, crampons were definitely a necessity. If you don’t own them, they cost 5 euros to rent. I’m sure that everyone who has done this will agree that you will not want to get this far and find out that you have to turn back. My advice – get the crampons. The glacier is a pain in the butt until you get accustomed to your new footwear. After that, there are some easily seen crevasses to navigate around and a well beaten path to the end of the glacier and the beginning of the last stretch. The transition from glacier to mountain was nerve racking, but not very difficult. This is followed by 2 – 2½ hours of the most difficult part of the trail. At this point it started raining, visibility dropped to 10 meters or less, and I was quite miserable due to being out of water so I can’t tell you much more than that. Luckily, the via feratta runs all the way to the top. Once you reach the summit you can have a drink at the bar, congratulate the people you met on the mountain, and feel good about yourself when the cable car riders look at you and wish that they tried it the hard way. Just don’t miss the last ride down which is just before 1700.

Usually visited in the winter because of its glacial skiing, the Zugspitze is an amazing site regardless of the time of year. In the winter it is a favorite area to board or ski by many locals and visitors. If you have never been skiing or boarding on a glacier it is unlike anything you have done before. The days weather will play a big toll on your enjoyment level. If heavy winds and low visibility arent a major concern for you, then you will enjoy yourself regardless. If you require low winds, great visibility and fresh powder, than this is not the place for you. Dont get me wrong, there are days when it is heaven, and then theres the days when its hell. Situated in the bowl of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest moutain, runs are considerably long for being on a glacier. So long in fact, that many begginer skiiers are suprised at how short winded they can become as you are above 3000m elevation and a run from the highest point to the lowest will take you down apx 1000m. For experienced skiiers and boarders, there is an excellent half-pipe and terrain park as well as long runs where you can stray off the beaten path and carve your own routes. Just be cautious as there are numerous rocks that can cause some serious injuries if you arent careful. In the skiing area itself are 8 draglifts and 1 chairlift. If you are visiting in the summer, chances are you will find better weather for site seeing. On a good day you can see 4 countries from the summit. Bring a sweater or jacket as temps in the summer may be in the high 80s at the base, it will be around freezing at the summit. Cost for the roundtrip cable car ride is not cheap, apx 45 Euro, but it is well worth it, esp if you have lunch at the summit or spend the day boarding. If cable cars are not your thing, there is a cog wheel train the carves back and forth up the mountain and through it to the cable car station in the middle of the bowl. Regardless of why you go, enjoy the sites and Germany's highest mountain.

There is no shortage of great mountains to hit up each winter in the Alps. Pending the right snowfall though can often make for a dull or exciting weekend. In Germisch Germany you will find a couple of Moutains for both experienced and beginners alike. The Kreuzeck, Osterfelder and Hausberg areas are connected to one another on the south side of the town and collectively make up the most diversafied of the two main Ski and Snowboarding areas in Garmish. This area features 4 Cable car lifts, 4 Chairlfts and 9 drag lifts. The most common cable car is the Hausberg lift and can be a long wait during the morning rush. However Kreuzeck or the Alpspitz cable cars tend to be a shorter wait regardless of the time of day and can be reached by taking the trolley located near the Hausberg lift. The trolley runs along the entire base of the mountain and stops at each of the cable car lifts before proceeding to the Zugspitze. The highest run on this mountain starts at 2050m and has a verticle drop of about 1350m, however one of the best runs is the famous Kandahar run, an Olympic Grade Black Run. Be careful as it can be icy and full of unskilled skiiers littering the run. A full run from the summit to the base will take apx an hour if traverse the entire mountain chain. There are several restaurants on the mountain and at the base for the mid day meals and rental equipment (if needed) can be found on jsut about every street corner.

Yes, it was beautiful but you don't get to see all of it. A lot of the rooms are closed. No pictures are allowed inside either. I think I was only a little disappointed because so many of the other castles in Germany had so much history. This one, comparatively, is fairly new. All in all, it is worth seeing.

Usually, castles are castles.  But Ludwig II decided to try and build a castle after castles were no longer needed.  In fact he didn't even start building it until 1869.  And it still wasn't really finished when he died in 1886.  This castle had all of the most modern and inovative technologies, including a form of central heating, running water everywhere and a kitchen with the most advanced cooking equipment available. The top floor was a music hall, because Mad King Ludwig II was a real fan of Richard Wagner, and desired a place in which to have large balls and musical events.  Unfortunately, he died having never used the room. The throne room, which is two stories tall is brightly painted and includes many pillars and a very large chandelier.  Everything is magnificent, but there is no throne.   The wood and details throughout the castle are finely done and show the years of work to build.  This is a castle well worth seeing. Tours are conducted about every fifteen minutes and last for nearly an hour. Photos are not supposed to be taken inside, but several have been over the years. Most people recognize the castle because Walt Disney used it to help design the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.

This was one of the hotels used on our Brendan Tour of Europe. Brendan considers this a First Class Hotel but they have two classes higher. It is strangely set up with the second building connected to the first with an underground tunnel which is some distance. It felt like a bunker. The food is good. The service was also very good. We asked for a coffee pot for our room and they brought one in just a few minutes. The room was clean and had doors to the garden area outside. The beds were soft and they only used duvets. As I mentioned, it was part of our tour, so I really don't know the price.