Germany (Fussen and Munich)

We caught our train to Fussen without any trouble and arrived to find Germany cool and sunny. We walked through a little village to the hotel which turned out to be a sanatorium but not the American kind. Here, it was a hotel complete with spa facilities and massage therapists on hand. Before we left town, Emily got a facial and I had a back massage.

The next morning, we walked out to one of the nearby lakes. On the way we discovered this strange footpath where people take off their shoes and walk on the different natural surfaces. On the more pokey surfaces, I'll admit I had to take a grass detour.

On our walk, we saw a lot of snails, including two who looked to be as if they were making out.

The lake was pretty, but of course, it was raining.

We learned by chance that the next day was a holiday and that the shops in town would be closed so we went to have a look. We happened upon what we thought was a pre-holiday band which marched in a parade later.

The next day was Emily's birthday and in celebration we went to see CASTLES! No pictures were allowed inside Neuschwanstein so I bought a guidebook and, of course, took plenty outside.

In the lower right corner is Hohenschwangau, a castle built by Ludwig II's father on the site of an older castle and where Ludwig II spent his childhood.

Neuschwanstein, built in the 1880's by Ludwig II, covered in plastic. :/

Inside the gates.

Ludwig II loved this area and its waterfalls and valleys. 

He built a bridge across the way

 so that he could see this view of his castle which inspired Walt Disney's Disney castle.

and the backside of the castle, not covered in plastic.

We also had a look at Hohenschwangau and its gardens but didn't pay to go inside the castle.

And, best of all, we saw two adult swans with four baby swans in the lake beneath Neuschwanstein (which means Swan on a rock)!!!!

Instead of taking the bus back to town, we hiked back to the hotel.

Deep in the woods, we happened upon a man coming out of a trail with a crashpad strapped to his back and his young son in tow. Then a little bit farther on, we saw some people rope climbing! Too cool!

Some last pictures of flowers in Fussen and environs.

Our next stop was Munich for just the night as a layover before heading to Paris. We explored the area around the train station until the rain got to be too much and we headed to the hotel.