So far on this trip-of-a-lifetime, the only thing that I have missed from home is SNOW! But today that is changing as we board a bus and head up into the Alps to see castles and snow. We picked up a tour bus about a 20 minute walk from the hotel. We had arrived early, grabbed breakfast at a little cafe, and as the earl birds the tour guide assigned us the very front seats on the top level of the bus!
We hit the road about 08:30 AM and headed for Linderhof Palace which was about two hours away. Not long after we started the ride the rain in Munich began to turn to snow and we soon driving in a winter wonderland. We visited the first palace and I thoroughly enjoyed the snow as much as the building. I do however think this would be a great place to come for vacation when all the gardens are in bloom and the fountains and pools have water.
After our tour inside the Linderhof Palace we returned to the bus and headed off for a short tour through the famous village of Oberammergau. This is the village where in 1634 they vowed to God that if they were saved from the plague, they would regularly perform the Passion Play. And since that vos, every ten years village residents put on an enormous village-wide production. They spend three years on rehearsals and only allow residents who have lived in town for at least 20 years to perform. This is a real feat considering it calls for a cast and crew of 2,00 from the small village.
Following our tour through Oberammergau we made our way to one of the most famous castles in the world. Castle Neuschwanstein. This is the castle in the village where Walt Disney had his honeymoon and where they say he was inspired to create Cinderella’s Castle. It is also where the Nazis hide much of the fine art they stole, and as a result this village and castle plays a role in the movie Monuments Men.
Tommy, Sarah, and I had lunch in the village, and then due to the snow storm closing the mountain pass, had no choice but to hike the 20 minutes up the mountain. It was a breathtaking hike and well worth it. What a memorable visit. We then returned to our bus and was back home by about 7:30 pm. We were both exhausted and inspired.
But its back to work tomorrow as we head to Turkey to work in the school on the base shared by the U.S. Air Force and the Turkish Army.
