| Day 9: Neuschwanstein and the Luge. This morning we'll tour "Mad" King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle. Then we'll slide down a luge course (weather and season permitting), before
heading into Austria. We'll begin our stay in Salzburg with an orientation walk through the historic center.
We're from Seattle. Normally we don't even notice rain, we're so used to it. But what started as drizzle on this morning turned into a real rainstorm as we neared Neuschwanstein. It was raining Katzen und Hunde! Fortunately, everyone on the tour was now equipped with umbrellas and rain gear, so no one was left uncomfortably soggy. On the bus to Neuschwanstein, Margaret gave us the option of going to Neuschwanstein or Hohenschwangau. Neuschwanstein is the fairy tale castle built by "Mad" King Ludwig in the late 19th century. Hohenschwangau is an older castle where King Ludwig spent his childhood. Since we had been to Neuschwanstein on our last Rick Steves tour, we decided to go to Hohenschwangau instead. (And perhaps, just maybe, the fact that it was a shorter hike in the pouring rain might have affected our decision!) We wandered around the grounds of Hohenschwangau, admiring the mist-covered mountains and the sight of Neuschwanstein prominent on the hills above. The old castle itself was almost cozy. Small rooms and rich furnishings made you feel like this is a castle that could be lived in!
Our initial evening walking tour of Salzburg was abbreviated because of the rain. But even through the rain and the darkness, the charm of Salzburg, home to Mozart, was on full display. |
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It was still raining when we gathered back up at the tour bus, so we had to scrap the much-anticipated luge ride.
Instead, the "weather permitting" part of the itinerary went into effect, and it was a real treat:
Weiskirche, a rococo church from the 18th century, built to house a weeping statue of Jesus.
"Rococo", apparently, is a French term meaning "Let's gild everything in sight."
We took refuge inside from the rain, admiring the ornateness of the nave contrasted with the simple wooden figure of Christ.
Then it was back on the bus to Salzburg.