GERMANY 2010 -- 18

+ updated at 7:21am in Germany (1:21am ESDT) on Monday, June 21, 2010

+ Our Füssen suite at Mein lieber Schwan has been a haven for us as we have had to deal with endless rain and chilly weather here in the Bavarian Alps. We have fast internet, lots of satellite TV channels on a big screen, refrig, stove, oven, dishes, microwave, view, antiques, delightful host who invited us in for wine and conversation. Wow! Today we head for Munich, our final German destination.

GERMANY 2010 -- 17

+ We got to the highest peak in Germany, Zugspitze, by bus, train and cable car (gondola). It was snowing up there at almost 2 miles High.  But we did get some glimpses of the majestic mountains.  We had to work hard to make the busses on time, the trains on time and the cable car (gondola) on time.

+ Mad Ludwig's castles are a little over the top but the setting is The Alps at its best.

GERMANY 2010 -- 16

+ updated at 22:06 in Germany (4:06pm ESDT) on Friday, June 18, 2010

+ Today we visited the famous castle Ludwig II of Bavaria lived in -- Hohenschwangau Castle -- and the one he had built -- Neuschwanstein Castle.  You can read about this fascinating man at http://www.german-way.com/ludwig.html

The setting of these impressive castles is magnificent.  Hopefully I can upload photos soon.  But I am now a little travel weary and the wine has been poured.  22:05 update: OK I did get a few in (above).

+ Sadly, Germany lost today.  But the USA came from behind 2-0 and tied Slovenia for a huge morale builder. Follow the World Cup at FIFA.COM

+ I just discovered a good radar map of Europe showing that we may have better weather tomorrow. Today we have had plenty of rain but that did not dampen our spirits as we really enjoyed the castles.

+ I took a picture yesterday of Fussen's Reichenstrasse:

+ We are in Füssen which is in the Bavarian Alps only a mile or 2 from the Austrian border. Consistent cloudiness has prevented us from seeing the high peaks and this may continue until we leave the Alps. Nevertheless we are having a wunderbar time here enjoying the hospitality of our host in the gasthaus where we have a great apartment with a view. More mountains are visible this morning from our window. We are on levels 3 and 4 (2 and 3 in European designations) in the house. Great!

Füssen was once a great violin-making center. We are not far from Italy and Switzerland as well as Austria.

Today we head to the famous castles associated with Mad King Ludwig. Photos may soon appear on my blog and at Facebook but Pbase will probably have to wait until I'm back home.

Hope you are all enjoying the World Cup. Argentina seems to be the favorite but Germany is good too.

Hope you are all enjoying life as summer begins.

+ We took a break from sausages and potatoes and ate at an Italian Ristorante here in Füssen last night but we stuck with Bavarian beer.

WANDERING AROUND THE ALPS -- 1

+ I don't know when I will get back to the Alps but I thought I would do some reminiscing and some thinking about a possible future trip.

+ I first saw the Alps from Heidelberg in 1990. But maybe I was seeing other mountains (Jura Mountains?) and just thought they were the Alps. We had planned to get to Switzerland in that trip but time ran out as we went spent too much time in Norway. No, not really. How could one ever spend too much time in Norway? Some one said that if Norway was placed in the USA, the whole country would be designated a National Park. Well, the same could surely be said of Switzerland.

+ I got to see the Alps from the air on a trip to the Holy Land in 1992. They are very impressive from above.

+ In 2004, we (Mary & I) finally got to the Alps. Our first sighting of these majestic mountains happened in Geneva. A better view came when we took a train up into the Jura Mountains North of Lake Geneva. It's a famous narrow gauge line. We were on as many children chattered and laughed and cheered because they were going home on the last day of school. We could see many of the high peaks including Mont Blanc in the French Alps from a viewpoint just a short hike from the St-Cergue station. Nyon on the lake offers another great viewpoint. Of course, there are so many more.

+ We went South to Monaco & Italy before returning to Switzerland where are destination was Interlaken. We took a train through the beautiful Italian foothills and then the Italian Alps.

+ If you love trains, you must visit Switzerland.