We arrived at our tiny hotel, Landgasthof Zur Post, in Schwangau early that afternoon. We quickly checked in got our bags dropped off, and were sad to find out that our hotel did not have any wi-fi for guests. Our phones were now completely useless, so we tried to map out our route to the Neuschwanstein castle using the computer in the lobby. This proved to be a great challenge than we could have ever dreamed simply because the computer was extremely outdated. Who still has dial-up, you wonder? This hotel, that’s who. We ended up just asking the front desk staff for directions in hope that we would remember since there were no maps to be found.

We got back in the car & managed to find our wa which ended up being a breeze. After parking in the lot below, we began our stroll up the hill to the ticket counter and purchased our tour tickets which were rather expensive (I they were a little over $60USD a piece). We had the option to take a carriage or walk, but decided to walk instead since we had so much time and we both enjoy the exercise. One of the best parts of the walk up was the view. We could see out over the entire valley, including the other castle, Schloss Hohenschwangau, that was built for Ludwig's mother. It was all together stunning!

On our way up the hill we stopped to check several of the restaurants because I wanted to find the one I had eaten at as a child. I was on the hunt for what I recalled to be the best chicken schnitzel of my life. We didn't find it until we were almost to the top. ...but that was okay because it was worth the hunt. I was borderline starved, and the schnitzel was delicious! The touch of lemon, the crispiness of the breading, and the tenderness of the chicken made it oh-so scrumptious! …and lets not forget those french fries, people!

Our time slot for our tour was approaching so we gathered our things & labored toward finishing our strenuous climb up the hill. Eventually we reached the front gate of the castle, and hung out until our time came. We lined up in our row, inserted our tickets into the turn-style and continued on the path behind the guide. We were so excited! I remembered parts of it from when I was a child, and couldn't wait to see the grandeur once again. ...and it was just that: Grandeur. The ornamental design is almost overwhelming as your eyes take in all the intricate details in every little spot of each and every room. (You are unable to take photos through the main tour. So in order to see the inside of the castle, click here.) The disappointing part of the tour was this: Despite the magnitude of the castle, you only get to see a fraction because apparently the majority of it was never finished. So at a heavy price tag, you only get to see a small part of what could be extraordinary. It's great to see the views that King Ludwig II had when he looked out his castle windows, but I will say that if you have seen it once, there is no need to go again, not for the cost. We did get to take pictures of the massive kitchen because it was separate from the rest of the tour. They had so many copper pots!!!

As we made our way out of the crowded royal structure, we continued to climb up the paved path. We took the pathway up towards the bridge, but it was closed temporarily for renovations... So, much like some other daring tourists we ignore the signs telling us to stay on the path, and wandered off onto a fresh trail where we could see the castle in the sunset light with no one to block our view. It did feel ballsy to stand with our back to a cliff, and I got very nervous as I watched others take some daring photos. There were some people who were acting silly near the edge, and at times, I felt like I needed to leave before someone slipped and plummeted into a gory mess below. As far as I know... everyone has survived thus far! (Insert applause here).

We began our descent down the darkening hill after getting some photos of the front of the castle. As we came down we noticed lights near the lake. We head toward them and realized it was the tiniest of all Christmas Markets. They offered hand-crafted art, Sausage meals, and Hot Wine. Brad & I wandered through for a little bit, but it was so small that really, there wasn't much to do. It seemed like it was mostly a big social gathering of locals & maybe small touring groups.

With sausages being the only true food option at the event we decided to leave. We wanted to try and find something else in the nearby "village" so we began our walk back toward the car and stopped by a couple of the fires for warmth on the way. We couldn’t help but admire the fires as we tried to warm up because each was made from a single large split log.

We were in the car for quite a while and were disappointed to find that nothing in the nearby village was even open. We were screwed, and I my body began its slow and sad slide into hunger! All we could do was turn back. We headed to our hotel and snacked on some small things we happened to have with us, but we were never satisfied. All we could was head to sleep and wait for our breakfast the next morning... We ate the same old stuff, but we were no longer hungry... That's all that mattered.

We loaded up the bags, and hopped into the car once again to head back to Munich, but we still wanted to see a little bit more of Neuschwanstein before we left. We found a small and inviting road that led off into the forest. We weren't sure where it led, but we followed it all the way to end. It was the best experience we had while we were there. It was beautiful to see the leafless trees below the cloudy sky, the mossy rocks and tree stumps lying among a field of brown leaves. ...and the views overlooking the lake and mountain tops were the cherry on top! We don't know if we were suppose to be there, but we don't regret it!

We slowly made the descent back down by the lake, and pulled out onto the street in an inconspicuous fashion, and headed back for the main highway.

ISSUE 15: Neuschwanstein, Germany 2015