Castles and Fussen and Oberammergau, Oh My!

 Prior to this weekend, the last time we were in a car was on August 1st...the taxi from the airport to our apartment in Munich.  So, when Micah rolled up in the little Mazda on Saturday morning, we were excited!  The three munchkins squished together in the backseat for the beginning of the the journey...but partway into it, Kate got carsick.  She ended up in the front and I was relegated to the back!  But, thankfully that seemed to do the trick for her and we were all content in our spots, as long as no one got sick. :)
By the way, the Autobahn is as fun as it sounds - just ask Micah.  Though, he would prefer being in a car that tops out at a bit faster speed!

First sight-seeing stop on the journey - castles.  Big ones!

King Ludwig II was a well-loved Bavarian King and he is well known world-wide for his castles.  Often called "mad King Ludwig" because his obsession was a bit overboard.  Two castles sit near each other in the mountains of Bavaria near Fussen.  Hohenschwangau (aka in my family as the yellow/orangish castle) was King Ludwig's boyhood home.  Though we didn't go in to tour this one, we hiked up the hill and walked around the castle gardens.  Quite impressive...and you can see the never-to-be-completed crowning glory in the mountains above...Neuschwantstein.

 To get to Neuschwantstein, one can "hoof it" themselves up a steep incline for about 30 minutes (this is what we did just over 6 years ago when we saw this place for the first time).  Or, you can take the leisure way of travel...by horse-drawn carriage.  This made the whole weekend for Valerie (we even got to sit in the front by the driver!)

 (Below is a carriage going the opposite way, just to get a view of what the whole thing looked like.)

 Tours are time slotted and we had some time to kill, so we hiked further up above the castle to Mary's Bridge... its suppose to be a beautiful sight.  Bridge built over a waterfall, overlooking the valley and Neuschwanstein.  It was a beautiful sight, but  the experience was, well...crowded to say the least.

 Smiles were more abundant once we were off the crowded bridge...

 Heading into the castle...

 See Micah on the stairs?  He didn't get his workout hiking up to the castle, so we hiked the stairs carrying the big girls instead. :)

 Sister love!

 Sorry...no pics in the castle allowed. So here we are, on the horse carriage again, heading back down the mountain!

 We stayed in a little apartment on a small lake just outside Fussen.  The views were amazing...

 Cute little balcony where we cuddled and hung out eating breakfast the next morning...the cozy little hotel also had a pool, so the girls had a blast going swimming before we headed out for the day.

 First we went into Fussen, which used to be known for making instruments, specifically violins.  But now its mostly a tourist town!  There's a smaller castle (many of the walls surrounding it still up as well), at the top of the town, and several windy streets, cafes, and flower boxes to admire.

 We love the game of tag...especially in a big open courtyard like the one in the Fussen museum!

 No trip is complete without a bit of a treat...apfelstrudel anyone?

 Stop number two was a quick one to Weiskirche.  This church in the meadow used to be a tiny one, until some amazing healing miracles took place and pilgrims (ha, ha) flocked here by the thousands.  A bigger church was built and now its one of the best preserved Rococo style churches in the world...

 Elsie made her way in like she owned the place...while Kate is always good for a laugh. :)  We did have a few serious, quiet moments here too.  Moments of prayer and asking for healing for those we know need it!

 Afterwards, we kept driving along to our last stop: Oberammergau.  This town puts on the Passion play for 100 days every 10 years, and has for a couple hundred years.  There was a horrible epidemic sweeping Bavaria and wiping out entire villages.  The people of Oberammergau committed to God that if he would spare them, they would honor him.  Miraculously, they were spared and this is how they chose to honor him. Only about 5,000 people live here and over 2,000 of them participate in putting on this Passion Play...anyone want to meet here in 2020 for the next show?
When there isn't a play going on, the town is known for its wood carvings...everything from crucifixes to birdhouses and Christmas ornaments. The buildings are all elaborately painted with some amazing facades.

 Of all these things to see and do...what was the highlight for our 3 little girls?  The ice cream, of course!
Elsie was a little upset because although I generously shared mine with her, I wouldn't let her hold it.  Waaaahhhh!

 Perfectly contented once Daddy started sharing too though. :)