Fairytale views from Neuschwannstein Castle

"I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others" - King Ludwig II of Bavaria

Foodie moment

Why mess with a good thing, our final night in Germany, we headed to another restaurant owned by our favourite beer, this one named Augustiner Keller. A huge beer hall and outdoor beer garden situated in the centre of Munich, had Oktoberfest not been on at the show grounds nearby I'm sure this place would have been full to the brim. The food was reviewed as excellent - and it really, truly was! I was dying to try a platter of cold meats and cheese so we ordered the Augustiner starter platter with crispy radish, chive bread, home-made Obazda cheese, Regensburg sausage, cold Leberkase (meat loaf), Birnbach salami stick, Lower- Bavarian black smoked ham, Smoked Fish, Emmental and Chiemgau country butter, mini burgers and herb cream cheese, garnished with tomatoes, pickled gherkins and hard boiled egg. Looking back this would have been enough, but Mark always has to have a main course so we compromised with a salad and main to share. Unsuprisingly they both were huge! Tyrolean farmer's salad which is colourful lettuce with bacon, brown bread croutons, mushrooms, parmesan and balsamic dressing and Pepper pork cutlet fried in spicy pepper sauce with natural home made spaetzle (German noodles).

Cultural moment

Oktoberfest is definitely not a festival purely for tourists. This was particularly relevant at the train station in Munich as hundred of people pored off the regional trains, dressed in their finest lederhosen and dirndl, heading for the festival. People travelled from all parts of Bavaria (and beyond) for a day at Oktoberfest. It truly is an incredibly important tradition for the German people.

Wow moment

The cute little town of Fussen is the home of one of the most spectacular castles in the world, Neuschwannstein Castle. Commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who later became known as Ludwig the Mad, this is a real life example of a true fairytale castle. In fact it is easy to believe the rumours that Neuschwannstein Castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney when creating his Disney logo and world famous Cinderella's castle. A bus ride up the mountain, then a short walk to the castle, makes it clear that not only did Ludwig choose a beautiful design he also chose one of the most stunning locations to build it. The views were amazing; crystal lakes, green fields, rolling mountains - true Bavaria. We didn't go inside the castle due to time restrictions but the views made up for it. I do suggest that you leave Munich early to come out to Fussen (or stay out there for the night), it is a long trip and the time slots for the tickets to go inside sell out fast!

What we learnt today

Bavaria is stunning! I've been to many beautiful places throughout the trip but the views across countryside Bavaria, outside Munich, are probably some of my favourites. The colours are so vibrant and the villages traditional and cute with their small streets and red roofs. Every now and then you would get a glimpse of a crystal blue lake mirroring a bright blue sky, surrounded by emerald green mountains and fields. I can only imagine how it would look in the winter snow but I'm guessing it would be every bit as impressive. I would definitely like to spend some more time in this area of Germany, driving around and exploring the amazing beauty Bavaria has to offer.