Neuschwanstein and Hoehenschwangau Proves it Doesn't Matter if You're Crazy....

So our last stop in Germany was to see the oober famous castle of Neuschwanstein aka "Sleeping Beauty" castle or the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" castle.

Look familiar??

Here we are in front "Sleeping Beauty's" castle at Disneyland when we went before we moved!

So yea, it's a pretty famous castle! Matt was actually the one who wanted to go originally since he read about it in a book. Crazy huh? However, it was TOTALLY worth the visit! We were hopeful for snow since it was December and cold and there was wetness in the air, just not snow :( The lack of snow did not inhibit our experience by any means though-the clouds from the rain made the castles look eery, mysterious, and beautiful! But I first need to discuss a German food that we all know (and maybe not love), the bratwurst. Now many of you know how I don't eat hot dogs, sausages, brats-basically any food that at one point in history was a mix of different organs and meat that was then shoved into an intestine (or other organ) as casing-gross. So our first night in Munich we were having a hard time finding a place to eat so we said we'd try some market street food, aka bratwursts. I knew not to try the white ones (veal head, no thanks) and I was so hungry at the time I didn't care that I was eating a brat. I did not regret this decision-it was so tasty! Way better than the ones we get in the states so when we were walking around at the different markets we tried the brats. Yup, almost every city I ate a brat. And I didn't die-craziness I know!! But we realized we didn't take ANY photos of these momentous acts and that is how we came to take these beauties in Fussen:

That's right! I take charge when eating a brat! And it was so tasty!

Just because it's a big deal I was eating them doesn't mean we should document Matt enjoying his too! Yummyyyy....

It was fairly amusing while we took these photos-a man came up to us as asked if he too could take a pic of us eating our brats. We now joke that we're soon to be the face of the Fussen Christmas market featuring brat eating. Be on the look out for our posters ok?

Now the next day, after a wonderful nights sleep at our killer hotel (http://www.schlosskrone.de/ you should stay here if you ever make it there-it was AMAZING!! free upgrade-yes please! power shades-yes! huge bed and bathroom-a European luxery!) Anyway, back to the story....after our good nights sleep, we grabbed a taxi and headed 10 mins away to see the castles. We bought our tickets on line before hand which may or may not have been helpful-there wasn't a huge line when we got there but it was 9 am. The first castle they herd you through is Hoehenschwangau, the castle Ludgwig II grew up in. Everything is original from the last occupant who died in 1911. By 1913 the castle was a museum. So all the "modern" amenities (electricity, elevator) and family heirlooms are still in place as well as all original wall and mural art! It was truly beautiful. Sadly, no photos allowed inside so you'll just have to either a)go there and see it for yourself (which I recommend!) or b) use your imagination. We finished up with that tour and had 1hr to make it up to the next castle. Now you may be thinking, why do you need so much time? Well, it's a HIKE! So we opted to take a carriage ride up which takes less time and saves you from the walk-win win right? And you get to pet some cute horses and then your gloves smell like horse the rest of the time-again, win!
Now they don't drive you right up to the castle so we still had to walk a little but it was cool since the clouds were covering the castle slightly giving it a mysterious feeling-I LOVED it! So this is what we saw as we walked up to go to the entrance.....

Spooky!

There was only 1 good spot really to take photos with the front of the castle so it was a jostling contest to get in there-we had a couple from CO (I miss it there!) take this for us, Christmas sweaters and all!

Still cloudy...but I think our sweaters really liven the scene up!

Again, no photos on the inside allowed. And you only get to see the 1/3 completed section. And you're herded like cattle. But it was still really cool! It too was left in it's original state, paintings, furniture, and all so you can see how King Ludgwig II lived, for less than 1 year in this place.

There is a bridge near by called "Mary's Bridge" that was built for Ludwig's mother, Mary, for her hikes. We decided to trek up there to get some good photos. This is what we saw on the way....

Can't beat a view of the alps, clouds, and a castle. Nice right?

It was rainy-hence the umbrella strap in the pic!

Now this bridge crosses a gorge but in the middle you get an AMAZING view of Neuschwanstein. But you have to go through THIS to get a good spot.....


The scariest bit of that bridge is it isn't incredibly stable. As in you took a step and the wood boards would move and bounce. Not that comforting to those of us who are TERRIFIED of heights and the non-stable things we the only barrier between you and the rocks at the bottom of the gorge. But what does Matt do, drag me out 3/4 of the way over since not many people are brave enough to go out that far. Most took 2 steps, freaked out, and left. I wasn't allowed to do that-dang it. That's ok, if I had been a big chicken then we wouldn't have gotten shots like these:

Full view-so pretty!

This year's Christmas card pic. We need to photo shop Joey into it! The guy taking the pic was pooing himself as well since he wasn't liking the bridge or the heights-a kindred spirit for me!

Matt took this of me-promptly leaving when we were done with the pics because I wanted the heck out of there!! It was a battle to get off that thing too! On the way off I encountered some SUPER HICK Americans-it was HILARIOUS! I'm talking trucker hats, carharts, terrible southern accents, the whole nine yards. It was magical.

So we had an amazing trip to Germany. I still want to move there even though it's 63 degrees outside right now. And yes, I'm cold. Who knew one could acclimate so quickly? How sad is that? Anyway, we plan to hit northern Germany at some point as well-we've been told about this cool event in late summer called "The Rhine in Flames" which showcases all the castles on the river at night, with torches and such. I really want to go. It sounds awesome.
Matt is off to a men's ski retreat in Switzerland in a couple weekends so that is the only foreseeable trip right now. That needs change-weekend somewhere in February? I think so...time to start researching ;)

Nuremburg: Not Just a Place for Nazis (oh yea, I went there!)

So did you know that Nuremberg boasts having the best Christmas market not only in Bavaria but in all of Germany. And I do have to say it's pretty awesome! It is HUGE too! But we'll get to that soon....
We did very little research before hitting this city-always a mistake in my opinion. My main goal here was to see the market and do a little shopping. However, there is actually a good bit to do here. One being the Albrecht Durer House/Museum. Who is Albrecht Durer you ask? First of all, I can't believe you don't know who he is. Secondly, I'm glad you asked! He was a pretty awesome painter and print maker from Nuremberg. He's kind of a big deal-if you've studied art you know him. To view who he is and what he's done, click here: http://www.albrecht-durer.org/
So I was pretty jazzed about getting to go to the home he bought in Nuremberg where he lived (and died) and created his works. It was quite an expensive house when, and where, he bought. I didn't take too many photos because I was so enamored with the (INCLUDED!) audio guide and looking at the house. Sadly there are no original pieces in the house but we did see some in Munchen at Old Pinakothek (where one of his most famous pieces resides, the "Self Portrait" in which he looks like Jesus [so they think/say]). But we did see his studio and replica presses that would be like the ones he used. It made me miss printmaking so much! I love that medium-I'm always jealous when my sister-in-law, Sarah, sends out cards with prints she's done. One day I too will be artsy and she won't be the only one in the family, muahahaaa!
Anyway, I digress....

Here is a reproduction of a press with a print on it-I really do know how to do that!

Of course we hit some churches but I figure you're getting tired of me posting photos of those so we'll skip to the market and food! Oh how I love food!! I'm not a big foodie and you all know how Matt and I are not the most adventurous when it comes to trying new things but we ate almost anything here-most things were pretty safe (except the white brats-don't eat those!) So when we saw these babies sizzling in a cart and had to try some....

Yummy potato pancakes....sooo greasy....soo good!

Now although these are made of edible things, you're not supposed to eat them. They are nut and prune people-yea I'm not kidding. We only saw them here and in Munchen, but a lot more people had them here. Matt wouldn't let me look at them closely-he was probably afraid I'd want one.

They're PRUUUUUUUUNE PEEEEOPLE!!!

The decor and atmosphere here was pretty awesome. The market was HUGE!! It covered all sorts of parts of the inner city. They even had a creepy kids are-why must animatronics be so creepy? Seriously, they're supposed to welcome kids not lure them into the dark, pedophilic lair.

No creepy Santas here! Just lovely decorations!

O (big, outdoor, plastic) Tannenbaum, How steadfast are your branches!

And no wintery, Christmasy, wonderland is complete with out horse drawn carriages right? Of course!! The answer is no-we didn't ride one. Those things can be rather pricey and we had a train to catch.

What are those Belgian horses doing in Germany?? Silly ponies-wrong country ;)
(Those are Belgian Cream Drafts for those who don't get my joke....)

All in all it was a fun day. We got some GREAT presents and ornaments and enjoyed walking around and seeing some nice churches. We didn't get to do any of the Nazi things (I know you were wondering when I was going to tie in the Nazis!) like the rally spot (which is supposed to be really cool!) so we'll have to visit another time.
Next stop, Sleeping Beauty's Castle!

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Torture in the Imperial City

So our next stop for Christmas Marketpaloosa 2011 was Rothenburg. We didn't go there because of their Christmas market, although it wasn't too bad (small though), but we went because it's a SAWEET example of a walled medieval town. This town went from being the peak of commerce and trade to nothing to being bombed in WWII to being rebuilt after being destroyed and to the great tourist gem that it is to. Not too bad for the few hundred years it's been around. This place is situated on the Romantic Road (which we didn't get to drive on-next time!) and is a must stop place along the way. They also have Christmas stores that are open year round which was cool since we went at Christmas time but would be kind of weird in the middle of July in the heat.

Here is Matt in front of the year-round Christmas store-can't beat cider and a giant nutcracker!

So we took this AMAZING tour called the "Night Watchmen" which is totally worth the 7 Euro a piece! It's an hour long and really informational, funny, and shows the history of the town so well!

"Night Watchmen" sounding the alarm for the town!

The next day we went around town to see the sights. First stop, town hall complete with tower. I know you're wondering if we went up into the tower and the answer is yes we did. Remember how I don't like heights. Especially cold, windy, scary ones. Case and point below.....

This is me freaking out.

I bolted rather quickly after that photo was taken. Matt stayed to take more, like this one....

Now you all know how I LOVE churches right? So of course we had to go into the main one here too. St. Jacob's has some amazing wood carvings, which is a thing in Germany in case you didn't know. The altar down stairs and the other altar piece upstairs were spectacular truly.

The Last Supper. Amazing right?!

So they had this really cool carving from Africa on display. See below for info:

Isn't it beautiful??? The funny thing is when I saw it I said to Matt "What the heck is an African piece doing in Germany?" Then I read the sign.

So I entitled this post "torture in the imperial city" because there is a wicked Medieval Crime and Torture museum in Rothenburg. I was a little worried about going, because of the whole torture aspect, but it turned out to be so cool! There was so much info on law, crime, punishment, and life in the middle ages. My favorite were the "shame masks", which were put on men and women who were gossips, acted like pigs, and who in general needed to be put to shame a little. I know a few people who could have one put on every now and then ;)

Can't you imagine it? You got caught gossiping so now you have to wear a mask in the town square for a few hours until you learn not to have big ears and a big mouth!

This was the other cool thing-a "double, neck violin." This was for squabbling women-they were put together in it until they could resolve their differences. Matt and I need that sometimes....

Next up, a walk around the town wall. The cool thing about this is that during WWII the town was bombed and parts of it were destroyed, like the wall. In order to raise funds, the city sent out a plea to the world asking for donations. In essence, you "bought" so much of the wall-you could donate so much and buy 1 meter (or more if you like). Your information (name, city, country) is then put on a block in the wall and you are immortalized forever as a helped of the city. You can still by a piece today which I think is pretty awesome.

See how close the homes are to the wall? Truly protected huh??

Hey Matt!! Having a nice stroll?

We walked as much as we could all along the wall and then went to ground level and continued out walk outside the city wall some. Here you could see the neighboring area and the pretty countryside. I think it would be so beautiful in the autumn with all the changing colors!

Aren't we so cute?? And cold!!

We finished up our day with some dinner, as usual. They had some table decorations that were too good to resist playing with.....

see.....

It was a great day! We had so much fun and learned a lot! I think if we went back to Bavaria I would like to do the Romantic Road and stay here again, just so we could stroll in some warmer weather! We did have another night here but the next day we went to Nuremberg.

Munchen: Pretty Stinkin' Awesome If You Ask Me!

So Germany was AMAZING!!! We loved it. I want to move there, right now! Our first city was Munchen, also known as Munich. It was really fun! We mainly went to Germany to go to the Christmas markets, which we went to a lot!! We also visited the Residence and the Science Museum. They were both wonderful and worth a visit!

In the Residence-what has been used as a dining hall!

They have a large collection of Asian art since that was a popular thing to collect-this makes me think of Lord of the Rings though-"my preciousssssssss"-you hear it too!

They also have some great porcelain figures. I thought it was funny that a fox was playing the piano for her.

So needless to say, Matt LOVED the science museum! It was pretty cool but I'll admit I got bored after 3 hours of Matt hitting every button known to man to make things light up and move. I know understand how he feels while we're in an art museum. At least he has a place to sit down!

He's getting ready to go to work in the coal mines!!

He's such a happy man! Flight simulation!

I think it's pretty obvious we were in Matts paradise!

Although it was freezing cold we did walk around a bit.

Who could resist such a nice view?

And obviously no trip to Germany is complete without beer.....

...and gluewhine at the Christmas market. Who doesn't love a mug in the shape of a boot???

Sadly we didn't make it to the BMW museum. It's kind of on the outskirts of town and rather pricey to get in to. We did make it to 2 art museums for a euro entrance at each-that was pretty awesome. And we got to see the largest collection of Rubens so that was cool too! We were silly and didn't take any pics of the markets in Munich-way to screw the pooch on that one right?? We did like this market a lot; there was a lot of variety and there was one that was like a renaissance festival-people and booths in traditional costume. It was really cool. Next stop was Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

I Realize You All Have Missed Me....

So I fully realize it's been a while since I last updated you on the craziness that is our life. Welp, we've been kinda busy. I went to Portugal with mom to ride some really fancy horses and learn tons! It was amazing! I'm going back for sure, just don't tell Matt ;) It truly was a great experience and I learned so much about riding, horses, and what I want in a horse. I really think I improved a great deal which is good news for the horses here! I can't describe what 9 rides in 5 days will do to you! Thank you so much to the Valenca's for being willing to teach and share their knowledge!! I am a better rider because of it!

Last ride-those are the 2 horses we rode the most-mine is Lotus and mom is on Jaguar. And yes, we did go really fast!

After our week of horseyness we decided to stay in Lisboa (Lisbon to the laymen) for a few days and tour around. WOWIE!! Who knew Portugal was so stinkin awesome?!?! Seriously, I think Portugal is like the neglected cousin of Europe. Honestly, do you really include it in your places to go while touring around Europe? NO! It's always a "if we can squeeze it in" kind of place. Well let me tell you, don't just squeeze it in, make it a stop!! The people are so amazing and friendly. The food is pretty tasty. They have some amazing sites and history. Just go there people. You won't regret it!

Hey mom! Looking pretty good by the arch there!

I made a new friend at the Ocenarium. Which by the way is REALLY COOL!

As usual, we did a bike tour. It was pretty good!

Eating the local treats, pastel de belem. It's a custard pastry. Yum yum!

After Portugal, mom came home with me for a week for a nice visit. It was good to have her here. We went riding, saw some sites, cooked, and spent a lot of money in Lefkara. After mom left the Moritz's came for a visit! Matt was so happy to have his parents here for the week, and to take time off from work! They also got to go all over the place and spend some big bucks in Lefkara.I'm pretty sure Marina loves me and wants to adopt me now! The weekend that they left I had a horse show to compete in! Now I haven't competed in YEARS! So I didn't have high expectations for myself, or the old man I was riding! Monnie is one of the club's school horses so he's a good, quiet boy but doesn't work all that great. But we did pretty well! We got a third and a fifth place in dressage tests and a clear round for jumping. That's better than I could've imagined! I had a great time and can't wait for the next competition!

Look at us go!! WEEEEEE!!!

He's so happy!! I'm glad I could take him!

And today is Thanksgiving. In America we would probably be with one of our families, getting ready to gorge ourselves on tastiness. But this year we're hosting a bunch of Brits. Crazy I know. But they are all so excited to get to do a traditional American holiday! And they are bringing food from the motherland! This will take place Saturday so I've still got 2 days to prepare. Speaking of which, I'm off to the grocery store to get goodies to make! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and we love and miss you all so much!

Sex, Chips, and Ouzo-a Wild Night Out

So yeah....we went to see this play called "Sex, Chips, and Ouzo." It's about post Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1978-four years after the invasion. Basically these two British chicks come to Cyprus on holiday and meet two Cypriot men and the rest is chaos. If you want to read up on it more, check out their website: http://rubberear.wordpress.com/about/ The cool thing about this show was it was at Kourion Amphitheater (check out the Kourion post to see the amphitheater in daylight.) We had heard that it was a "thing" in Cyprus to see a show here so we figured we'd go since we missed their production of Romeo and Juliet.

A walk on the beach, how romantic ;)

Matt strolling along...

Don't we look nice?

So we found a dead fish on the beach, which I didn't think was real, and I wanted to take some pics to examine later to see if it was real (later we found 2 more fish just like the first so I decided it was real.) But some of the photos came out pretty.

I like the lighting on this one. And the fish is smiling!

Yup, we live here.

Since the show was from 1978 you have to throw out a peace sign while posing!

I look a LITTLE tan, right?

There was one scene where the one guy was in a dress and it was HILARIOUS! Especially when he sat down, as displayed below. The audience was pretty rambunctious so there was lots of wolf whistling during this scene.

All in all it was a pretty fun(ny) show. We didn't get a couple of the jokes (not being British and all) but we enjoyed ourselves. Hopefully there will be another show there soon (or at another amphitheater near by) so we can have another fun experience!