by cfc » Sat Oct 21, 2017 2:38 pm
Part 2--Culture Day
While Oktoberfest is “culture,” most of us are more likely to consider museums, historical sites, and scenic vistas under that term. It’s always nice to take a break from coasters, insane flat rides, and funnel cake to appreciate a place’s heritage and natural beauty.
And if you can throw in an 8,000-foot-long alpine coaster down the side of a mountain, that’s a plus.
So, we set out from Munich with Mike the tour guide to see the Bavarian Alps, ride down the side of one at about 40 km/hour (about 25 miles/hour), and tour Neuschwanstein Castle--the pet project of “Mad” King Ludwig II and Walt Disney’s inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland.
The thing about Ludwig is that he wasn’t really insane, nor was he a particularly “bad” person; however, he wasn’t all that interested in governing his country, either. He was more into the arts (particularly theater and music) and architecture. He went deep into debt building Neuschwanstein, and only completed 10 rooms inside the huge castle before his own ministers had him declared insane. He was deposed and forced to leave Neuschwanstein for Berg Castle, where he was later found dead in just a few feet of water in Lake Starnberg. An autopsy found no water in his lungs, so the circumstances of his death remain “mysterious.”
But he did leave behind one of Bavaria’s biggest, most beautiful tourist attractions--so I guess there’s that.
I happened to sit next to Mike the tour guide at lunch, where I told him about Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s version of King Ludwig ala Curse of DarKastle: a “wicked ruler of a corrupt kingdom” who killed his parents and political opponents and was also a sorcerer and werewolf. His response: “That’s just mean!”
Maybe, but I think Ludwig got a better deal at BGW.
Let’s hit the road, shall we?
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- Welcome to the Bavarian Alps. I imagine you’ve guessed this already, due to the big mountains in this shot.
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- Look closely, and you’ll see someone who’s much braver than me.
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- I wonder how close he is to that rocky peak.
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- How could you miss a huge mountain like that?
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- Nice view, but time to go.
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- We stopped in this picturesque Bavarian town, which I think was called Garmisch.
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- If a bull with two axes ever charges you, I suggest running away.
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- A fountain in celebration of beer--why not?
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- OK, the guide said there was a bakery down here somewhere.
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- Murals like these are common in Bavaria. They often depict religious themes. Here is a representation of the finding of the Blessed Bagel of St. Brot of Glutenberg.
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- “Icicle lights have been hung to honor the Blessed Bagel, as you ordered, my liege.”
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- “Break out the Sacred Cream Cheese! Both with honey and with chives! And warm up the Righteous Toaster of Antioch!”
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- Bad gas? Good thing the toilets are nearby.
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- This is Mike, the guide. He said many things. Guides tend to do that.
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- It was a very pretty town.
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- Wood carving is also a big thing in Bavaria, which makes sense when one has wood.
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- Is it necessary to tip a horse waiter if you can't understand what he's saying?
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- This is how they stack wood in Bavaria. Mike was quite knowledegable on anything having to do with Bavarian wood--and how to stack it.
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- I didn’t take my camera or phone up the chair lift to the alpine coaster, but they did have good on-ride photos. A vending machine dispensed them at the bottom. This was definitely worth it. The ride was fast, fun, and (at times) terrifying.
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- I don’t think anyone did the ski jump. More to come.
Last edited by
cfc on Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:25 am.
