Lost in Germany: Neuschwanstein aka Sleeping Beauty's Castle

So post-Nick's morning ski we headed off again back to Frankfurt, but we made a small detour to see the original inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle, Neuschwanstein. The castle is nestled in a tiny town in Germany and was actually built in the mid-1800s by Ludwig II, King of Bavaria. He was a little bit nuts but quite beloved by the people in his kingdom.

I have to say, the castle itself does actually look like something out of a storybook, but then again that seems to have been Ludwig's idea. He had a very pure idea of what a King should be surrounded by and he had a love of the Middle Ages and the courtly ideals they supposedly upheld. So the crazy thing about the castle is that even though it looks like it should have been constructed in the middle ages it actually has all of these hidden 'modern' amenities like hot air central heating, running water on every floor and even an telephone system! Ultimately the guy became a complete recluse and was declaired insane by the Bavarian government, deposed and then the day after he was interned at the Bern palace, he died in a mysterious drowning incident along with the psychiatrist who had declared him insane. Very strange. . .

Anyway, Nick and I arrived too late to actually get into the castle, but after napping in the car on the way there I had built up a lovely store of energy, so I dragged Nick on a very brisk walk up around the back way along a hilly path to a bridge overlooking the castle. It was a beautiful view and definitely worth detouring for on the way home.

And here's a moment of small world wonder. As we were hiking up to look at the castle from afar, I was chatting with Nick about winter skiing and riding snowmobiles on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire. Something I always loved doing when I would go up to my friend's lake house during the winter. So low and behold, we round the bend and there in front of me are to boys, probably about 12 and 14 wearing, I kid you not, Mt. Sunapee Ski Team 2008 jackets. Seriously. Is that crazy or what?

The best part was when I asked them if they were from NH and told them I used to ski up there, they said they were in Europe to ski in Austria. In St. Anton of all places, just where I was last week. Strange small world it is, no?