Bavaria > Berlin

We closed out this trip back where we started, in Germany. We finished up our time in Munich, which quickly became one of the favorite stops for the group. After arriving in the late afternoon, we met up with a friend who is a police officer outside Munich. Our first stop was the Augustiner brewery for dinner and drinks, which was a great introduction to Bavaria. Taking in that scene and chatting with our friend we realized that when Americans picture Germany (eg: EPCOT Germany) we are more specifically picturing Bavaria. There is definitely a more laid back feel here compared to Berlin. There are breweries and biergartens spread throughout the city that feel like an ongoing celebration. Englischer Garten is a sprawling green space with people taking picnics, sunbathing, dogs playing, musicians, etc. It definitely wins out over other metropolitan green spaces I’ve enjoyed like Central Park, Boston Common, and Yoyogi Park. As a side note, there was a group of older men (of course) completely nude, kind of standing around harmlessly, having a picnic like everyone else, grilling wieners or something. It was actually less creepy than I would think, but still something that would get you on a sex offender list in the U.S. Another interesting feature is a stream that runs through Englischer Garten, and as odd as it sounds there are people surfing at the start of it where there is a static wave. It’s pretty impressive to watch and there is a continuous crowd of onlookers by the surfers.

We also took a day trip to Schloss Neuschwanstein. The best way to get to Neuschwanstein is definitely by bus, which means booking with a tour group. Some tour groups still use public transit rather than chartering a bus, so you do still have to be selective. We booked with “Mike’s Bikes,” one of the more popular companies that charters their own buses and handles the tickets for you as well. Neuschwanstein was completely sold out on the day we went, so that is definitely the way to go. It was a bit of a drizzly day, but the castle and surrounding countryside were still stunning. The inside of the castle has only six out of a planned sixty rooms completed, but it was still far more impressive than anything we’ve seen. As far as I’m concerned, we’re done with castles. Neuschwanstein wins, and there’s no need to visit any more.

This closes out a real whirlwind trip, six countries in two weeks. It was an interesting change of scenery from many prior trips. Europe doesn’t seem all that different from the States at first glance, but the subtle differences do crop up and remind you you’re far from home. In a way, subtle differences seem more jarring than the stark ones. If Europeans just embraced cold and icy drinks, properly stuffed pillows, shower curtains (are the physics of splashing water supposed to be different in Europe?), and air conditioning, it would be just like home. Ok, maybe not quite. We were impressed by the constant parade of gorgeous diesel wagons, particularly in a few makes that are not available in the U.S.

We’re headed home now. Below is our Bavaria gallery. Until the next trip….