This is the first installment of my Europe trip. I will do it in sections since I have so much to share. Here goes. . .
I didn't even know what to do with myself on the airplane! Kenneth had gone ahead of me to work all week in Germany, so I was one my own traveling over. I am so used to being constantly busy or always having some little one to care for or to spend time with that I felt a little funny! I flew out of Chicago at 9 pm, so I knew I really needed to get some sleep on the transoceanic flight. I did some reading (a health and nutrition book- ya, I'm crazy like that) and then tried to sleep. It seemed that everytime I seemed to start to fall asleep I would be awakened by the flight attendants coming through the aisles with something to eat or drink. My ticket didn't mention any food being served, so I was quite surprised at being fed dinner and breakfast. My seatmate wasn't at all interested in talking, so I had a very quiet trip. I cried a couple of times thinking about my little baby (who really isn't a baby anymore), whom I have never before left more than for a couple of hours. (Hey- maybe my seatmate thought I was crazy?!) I flew on a Lufthansa flight, so I had a chance to practice my German with the German crew on the flight. It was a little nerve-wracking since it's been so long since I have really spoken German, but also a lot of fun. I have to think a lot about my sentence construction and grammar to make sure I have it all right before I spit the words out of my mouth, so I am a bit slow. But, during the course of the trip, I could tell I was already getting faster and even starting to think in German a bit! One night Kenneth asked me a question in the middle of the night a few days into the trip and I answered in German, much to my sleepy delight!
I flew into Munich- arrived in the afternoon. Kenneth was working about 2 1/2 hours from Munich in a small town called Marktoberdorf.
 |
| A picture Kenneth took while touring the Fendt facility where he was working. |
 |
| Kenneth took this one at dinner one night before I arrived. |
 |
| These pictures make me want to sing out with joy! Hello, beautiful Bavarian cow! |
 |
| It's very small, but directly in the center of the picture is Neuschwanstein castle in the mountains back there! Gorgeous! |
He asked me when we were planning out the trip if I was comfortable taking the train on my own out to the town where he worked. "Of course! We took the train all over the place as missionaries. No problem!", I said. Well, it all turned out okay, but it was certainly different doing all on my own without a companion and without speaking German for so long!
When I first arrived, I tried to follow the signs to the terminal with the train station. I don't know what was going on, but I felt like I was walking in the airport in these empty hallways with no one in sight. It all seemed so empty and weird. I'm not sure if it was lack of sleep or what, but I actually almost forgot to get my suitcase before trying to find the train! I felt a little sheepish when I realized what I almost did! I finally found my way through customs and to the baggage claim and felt a little better with more people around. I managed to buy my ticket, get on the right train and even switch trains in the Munich Hauptbahnhof (main train station) just fine. I rode with a really nice couple- the wife was Japanese and the husband was Irish living in Japan. They were welcome travel buddies for the first 45 minute train ride. They had come into town to go to Oktoberfest, which was going on in full force when we were there. I am so glad I got to come at that time, because it was so much fun to see all the Germans in the traditional clothing- Dirndls and Lederhosen! At least a quarter of the people at the train station were all dressed up for Oktoberfest- so much fun to see!
I read and slept on the train ride out to Marktoberdorf and made it safely to the hotel where the manager was so helpful and let me right up to Kenneth's room so I could lay down for a couple minutes before I met up with him. We had just a little while before we met up with Kenneth's coworkers for dinner. What do you do in Germany with a few minutes to spare? You go find some chocolate to buy, of course! I had fun practicing my German again with the nice people who owned the chocolate store.
Kenneth's coworkers took us to a little restaurant located in a small village in a converted barn. It was beautifully renovated and very warm and homey. My favorite part of the décor was the huge cow bells they had hanging up! It was a fabulous dinner! A perfect blend of being slightly upscale and gourmet, without skimping on quantity. For dinner I actually ordered breaded kohlrabi with a side of pasta with an amazing sauce. Delicious! The dessert was a thing of beauty!
 |
| Our dessert. How do you like that hunter and the buck? Cool, huh?! |
I slept very well after spending a night on an airplane and let me tell you, breakfast in the morning was incredible! European breakfasts are amazing. It makes we wonder how I could even eat most of the food at a regular Marriott or Hampton Inn in America. The food in amazing: the breads, the cheeses, the fruit and vegetables, the fresh yogurt. It is incredible!!!! I really enjoyed that and was thoroughly fueled for my excursion to Neuschwanstein castle. Kenneth still had to wrap up with work that day, so I was on my own for this outing. I apparently chose the wrong time to travel on the train because I had to travel with so many elementary through high school students on the 50 minute train ride, that I was standing the whole time and literally could not really move without touching someone. Good times! No, it wasn't really a problem; I actually enjoyed listening to them all and hearing the German and looking out the windows at beautiful Bavaria with its rolling green hills, picturesque villages, cows and mountains.
I hiked up the big hill to Neuschwanstein so fast that I had to shed my jacket and sweater in the process. It was fun to be on my own and speed past everyone on the path!
 |
| The hike up to Neuschwanstein. Taking a horse and carriage is also a choice. |
I decided not to go inside the castle, since I had already been inside 16 years ago when my family came to Germany to pick my brother up from his mission there and I didn't have a lot of time either. But, I did hike around the castle to the Marienbruecke, which I had not been on before.
The view to the castle is incredible from there! Not to mention the view down!
 |
| The view to Hohenschwangau- the other castle close by and the amazing mountains and lake. So gorgeous!!!!! Hohenschwangau was Ludwig II's boyhood home and where he lived during the construction of his castle, Neuschwanstein. Construction started on the castle in 1869. |
 |
| Behold the castle! |
As it turns out, Ludwig only lived in the castle a total of 172 days before he died!
 |
| View down from the bridge. Not a place for someone afraid of heights, that's for sure! |
 |
| Some nice people from Pennsylvania took my picture for me :). |
 |
| Did you notice the locks on the picture with me in it? I guess it's some sort of romantic thing people do to show their undying love for each other. The whole bridge is covered with them! |
On the way down from the castle, I saw a sign giving 2 options for returning to the village down below and decided to take the other one that I hadn't been on before. As it turns out, it turned into a little, sometimes steep, hiking trail. I even met some locals out walking their dog on the way down, but mostly it was an empty hiking trail, which made me slightly nervous being all alone. But, it was beautiful!
 |
| My hike back down the hill. |
After returning to the village, I went up to see the other castle that I had seen in the distance, Schwangau. I also did not pay to go inside the castle, but you are able to walk around the courtyards and gardens, which are lovely.
 |
| The swan fountain |
 |
| courtyard at Schwangau |
After leaving that castle, I walked around the area bit before I had to get back on the bus to make the train to return to meet Kenneth and a coworker and his family for lunch.
 |
| Alpsee (Alp Lake) on my walk down from Schwangau castle. The water had such an incredible color. |
I have always been more of a mountain person than a beach person (funny coming from a person who grew up in California and Florida- but I guess I was born in Denver, CO, so it must just be with me from my first 2 years of life! Being here just solidified that for me. I am a mountain person!!!This place was amazing! I love Bavaria!!! (Why do I live in Kansas again?!?!- oh yeah, I'm moving!)
 |
| Once I got back to the bus stop, the sun had come out and it was a gorgeous day! (Not that it wasn't beautiful before, it had just been overcast) |
Kenneth's coworker had been to our home in Kansas for dinner during one of his trips to work at AGCO in Hesston, KS. I had heard all about his wife and their 2 little children, so it was fun to meet them. What a great family. We had a nice little lunch at a bakery. It was very enjoyable.
After that, Kenneth's coworker from Kansas drove us to Munich again, where we went to witness Oktoberfest for ourselves. Kenneth had actually seen it a couple of years ago when he was there on business, but I had never seen it before. I am not a fair or carnival sort of person, and this was like that plus a WHOLE LOT OF DRINKING GOING ON! So, after just a few minutes, I was ready to leave. It was fun to see all the people dressed up, but I was glad we were able to catch an earlier train for Salzburg and get out of crazy Munich!
 |
| I was being the ultimate tourist and taking pictures of all the people dressed up- I love those hats! |
 |
| You can buy these special, decorated gingerbread cookies on a ribbon all over the place. It is an Oktoberfest tradition to buy one with a special message for the one you love and they wear it around their neck. |
 |
| You gotta love those lederhosen! |
 |
| Kenneth at Oktoberfest 2014! |
 |
| More cool clothes on the street back to the train station and a cool clown blowing huge bubbles. |
Next up. . . Salzburg, Austria.
