Trip with Parents (Part Two)

One of the previous rulers of Munich

Sitting down to write this, I realised that so much has happened that I don't know where to start! Where were we? Ah yes, Munich. Our apartment was in a lovely part of town and we are all loving how great the German public transport is. Our first full day in Munich was Easter Sunday so we looked online for a church to go to and decided on the Protestant cathedral. The website said the service started at 11 but when we got there at 10:30 it had started at 10. So we very awkwardly slipped in the back during the sermon (which was way too difficult to translate for Mum and Dad). The young man sitting next to me suddenly started talking to me in English as I was explaining that it was time for Communion and turned out he didn't speak any German either. He was from Portugal and in Munich for a physio conference and he insisted on talking to me throughout the rest of the service. Then, in the middle of prayers, he asked if I wanted to go out with him!Perhaps go to a bar, meet some friends, go dancing etc? I admit to being rather shocked and used my parents as an excuse to say no (I knew they would be handy for something!). Anyway, the service was all right and the music was excellent.

Outside Nymphenburg

We spent the rest of the day wandering through Munich and decided to spend the next day out at Nymphenburg Palace. What an amazing place! Originally built for one of the Electors wives after she gave birth to a son, the palace has been added onto for generations and is now a rather large complex. The rooms inside were beautiful and the museum of coaches and sleighs was mind-boggling. "Mad" King Ludwig II certainly went in for over-the-top everything.

Sleigh

"Hall of mirrors" 

Ludwig II's state coaches

We saw this the next day as well when we detoured down to Füssen and made a very quick stop to see Neuschwannstein. We were on our way to Constance and had barely an hour there but it was worth the run up and down the hill to see the castle. It was definitely a surreal experience.

At Neuschwannstein

Constance and the whole lake area was such a beautiful place. We were able to take a couple of very relaxed days and simply enjoy the sun and the lake. One of the days we went to the island Mainau and I can't imagine a better time of the year to go. I have never seen so many tulips! We also took the ferry to the other side of the lake to Meersburg which was a very sweet town with a castle and plenty of old houses.

Mainau

Peacock made entirely of flowers

Mum and Dad on Mainau

In the weekend we met up with the Houbens in Koblenz and checked out the fort and the Marksburg.

Marksburg

Mum and Dad are now in London and I'm back at school for the last four weeks of my time. It's hard to believe how fast everything is going now!

Trip with Parents (Part One)

in Zeeland

Veere (town in Zeeland)

After weeks of nervous excitement Mum and Dad finally made it to Germany to visit me! They've been here just over a week now and I am absolutely loving it. Being able to show them around Effeld and school and my daily life has been very rewarding. They've arrived in time for my school holidays so we first went away for the weekend with my host family to Zeeland. A rather appropriate place to visit and we certainly enjoyed being at the sea, riding on the Dutch bicycles and spending time with each other. For me it was rather strange to have my two worlds collide but being able to share this part of my life with my parents is a huge blessing.

Frauenkirche Dresden

Zwinger (Dresden)

Leaving my host family behind, we took the train to Dresden. What an incredible city! So many amazing buildings but what makes it so special is how much it's been rebuilt. Dresden was severely damaged during WWII and instead of demolishing everything, they've saved as much as possible and restored it to it's former glory. Seeing pictures of what the place looked like after the war, and then seeing the buildings in front of you is certainly awe-inspiring. My feet haven't been doing very well and walking and standing becomes very painful, very quickly. With this in mind we took a bus tour which allowed us to see the important parts of the city while comfortably seated and meant we could hop-on, hop-off whenever we wanted.

Ritche at the Zwinger

St Vitus

Inside the St Vitus cathedral in Prague

Prague

The next day saw us on the train to Prague which was also mind-blowing. We spent the afternoon in the castle complex where centuries of rulers have added on and expanded the original. The church in the complex is beautiful with vibrant stained glass windows. The next day we went down the Charles Bridge which has to be the most decorated bridge I've ever seen. Statues and frilly bits everywhere you look! We continued down to old part of the city where there was a busy Easter market before catching a bus back to Germany and the city of Nuremberg.

Inside Nuremberg castle

I was in Nuremberg 4 years ago so was very excited to be able to show Mum and Dad around. I love the southern German towns with their fortified castles and Fachwerk houses (if you don't know what Fachwerk is, check it out on Google). The weather wasn't all that wonderful so we decided to pay to go inside the castle where there were displays about the former rulers of Germany, the Nazi role in Nuremberg and a history of weaponry (including real weapons). We also went out to the former Nazi parade grounds where you see the half-finished Congress building Hitler built, the parade grounds and the Great Road. It's rather sobering to see these places, especially to stand somewhere we you know Hitler stood to give speeches.

Getting ready to go on Siegfried's motorbike

Today, we took the train down to Munich with a stop in a cute little village called Roth. Very typical Bavarian town and we enjoyed just taking it all in. Sorry for such a long blog! There'll be another one early next week with the rest of our adventures.

Double chapel inside Nuremberg castle

Roth market square

On the Charles Bridge

Hitler's unfinished Congress