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!