I'm not dead, just without internet!

There seems to have been a little excitement in East Lansing when I didn't post anything yesterday night! I am fine...just at a hotel without internet. Due to the size of the town, there are not a lot of options, but after a lot of looking I found an open network. The catch is that I have to walk about 10 minutes from my hotel and stand on a street corner. In other words, don't expect any phone calls via Skype right now. As of finishing writing this, it has started to pour outside, which will make going out to the street a bit more interesting!

As promised, today I hiked to and toured "Mad" King Ludwig's castles. They were everything they were hyped up to be--huge, jaw dropping, and full of tourists from every area of the world. I first toured Hohenschwangau, which was Ludwig's childhood home and more practical of the castles. From there it was on to the castle that everyone would recognize, Neuschwanstein. This fantasy castle was Ludwig's own creation, and and the building went on for 17 years until Ludwig was declared mad and driven out of power (and to his death). When designing the castle, Ludwig did not go to an architect, but rather to a stage designer. Even with 17 years of work, only 1/3 of the interior of the castle is completed. However, you would never realize this from a tour. The tour was very expansive, and the 1/3 of the castle that you were able to see felt ridiculously large. It is easy to see why these castles inspired Walt Disney and gave way to all of his castle creations. Not only are the outsides loaded with dreamy turrets and towers, but the inside is decked out with gems, art, and precious decorations fit for a King. The rooms are an unbelievable sight, as this is the type of place you usually only read about in books or see in movies. It is truly outlandish when you realize that someone built this just for fun and his own amusement! In the pictures, you can see that a bit of the castle is scaffolded (a 13 year rehab project), but I think you will get a good feel for it.

For those classical music fans, Wagner and Ludwig were best buddies. Wagner was a frequent guest, Ludwig kept him busy writing. They were two peas in a pod, both with over the top imaginations. Today I saw painting that inspired Wagner operas, as well as paintings inspired by Wagner operas.

Upon seeing the area around the castles, it is not hard to see why Ludwig wanted his creation here. The cliffs of the Alps, blue-green glacier fed lakes, pine forests, deafening waterfalls, and beautiful meadows surround the castles. This evening, i hiked about 20km in the surrounding area. Absolutely beautiful hiking...this is one of the things I will miss most back home. Another thing to be missed will be the food. Sure, it is loaded with butter and other unhealthy things, but it is delicious!!! Tonight I had a fantastic steak with German pan potatoes and salad...of course followed with eis!

I even hiked into Austria, marking the 10th country I have been to on this trip (I will be returning to Austria in a few days). 10 down, 5 more to go...at least that is the current plan! To find out the next five, you will have to stay tuned...or just get out a map and start guessing!

The Disney connection is not limited to just the castles, but also in the way the tour groups are led around like cattle. Lots of waiting in queues, following the person and front of you, and time wasted. It reminded me of how glad I am to be doing this trip independent of any tour group!

Tomorrow it is Munich for 2 days followed by Salzburg and hopefully Hallstatt. Then things will get interesting!