Road trip north, part 15

Wow, talk about theme park-esque. Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany appears to be something out of a little girl's princess fantasy.



Despite the mishmash of styles, these shots are all of the same castle, believe it or not. The photo below is taken from an upstairs window.



Ludwig II, the 18th century Bavarian King who had this castle built, was obsessed with Richard Wagner operas. Wagner was a friend of his and lived here for a time, but there are lasting impressions of Wagner's work here in the form of frescoes. Many of the rooms are painted with scenes from Wagnerian operas. I'd show you some, but visitors were not allowed to take photographs inside the castle.

Here's another picture of the outside.

Road trip north, part 14

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is an attractive walled medieval town in Germany. We read about it and were sort of on the fence about visiting because it is rumored to be a little too perfect, maybe a little Disneyesque, and quite touristy. However, we were nearby, so we figured we'd take a look. It turned out to be charming. If it were any more cute, it would be too much, but it reached just the right level of appealing in a medieval town way. We did not feel as if we were in Orlando, Florida.

The main square at night:



This street view shows some of the well maintained houses and shops. Although you can't see it in the photo, some of the buildings are half-timbered, and others feature pretty ironwork.



The valley below and the town above:



There is a covered walkway on the city wall, perfect for a rainy day.



Rothenburg's Night Watchman is a legendary tour guide and funny storyteller, even though the story topics include plague, siege, and war. Be sure not to miss his tour if you visit this town.



We tried delicious toffee-like cookies at a bakery. The counterman called them "florentines," although we don't remember seeing anything like this in Florence. Sorry, no photo, but I highly recommend you try one.