A Little Disney Magic!

 Those of you who pay attention to details and noticed the new picture on the right side of the blog have probably been wondering about it for the past few weeks......Well wonder no more!

We did so many exciting things while my parents were here that I am still playing catch up! I know....it is shocking that I have more to write about than Paris with the Parents (since it seems like that is all I talked about for a couple of months) but I promise that this will be just as exciting.

Castle Neuschwanstein...one of the most visited sites in all of Germany. Americans are especially draw here because this castle was THE castle that Walt Disney used as a model for Cinderella’s fairytale castle...and it is very easy to see why!

Neuschwanstein is one of several castles built by King Ludwig II (infact if you look out the window you can see his family castle across the valley) and is extremely magical both inside and out.

Castle across the way!

Even though it was never completed (king Ludwig dies before its completion in 1866) it is one of the most famous buildings in the world and a central symbol of Germany.  Although the outside is extremely dramatic and fantastic, it is the inside that really took my breath away. There were floors upon floor where halls and living quarters were lavishly decorated...more than 200 rooms to be exact!

King Ludwig's Bedroom

Take King Ludwig’s bedroom for example...lets just say that 14 carvers worked for more than 4 years just to complete the woodwork on the bed canopy...seriously (take that Prince Charming)! 

The ironic thing is the King Ludwig lived in the castle for less than a year. 

A few miles from Neuschwanstein is King Ludwig’s favorite residence….The Linderhof Palace.

This palace was the only one of his building that Ludwig completed (in 1878 to be exact) and is decorated with rooms upon rooms of gold leaf walls and vases collected from around the world.  Although he never had visitors to Linderhof palace, it was one of the most extravagant “houses” ever built.  The most interesting aspect of the house however would have to be the dinning room.  Located on the second floor next to his personal living quarters the dinning room houses a table that can be lowered down to the kitchen below where the maids would set the table and send the table back up to the dinning room, where the King could be served without ever being bothered by anyone….Lets just say that King Ludwig was a little bit crazy!

The ground surrounding the palace house lavish fountains and gardens, a tea room, and even a man made grotto!

The Grotto

Although I am sad that my parents have already come and gone I am excited that I will always have these magical adventures to share with them!