Navigating Bavaria

Today was my first driving day - my host Susanne helped me find a good car rental deal and I signed up online with her help. The website and sign-up were in German, so I needed the help. Problem was that I didn't review everything before we clicked to pay and I found out this morning when I went to pick up the car that we had signed up for a car two weeks from now! I was also unprepared for the fact that this is the Whitsun holiday (a big Roman Catholic thing) and the entire population of Bavaria is renting a car and going to the countryside!

I headed west and then south from Munich, toward the Koenigslosser (King's Castles), and the closer I got, the heavier the traffic. By the time I got to the Schwangau valley (above) and the edge of Fussen, the driving was so stressful I had no desire to drive into town. Instead I headed over the Austrian border to the next big town, Reutte. It was also very crowded, so I went out beyond to a smaller town, Ehenbichl, which is much more rural.

Ehenbichl is in a valley below two old castle ruins that flank a mountain pass through which salt was transported through the ages. Nobles would build castles and keep troops handy to enforce the taxation of trade, and these two castles were used for that purpose.

I stopped at a little hotel/pensione below these castles and was informed that they were full - of people in a Rick Steves tour! So Gabi, the owner called her friend Sieglinde up the hill, hopped in the car with me and introduced us. Sieglinde showed me a simple room in a very Bavarian building, with a balcony and castle views! The 34 euro price includes breakfast! Because of the holiday, and the fact that the car rental place is not open on Monday, I will keep the car until Tuesday, then return it in Munich before moving on to Salzburg for two days. So for the next two days - Sunday and Monday - I will visit the fairy-tale castle, Neuschwanstein and its companion castle, Hohenschwangau, plus see as many other local sights before heading back to Munich. This part of Bavaria is adjacent to Austria, so I can hop back and forth at will. There are luge tracks and gondolas to ride, hikes to take, and tonight a traditional Bavarian town dance at the local community hall. Oh, and the world hang glider competition is also this weekend. Maybe I'll get some pictures of that, too!