After the train hopping, I finally arrived at Fussen. Immediately, I looked for the 'famous' bag lockers that are said to be found on railway stations. I was lucky to have found an open one which could accommodate the size of my bag. The biggest challenge though was how to lock the door! Instructions on the locker says that one must put in a 5-euro change in order for you to lock in the door and get the key. I had the money but I later found out, together with two guys that were also having trouble with their locker, that I did not have the correct denomination. So in we went to the train shop to have our money changed.
After securing my bag, I left the station and went ahead to look for the castle. It was a long walk from the train station to the castle (although they say one can walk it if you have the time) so I rode on the bus going to the foot of the mountain. With my Bayern ticket, the ride was free. Upon arriving, the Neuschwanstein Castle was visible from the plaza at Schwangau. The sky was cloudy and gray and the castle looks so mysterious way up there, perched on the mountainside. The breeze was cold and there was a drizzle from time to time.
My walk started with the visit to the Visitors Center where I grabbed a map of the trail. Since I arrived at about 3:00PM and must catch the train back to Munich at around 5:00PM, I decided to skip the castle tour and head straight to Mariensbrucke Bridge where I could see the castle in its most 'fairy tale' setting. The walk was long but fortunately, the climb was very gentle. There were even families with kids, and old ladies, walking up without difficulty. I had to take water breaks though because the wind was picking up and it was really cold. Remember, I did not realize that in Germany, summer is still very, very cold! and all I have for the cold was my shawl, double layering of shirts and my windbreaker.
The walk would bring me to the entrance of the castle where a very long queue exists for those who have tickets to go inside. The other visitors can be seen lounging around the park that is probably made specifically for waiting tourists. Beyond, one can see the lakes that the area of Fussen is known for. On the other side, one can see the powerful waterfalls raging down the mountainside opposite the castle. The trees on the mountains are of luscious green -- no wonder this may be part of what they call the Black Forest, as the green is so dark. Below on the valley, the green is lighter but still as beautiful.
Beyond the castle walls is the road going down and up the bridge. The walk again took me considerable time (as against those that say it's a very fast walk to the bridge) but it led me to a beautiful view of the other castle, Hohenschwangau, way below in the valley - very distinct with its mustard color against the green of its surroundings. (Later, when I look back at the pictures, I would think that it is as majestic as the Neuschwanstein itself.) However, the sudden onslaught of rain and wind deprived me of enjoying more of this view. I took a couple of shots and then ran under the cover of the trees, where I stayed until I thought I could walk more comfortably in the rain. The other visitors have also thought of doing what I did and they also picked out their own trees where they could weather the rain. I was a bit soaked at this point and my feet were hurting and the cold didn't help.
Rain soaked feet and leaves
I took a couple of pictures of Neuschwanstein and me while my hair was all over, and then a couple of shots of the castle alone. I looked at what I had taken, changed cameras, and took some pics again. I looked and I wasn't satisfied, so I decided to go back to the shelter of trees to weather the rain and wind again. All I could think of is I better get a good picture, even if the background was a dreary dark sky and valley below, because it would be a shame to waste my effort by taking very lousy pictures. Later, I decided to go and finally, I found a spot where my camera wouldn't get shots with umbrellas as the frame, and I finally found someone who was really kind enough to take a photo of me without hurrying! He even decided to take another one, especially since there were no people around to ruin my shot. Thank God for that person!
When I decided that I could go back down the mountain, the rain turned to drizzle up in the mountain top. As my feet was hurting too much at this point, I decided to take the bus down, and paid the 2-euro fee. The bus took us way down the center of town and from there, I got to visit some shops, buy notoriously expensive postcards and magnet for my collection. Then I headed back to the train station on the free-bus ride (again!). It was good timing because the train to Munich was already there and just as I had taken my bag out of the locker, the train fired up its engine and people who had just come down from the mountain were already running towards the train. I followed, grabbed a seat, positioned my luggage and relaxed until we reach Munich in two hours.
*****
Funny thing is that, there was a Chinese girl who was seated beside me on my way to Fussen. On our way to Munich, she again was seated across from me. Then there were a couple of old German ladies who hopped on the train midway to our trip and was seated beside me. She asked me questions about my trip and if I was enjoying my trip so far and if I liked Neuschwanstein. Here I found out that while I was on the bridge, this girl was inside the castle on a tour. She must have been very patient to wait in line for the tickets and then for the tour. Anyways, this old lady then offered me some candies. As I didn't want to offend her, I took one and luckily, liked the sweet she gave me. This German lady was so nice.
*****
Upon arrival in Munich Haupthbanof, I looked for the luggage counters. As I will be leaving my big luggage for more than three days, I needed for it to be placed in the luggage office itself and not at the counters. I was being cautious because I heard stories of lockers automatically opening when the three days are up. But thinking about it now, I think the lockers do not really open but stays locked; however, the charging will start again and one had to insert the necessary amount to be able to open it with their key later on. What I did though was leave it at the office and that cost me 5-euros with additional charge for succeeding days.
*****
Just as soon as I left the luggage office, I looked up the Train Schedule Board and saw that the train to Salzburg was leaving in 2 minutes. From Platform 16, I had to run - very fast! - to Platform 3. When I got there, the coachman was waiting just outside the door and I had to ask them to wait for me. Panting hard, I put down my bag and rummage through it for my Bayern Ticket and I kept on saying "Oh please, don't go yet. Wait for me!" and the coachman was kind enough to say "Relax, you still have time." I then found my ticket, he looked at it, and directed me to the door. I noticed then that it was the last cart and the compartment I came into was for the bikes. Forward, through a glass door, was the seating compartments. As soon as I sat down, the train started chugging and off we were off to Salzburg.
I finally relaxed, took out my food, and started to eat my dinner.
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