A visit from home

On Saturday morning Lois and I caught an early train to Nuremberg to meet her family as they arrived. We bought some pretzels so that we could welcome in typical German fashion. We didn't have to wait long until they walked through the arrivals gate. It was so great to see them and also a little surreal, as we were still obviously in Germany, but it felt like we were back in the UK. We hopped into the hire car and made our way to Eichstätt, where Lois could show them her 'hometown.' We successfully navigated our way to Eichstätt, which is impressive since we none of us have any experience with German roads and had a wander through the town and to Lois' flat. The weather was beautiful and it showed Eichstätt in its true beauty. Following a tasty cake stop at one of the bakeries, we made our way to Regensburg. It was an interesting experience driving down the narrow, cobbled streets of the Old Town, as Tony did his best to avoid gormless pedestrians and suicidal cyclists, but eventually we got to the hotel where Jenny, Tony and Georgie would be staying.

We went our separate ways and arranged to meet later on for our evening meal. Regensburg was buzzing (it was a Saturday night), so our first choice of restaurant was completely full, however we managed to get a table and enjoy some tasty Italian food at one of the pizzerias Lois and I had already discovered.

Sunday was to be an epic day. Seeing as though most of the cities close down on Sunday, we figured it would be best to visit somewhere else. One of the places we all wanted to see was Neuschwanstein Castle which is on the border between Germany and Austria. After debating the best way to get there, we ended up agreeing that travelling by car would be best. Although it was a lengthy drive, we had actually forgotten to turn our clocks back (end of German summertime) so we had an extra hour to play with. Decision made, we set off. As I said, the castle is located on the border between Austria and Germany, in the Alps, so our first 'checkpoint' would be Munich and then from there, we'd carry on south towards the border. Getting the Munich wasn't too bad. It's around 1.5 hours from Regensburg. However getting to the castle was a different story. You would have thought the Germans (what with their 'efficiency' and all that) would make huge, clear road signs and that they would be regularly spaced out with relevant places signposted on them. As we soon found out, this is not the case. We couldn't find any signs towards our destination and when we did, the roads were closed. The signs were small, difficult to read and often not relevant to our journey. If you want to travel the 600km to Berlin, you'll be fine - this is sign posted. But if you want to travel the 50km to Füssen, you're going to struggle. Even diversions around the closed roads suddenly ended, leaving us in the middle of nowhere.

Despite getting very lost, the journey had taken us on some beautiful roads and one observation we all made, was just how good the German roads are - considerably better than British roads. Even the roads in the middle of nowhere were very well maintained. Also, we must mention one particular highlight on the epic journey to the castle. As we travelled down the Autobahn we were all eagerly looking for any indication as to which direction we should be going in. In Germany every exit from the Motorway is signposted - Ausfahrt (Exit). After seeing many, many of these signs, Jenny said "It's a shame we're not going to Ausfahrt. I've seen loads of signs for that place." Lois enlightened her, through fits of giggles, on what she had just said, and the whole car laughed. It was particularly funny and cheered us all up after hours of travel.

Finally, following the purchase of a much needed map we reached our destination. We were all soon of the opinion that our long journey had been totally worth it. Unfortunately due to our late arrival, the tickets for the castle had sold out, but that didn't mean we couldn't go up to the castle and see it. We made our way up the long, steep road towards this picturesque, fairy tale castle. From the viewing platform you could see the castle and turning around, you could see the fantastic most southern Bavarian landscape. Again the weather was on our side and the view was simply stunning. We made our way behind the castle and up some more and walked over a bridge which gives an even more amazing view of the castle. From this point you see the countryside behind the castle and its breathtaking. We ventured even higher into woods and enjoyed the view from there. Neuschwanstein really is as spectacular as everybody says it is. You can certainly understand why Walt Disney based the magical castle of Sleeping Beauty on it. It is a must do for anyone in Germany and I really don't think the castle can look bad. Rain, shine, snow - the castle always looks good. There is so much to see too. You can see a beautiful Alpen lake behind the castle, as well as several other majestic buildings close by.

We timed our departure perfectly, as the heavens opened as soon as we reached the car park at the bottom. Although it only lasted a short time, water was pouring down the steep hill from the castle. We decided to head home, but this time, with the help of the map, we thought about it carefully. The journey back was a lot more successful (forgetting getting a little lost around Munich) but we were back in Regensburg just in time for some great burgers at the American Diner. We were all tired out but had a fantastic day. It was definitely worth the journey and kudos to Tony for driving the 550km there and back.

Monday was to be spent in Regensburg. We visited the cathedral, the Arcaden shopping centre, the old town, the stone bridge, we climbed the church tower and enjoyed more wonderful views and enjoyed delicious ice cream in the afternoon. Again the weather was beautiful, and it was great that Lois and I could talk a little bit about Regensburg, as we are getting to know it pretty well now and the fact we have also done a city tour. The evening meal was again delicious and in one of Regensburg's best restaurants, where they serve the biggest pizzas I have ever seen! We said an emotional goodbye on the stone bridge and went our separate ways, due to an early departure in order to catch a morning flight.

The three days went super fast, but it was such a lovely three days. It was very easy to forget we were in Germany at times because we were all there together. We had some fantastic experiences, the weather was perfect and I really don't think anything could have gone better. It was sad to say goodbye, but Christmas will be here soon and Lois and I are looking forward to our next adventure which begins tomorrow...Prague!