The plan here is to lump the past few days into one post. Hope you guys don't mind...I know you don't...or do you?

The next thing we've done since our last post was go to Garmisch, Germany.  We stayed on an Army base there, and hung out at the Edelweiss Lodge.  However beautiful it was (and however much it reminded me of the Wilderness Lodge in Disney World, Mom) there was a slight nuisance in the shape of Future Leaders of America: aka, jr. high and high schoolers dressed up like business people just to make themselves look good on college applications. But that's harsh. I'm sure there was a nice kid there. (At least they weren't Italian, or from Manhatten. More of that to come though. So hold your horses.) Dinner was fabulous, naturally. We either ate spaetzal or schnitzel and drank our spezi. (half Fanta, half Coke) Garmisch really is a charming place, with walking streets, and most of the houses have some form of mural painted on the front. Usually Biblical or Historical.

Next day is the biggest and best though: Neuschwanstein Castle, here we come!

I am ashamed to say we were tourists for the day. But then again, none of us really cared. Everyone at Neuschwanstein was a tourist, so it didn't matter.  We boarded our tour bus, and were introduced to our tour guide Siv. (Pronounced seev*) She was from Norway and took extremely long pauses between phrases. "And to your right...is the Fricken Mountain...yes, children...cover your ears..."

First stop was a wood carving shop.  Inititally I thought maybe I could pick up something for my brother, but lo and behold, a small carving of a German yodeler was about 45-65 euro. (that's over sixty American dollars.) I thought to myself, "Does Jonathan need a sixty dollar statue of a Germann yodeler? Or a foot tall statue of Mary that costs a thousand dollars?" No.  He didn't need one. So I walked out and bought nothing...or did I?

Next stop was fantastic: Weiss Church.  Literally in the middle of nowhere, it was a white church with three little houses clustered around it and then walking lanes and yellow flowered fields. That was it.  Here's the quick story behind it that I found interesting: One day, a little town needed a statue for a festival.  They made one out of scraps to look like Mary, or some other Biblical person.  Finally, once the festival was finished, they stored the statue in the basement.  Then one day, Siv said, the woman was house cleaning. "Oh, look!....a statue...it's beautiful!" so they posted the statue on their mantle piece.  But lo! The statue was crying! "It must...have healing powers," Siv explained. "So people from all....over the country came to be....healed."  Finally the woman said, "Let's...build it a church so....everyone will get out of my....living room!" so they built Weiss Church. And according to Siv, the statue is no longer crying.


And then finally, to Neuschwanstein.  Built by Ludwig (one of the Ludwigs) it was never finished.  And sadly, we were only able to go in about six rooms or so.  But all that to say, it was still fantastic.  The views it had over the lake, the mountains, the river...oh man, stunning! (Photos are on facebook!)
David declared that if he were rich, he would never leave his castle.  We all agreed.  We also got some Senior portraits there, and you'll see those at our grad parties! (Leah's is June 4th. If ANYONE else schedules their grad party on that day...so help me......)

Anyway, then lunch came. And I believe this is an important part, so please listen up kids. Fact #1: our waitress was so sweet!  Fact #2: the restaurant was the same price as any other, took just as long as any other, and was like every other German restaurant.  Fact #3: some tourists from Statten Island were eating at a table nearby.

The words Statten Island should tip you off. Not that we're being stereotypical or anything...or are we? Anyway, they ordered coffees and then two minutes later said loudly, "How do you say 'hurry up!' in German?" Then to the waitress, "I don't want my cawfee anymowah, it's cold." Then, "It would be polite to ask my fawthah if he wants another cawfee!" And so on, and so on, until everyone in the restaurant was embarrassed for them. Finally the waitress comes out with their apple streudel and they say, "We don't have time, so we don't wahnt it anymowah." So she holds it up and is like, "Who would like to sample a perfectly good streudel?"  So a family neraby says, "I didn't think we had time, but sure!" stab stab stab, Statten Island.

Anyway, then we drove back to Edelweiss.  This morning we drove back to Stuttgart, watched Sound of Music (Which was very cool, seeing as we'd seen several of the filming locations) and then went on a walk in the city. Having a great time, and tomorrow is off to Strasbourg!