Fit for a Princess.....

This past weekend I went to Germany to visit my father who was vacationing in Regensburg, Germany. It is a beautiful medieval city situated in the southeast corner of Germany along the famous Danube River. Regensburg was fortunate enough to avoid destruction during the bombings of World War II and many of the buildings and monuments standing today are the same as they were hundreds of years ago. While I’ve seen quite a few cities in Western Europe (i.e. Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Rome, Paris, London...etc) this was my first trip to Eastern Europe. In a nutshell, it’s very different. Not for better or worse. I just couldn't help but notice all the differences between Germany in Spain from the people, food, architecture and most notably the weather...it was snowing and its 80 in Huelva! As I looked out the window from my Dads hotel room I did not see a small pueblo composed a white little houses like any given Andalusia town rather I was looking out at much larger, multi colored buildings and a skyline full of gothic inspired architecture. We went to an old German Beer house and enjoyed a traditional dinner and some great German beer. Regensburg is home to the famous cathedral, the Dom, which is known as one of the main work of Gothic architecture in the Bavaria area. We also walked across the "Stone Bridge" (which was built in an astonishingly quick 10 years) in 1135 and is still standing today, incredible. The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land. It is believed that the dent in the bridge is the fault of the devil...gee, talk about not wanting to take responsibility for ones actions. Architects make a mistake and decide to blame it on the devil, what an excuse. We also went to what is known as the Town Hall where political meetings took place. It also houses the torture chambers where torture procedures took place to force confessions from citizens. It was hard not to get the chills just hearing the stories and descriptions of torture procedures. Apparently the idea that confessions obtained through torture are not valid had not been realized. All in all, it was a beautiful city and fun to walk around and admire all the gothic inspired buildings.




Germany is so rich in history, although mostly tragic; there is no shortage of sights to see or history to hear. We took a train over to Munich for some day trips. Being so close to Austria we decided we should go over to Salzburg, Austria. You may have heard of Salzburg before, as it is famous for being both the birthplace of Mozart and also home to the filming of "The Sound of Music." Needless to say, it is another charming city. It the fourth largest city in Austria and known for its world famous baroque architecture, as it is one of the best-preserved city centre’s north of the Alps. With its picture perfect Alpine setting its no wonder why Salzburg is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Salzburg is a tourists dream city given all the much beauty to be seen. My favorite thing we saw the King Arch Bishops’ Residence...its hard to believe someone could call that place "home." Not only was the place enormous with impeccable decorations but also the extreme detail throughout, be it engraving or paintings were incredible. Why can't I meet a Spaniard with a place like that? Oh yeah, that’s right, they all live with their parents until 35.


We spent some time walking around Munich and enjoying all the great sights. Whenever I am in a big city, regardless of the country, I always come to appreciate the size of Huelva more. I never feel lost or like a number in Huelva. Rather I feel like the only tall blonde American that stands out and everyone stares at wondering why I would possibly be in Huelva of all cities in Spain. If only I was joking. Seriously though, as much as a big city can offer, living in a small city gives one the opportunity to really get a feel for the culture and lifestyle. In Huelva you cant live in a "mini America," you are forced to speak Spanish, eat Spanish food, watch Spanish TV and pass the time with Spaniards. That being said, nine months in Huelva is plenty! We went to the cathedral in Munich and saw where the devil stamped his foot. Man, Germany kept the devil busy! In America it’s usually the dog, "dog ate my homework" excuse but not in Germany.

We also took a dat trip to the world famous Neuschwanstein Castles in southern Germany. Of all the famous sites I have seen (Eifel Tower, The Vatican, La Sagrada Familiar, etc) the castles hands down were my favorite thing I have seen in Europe. Before so many of my trips I had great expectations and was so excited to go to Paris, for example. However, after finally seeing the city, I wasn't nearly as impressed as I thought. Of course, everything I have seen has been beautiful

but a lot of times it’s not as great as you think it will be. Its like anything in life, when you build it up in your head, you often end up disappointed. However, with the castles, I had no expectations and quite frankly wasn't super excited to go. After walking up a steep hill for forty-five minutes and looking up at these real life castles I found myself in awe for the first time. I had a moment were I was lost in the beauty of this picturesque setting. Jealously immediately came over me as I imagined living here. It had everything a princess could want, winding staircases, beautiful balconies and a drawbridge to keep the unwanted away. There are really no words to describe the beauty of the setting. The castles sit

around 2,000 meters above sea level and are situated in the foothills of the Mountains. It looks over a small town below and has a rich blue-green colored lake perfect for a summer swim nearby. The inside of the house was equally as amazing as the outside. You can't imagine the intricate details that composed these "homes." King Ludwig, the builder, of the Castles is just the type of guy who I would call "husband material," if only he wasn't gay. If you're ever in Germany this site is a must see!

All in all this trip ranked above my top trips I have taken in Europe. I don’t know if it was because after six months in Spain I was a little ¨cathedral out¨" or because it was the first time in six months I have traveled and not been on a budget a homeless person would consider stingy or maybe it was just enjoying the company of my father, but regardless it was a great trip.

I cannot believe we are in mid March! My year of teaching English is starting to come to an end but not before we squeeze in several more trips. Our calendar for the remaining weeks is full of scheduled trips to Valencia, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Santander, Toledo, Salamanca, Merida, Albufiera, and who knows what else! The weather is absolutely beautiful and when I’m not traveling I will be enjoying la Costa de Luz where sangria flows freely and sun shines for 12 hours a day!

Besos
Ally