Hello all, I've been back from Europe for a little while, but seems like I had so much to do, I had gotten to the blog. And I only just recently got my new computer up and running. It really makes me happy!
I have over 900 photos I took. I love being able to do it digitally, and who knows if I'll ever be back to some of these places, so I snap, snap snp!
This is the castle at Neuenschwanstein. While very picturesque, it isn't my favorite. My favorite that I saw was Burg Eltz. Neuenschwanstein was King Ludwig of Bavaria's fantasy castle and never a family home. Burg Eltz has been in existence in the same family since the 1100's. Quite amazing. And even more amazing for the area it was never destroyed. The guide said it was because they were quite diplomatic and always knew which side to be on. I'm thinking maybe they didn't have very strong alleigences or prinicples that they were willing to stand up for. Who knows? Anyway since the family has owned it for centuries, it looks pretty cool. I'm still organizing photos and hopefully I will have one of Burg Eltz to post. Walgreens seems to have messed up my CD's so we will see!
One of the things I found really cool in Germany was all the iron and metal work. They had lots of really cool signs like this one. In the older parts of the towns and villages. And the hinges were amazing. They had these fabulous decorative hinges on the front doors of Churches and other important places. Although one of the neatest hinges I saw was on the stable doors at Hohenschwangau castle. It just isn't something you ever see here. I kept pointing them out and my friend Robin said she would never look at hinges in the same way again!
Here are the hinges on the front door of the church in Dinkelsbuhl (don't you just love that name?). This church was built in 1469. That in itself is amazing. And inside they have the dressed bones of St. Aurelius who was beheaded in Rome in AD 69 for being a Christian. Someone said, but he has a head! Well yeah, but they are just bones and they can put the head with the rest of the body!
Anyway this is him. He has a lace covering over his face and jewel encrusted clothes. Apparently he was in Italy until the 1770's and then someone brought him to Dinklesbuhl. I never get the venerating the bones of dead people thing. But there he is.These are some other amazing hinges inside the Church. I'm not sure what these doors were about. We didn't have a tour guide to ask. They had these special doors 
on either side of the building in the back of the church. at first I thought they were vault doors on crypts, but you could see cracks of daylight through them. So then I decided they must be for special holy days they open them and use them.
on either side of the building in the back of the church. at first I thought they were vault doors on crypts, but you could see cracks of daylight through them. So then I decided they must be for special holy days they open them and use them.These are other views from Dinklesbuhl. It is an old medieval walled town that has gotten as touristy as Rothenburg. I liked Rothenburg too though, but we spent the night in Dinklesbuhl and so had a chance to stroll around and enjoy it in the peace of the locals and evening.
I'll have more entries as I go!
4 comments:
It looks like the castle from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (That is about the extent of my European architectural and historical knowledge). I'm looking forward to seeing all your photos. I love the iron work in your photos. cool.
So cool and picturesque! It's nice to know hose old buildings don't change that much through the years, and I'm glad they're sticking to the cobble stone streets, even if they're a pain to walk on! What a wonderful experience for you and keep up your enthusiasm for the henges, the old craftsmen will really appreciate your marvel of them, besides they are beautiful art!
Glad to finally see some photos from your trip, we've been waiting to live vicariously through you.
Love the hinge thing! It is amazing how we are so accustomed to our own little world that we get excited over things that others find common. When we were in Britian, I fell in LOVE with painted doors. Because its so gloomy so much of the time they paint the front doors of their houses really bright colors. There will be rows and rows of doors on a street that all have a different colored front door so
the whole street looks amazing!
I have a photo in my living room of Tony standing in front of a door. Most people think its a strange picture but if you look closely, just above the door is the most beautiful painting that was painted above the front door.
I love doors, you love hinges, I love that!
Welcome home, looking forward to more pictures.
You know Cynthia, Neuenschwanstein was used by Disney as the basis for Sleeping Beauty Castle. I haven't seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang since I was a kid, but they could easily have used it for that too!
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