Bodensee to the Castles

Last night I was sitting on a terrace at the Krone Am See Garden cafe, having dinner, looking out across the Bodensee at Switzerland, wondering how did a not very bright kid from Puyallup, Washington, make it to here. 

In any event, I drove up the Bodensee and got on the Deutsche Alpenstrasse, a narrow two lane (often only 1 1/2) road to see some of the Bavarian Alps. What I could see was quite lovely (green fields, dark woods, little hamlets similar to what Heidi lived near with her grandfather, and breathtaking views down into deep valleys), but it was overcast and foggy, so I couldn't see up into the mountain tops. What I could see, however, made up for it. 

After many kilometers of this, I decided I really should see the castles at Koniggsschlösse. You know, the one built by the Mad Bavarian (did you know he had a really bad haircut?  Look him up!) while he lived in another castle nearby. When I arrived, it was very crowded, do I ate lunch and took some pictures from below instead of taking the castle tours. The lines were long, and it was cold and windy. Besides, I fear that if I were to get too close, the magic would be gone. This is the one he built,

while he lived here. 

It was interesting that these two castles, which are very near each other, sit on relatively low crags right on the edge of the lowland plains. 

After visiting there, I drove off to see Weiskirchen, an absolutely stunning example of a late medieval church. Taking pictures inside is forbidden, if I got the Getman and pictograms right, but it is glorious. There are so many details that it would take me weeks to even note them all. But my eye was drawn to a silver lamb, high above the altar, in a niche of its own. 

It was about 3:00 then, and I decided to visit Dachau.