. . . or my motivations for becoming a princess
Part of traveling Europe beyond the many many churches and cathedrals is the many many castles and palaces. Given the amount of traveling I’ve done since my last major post, I am dedicating an entire post to the very different castles I have had the chance to tour in the last month or so . . . and then I never want to speak of castles again and I bet you won’t either! Seriously, even though this is a castle themed post and I’m talking about a whopping SIX of them, I’m going to keep each description fresh and unique! And of course, I’ll be including details of my interesting experiences around each castle as well. I promise! So please don’t be afraid, don your own crown (or tiara) and dive on in!
Fussen, Germany – Neuschwanstein and Linderhof
There is an intrinsically dualistic nature to the world; it is both a barely traversable vast realm and a seemingly small community. It would take me a day to travel to Australia but I can contact someone there in mere seconds. The true significance of such a reality is difficult to grasp. While on exchange, I have this omnipresent thought that I am far from home (and indeed if you look simply at the number of miles, Virginia is quite a ways away). However, it is amazing how friends can be found in the most unexpected locations. I am writing this from my sunny seat on a train to Fussen, Germany. This small town in Bavaria was not on my original list of desired destinations for my time in Europe but here I sit regardless. Why? Because it’s a small world. My great aunt Rollie reached out to childhood family friends when she learned I would be spending a semester in Switzerland. Not too many emails later I had plans to visit Suzanne Vorbrugg in – Surprise! – Fussen, Germany where she and her husband own a bed and breakfast. As it’s currently off-season, she was generous and welcomed me for a weekend in mid March. So as I watch Swiss (or German?) countryside fly by outside the window, my excitement builds with the thought of new friendships and a relaxing weekend.
Suzanne and her husband were the most gracious hosts I have ever encountered and gave me a connection to my family back in the U.S. before I even knew that I desperately needed one. Suzanne has a sharp sense of humor, which bids her to do things such as emailing a photo to my mom of Suzanne and I in front of Linderhof Castle with the subject “Castle with proprietors” . . . it made me laugh at least! I wonder what it would be like to actually live in one of the three grand castles nearby.
Neuschwanstein castle is a lesson in the ornate. Not a single surface has escaped a scrupulous attention to detail and grandeur. Every inch of the wall sports its very own hue, lines, shapes, and optical stimulation. All these inches combine to tell magnificent stories – the romantic fairytales in which Ludwig II quite literally desired to live. The throne room is fit for a King as it should be and it’s a shame that King Ludwig never got to sit there as he died before construction on the castle was completed (some rooms were simply just left unfinished). The floor boasts a mosaic comprised of over a thousand pieces, which depicts flora and fauna abound. A peacock shows off his flashy feathers and giraffes languidly lounge while vines circle the scene. A glance up, past two tons of grandiose brass chandelier, reveals the heaven of the suns and stars. The walls are decorated al fresco style and the room itself is in the shape of a Byzantine church. The 12 disciples stand watch and the King of Kings, Jesus, looks down upon where the throne should have stood. In all the room, not a single space is left unadorned.
The rest of the palace continues in this way. The tour walks slowly through the halls, looking with strong intent - trying not to miss anything and instead probably missing almost everything. The last room of the tour is the main singing hall. I enter and suddenly stop, most likely angering the people following behind me. As ornate as all the rooms we’ve visited thus far, this one speaks to me with a more special beauty. Sun streams through a multitude of windows illuminating a wooded scene as the backdrop to the stage. The trees lean under the force of an invisible wind and beckon, calling me to come on stage and enter a fantastical make-believe world. My mind flashes between images of the willows in Monet’s water lily paintings and memories of theater performances in high school. I wish I could return to the time when musicians would perform in a hall on such a stage and weave tales of love & sorrow, victory & defeat.
Looking out the grand windows I’m left shell-shocked by the majestic juxtaposition of ornately detailed carvings to rugged, jagged, and snowy mountains. No matter how beautiful the castle is, nothing man-made, even over the course of 17 years, can compete with something it’s taken nature an eternity to create. Though Ludwig II, himself, was also a fan of nature. Given his (very intense) obsession with swans, he incorporated them all over the castle – in both subtle and ostentatious ways. It’s almost as if he was trying to create an extra super difficult cereal box game. Instead of “How many fruit loops can you find in this picture?” it’s “How many swans can you find in this castle?” Though I kid about his swan obsession, I did pick up a swan shaped tea infuser from the bookshop on my way out. I just couldn’t help myself! And now I’ll always have a very special token to remind me of my first European castle visit this semester.
Ludwig’s other castle, Linderhof, is actually quite different from Neuschwanstein so now I can see why a King might need two (. . . just kidding . . . it’s all just SO much!). Linderhof is a caste that Ludwig built to connect to his natural state of seclusion. A kindred spirit would call Ludwig simply an intense and serious introvert; a critic would call him a mad, obsessive hermit. I’ll settle for calling him lonely. An introvert myself, I approve of many design aspects that Ludwig implemented in his castles, especially Linderhof. However, his addiction to solitude far exceeds any craving I have ever had for peace and quiet – and is at its heart the most maudlin of melancholies. First is the lack of reception or parlor; there is literally a built-in (or should I really say lack of “built”-in) excuse to retreat for socializing. Second, Ludwig invented a table that lowered into the floor by a system of pulleys so that servants could simply place the food on the table below and send it up to him. He wanted to dine completely alone as even servants were seen as unwelcome intellectual interruptions. And then one of the most famous, and most depressing, rooms is the hall of mirrors. In a room that can best be described as Ludwig’s study, mirrors cover almost every inch of the walls, creating endless hallways that stretch on and on. It seems to me as if Ludwig was simply trying to fabricate company, or maybe he just really liked looking at himself. Either is possible. Or maybe it was a bit of both. All I know is that I, for one, find that many mirrors impossibly distracting and quite confusing.
My trip to Fussen was my first foray into the world of castles during my time studying abroad, but it wasn’t going to be my last . . .
Prague, Czech Republic – Prague Castle
Prague was different from all of my other trips from the start (and Prague castle is distinctly different too) in that I wasn’t just traveling with friends or by myself . . . but with my family. Yes, that’s right – my lovely family came and visited me for a week because they are awesome (and had a great excuse to come vacation in Europe)!
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| Cool door as a cool pic backdrop. |
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| Ownin' the view. |
The city of Prague embodies a historical, classical glam that is at first quite appealing but the more time you spend there, the more contrived it seems. Even the splendor of Prague castle falls short; it is the least castle-like castle I have ever seen (though it is beautiful and interesting in its own way) as it looks like a complex of stoically plain government buildings. However, in the middle of all the plain stone sits what I consider to be the gem of Prague Castle: St. Vitus Cathedral.
The cathedral looms above all the other buildings and easily outshines them with its grandeur. Tall, spindly towers of intricately carved dark stone pose a sinister beauty. My brother, Ian, and I decided to brave the 287 steps to the top of the South Tower and were met with a breathtaking view. The entire city was sprawled out beneath us. Though the buildings of Prague were tiny and distant, we were able to pick out our apartment thanks to the easily spotted American flag of the U.S. embassy waving in the wind nearby.
What was enthralling about Prague Castle is the history represented there. So many stories and lives even packed into spaces as small as the narrow Golden Lane where smiths, seamstresses, and tailors alike used to inhabit tiny homes within the castle walls. Best in their craft, they served the royalty and nobles; it was an honor to reside there. And the honor lasted even beyond practicality, as the last residents of the lane didn’t leave until the government bought the properties in the mid 20th century even though the little abodes were without a sewage system and electricity. My apartment in Sankt Gallen isn't that nice but at least it has those!
Budapest, Hungary – Buda Castle
Through the ramparts, the waves of Rohan riders were an astonishingly powerful sight to behold. Horns rang out in the distance as the defenders of Gondor tried to regroup. The white stone towers threatened to tumble under the force of the orc attack. Swords clashed and . . .
“Now do we want to actually tour and go inside the castle or just walk around? We may be a little castled out.” My mom’s question interrupted my geeky reverie. Even though I’m not too much of a diehard LOTR (Lord of the Rings) fan, Buda castle bears a stark similarity to Gondor.
The bright regality of the castle’s walls and towers that stand tall above the rushing, dull Danube river are a grand representation of Budapest’s natural juxtaposition of contemporary nitty gritty against old elegance. The delicate parliament building sits by the iron casts of discarded shoes – a reminder of the duality of power from protected freedoms to garish genocide.
And just as there is the contrast between the contemporary nitty gritty and the old elegance, there are also rustic ruins and modern marvels. This can even be seen across the range of baths in the city from ancient Turkish muddy walls of the Kiraly Bath to the brilliantly tiled neo-baroque ceilings of the Szechenyi Bath.
The baths were contrasts in of themselves and I spent my time there jumping from hot water to cold to even hotter. The extremes were oddly comforting and I must admit that I accidentally took a nap in one of them, all the travel finally catching up with me. Or maybe it was castle overload . . . though I wasn’t quite done touring them yet.
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| The family became a little obsessed with cool doors on the trip . . . |
Gruyeres, Switzerland – Castle of Gruyeres
I’m taking back every use of the word quaint in this blog up until now, because nothing can compare to just how quaint Gruyeres, Switzerland really is. After driving through miles (sorry, kilometers) of Swiss countryside, my family and I were amazed at how such a small town could compete with the beauty of its surroundings. As the town is barely more than a cluster of homes on a hillside, it wasn’t hard to find our accommodation and then the castle from there. It was a simple walk through the cobblestone courtyard, turn around a bend, and dash further up the hill.
My memories of Gruyere castle are wildly varied. I think back to the tour and my mind is filled with images of laughing while playing human Pacman in the garden, the breathtaking view of the Alps that loom over the fortress, and a dismembered mummified hand said to be recovered by knights of Gruyeres during a crusade.
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| The gardens! |
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| Mummified hand! |
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| My mom and I! |
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| SO MUCH CHOCOLATE. #love |
Now where I’d actually like to be a princess is in a small town that neighbors Gruyeres called Broc. Why? Chocolate. The Cailler chocolate factory was founded in Broc and our tour of the facility was one of the most magical experiences of my life. In addition to seeing chocolate production lines, learning about the history of chocolate, and getting to know the integrity of Cailler’s ingredients, we were also instructed in how to be a chocolate taste tester (can you say DREAM JOB). We must have tried at least 10 varieties of chocolate. It was the first time I ever felt like I couldn’t eat another piece of chocolate – but that doesn’t discourage me from wanting to do the tour all over again!
Magaluf and Palma, Mallorca – Castell Bellver
Give Snooki and the Situation British or Irish accents and they’d fit right in here among the neon lights and the salty air. I think I’d struggle to find someone who speaks a lick of Spanish in Magaluf. Irish pubs are squished between the nightclubs and “supermarkets” that sell flip flops and floats boasting signs in Cyrillic to attract Russians that I have yet to see. We arrived late just as stag and hen parties galore began to stumble up and down the main strip. The next morning presented a calmer and more relaxed town – one that didn’t wake up until past noon. We followed suit in true vacation and because when in Magaluf . . . do as tourists do. It wasn’t until we claimed our spot on the hot beach and I’d lathered on lots of sunscreen (sunburn is preventable) that I took the time to marvel at my surroundings. I stood there burying my toes in the sand and gazing out at the Mediterranean for moment-less minutes. I’m searching for the right words to even begin to describe it all. The water wasn’t just a crisp blue – it was brilliantly dynamic. The bright sun hit the ripples and bathed the sea in stripes of white light. Patches of seaweed created pools of navy among the aquamarine stillness, a beguiling illusion of depth. Though waves were absent, the water still moved as spirited fish darted back and forth, their taupe bodies almost blending in with the ocean floor. The subtle activity just under the surface caused the body of water to sparkle even more. Relaxing on the beach was just what I needed after my first final exam at the University of St. Gallen. Strategic Management is one of my easy classes but I’m still crossing my fingers that I passed just in case.
Not wanting to be a total beach bum in Magaluf, the second full day we were there, Shannon, Sean, and I decided to head into Palma (the island’s biggest city) for the evening after a second stint of beach lounging. Trading the cheesy touristy atmosphere for a little more authentic Spanish flavor was just the little bit of cultural flair that the trip needed. We simply wandered through the rambling streets and down the aptly named Ramblas (is there an etymological connection there?). The bright colors and lingering aroma of seafood paella took me back to the weeks I spent in Madrid, A Corona, and Barcelona more than five years ago.
Deciding I wanted to see even more of Mallorca’s culture, Shannon, Sean, Ryan, and I decided to wake up early the next morning so we could explore the island’s castle, Castell Bellver, before we had to catch our flights. It took a lot of mental willpower to drag myself out of bed at 6:30am and even more to climb the 400+ steps up the hill upon which the castle stands. Getting such an early start meant that the four of us reached the castle just as it opened and for the first few minutes we simply ran around, our heavy footsteps echoing off the stone. I felt like a little kid playing King of the Hill while looking out at Palma and its port. The cathedral and sailboats glimmered beneath the rising sun in miniature.
Castell Bellver is unique in its shape; it is one of the few circular castles in Europe. To me, it embodies the castle I build in the fantasy realm of my imagination. A tall circular outer wall with large towers and stony ramparts protects the interior castle. Between the two lies an empty moat that I try to picture filled with waters and dangerous sea monsters (I really hope the Kings of Mallorca were cool enough to fill the moat with sea monsters). Thinking of sea monsters just reminds me of my upcoming trip to Scotland. Goodbye, Mallorca! Nessie, here I come!
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| A pretty formidable fortress! |
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| Arches on circles. #cray |
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| HSG students take Palma! |
Castell Bellver is unique in its shape; it is one of the few circular castles in Europe. To me, it embodies the castle I build in the fantasy realm of my imagination. A tall circular outer wall with large towers and stony ramparts protects the interior castle. Between the two lies an empty moat that I try to picture filled with waters and dangerous sea monsters (I really hope the Kings of Mallorca were cool enough to fill the moat with sea monsters). Thinking of sea monsters just reminds me of my upcoming trip to Scotland. Goodbye, Mallorca! Nessie, here I come!
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Thus my castle tour of Europe concludes, from zero to sixty (well . . . six) in the span of a few weeks. I think I want to take a break from castles for the moment and so do my legs. No matter how different they all are – every castle involved a long climb to reach it. My quads thank you, dear castles! And now all of you got a little peek into them without the hard work. I hope you enjoyed!
