The Keukenhof Was Exquisite

Exquisite really doesn't cover it.  Breathtaking, no probably not... pictures do speak a thousand words... Holland and the tulips of spring... the smell alone makes you giddy...

Tulip People

Ludwig's Sad Story and Beautiful Castles

Ludwig II of Barvaria was a dreamer, and he also had a deep desire to know God, but he sought knowledge of God from the wrong sources.  He died a sad death, never finding the faith and assurance he was looking for.

Ludwig became King of Barvaria at the young age of 18, and he himself described himself as unprepared for being king.  He talked of not even being through with his education when he had to assume the responsibilities of the throne.  When the Bavarians sided with Austria in a war against Prussia, their defeated alliance resulted in Bavaria becoming a part of the German Empire.  Ludwig became a King in name only.

Ludwig withdrew from most of the state affairs of Bavaria, and instead he persuaded life as an eccentric patron of the arts and architecture.  He also loved the legends of Bavaria, and even viewed them as based in reality.  Known as the Swan King, because of his fascination with the legion of a knight in shining armor who rescues a beautiful princess after the death of her father from Count Telramund.  Elsa, the beautiful princess is the choice of her dying father of the next to rule over the kingdom, and all of the king's knights promise to be true to Elsa and her father's wishes for her, except that Count Telramund declares he is to marry Elsa, and to become King instead.

When the heroic Knight Lohengrin arrives to save the day in the legend, he is pulled in a boat drawn by a silver swan.  There is more to the story, but I will save it for the next post.  Instead I will show you the beauty which surrounds the castle which Ludwig built to honor this legend.

At first as the sun rose on our trip the clouds hung low and prevented our seeing the road ahead.

                             Then the clouds began to clear and the countryside opened before us!

The mountains began to appear in the background!

                                                                                                                                                          

There was only one hope of me making the final leg of the journey to see Ludwig's "new swan castle," and that was with the help of this means of transportation.  That is because his beautiful castle sits high on the side of a mountain in the most beautiful countryside you have ever seen!

Our own driver was a character, and had a lot to say on the slow ride up the mountain!  Eventually we were left to walk the final leg up the mountain to the castle.

The views from the mountain upon which the castle is built are breath taking!

Finally we reached the top, and got our first views of this magnificent structure whose structure began in 1869 which is known as Schloss Neuschwanstein, "New Swan-on-the Rock Castle!"  

More of the beauty of this beautiful castle in the mountains of Germany, 

and the story of King Ludwig II will follow, so come back soon!

My Thoughts on Angela Merkel

What a woman of character, honor, strength, and courage Angela Merkel is.  I believe that her recent actions concerning the refugees pouring into Europe have done more to win the war on terror than any politician, any diplomatic policy, or any military action from the Coalition in the last two decades.  Her stance in the dealings with Greece, and her leadership in all that I have observed, have so impressed me.

Scenes From the Texas I Love

It is spring time in Texas!

I Have Friends Back Home in Texas Who are So Interesting

Since it is Easter time, I am thinking of the little rabbits back home in Texas at the ranch, and how sweet it was each Spring to watch the new baby bunnies be born.  They can be found in the rabbit hutch in the corner in the hay.  Mom doesn't come out of the hutch very much, even when the rabbit chow is passed out, and the Daddy Rabbit becomes very protective!

Then there is another little friend back home... Rocket the miniature goat...  

She is such a clown, and has so much personality.

Here she is when she was just a baby...

She grew up!

She loves being out of her pen, but gets into mischief, and I would feel bad because she would get lonely when she had to be put in the pen.  (Coyotes wanting her for supper was another reason for her confinement to the pen.)  So I began trying to introduce little animals into the pen for her to play with, and to keep her company...  At first she wasn't sure how to be a friend to rabbits...

The Train Trip to Frankfurt

The photos in this post are all made through the window on the train, except for this first one.  You will be able to see my reflection in the glass window in some of the pictures.  I just wanted to give everyone an idea of what I see from the train on a ride to Frankfurt.  So come along for a ride on the S3!  You will enjoy it.

I Am Wondering About These Guys

Since I am new to Germany, I really am not familiar with all the customs of the Carnival Festival.  So I am not certain if there is any special significance of these characters I photographed at Monday's parade in Neu-Isenburg.  Perhaps someone can fill me in on the significance of the characters, if there is any.   

Carnival in Germany

 As always, the children capture my camera lens first!

How Beautiul the Rhine Was This Weekend!

It was Germany in winter, it was a beautiful sunny day on the Rhine.  We drove to Rudesheim, the road winds with the Rhine up into the mountains.  There are castles all along the way, but just the houses and the shops, many of them so old and some of them ancient, fascinate me.  I have learned that Germany has as many vineyards as it does trains.

There are little hotels everywhere...

 

 If you have a left over castle part, just build onto it...  I think that is what they do... 

I am going to have to research that...

What an incredible country!