June 24 - 25

Need to get caught up on this blog.  We have been so busy, I haven't had time to sit down and write you all of you.  Here goes:

After we left the castles in Neuschwanstein, Germany we were off to Prien/Chiemsee, Austria.  Chiemsee is the "Bavarian Sea.:  Home to one of the most beautiful lakes in the Bavarian Alps.

Here is a picture of the boat dock outside of our hotel.

  This is our hotel.  It was lovely and I could have spent a week there instead of a night.


On Saturday, we got up early and took a boat ride and a horse drawn carriage to visit the Herrencheinsee Castle.  It was built by Mad King Ludwig in 1878 and like most of his castles, was never finished.  He wanted to build a relipca of Versailles so there are many similarities.  Unfortunately like all the other castles we have visited, you can't take pictures of the interiors but here are few pictures to give you an idea of our day at the castle.

We stopped along the way to take a cable car/tram ride to the peak of Kampen Mountain.  Although I am not nervous about heights, I prayed that no one would do anything to make the car move.  It was freightening.

My picture doesn't do the scenery justice.  The mountains were spectacular.

We kept waiting for Heidi to run across the meadow.

We spent Saturday night in Berchtegaden which is a small village (8000 people) high in the Bavarian Alps.  Berchtegaden began as the place of the Whittelback Royal Family's salt mines in the 12th century.  Later it would become known as the retreat of the Nazi elite with the mountain homes of Hitler, Hermann, Goering and Martin Borman.  Outside of town at the top of the mountain was Hitler's private mountain retreat---the Eagle's Nest.  Hileter wrote "Mein Kampf" in Oberslazbert and spent about a quarter of his time in power at this location.

Sunday was Hilter's Eagle' Nest.  It has 4 miles of underground bunkers and housing for about 2000 Nazis.  It included everything from a grade school to the Gestapo Headquarters. 

Miles and miles of bunkers that were never damaged by bombing.

Hitler's dining room at Eagle's Nest

The top of Eagle's Nest was all covered with clouds but this was the view only a half mile down the mountain.

After Eagle's Nest we went to Konigsee (King's Lake).  Again, the mountains were incredible.  It is a cold deep, dark lake in a unique setting.  It is the most photographed panorama in Germany.  The boat tour took us over to St Bartholomew's Church which was about a 33 minute boat ride.

Water fall that has two ponds. 

Electric boats so not to pollute the water which is crystal clear.



Boat Houses



Hope that you are enjoying the narratives and the pictures.  It has been great to hear from folks back home.

Jack and Nancy