At the Top of Eiffel in Paris

Day 14
April 21, 2009
Paris

On April 21, we were back in Paris after an 11 hour overnight train ride from Munich. We chose the Freedom Class where, according to RailEurope.com, we would enjoy a 'couchette' in a shared compartment for up to 6. Couchette meant small bed and that was exactly what the cabin had - 2 triple decker beds cramped in a very tight space. The gap between the beds was unbelievably narrow, you cannot even sit on it, unless you are 3 feet tall. And there were barely space for our luggages.

We arrived in Paris at 9:30 AM and again, like the first time 2 weeks ago, had a grueling time using the metro system due to our heavy baggages, which after 2 weeks of travelling across Europe, were heavier. We arrived at hotel Saint-Honore way earlier than the very late check-in time. We used the time to rest in the lobby and eat lunch nearby. I also stupidly spent 22 euro to have my hair shaved.

Late in the afternoon, we went to Arc de Triomphe, built in 1806 by Napoleon I to glorify the Grande Armée. From the top there is a panoramic view of Paris and of the twelve major avenues leading to the arc.






We then walked through the Champs-Elysees avenue, known for its high-end store chains. This is where I bought a nice and pricey watch in Swatch store, but very cheap compared to what Mitch bought in Louis Vuitton store.




Later that night, Marlon treated us to a dinner near the Eiffel tower. We actually wanted to eat at Eiffel restaurant but apparently, you had to book a year in advance to get a reservation and get to eat their 200 USD dinner, which is more than what I spent for my meals in a month back in Manila.

The highlight of my whole trip was our last stop for the day - the Eiffel tower, the symbol of Paris. This was built for the World Exposition of 1889 and stood as the tallest building in the world until New York's Chrysler building in 1930. The way up to the top was exhilirating. Too bad, Rissa had to miss it and Marlon chickened out at the last minute and stayed at the lower level.

Neuschwanstein Castle tour at Munich

Day 13
April 20, 2009
Munich

It was past 10 PM on April 19 when we arrived at Munich, after a 2 hour train ride from Salzburg. The hotel we booked, A and O City Haupbahnhof, was a few blocks away on the other side of the train station exit. Our room was small and very plain, without any furnishings but the beds. It was cheap though.

We spent the next day on a tour of the Royal Castles of Linderhof and Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. Both castles were built by King Ludwig II during the 19th century.

Here are some pictures I took:

This is Linderhof, built as a hunting lodge by King Ludwig in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the very quick guided tour of the interior did not permit photography.




Shown here is the back side of Neuschwanstein castle, at the top of the mountain. We had to take the shuttle to get there. We got the 3 PM tickets so we had lunch first.

Here is a hanging bridge across the castle, which provides a side view of the castle.

Unfortunately, the castle was was covered with scaffolding. This was not a great day for shutterbugs.



Here is another view from the bridge:

Here's one on the way to the castle:



Here is the castle courtyard where we waited for our turn of the tour. Just like in Linderhof, photography was not allowed inside. The tour was also quick, given that only very few rooms in Neuschwanstein were completed. Apparently, funding for the castle was stopped and the King was mysteriously murdered.




Here is a view from the castle:

Here is a model of the magnificent neo-Romanesque style castle. It was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.




We also had a stopover at Oberammergau, world-famous for its woodcarvers. Here I enjoyed shopping for little wood-carved Christmas decorations, which I bought for my mother. I hope they look well in our Christmas tree.

The Sound Of Music at Salzburg

Day 12
April 19, 2009
Salzburg

I grew up watching "The Sound of Music". We had a betamax tape of the movie, so I got to watch it multiple times during my childhood. I even used the film for my movie report back in grade school, twice! I was also able to watch a local production of the musical a few years ago. So, when the chance to go to Salzburg came, en route to Munich from Vienna, I grabbed it and forced my friends to come with me on the "Sound of Music" tour. And of course, I watched the film one more time a few days before I left Manila.

On April 18, we arrived at Salzburg at 10 PM on a Saturday night, after a 2.5 hour train ride from Vienna. We stayed at Hotel-Pension Adlerhof, which was just 2 blocks away from the train station. Our room was spacious and simply-furnished. The tour van picked us up early the next morning and brought us to the starting point of the tour, where Mary, the tour guide, and the unmistakable tour bus were waiting for us.



Mary had got to be the best tour guide ever. She was very funny and informative that I think Marlon fell head over heels in love with her (In our succeeding tours, he kept wishing Mary was the tour guide).

Our first stop was at the Leopoldskron lake, where Maria and the seven children went boating and then fell off the boat. Across the lake was the Leopoldskron Castle, which was used as the back exterior of the Trapp mansion. Apparently, another mansion was used for the front exterior, which we quickly passed through during the tour.





We then went to Hellbrunn Castle where the glass pavilion, used in "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" sequence, was reconstructed for the tour. It was transferred there from Leopoldskron Castle since tourists are not allowed near the castle.





Outside Hellbrunn Castle was the street where Maria danced her way through and sang "I Have Confidence in Me" on the way to the mansion.



We had a quick stopover to see Nonnberg Abbey, where the nuns sang "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" at the start of the film. It was actually here where the baron and Maria married in 1927.



We had another stopover for a breathtaking view of St.Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang, the scenaries shown at the beginning of the movie.



Here are more views from the bus:





We then went to Mondsee Cathedral where Maria and the baron wed in the movie. I am not sure if the church interior was used in the film because it looked really small compared to what was shown in the film.




We had a quick lunch at cafe Braun, famous for its Apple Struddel, which was really really good and should not be missed when visiting Salzburg.



The last stop was at the Mirabell Gardens where Maria and the children were seen dancing around the statue of Pegasus, the winged horse, and throughout the gardens singing 'Do-Re-Mi'.






We spent the rest of the afternoon on Austrian Lakes and Mountains Salzburg Sightseeing Tour, where we went to Lake district and St. Wolfgang.