My goal in every city or village I visited was to find the tallest tower (usually a bell tower or church temple) and get "The View." In my shared pictures, you see those views and I hope you can enjoy them as much as I did. The only thing that you won't get from the pictures but I will certainly share is the smell of freshness, crisp mountain air. It was a smell that I had never experienced but now, will never forget.
My Omi and I truly enjoyed ourselves. My Omi did not sport the trek to the top of the towers with me. She did, however, enjoy her own pleasures: shopped and then, she would find a cafe' to enjoy a cup of cappuccino and maybe a yummy pastry.
**Omi has an eye for finding the finest pastry shops :)
Besides the inner village sites and attractions, my Omi and I made it off the beaten path for some other adventures too! These next couple of experiences were my favorite!
1. Before leaving Germany, we visited Neuschwanstein. That was my first true taste of the Alps. You could see them in the distance. King Ludwig truly had an eye for knowing where to place his castle because his view was something that would inspire me day in and day out. He also had bridges that crossed the river canyon. I walked for about 20-30 minutes to cross one of these bridges and looked down only to find 2 large waterfalls. It was amazing! I tried to find a trail to lead me down the canyon but the rangers had blocked it off. I am guessing that it was due to the seasonal rainfall, the water levels were up making it dangerous for hikers at times.
2. Innsbruck, Austria: We enjoyed the good people of Innsbruck (some of the friendliest people) and the spectacular panoramic views of the Swiss Alps. They actually have a ski lift that leaves from the center of town to the top of one of the many mountains. Literally, some working people take their lunch breaks to hop the lift and enjoy a run down the mountain on their lunch hour. Totally cool!
3. Lucerne, Switzerland: This was a beautiful town that sits at the foot of Mount Pilatus--7,000ft in elevation! Omi and I rode a gondola from the base to tip-top. The locals say that it is a 50/50 chance that you will have visibility at the top but the risk is worth it. On this day of our adventure, we got LUCKY! The views were breath-taking . . . literally, the air was thin and I found it hard to breathe when venturing on the walking paths to higher points of the peak. The gondola ride was exciting too. At times, I was frightened because you start out in gondola that carries 4-5 people and then, mid-mountain, you switch to a large "cargo" gondola that houses about 30-40 people. I kept thinking about the elevation and the cable that was our means to take us to the top. At the top, there was an observation deck with a very fine clubhouse building that had a shop, eatery and a cafe'. If you wanted to enjoy the outdoors, they had "beach chairs" with wool blankets on standby. Truly a neat experience. I spent my whole last hour just lounging and taking in the view.
4. Rheinfalls (Waterfall in Northern Switzerland): The waterfall sizes at 75ft tall and 450ft wide. The observation area seemed to be at least 2 football fields away from the falls but you could still feel the mist off the cascading water. Waterfalls are my favorite so you can imagine that I was in "Courtney Heaven."
5. Heidelerg, Germany: This was another slice of "Courtney Heaven" but not for the adventure. This University town is home of the one and only "Schwabbish Maultaschen." The yummiest German ravioli-like dish that is specific to Heidelberg. It is made with pork, spinach and easy, lite cheese. It is a German paradise in your mouth :) Besides the food, it is a neat place to visit because it has ruins of an old castle on the hill that still offers tours of its outer shell (only the walls of the castle have lasted the ages).
I think what I loved about the trip was that all these places allowed for my Omi to enjoy them too. She is not as mobile as I am but still she still was given the means to get to the sites and experience them with me. **Even if she was taken to the castle in a horse-drawn carriage while I trekked the mountain and met her at the top :)
I truly hope you enjoy these pictures. These places that I have mentioned are very special and something worth seeing!
