Summer Adventure 2018: Part One

Hello from Bulgaria! It has been a while since we have updated but we have had quite a bit going on. One thing that is as true here as it is back in Wisconsin, summer is always busy. School finished at the end on June and shortly after we had family come and visit us. We spent the month of July touring Europe with them and it was a blast. Because we did so much we will have to make a few posts about everything we did.

Our summer adventure began the first weekend of July when my mom and grandma flew to Sofia. As a surprise they brought along my sister. It was great to see them all again but they arrived pretty late so we whisked them away in a taxi ride. The next morning the group of us went on the Free Sofia Tour. Chris and I love this tour and it is a great way to learn about the city and find the main attractions in the city. It was a nice tour that allowed us to find places that we wanted to go and take pictures of. Of course after the picture taking we had to go souvenir shopping. Chris and I also treated our guests to a tour of campus as well as a traditional Bulgarian meal.

Boyana Church

The next day we took a tour to visit Boyana Church and Rila Monastery. Boyana Church is a small Medieval church with gorgeous frescoes inside. The group in charge of the church do an amazing job restoring and keeping the artwork for people to enjoy. When we were there a group of archaeologists had just begun a dig near the church in what they believe to be a graveyard. Rila Monastery was about an hour and a half drive from Sofia with beautiful views of the mountains. The Monastery itself was quite beautiful to see. The original building was also a Medieval church that had been destroyed in a fire. Only the bell tower remains from the original construction. The new church was decorated with frescoes on both the outside and inside of the building. Each section depicted a different story from the bible. The bright colors of the frescoes made it hard to believe that they were almost 100 years old. After our adventuring we hunted down a few more souvenirs and then ate at Made in Blue, a restaurant operating in an old house and that serves yummy food.

Rila Monastery

On day three of the family visit, Chris and I began our European adventure. Our five person crew traveled from Sofia to Munich, where after a bit of sightseeing we promptly found ourselves in one of the most famous beer halls, the Hofbräuhaus. The food was yummy and the beer was refreshing. It was a great introduction to the Bavarian cuisine.

The next day we traveled to Neuschwanstein Castle. Our adventure began with a stop in Oberammergau. It is a cute little town with a rich history in the arts. The town has beautiful murals on the buildings, talented wood-carvers and is know around the world for its passion play. The play is put on completely by the town with all the actors citizens of Oberammergau that meet specific requirements. You can check out more about the play and its history here. It was a quick stop but definitely worth it.

A building in Oberammergau

Our next stop brought us to Linderhof Castle. This was the first castle on our tour and it set the bar for what we expected of a castle. The building was designed for King Ludwig II of Bavaria and was built by his father's old hunting lodge. It was a small place but was decorated in so much gold and other fine material that it was obvious that size doesn't matter. We couldn't take any pictures inside the castle but it was definitely worth a look. The castle also had a beautiful fountain and pond located between the entrance of the castle and the gardens. This was probably our favorite castle to visit and I think we all wished we had more time to explore.

A view from Linderhof Castle

After Linderhof came the inspiration for the Cinderella castle. Nestled high into the side of the cliff, Neuschwanstein Castle towers over visitors and residents of the area. Linderhof was small but filled with opulent things, Neuschwanstein echoed power and wealth from the moment it was visible. As I said the castle was located high in a cliff, which meant we had to climb to get there. It was a slow and rainy trek but our five person crew made it. The tour was an audio tour that gave a history of the castle and King Ludwig II, the man who commissioned the structure. It was really quite the sight to see. We finished our day with some much deserved rest.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Day five of our trip started out with a tour of another castle. The Residenz in Munich was where the royal families of Bavaria lived and conducted political affairs. We toured through the beautifully decorated halls to see paintings and learn about the functions of the rooms through out the centuries. It was fascinating to see the intricately decorated furniture and paintings on the ceilings. The museum was also quick to remind us the the castle had been bombed during World War II. One of the prominent features was a basilica in the castle that was undergoing restoration. After our morning there we toured around Munich and did some souvenir shopping. That afternoon we caught the playing of the Glockenspiel. For the sports fans on our trip we also trekked to the Olympic Park on the outskirts of the city. It was a wonderful way to finish our time in Germany.

The Neue Rathaus houses the Glockenspiel

Although we were done in Germany our trip was far from over! Our crew boarded a train bound for Vienna, the land of the Habsburgs, a once powerful family that had ties to the great leaders of Europe until World War I. (The family has a fascinating history and if you would like to know more about them and their empire check out this article from Encyclopedia Britannica.) We arrived in Vienna pretty early so we decided to explore the city a little bit. Traversing through small city streets we stumbled upon the main city square where we found St. Stephan Cathedral. The Cathedral had beautiful mosaic tiling on the roof making it one of the most unique churches I have ever seen. After a quick peek inside we hunted down some souvenirs and some ice cream. That night we indulged in some Wiener Schnitzel, a must have in Vienna.

Day seven of our trip brought on some more rain but a cheery tour guide. Our guide toured us through the world of the Habsburgs. We toured through the winter palace which still houses the offices of the President of Austria. We learned about the family that built the palace and how they built Vienna into a vibrant western city. The guide also showed us the city's fate during World War II and the destruction from the bombings. There was so much to see and do there that we think we will have to go back. After the tour we had some lunch with some chocolate cake, another must have in Vienna. Our group also toured the Imperial Treasury, which houses the Habsburg jewels and other precious and religious items. Our day ended with a beautiful sunset over the city that we were able to enjoy from our hotel room.

Our five person trip came to an end with grandma, mom and my sister flying home from Vienna. It was a wonderful trip to have after a long school year and it was lovely to see some family that we haven't seen a while. We bid farewell in the airport and Chris and I continued to the train station where the next leg of our adventure begins. Here ends the first part of our summer adventures. The next part should be here sooner rather than later!