Just when the Wren thought things could not get much better, they did. Thursday night, Rob arrived at the Starnberg train station. The Wren was already asleep, but in the morning a surprise awaited her.
After a fun morning spent re-establishing bonds with her Uncle Rob, we all piled in the car for a trip to the Alps. On the way, Rob taught her that nearly any object can become a musical instrument. This is before...
...and this is after. Rob and Wren discovered they have a mutual love of sleeping in moving vehicles.
Our destination was Linderhof, another palace of the infamous King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The large building in the background here is the biergarten on the palace grounds (a more recent addition).
This is the view from the palace steps. King Ludwig was a huge fan of King Louis XIV, and built Linderhof as a sort of mini-Versailles.
Here is one of several ornate outbuildings.
The Bethel clan enjoyed the alpine sunshine.
And then ventured into the Venus Grotto, an artificial cave Ludwig had built to re-create the scene from a Wagner opera. A servant would row Ludwig around in a gilded boat on the water while he (and he alone) watched performances of the opera. We learned that this grotto was the first place in all of Bavaria to get electricity. Yes, the more we hear about Ludwig, the stranger he seems.
On the way home, we stopped at the Wieskirche, famed as the most beautiful rococo church in Germany. It was lovely in the evening sun.
The church is located in the little town of Steingaden, surrounded by fields at the foot of the German Alps. It was built there after tears were seen on a wooden statue of the Saviour, and flocks of pilgrims began to come to the site.
No tears, however, were seen on the face of the Wren. She had a great day with great company, and the promise of many more family-filled days to come.
Just when the Wren thought things could not get much better, they did. Thursday night, Rob arrived at the Starnberg train station. The Wren was already asleep, but in the morning a surprise awaited her.
After a fun morning spent re-establishing bonds with her Uncle Rob, we all piled in the car for a trip to the Alps. On the way, Rob taught her that nearly any object can become a musical instrument. This is before...
...and this is after. Rob and Wren discovered they have a mutual love of sleeping in moving vehicles.
Our destination was Linderhof, another palace of the infamous King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The large building in the background here is the biergarten on the palace grounds (a more recent addition).
This is the view from the palace steps. King Ludwig was a huge fan of King Louis XIV, and built Linderhof as a sort of mini-Versailles.
Here is one of several ornate outbuildings.
The Bethel clan enjoyed the alpine sunshine.
And then ventured into the Venus Grotto, an artificial cave Ludwig had built to re-create the scene from a Wagner opera. A servant would row Ludwig around in a gilded boat on the water while he (and he alone) watched performances of the opera. We learned that this grotto was the first place in all of Bavaria to get electricity. Yes, the more we hear about Ludwig, the stranger he seems.
On the way home, we stopped at the Wieskirche, famed as the most beautiful rococo church in Germany. It was lovely in the evening sun.
The church is located in the little town of Steingaden, surrounded by fields at the foot of the German Alps. It was built there after tears were seen on a wooden statue of the Saviour, and flocks of pilgrims began to come to the site.
No tears, however, were seen on the face of the Wren. She had a great day with great company, and the promise of many more family-filled days to come.
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