Euro Trip - Part 2

Here below are the rest of the links to my trip in Europe.  Growing up in a farm from the top of Northern Philippines, I've never before seen a castle.  I've always wanted to visit England for this but when I heard and learnt about Neuchwanstein Castle I knew it was the castle I wanted to one day see.

A Quickie in Paris...

We managed to book our air tickets to Paris quite early and I managed to get a budget accommodation within walking distance to the Eiffel Tower.  History was not a strong point for me at school (I thought what's done is done, why bother? ha ha ha) and though I wasn't as  hopeless in Geography, I was not that too interested either at that time.  But even with my disinterest, I did manage to actually enjoy finding out about a few things and places I deemed worth remembering.  There was The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Cologne Cathedral and Berlin Wall of Germany, Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan, Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks in the US, London Tower in England, Niagara Falls in Canada, Uluru in Australia, Iguassu Falls in Brazil, Machu Pichu in Latin America, The Great Wall of China and so on to name a few!

It's  a weird but amazing feeling to be in a place you've thought about a lot and never really made a connection of you being there one day!  When you finally get there you still feel like you are only reading a book or watching a movie but with you in it!  I think that is what makes it feel a bit weird!  You are sitting inside the restaurant, walking along the river, hearing the accent first hand, blending in and absorbing as much as you possibly can  in such a limited time!

While packing for my trip, the one thing that keeps coming to mind is "must look chic in Paris" which I thought should be the case since Paris after all, is the fashion headquarter of the world!  But thanks to old(er) age and maturity; I decided to be comfortable instead of fashionable!  I realized it was pointless to look good when you are in pain because of your bunions or turning blue with below zero temperatures!

Two nights in Paris was all I had.  From Potsdam we took the regional train DB to Schonefield International Airport at the crack of dawn in the middle of winter! The short flight was fine but the gloomy weather meant I saw nothing after fighting for a window seat and embarrassing my friend in the process! We managed to check out the Eiffel Tower, cruise the Seine, went up Mt Parnasse Tower; The Louvre Museum and Notre Dame Cathedral in one day and spent the other in Paris Disneyland!  I get asked  a lot how to get to Paris Disneyland so I thought I better do it while I'm there.  Most won't spend a day for this reason but I believe in nurturing the child within; it keeps me sane!

 

I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the people I spoke to; from the information desk of Orly International to the people on the streets; were very accommodating and helpful.  I was forwarned to make sure I have a little bit of French if I want to be treated as a tourist in Paris!  I didn't feel the need of it!

Random images: Germany

Growing up in a small village from northern Philippines, castles and palaces were just figments of my imagination. I only learned about them through books I use to read at the very young age of nine and against my aunt's approval. I guess I owe it all to her Barbara Cartland's romance pocketbooks, books I was forbidden to read but I did anyway whenever I had the chance to hide them from my aunt.

One particular castle that dominated my dreams as a girl is of course that of Disneyland's. I was much older by the time I found out the it was inspired by King Ludwig II of Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle. Since then I had longed to see the castle but I thought it would only be just that; a dream, a longing!

But the dream became a reality two years ago today when finally I got to see and walk inside the castle. It was an awesome experience. There was lots of history, culture, the sceneries, White Christmas, Christmas Market; it makes the mind boggles when it suddenly is bombarded by so many things foreign happening at the same time. It was a wonderful experience but one I have enjoyed more because of the hospitality bestowed on me by good friends.

Three weeks was not enough but we managed to pack in as much as my health (horrible winter-flu) allowed me. I was lucky there was no swine-flu alert at that time! Below are a few random shots of Neuschwanstein Castle I managed to take. Just like most tourist places, taking photographs are not permitted inside. It is called the fantasy castle! I usually get disappointed when I see the real thing except this one, this time.    Click on the photos to enlarge...

Below are random images of Potsdam, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Nuremberg and Leipzig:

The Schloss Sansoucci - Potsdam

Park Babelsberg - Potsdam

Babelsberg Castle

Cologne Cathedral Interior

Berlin TV Tower

Brandenburger Gate - Berlin

Nuremberg

The doors of the Cologne Cathedral

A Building in Dresden

Leipzig

My first real Mistletoes...