Herrenchiemsee Caste. And the legend goes on...

06th August, a sunny morning and fresh hair did welcome our wake up in the quite vally of Swangau, Germany.

After open the windows of our cozy room, take a quick shower, we enjoy a wonderful healty breakfast in typical baverian style, with all the waitress wearing local tyrolean dress and serving local home made food.

It's a long day (at least for me that I have to drive all the way from Fussen to Salzburg in Austria) and I've aim to stop and visit the second castle of Ludwig II, Herrenchiemsee, known also as little Versaille, because it's the perfect copy of the same fortress in France.

I will not annoy any longer, but just let me share with you how pleasent is drive in Europe, especially (little note here for all Malaysian readers) when there is traffic jam or congestion.

In about 300km we encountered 2 accident and no one, repeat, no one... one more time... NO ONE driver did use the emergency lane, overtake, cut queue, etc..

Oh well, maybe just one, MYSELF: after driving for last 8 months in Malaysia I've became use to survive in this jungle where you remain alive only trying to squeeze other cars out of their way, use any disparete system just to gain few more centimeter of road.

Sharon, my professional navigator, promptly reminded me where we was and after realized my mistake I quitely re-align my car to the others and patiently wait for the road to be clear.

Germany highways (AutoBahn) are still great way to drive!

So finally we arrive at Prien after lunch, just in time to catch one of the boath to the major island (chiemsee) that host this wonderful palace.

The Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between the towns of Rosenheim and Salzburg. It is often referred to as the "Bavarian Sea".The region around the Chiemsee is called Chiemgau and is a famous recreation area, and believe it or not, I don't know whether because was Sunday or whatever else, the lake was full of amateur boats and families envolved in pic-nic and similar activities.

So after 30 minutes of boat we arrive at the the second of the four castles build by Ludwig II of Baveria.

The Neues Schloss (New Palace) is the most famous of these buildings and it is the biggest of Ludwig II of Bavaria's palaces. It is in a sense a monument to his adoration of Louis XIV. In the great hall of mirrors of the palace the ceiling is painted with 25 tableaux showing Louis XIV at his best.

It was to have been a full scale replica of the Palace of Versailles but only the central portion was built before the king died. 50 of the 70 rooms of the palace are still unfinished. It was never meant to be a perfectly exact replica of Versailles. At several places it surpasses !

Ludwig II became famous for the fortune he did spent on building his castles.

Between 1863 and 1886 a total of 16,579,674 Marks was spent constructing Herrenchiemsee. An 1890 '20 Mark' gold coin contained .2304 troy ounces of gold. Therefore, 16,579,674 Marks would equate to 190,998 oz of gold, which at recent gold prices (March 2007) is worth approximately £70,500,240 English Pounds or (August 2007) $125,380,637 United States of America Dollars! 120 years ago!

I add in no more words... the following photos (sorry we are not photogenic), will describe better this wonder (yes Sharon, yes I know, you are also a wonder, but this time I'm talking about the Castle !).

One important suggestion.... if you plan a trip here and you are in need to bite something, call it "food" please bring along a dictionary of German because although this is an international tourist destination, at the major restaurants, no one waitress speak a word of English.

I would like to thanks my teacher of latin in high school that during some breaks did teach us some words of German that helped me already few times around Germany.

You are advised ! Otherwise bring your own food along!

It's almost 6pm and sun is setting down the west as every its evening....

We're walking to our car with a soft wet breeze arising from the lake, as something want to regards us for the last time...

There is something that remain in ourselves everytime we enter in one of these castles, something that you can still feel alive, no matter it's more than 100 years old.
Is it the sound of horse running in dark roads to bring some princess of royalty ?
Is it the silence of the place broken only by the harmonic notes of Wagner music in background played in favour of the King ?
Is it because in each of these castles, Ludwig II did not sleep more than a few weeks ?
Or maybe because all of his Castle have never been completed, like the best of the opera should be ?
I don't know, but for sure, yes this I'm sure about it, there is something magic, probably the same feeling Ludwig II had when he decide to build such wonders.

They say the best and most romantic moment to come here is during winter when the lake is frozen, and the armony of silence is more powerful than ever.

Bye Bye Herrenchiemsee, just a "see you soon" because I will come again soon!

[to be continue...]