12. the Trip to Benelux

After the last night in tents, we faced a minor hiccup: breakfast was missing. We therefore just went to the lake to wash the pots from yesterday's dinner and immediately headed towards Neuschwanstein. On the way, we made a strategic stop at the German supermarket Edeka to avoid hiking to the castle hungry and irritable.

The climb up was quite a substantial slope, but the effort was definitely worth it. The view from the Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge) was absolutely breathtaking. This bridge offers the most famous view of the fairy-tale castle of Bavarian King Ludwig II, which later served as an inspiration for the logo of Walt Disney Studios. For some of us, including me, it was quite an adrenaline rush because the bridge spans an impressive 90 meters above a deep chasm with a waterfall. With relief back on solid ground, we then bought souvenirs and returned to the car.

We had one last destination for the trip: Regensburg, or as it's known, Ratisbon. However, during the drive, nature called, so we had to find the nearest McDonald's, which functioned as a reliable rescue station. Before we ventured to the sights, we took a small detour out of the city. Béďa was tempting us with a famous ice cream parlor. However, our excitement was in vain as we were greeted at the door by a sign that read Montag Ruhetag (Closed on Mondays). Disappointed, we moved straight to Ratisbon, parked the car in the local shopping center's garage, where we at least got a quick snack.

Next was the exploration of the city center. We walked through a few churches and, of course, couldn't miss the Gothic Cathedral of St. Peter. It had special significance for us, as Berthold of Regensburg rests there, who is the unofficial patron of our previous trip. We eventually concluded our cultural excursion by returning to the car, where we stocked up on some local beer at the shopping center.

Then we just headed to Béďa's family, who provided us with shelter for the very last night of our journey. At auntie's place, we were already awaiting the best possible welcome – a huge tray of fragrant lasagna. They disappeared in no time. With satisfied stomachs (and chilled local beer in hand), we discussed the best experiences from the past days, and with shared memories, we definitively closed our grand traveling adventure.

Maty