We said goodbye to Rothenburg early in the morning and began our journey to Reutte.  As we travelled along the way, Dimitri explained to us that jacuzzi's here are call "bubble baths".  We could always count on him for a little bit of humerous local trivia. 

We were greeted by the Rococo church, Wieskirche, in a beautiful meadow setting.  Hidden inside the church is an amazing architectural interior.  We lit a prayer candle there in memory of my dad. 

As you meander outside you are surrounded by vibrant green pastures, cows lazily grazing in the distance, puffy clouds floating across the sky, and a paved path down the center of the rolling hills leading to the small houses adorned with traditional blooming window boxes.

Our visit to the Dachau Nazi concentration camp was not a spot for exquisite photographs, rather prayer. It was a somber realization of the lives that were taken.  Although we did not know them personally, just wandering the buildings and grounds was enough to make your heart sink and the hair on the back of your neck tingle as you can almost feel the presence of all the lost souls with tears wavering in the corner of your eyes. There is nothing you can do to change the past, but that is no reason to disregard the respect for those who lost their lives and their families deserve.

After an enjoyable evening in Reutte, the next morning we crossed the Austrian border to visit the one and only Mad King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle. It was always on my Mom's bucket list to bring us to this castle, and today was the day!  We hiked to the Marienbrucke Bridge and captured the breathtaking and picturesque view of the castle from a distance.   We then walked down the trail and took a tour inside as well.

After the tour of the castle we went to play at the nearby Tegelberg summer luge and raced down the Alps! How many people can say that?! It was a great day and especially for those who have never ridden the luge!