I’ve gotten a little behind again because I have been spending most of my out-of-work hours putting the finishing touches on my master’s thesis, so let’s travel back several weeks to the end of April, when Gui and I took a weekend-long road trip through southern Germany. It involved a biergarten, shopping, hiking and cake, so it was basically a perfect weekend 🙂
germany
Berlin: History, Hipsters & Hops
Berlin was unlike anywhere else we’ve visited in Europe. Yeah, I know, every city is unique, but if I had to compare Berlin to another destination I would go with Brooklyn rather than anywhere on this continent. Part of that is probably because so much of the city was built relatively recently, after getting bombed heavily during World War II. And part of it is probably the prominent hipster vibe that makes Portland, Oregon, seem mainstream. In any case, Germany’s capital and its history is one of a kind, and we had a wonderful time soaking it in.
Munich & Neuschwanstein Castle: Fairy Tale Bavaria
What a difference 10 minutes can make — That was my big photography lesson last weekend, when we got off the train to find Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany completely enveloped in fog. It persisted for a couple of hours while we explored the castle grounds and then, just as we were boarding a bus to catch the train back to Munich, we saw a few rays of sunlight filtering through the clouds. By the time we got to the train station 10 minutes later, the sky was a bright, sunny blue and we were flagging down a taxi to take us back to the castle for a second take. Was it worth it? Well, here’s one of my favorite photos from the trip captured on our second visit:
And here’s what the same view looked like during our first venture up the mountain:
The Plaid Shirt Diaries 