An Unforgettable View on top of the Alps

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When I saw the huge cross on top of the Alps that symbolized our accomplishments of making it, I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that I would never see it. Drenched in sweat and out of breath, the view on the Alps was truly breathtaking. In the distance, you could see the top of nearby mountains and down (down) below was the beautiful tiny town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Three guys had reached the top before us and not long after was a middle aged couple. We ate our packed sandwiches and store bought smoothies and as badly as we wanted to rest and stay up there, we had to rush because we were on a time limit. Florent had to be at his bus station at 6:40 which meant that we needed to leave the hike by 3 depending on traffic. The steep incline up was a battle against gravity on the way down, but asides from the minor falls, no one was terribly hurt. Halfway through we reached the restaurant, meaning that we had survived past the worst of it. Along the Alps, but mostly by the restaurant were herds of cows and sheep. They followed the scent of food in our bags. We got stuck in traffic and just barely made it in time for Florent's bus. Already I could feel my legs and anticipated the soreness of the next day. Hiking with my German friend (Chris) was like hiking with my parents and a mountain goat at the same time. He was prepared for absolutely everything with a cart full of snacks, a hidden trunk of extra clothes, and packs of water bottles. When we were actually on the mountain, it was as if he was going on a light jog or a small trek through the woods. Chris rarely stopped for a rest and continuously urged us to keep moving. I couldn't believe it. The way up for 3 hours was a steep hike. I consider myself a decent hiker, someone who exercises regularly and deeply enjoys the outdoors, but when I was hiking the Alps, I felt like the slowest person who had never hiked before. Saturday was supposed to be the relaxing day. We left, later than intended. Chris slept through the alarm while Olivia and I waited at the gate of the base as the sun slowly started to rise. After 2 hours in Chris's fancy most recent Mercedes-Benz (it can autonomously drive/park/change lanes/stop and slow down=basically anything that you can imagine) we reached the Neuschwanstein Castle, the famous castle that Disneyland replicated for Cinderella. Although we only arrived 10 minutes after it opened at 9, the line was already really long with mostly Chinese people and other tourists.; The only way to enter into the castle is to get a tour (audio or guided) which means that you have to wait until the available time for the tour is available in the language that you need it in. Unfortunately, the English ones fill up fast and we got pushed to 11:10. Once inside, this unfinished castle built by Ludwig II of Bavaria was beyond amazing and beautiful. Colored gems, gold, artistic painting on every wall, royal blue fabric, the list is endless to describe this castle. Ludwig II never finished building this castle, dying at the young age of 40 due to his insanity. We drove for another hour, arriving in Garmisch where we planned to take the cable cars up the highest mountain in Germany known as Zugsplitzland is a wonderous site. But when we got there, the view from the cameras on top displayed a cloudy and foggy image. The woman selling the tickets advised us not to go stating that it wouldn't be worth it because the weather wasn't expected to clear up before it closed and since the cost was 53 euros, we chose not to. Instead, Chris had the brilliant idea to do a hike (before our 7-hour hike on Sunday). The hike through the caves and up the mountain was honestly really amazing. 4 hours later, we checked into our hostel and had our first warm and delicious meal of the day. I had a strange dish that I originally thought was gnocchi balls, but it turned out to be some spinach and cheese mixture. Regardless of what it was, it was delicious and filling.

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