A mint? on your pillow ...

Since we are in Germany ... the hospitality includes complimentary Gummi bears on your pillow ... no boring mints here.

Wednesday, May 9 ... Luxembourg

As we continued our travels north, we hopped over to Luxembourg ... just because we could.  We were hoping to do something, anything, in Luxembourg.  No luck.  We couldn't even find a gasthaus that was open for business ...

So ... apparently, I went all the way to Luxembourg, and all I got was this picture.

Wednesday, May 9 ... Trier

We departarted Tyrol/Bavaria and started to head north.  We spent a lot of time driving, but we did make a stop in Trier. 

Located near the Germany-Luxembourg border, Trier is the oldest city in Germany; the first settlement dates back to about 2,000 BC. 

There are Roman ruins evident all around the city, most notably, the baths, the bridge and the Porta Nigra.

The Roman Bridge, or Römerbrücke, traverses the Mosel River (the Mosel is the sister river of the Rhine).  The Römerbrücke is the oldest standing bridge in Germany and dates back to the second century.

Another significant structure is the Porta Nigra.

The Porta Nigra was, at one time, one of four Roman gates into the city.  The sandstone construction dates back to 186 AD.  Pollution (and, let's face it, age...) has been responsible for blackening of the stone.

At this point, the heavens opened up and it started to pour ... so much for sightseeing in Trier.  It's back in the car for us!

Mark this one off his bucket list ...

Big Papa driving 200 kilometers per hour (130 mph) on the German Autobahn ... He could hardly wipe the smile off his face!

Tuesday, May 8 ... Reutte, Austria

We decided to spend our last night in Bavaria in the picturesque town of Reutte, Austria ... it's proximity to Neuschwanstein made this the perfect place to hop off.

Reutte is just across the border ... so we decided we should indisputable proof that we were in Austria. 

This is a picture of the Lech River, a tributary of the Danube ... the distinctive sage green color is a result of runoff from the Alps. 

If that Business Analyst thing doesn't work out ...

I could go back to Germany and run my driving school!

Tueday, May 8 ... Neuschwanstein Overlook

The last stop while we were at the castle was a short hike up to the overlook.  It's from the overlook where all of the picture postcard worthy photos are captured. 

Pa snapped my picture standing on the skinny little footbridge.

And gushing beneath our feet ... the water source for the castle.

After our visit to the castle, we stopped in Fussen for a well deserved bite to eat at the Rick Steves' recommended Alstadt Hotel.