Sofia, being the capital of Bulgaria has lots to offer; from fast food outlets, shopping malls, trams, medieval churches, monuments, museums and an information centre for tourist! One interesting thing to note though, our beloved lonely planet book informed us that the Bulgarians ‘nod’ their head when they say no and ‘shake’ their head when they say yes! Haha.. anyway, off we went to take a bus to explore the city, feeling adventurous again!

We were not familiar so we had some trouble trying to validate/punch our bus tickets and passengers on-board were staring amusingly at us. We asked the nearest guy for help but he just continued to stare. Just when we were beginning to feel like idiots, a kind man who spoke excellent English came to our rescue and showed us how to do it. He gave us a little introduction of his city and directed us on where to alight to get to the city centre. There is no better guidebook than a helpful local who showed great hospitality right?

Artsy monument at the Sofia central bus station

Saint Nedelya Church - It has been damaged and reconstructed many times

Wondering why this building sticks out like a sore thumb? Well its because this building is the Church of St. George and it has been around since the 4th century! It lies in the courtyard shared by Sheraton Hotel and Bulgaria's Presidential Building.

Bulgaria's Presidential Building. It shares the same courtyard as the Sheraton Hotel.

The changing of the guards takes place here every hour.

Here comes the changing of the guards...

The Bulgarian Archaeological Museum

We came across this little church called 'Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker' on our way to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Monument to the Tsar Liberator. It is a monument dedicated to Russian Emperor Alexander II who managed to free Bulgaria of Ottoman rule

National Assembly of Bulgaria

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a symbol for Sofia and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world

Monument to St. Sofia

Monument to John Atanasoff, the American physicist and inventor

By midday, we were feeling quite exhausted and we wished that there are hostels that charge by the hour so we could get a quick nap. Eventually we came to an agreement to watch a movie as that was our best bet for a rest and were delighted when we found out some of the shows that were screened were in English.

Our Gingy from Bulgaria!

With time to spare, we headed to the Mall of Sofia to catch a movie! 'INCEPTION'! Oddly enough, as tired as we were, we did managed to stay up to finish the show. Can you spot J among the toys?

After we got back to the train station, to our dismay only part of the train arrived with the other carriages nowhere in sight. We saw a fellow traveller who travelled with us on the same train from Romania and struck up a conversation with him. It turns out that he too was waiting for the train that would bring all of us to Greece. We took turns checking the platform and found out that they were still piecing the whole train together. Eventually we boarded the train and this time hopefully, we could get a good rest and feel revitalized for our trip to Greece. After what seems like an eternity our train was ready to move off.

Next stop, gorgeous Greece!

Jon & Yee

Surrounded by the blue waters of the Ionian Sea, Corfu is located in the western part of Greece. This enchanting city has a picturesque terrain densely covered with cypress trees and olive groves throughout the city. Lined by beaches with shingle coves, Corfu is home to several museums, Byzantine churches, impressive Venetian fortresses and vibrant resorts spread around the island.

The City of Corfu has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Ionian Islands and in the world. Glyfada is a popular beach among tourists and is located just west of Corfu’s capital. Impressive rock formations and tree-covered cliffs complement its natural beauty of the along the waters. As with many of Corfu’s beaches, sun beds with umbrellas, water sports, shopping, restaurants and a wide range of accommodations are offered along the beach. Most of the beaches in Corfu have been developed into these types of resort-style areas.

These resort-style areas feature a wide array of gorgeous villas for a perfect Corfu villa holiday. Nestled in hills, many of the villas are adorned with the traditional corfiot architecture and offer a panoramic vista of Corfu’s unspoiled landscape. Staying in a villa is a different experience compared to lodging in a hotel. Instead of the sterile environment of a hotel, villas offer a private atmosphere of warmth and freedom. You can choose to have breakfast in your pajamas and choose where you’d like to have your dinner served. Your Corfu villa with private pool can be enjoyed at any time. Take a dip in the cool waters of the pool or relax and read a book in a comfortable lounge. The villa experience is much more intimate than staying at a hotel and you’ll feel the warmth of Greek tradition.

Staying in a Greek villa with a private pool enhances the comfort and pleasure of your stay. After a long stay at the beach, you’ll be able to take a refreshing dip in the cool waters to rejuvenate and plan your evening adventure. At your poolside, you can enjoy the fresh outdoors and take in the magnificent views of the mountains and blue seas. Having a private pool gives you the freedom and seclusion of a great retreat. It’s the perfect setting for that perfect Greece holiday.

Casey Walker is a freelance travel writer who frequently travels around Europe. Dedicated to finding the best places to visit at each destination – large or small – she particularly enjoys tasting the local cuisine! Currently based in Edinburgh and planning a road trip of the USA, you’ll find her travel journal entries in various places across the web.

The ride to Autogara #2 was a short one and the bus station resembles more like a petrol station kiosk. There were already a bunch of locals sitting there waiting for buses and upon confirmation, we came to know we were all heading the same direction.

The town of Rasnov, does it reminds you of the hollywood sign?

Great! finally some souvenir shops to get some postcards to send home.

In broad daylight, Bran Castle or commonly called "Dracula Castle", doesn't look spooky at all.

Upon entering the castle, I can’t help but felt a little disappointed. I thought it will be dark and mysterious and some vampire would come bite me and I’ll turn into one immortal that can live on and travel round the world 20-30 times! (Just kidding!) In reality, the interior of Bran Castle is actually a museum which exhibits some of Queen Marie’s collection of art and furnitures. A part of the museum also details some of the legends and history that links with the castle (notably Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula” and the reign of Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia).

Secret passage in the castle that connects to the third floor

View of the courtyard

Vlad III is also known as Dracula because he is the son of the Dragon (Vlad II) Dracul. During his reign (1448; 1456-1462; 1476), Vlad III had a reputation for killing his victims by the cruel act of impalement therefore he is remembered by many as Vlad the Impaler.

Urban legends of Dracula seen in movies

Wishing well in the courtyard

At Brasov, the train was late for more than an hour and we decided to scrap the plan for Sinaia as we feared that by the time we want to get back to Bucharest, the trains might be horribly late again.

Gonna take a 20:02 pm night train to Sofia, Bulgaria!

The night train we took was quite old and it was stuffy in the room. So, some of us stuck our heads out of the windows to get a breather as well as to enjoy the scenic views as the train rails past the countryside. But, be very careful if you stick your head out of the window like that. J and another traveller had a close brush with an oncoming train on the opposite track. Guess they were too immersed in the passing scenic views.

Heading towards the setting sun...Love taking photos of people taking pictures.

Railing past the ruins of Mănăstirea Chiajna, an abandoned monastery since the 19th century. It is rumored to be cursed.

Even though, we had taken better quality train rides in Europe, i will always have fond memories of the ride from Bucharest to Sofia. I liked that as the train leaves, the wind starts to flutter across your face and the local kids and their families who live near the tracks surprised us with their friendly waves of goodbyes while the train heads on towards a beautiful sun set.

As the train rode on and it’s nearing twilight, I remembered that we were seating by the edge of our beds and looking out of the window. We saw fields of sunflowers and corns under the remaining light that the day has. Being city folks, sights like that were simple yet captivating. It was moments like that, that made me feel so glad that i travelled, so glad that i am sitting in some noisy old train and just enjoying simple beauty on earth. Sometimes, i wished  i had captured everything that i saw and made visions an eternity on photos/videos. But i guess, beautiful moments passes by quickly and it’s probably best to suck in everything and etch it in our minds.

Yee

We have been blessed to catch 2 of the previous sequels in the UK,  we caught the London Premiere of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”, and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1″ in Edinburgh, while on a ‘working holiday visa’ there. The experience of heading down to the movies amidst the snow and watching amongst the locals speaking with their British accents added a special touch (Very much like a ‘movie within a movie’ kind of feeling). To us, this experience brings so much more than what any 3D screening could ever offer.

As the saying goes “all good things must come to an end”, we will without a shadow of a doubt experience withdrawal symptoms after the final movie is aired. However, if reports on J.K Rowling writing a prequel is true, then we will rejoice! Therefore, as a tribute to Harry Potter and his adventures, a story that captivated millions worldwide, we are putting up pictures of the locations filmed from the movies taken during our time in the UK.

Lacock Village, Wiltshire

Harry Potter's parent's house in Lacock Village, Wiltshire. Each resident in Lacock were paid 200 GBP for inconvenience caused during the filming of Harry Potter. It was featured in both the 'Philosopher's Stone' and the 'Half Blood Prince'. Also visit Lacock Abbey while you are there as some of the interior of Hogwarts are filmed there

St Pancreas and King’s Cross Station, London

St Pancreas Station - Filmed as the exterior of King's Cross station because of its Victorian Gothic facade being more impressive

The actual King's Cross Station that is dull and uninteresting. However, it is here that the interior is used for the film.

Platform 9 3/4 is the gateway to the Hogwarts Express where the magical journey begins. Invisible to muggles of course...It took us sometime to find the platform as it has been moved a couple of times due to construction works in King's Cross Station and there weren't any signs to guide you. Eventually, we found it in some obscure corner.

Glenfinnan, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland

The Glenfinnan Viaduct is where the iconic scene where Harry took the Hogwarts Express for the first time to Hogwarts (Unfortunately, we only managed to take this picture from afar). You can relieve the experience by taking the Jacobite Steam train with West Coast Railways.

Image taken from West Coast Railways. Visit their website to book tickets.

George Heriot’s School, Edinburgh

George Heriot's School in Edinburgh, is the building that Hogwarts school of wizardry is modeled after.

A close up view of the school

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford

Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford where a number of interior scenes were filmed as Hogwarts. If you are in Oxford, also visit the Bodleian Library and the New College as they also contains scenes filmed as Hogwarts interior

Candlemaker Row, Old Town, Edinburgh

Harveys Furniture Store in Edinburgh now houses 'The Elephant house cafe' where J K Rowling wrote Harry Potter sitting by the window. Here, a spectacular view of Edinburgh Castle awaits!

Just like having Hermione’s ‘Time Turner necklace’, we will continue to revisit the story that captivated our minds and accompanied us for the past 10 years. One day, we will even make a trip to ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ theme park at Universal Orlando and relive the magic!

J K Rowling says it best: “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home…”

J & Yee

P.S: Soon, Muggles could immerse themselves into the world of Harry Potter! Warner Bros. Studio Leavesden Tour London is set to open in Spring 2012! Visit their website for more info!

There were no sense of tourism whatsoever in the city; for the 1st time, there were no shops selling postcards and souvenirs, no sight-seeing buses and we had never came across any tourist information centre! Which is kind of shocking given the fact that Bucharest is the Capital! There was an evident lack of tourists in sight and we often find ourselves sticking out like the only Asians/tourists in the city. I guessed to most travelers coming to Bucharest, it is just a stopover to get to Brasov and Sinaia. The most touristy place that we came across was probably at the backpacker hostel that we stayed. Which, you would not have guess it is a hostel from the exterior. The address given by the hostel led us to a rundown back alley that has no signs that suggests it being a hostel. We breathe a sigh of relief when the receptionist answered the door and the inside of the hostel was a strong contrast from what it looks from the exterior.  It was a nice and cozy little hostel and we met several Koreans and Caucasians staying there (Finally! some signs of travelers.) but that’s pretty much it.

Once we stepped out of the hostel, we felt much like the only travelers again. I remembered, when my partner who was reading the map, said that: ” Hey, we have reached the city centre! and i was like:” Are you sure this is the city centre?” My partner inspected the map again: ” Yup, pretty sure we are already in the city centre!” still feeling suspicious, i went:” As in the CENTER of the city centre???” Partner said: ” YUUUP!”  It was nothing like any city centre you would have expect for a capital city. It felt like we were still in a neighborhood suburb with rundown shop-houses that caters to the locals. The streets were littered, stray dogs were EVERYWHERE and we had to be very careful as we wouldn’t want to risk being bitten by them and get rabies! There wasn’t any architecture to marvel about, well except the Palace of Parliament and maybe the Arch of Triumph (which wasn’t original).

All those factors were probably contributed by the fact that Romania had gone through a torrid time during the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu and his communist party. Long story short, the President made himself richer at the expense of his people therefore, everyone wanted him gone and managed to do as recently as 1989. He and his wife happened to be the last people to get executed by firing squad before the government abolished the capital punishment.

Gara de Nord, Bucharest

Calea Griviţei, the first street that we saw when we step out of Gara de Nord.

Our cozy room at East hostel.

All our souvenirs we collected throughout our backpacking trip... Brings back memories from our first stop in Porto till now.

Breakfast is served! Bread, eggs and hotdogs... topped off with chocolate Swiss rolls!

The Romanian Athenaeum a concert hall located at Victoria Square, in the centre of Bucharest

Romana Square (Piaţa Romană)

The Revival Memorial on Revolution square - dedicated to Romania's Revolution

Kretzulescu Church (Biserica Kretzulescu) is an Eastern Orthodox church situated in a corner of the Revolution Square

The Military Club (Cercul Militar National) was built in 1912 to serve the social, cultural and educational needs of the Romanian army

Villacrose and Macca Passages is a sheltered arcade street lined with shops, cafes and restaurants

Romanian Savings Bank. This was the only bank that was allowed to do business during communist era

Walking along Bulevardul Unirii, lined with its many fountains. It was meant to be Communist Romania's answer to Paris's Avenue des Champs-Élysées

At the western end of Bulevardul Unirii stands the gargantuan Palace of Parliament

The Constitution Square (Piaţa Constituţiei). As this is the largest square in Bucharest, big events such as concerts, new year's party are usually held here

A view of the Palace Of Parliament taken from the side entrance

Romania's very own Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf) built to honour its soldiers during the first world war.

A walk through Herestrau Park

A rundown building by day, a haunted mansion by night... just joking. But this building really looked spooky, and so is the neighborhood!

Speaking of spookiness, we head to Bran Castle for our next post. The Castle remained the inspiration that it was to Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

J & Yee

During the long train ride heading to Budapest, we  were chatting and talking about what the city of Budapest would be like when a middle-aged lady (whom got on the train halfway through our journey together with her elderly mother) interrupted us politely and ask us where were we from and where were we heading. We told her we were heading to the capital of HUNGRY, that is Budapest as it was part our plan to backpack around Europe. She laughed and kindly proceeded to correct us from our pronunciation as HUUNG-GAR-REE. It was a bit of an embarrassment on our part but the three of us did hit it off quite well and we received a wonderful history lesson on Budapest and Hungary as we listened to this lady speak so passionately about her country, how she used to grow up in a socialist country but that changed to communism after the Russians took over. She took out some Hungarian forints and helped us identify the notes. She was curious how our Singapore currency would look like and we would have loved to show her too but it was a pity we did not have any on us at that point of time. She also gave us some tips and insights with regards to the public transport, touristy places and even information not found in our Lonely Planet Guidebook. I wondered if i could do the same to educate others when being put in the same situation as her with regards to Singapore.

After arriving at the Budapest Keleti pályaudvar (East Railway) station the lady insisted to bring us to our lodging as there are many pickpockets lurking around and it wasn’t safe. We thanked her for her kind generosity but because we saw that she was with her elderly mother, we didn’t want to trouble her further so we parted ways and after some rift raft (due to an error on Google map), we managed to find our lodging.

The Budapest Keleti pályaudvar (East Railway) station is the largest among the three train stations in Budapest

Our rented shared apartment with kitchen for meals

Vörösmarty Square, so named after early 19th century Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty

A sculpture of Hungarian writer and statesman Baron József Eötvös

The Chain Bridge with its two guardian lions

Roosevelt Square with its sculptures

A close view of the Hungarian Parliament Building

Some people sun tanning just outside the Parliament

Crossing the Chain Bridge towards Buda

Tram station with trams that brings you to the Castle

View of Pest and the Parliament Building from across while heading up the Castle

Getting a breather and ice cream!

You could even see St. Stephen's Basilica (Szent István-bazilika) from here

View of the Széchényi Chain Bridge over the Danube River from Buda Castle

The Mátyás kútja (Matthias Fountain) is one of the most frequently photographed sculpture and is sometimes called the ‘Trevi Fountain of Budapest’

This Sculpture kind of reminds me of a Magic the Gathering Card ‘Thieving Magpie’ haha...

Matthias Church

As with most of the churches in Europe, it is undergoing some restoration process.

Bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary.

The Fisherman's bastion (Halászbástya)

These 4 fellows kinda reminds me of the 4 musicians from Titanic.

A Memorial to a boy named Mansfeld Peter who joined the freedom fighters against Soviet Oppression when he was 16. However, he was betrayed and arrested by the soviets and eventually spent 2 years in prison before being executed at 18

View of the Parliament Building from Buda

Szilágyi Dezső téri református templom

Nice Park in Margaret Island (Margit-sziget)

The Saint Stephen's Basilica (Szent István-bazilika )

A model of Saint Stephen's Basilica

The Hungarian State Opera House, Magyar Állami Operaház

On the way to Heroes' Square, we chanced across this building known as the House of Terror. It contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist dictatorial regimes in 20th century Hungary as well as a memorial to all the victims suffered during those times.

Heroes' Square (Hősök Tere), one of the most visit attractions in Budapest.

Kunsthalle Budapest (Műcsarnok), a contemporary art museum located opposite the Museum of Fine Art

The Museum of Fine Art

Archangel Gabriel, holding the Hungarian Holy Crown at the top of the Column.

As we walked further, we saw a castle inspired by the Dracula castle in Brasov, Romania.

Very cool looking statue...

Reception area for the Széchenyi Bath Spa.

Central Market Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok)

Gellért Hill (Gellért Hegy)

Gellért Hotel where the Gellért Thermal Baths are located...can't wait to jump into the pool!

That’s it for our little adventure in Budapest. After the splendid bath, it was time to head on to Romania!

Love, J and Yee

First up, it was j who went around exploring…

Since it is going to take an hour before j is back and there wasn’t much to do in the train station at such early hours. I decided to take out my sleeping bag and curl in it like a mummy on the train station floor (a few other backpackers also arrived on the early train waiting for their connecting train were doing the same). At least its better than stoning in space for an hour. Making sure that our belongings are closely attached to me, I manage to catch a wink, occasionally woken up by the cleaner hoovering the floor. When J came back and found me sleeping on the floor, he wanted to take a picture of my predicament but I prevented him and now I kind of regretted that I did. It is all part of the experience right? Something to remember for.

J didn’t manage to find St Mark’s Church, which we saw in some of the postcards for Zagreb. So when it’s my turn, I decided to briskly follow the same path that J took, passing by some of the places he took in the camera and went on my own exploration to find St Mark’s Church. Following the street signs and asking locals around, the church seems to be somewhere near but I can’t seem to locate it. Seeing that our connecting train is going to leave in the next 15 mins, I was about to give up as I have strayed a long way from the train station. Luckily for me, on the way back, I managed to find the church round a corner and took a few quick snaps before dashing all the way back to the train station.

So, here’s our consolidated snapshots of the city!

Zagreb's Main Station, just opposite King Tomislav Square

Statue of King Tomislav

The Art Pavillion (Umjetnicki Paviljon) in Zagreb undergoing a facelift

Statue of Josip Juraj Strossmayer, a Bishop, politician and benefactor to the people of Zagreb. It is located just outside the Strossmayer Gallery

Ban Jelačić square

The statue of Ban Josip Jelačić at the Ban Jelačić square, a central square in Zagreb

Zagreb Cathedral (Zagrebačka katedrala)

Interior of the Zagreb cathedral

Portrait of the Catholic Cardinal, Aloysius Viktor Stepinac at the back of the Zagreb Cathedral

Colorful fruits for sale at Dolac market

St. Francis Church (Franjevačka crkva sv)

St Mark's Church (Crkva Sv. Marka)

The southern entrance features original gothic sculptures

Coat of arms of Zagreb on the southern roof

Stone gate (Kamenita vrata) - one of the four most important passages in Zagreb in the 13th century and is the only remaining gate that once connected the lower town to the Gradec. (a part of upper town)

Behind the large iron grille, lies a painting of Mother Mary and baby Jesus that miraculously survived a fire in 1731.

Buda and Pest awaits us in our next chapter!

J and Yee

As the wind got wilder, the rain got heavier and we were battered by the combined elements of the fury of mother nature. Pools of water were everywhere, making every step like stepping into a mini pond. Our luggage, backpacks and shoes were soaked. We were at breaking point but we still had some distance to go. After what seemed like eternity, we arrived at the train station.

I took out one of my shoe and empty its contents, water gushed out as if from a mineral bottle. (I wouldn’t be surprise if a goldfish were to flow out from there.) All our stuff were drenched and nothing was spared. I believe, that i have never cursed as loud and as frequent as i did before… till today. Having said that, we realized that all this were just part of the experience of traveling and backpacking…. and we both had a good laugh at our predicament. As the night train departed, we wondered will Croatia welcome us with the warm shower of sunlight, or the cold and gloominess of another rainstorm. It was to be a long night ahead for us…

Thankfully for us, we didn’t have to face another rainstorm in Zagreb, maybe things might turn for the better? However we still had to wait for a few hours before we could take our connecting train to Split. Split? what a strange name for a city located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Split is also one of the oldest Dalmatian cities in the area.

Split train station

Finally found our hotel with the help of a local police officer. We were walking around for an hour! We didn't realized that the hotel is just behind the train station!

Substructure of the Diocletian's Palace (Dioklecijanova palača)

The entrance leads to a underground bazaar

Bell tower of the Split Cathedral or also known as Cathedral of St. Duje (Katedrala Svetog Duje)

Views taken from the surrounding of our hotel

We could even see the bell tower from our Hotel

Split was where the Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian was located. Hence the appearance of these 2 Roman Soldiers

The statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski) by (Ivan Meštrović). It is a popular place with tourist and rubbing the statue's toe is said to bring good luck

The City's Republic Square (Prokurative)

We couldn't have enough of 'Surf N' Fries' as it was really good especially with its great selection of dips.

On a sunny day like today, its a great day to be at the beach!

Yummy pizza~!

View of the peristyle

Next, the capital of Croatia, Zagreb.

Luv, J and Yee

Football + Beer = Good times

Currywurst!

Jumbo Frankfurters!

Tasty Buttered Pretzels!

Bayerisches Staatsministerium der Justiz

Karlstor, one of the four main gates of the medieval city wall

Walking through the pedestrianized Neuhauser Strasse

The citizens hall (Bürgersaalkirche)

Richard-Strauss-Brunnen

Unfortunately for us, the facade of St Michael's church was being renovated at the time of visit but we did get to see the interior of one of the largest renaissance church north of the Alps

2 little piggies - Yee and a sculpture that looks like Pumbaa from Lion King near the German Hunting and Fishing Museum (Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum)

View of the Frauenkirche

The New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) by the sold town square Marienplatz

Virgin Mary atop Mary's Column (Mariensäule)

The Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus)

See how ridiculous we look... haha...

Off to the metro to visit the Allianz Arena before it gets dark before returning for beer!

Definitely one of the most unusual stadiums we've seen. Like some football stadiums, it is shared by 2 football clubs. At night, it turns bright orange when FC Bayern Munich play, blue when TSV 1860 Munich play and in white when used by the German National Team. Would have loved to see the colours change though unfortunately it wasn't match day

Lone windmill spinning near the stadium

Heiliggeist Church (Heiliggeistkirche)

Bayern Munich Fan shop with fans outside the shop drinking beer and making merry

On our way to the beer hall, while walking through the alleyways, we passed by drunkards who have been out drinking all night. One of the drunkard in particular was taking a leak right beside a poor fellow’s car. He certainly must have drunk a fountain to produce that much warm beer, he could use his “hose” to put out fire! LoL! Thank god it was a dim-lighted alleyway!

The Hofbräuhaus, one of Munich oldest beer halls dating back to 1589

1 litre of beer!

yummylicious Apple Strudel

Hofbräuhaus beer hall, great place to drink and make friends!

Burrrrp… That’s it for Germany! Next stop, Croatia!

J and Yee

Fussen is the last stop of the Romantic Road, and it is only befitting that we would see the beautiful and fantasy-like castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau here. The 2 castles are closely associated with King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Mad King Ludwig); Hohenschwangau being a castle where he spent his early childhood in and Neuschwanstein castle which he commissioned to pay homage to the composer Richard Wagner, whose operas left a lasting impression on King Ludwig II.

After awhile it started to drizzle, and we decided to get ourselves ponchos even though they look silly in photos.

See what I mean...

You can opt to walk up, take a horse carriage or a bus to Neuschwanstein

Neuschwanstein Castle. The inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle

View of the castle from Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge)

Rushing river beneath the bridge. As more tourists crowd on the bridge, one would wonder if the bridge would be able to withstand all these weight.

View of Hohenschwangau Castle

View of Marienbrücke from Neuschwanstein Castle

As our time in Fussen ended, so did the rain. We kept the ponchos and began our journey back to Munich where the beer halls await. Sweet

J