Sept. 21, 2011. Today we drove all day to reach Salzburg, Austria. Being trapped in a van the whole day is going to make for a pretty boring journal, I fear! We were packed, had breakfast and were ready to leave Villingen at 9 AM. The sun was shining and it looked like the clouds that had been lingering for the last couple days were gone for good. I forgot to mention yesterday I bought two miniature Fastnacht masks at a gift shop before I had dinner last night. (Since the real ones are SO expensive that I couldn't afford one!) I am not sure, but it seems that each city has their own special charcters for Fastnacht since there were a variety of masks with different city names etched on the bottoms. I chose the male and female characters from Villingen, since it is the city where I stayed for 3 days. I guess it just means I will have to visit other cities so I can get their masks too!
We drove east along the same route we took yesterday to Meersburg. The vineyards go on as far as the eye can see and some are covered with netting, but not all. We could only surmise that once they reach a certain stage of ripeness they must be covered to protect them from the birds. Like raccoons with sweet corn, they likely know exactly when the fruit is perfect to eat! In addition to grapes, this is a huge apple growing region. The trees are very small, but loaded with fruit. I can't figure out how they don't collapse under their own weight!
After lunch, we began to see the Alps off in the distance. As the day progressed, the scenery got more and more beautiful. Fruit country passed into cattle country. Alpine homes and barns dotted the green, grassy hills and valleys and dairy cattle - some with brass bells around their necks - were grazing on the lush pastures. I spotted a couple houses where the barns are attached like in the old days. One was L-shaped, with the long arm of the L the barn and the short arm the house. Others were very long, with the home on the end facing the road. We passed a lot of tractors going about their daily business. 
We stopped for lunch in Fuessen at a restaurant with a view of Neuschwanstein Castle, the 19th-century Romanesque palace that was the inspiration for the Disneyland and Disney World castles. We were not planning to visit this particular castle, since it is such a tourist trap that you are herded through like cattle. I think we have seen much more 'authentic' castles on this trip! But it was a great backdrop for our buffet lunch of pumpkin soup, salad, veal with spinach, and apple strudel. After lunch Deb and I took a short walk and happened upon an old farmer repairing his goat's fence. His Bavarian outfit of knickers with long socks, suspenders, and hat with a jaunty feather was apparently his normal attire. What an interesting place we are in!
Bavarian farmer
After the winding, twisting roads we had been on most of the day, the Autobahn was a welcome relief since everyone was ready to get to Salzburg. When we crossed the border, we somehow missed paying the toll. I think there may be a ticket in the mail for Jens and Judy later! Traffic was busy in the city, but we found our hotel (with a few detours) and unpacked. Dinner was at a beer hall a few blocks away, and the Kasknocken (cheese dumplings) I ordered was suspiciously similar to kasespatzel. That was fine with me, since I never met a pasta I didn't like! A short walk took us back to the hotel, and another day has come to an end. And even though we are now in Austria, my journal will continue to be titled "Germany" so none of us get confused! Guten abend!
Neuschwanstein Castle - notice the shirt!
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