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Bicycle Tour Adventure #39: Auto from Italy, through Austria, to Bicycle Germany, Day 14

Vilpian (South Tyrol, Italy): Monday Morning (3 Oktober)
Vilpian/Vilpiano highway sign. The 'Leaving Vilpian/Vilpiano' Sign. Apple Tractor pulling a load of Apples.
Oben Link: We are leaving the Village of Vilpian/Vilpiano for the last time. We have said our Goodbye's at the Apfel Orchard Pension, the goodbye from the Proprietress to Terry was particularly moving - Terry had made a good impression for all of her efforts to learn and speak German. The Proprietors spoke as much English as we did German; they had let us know that they had been to the American Southwest and described being in Las Vegas and Los Angeles - I think that they had driven a rental car in between. They also liked it that we were from mountain country also (like them in Südtirol), it was an identity and experience sharing moment. This is all expressed as feelings, sign language, and mixed German/English communication - It is good.

Oben Mittlere: This is the 'Leaving Vilpian/Vilpiano' Sign - We have to wait for the morning commuter train to go by.

Oben Recht: It is fitting that we get to see an Apple Tractor pulling a load of Apples to the Apple Processing Facility. It happens that the tractor is heading toward the Apfel Processing Facility that we photographed yesterday (at about 1500 hrs), the driver will take his next right just over the tracks and head down the road, parallel to the Adige River for about 3 kilometers. Notice a 'P' used in the Railroad Road Sign and NOT an 'R' like in the USA - It may mean Pericolo (Danger)



Lana (Ray and Letizia's Home): Monday Morning;
We Load the Bicycles into Ray's Van and head to Schwangau by way of Garmisch, Germany;
We will Convoy our Vehicles through Austria

(We have all forgotten that today is a National Unification Holiday in Germany, East and West Germany Unified as One German Nation in 1990)
Ray is inside his van and is double checking the tie downs. Ray's van.
Above Left: Ray is inside his van and is double checking the tie downs on both bikes.

Above Right: Ray's van.

Ray and Letizia are saying goodbye. Italian Toll Booth.
Above Left: Ray and Letizia are saying goodbye. Letizia and thier son Norman are going to a beach nearby Venice for a little family holiday; Norman is home from the University.

Above Right: Italian Toll Booth: All I have to do is take a ticket from the dispenser but I'm so wrapped up in following Ray's vehicle that I drive straight through. We had to pull over and luckily Ray can explain to the Polizia what happened. The Officer tells Ray that Americans do this all the time. If it weren't for Ray, I probably would have been issued a ticket (like what happened to me in Sicily a few years back) - Not my proudest travel moment.



Germany: Garmisch, Before Noon
Garmisch, Germany. A very nice German Home.
Above Left: We have arrived in Garmisch, Germany. Garmisch is enroute to Schwangau; this is an interim stop for Ray to Visit a Bank. But we suddenly realize that today is the 3 October Germany Reunification Day Holiday and the banks are closed and worse, this is a three day weekend and our destination, Schwangau (with its two major tourist castles) will be overly crowded - We realize all of this at once.

Above Right: Formerly a very nice German Home which is probably an apartment building now.

One of the popular shopping promenades. A beautiful shop with many blooming plants.
Above Left: One of the popular shopping promenades. Most of the touristy shops are open and most of the more commercial businesses are closed for the 3 Oktober National Unified Germany Holiday celebration.

Above Right: A beautiful shop with many blooming plants.

Restaurant/Café where we had a pastry and a beverage each. View of the German Alps and hotel mural.
Above Left: Restaurant/Café where we had a pastry and a beverage each.

Above Right: View of the German Alps and hotel mural.

Rose at the Restaurant. Cow at the Restaurant.
Above Left: Rose at the Restaurant.

Above Right: Cow at the Restaurant.



Germany, Steingaden: Road Stop, Early-Afternoon
Road Stop for a late Lunch. Other patrons. What a nice day!
Above Left: This is a Road Stop for a late Lunch, more or less.

Above Right: Other patrons. What a nice day!

Other patrons. Flower Pants.
Above Left: Other patrons.

Above Right: Flower Pants.

Ray is having a Salat, Terry is having Pig Knuckles, and Dennis is having Pork.
Above; Germany, Steingaden: Our meals - Keep in mind that Terry and Dennis are working from a list of German Foods to try (made by Terry from various travel books). Ray is having a Salat, Terry is having Pig Knuckles, and Dennis is having Pork; Ray handled the order. We sure did appreciate Ray's help, guidance, and recommendations.



Germany: Schwangau, Late-Afternoon;
We will bicycle to and around Füssen

Our Hotel Room. Our Hotel Room.
Above: Our Hotel Room in Schwangau (Ray booked the rooms) with typical twin beds put together. We can't believe that we do not have a picture of the front or lobby of our hotel, arg! Everything is very nice - Ray has good taste.

Ray and Terry are waiting for Dennis. We're bicycling in Schwangau.
Above Left: Ray and Terry are waiting for Dennis.

Above Right: We're bicycling in Schwangau!

A Schwangau Hotel. A Schwangau Hotel.
Above: A pleasant lane to bike through.

We're biking out of Schwangau to Füssen. We're biking out of Schwangau to Füssen.
Above: We're biking out of Schwangau to Füssen (direction southwest - into the sun).

Neuschwanstein Castle.
Above: As we are biking Neuschwanstein Castle exposes itself to our view.

As a Guest in Time and Space, Desires the Soul eternal Dream. Without water there is no life.
Above Left: We stop at a ticket booth to learn about tomorrow's access methods (bus or walk) and opening times to Castle Neuschwanstein. This is painting of King Ludwig II is on the wall.
King Ludwig spent the town's entire budget and bankrupted the kingdom and was removed from power - He is conceived as and portrayed as not being all together in the head. Ludwig was a fan of the Musician Richard Wagner and he wanted to dedicate and create a 'True German Medieval Castle' for each Opera of Wagner's.
As a Guest in Time and Space, Desires the Soul['s] eternal Dream

Above Right: 'Without water there is no life'.

Füssen
Streets of Füssen. Streets of Füssen.
Above: Streets of Füssen.

Rot Kirche: Heilig Geist Kirche Rot Kirche: Heilig Geist Kirche
Above, Rot Kirche: "Heilig Geist Kirche", meaning "church of the holy spirit".

Monastery of Füssen. Monastery of Füssen on the left side.
Above Left: Monastery of Füssen: Entrance.

Above Right: Monastery of Füssen on the left side.

Monastery of Füssen.
Above: Monastery of Füssen.

Terry and Ray. a local government building (rathaus).
Above Left: Terry and Ray.

Above Right: I think this was a local government building (rathaus).

Rathaus Cafe (Füssen). Nice Rot tiled roof.
Above Left: Rathaus Cafe (Füssen).

Above Right: Nice Rot tiled roof, Austrian Mountain in the Background.

Mainstreet Füssen. The uphill march to the Füssen Church and Castle (Kirche und Schloss).
Above Left: Mainstreet Füssen.

Above Right: The uphill march to the Füssen Church and Castle (Kirche und Schloss).

The Church of Castle Füssen. The Church of Castle Füssen.
Above: The Church of Castle Füssen.
Ideas in Conflict - 1200s

  • First, Read the Notice on the Church Wall (above right).


  • The following is what is Between the Lines:

  • During the 1200s there was a battle of ideas and one of those ideas was a need for a 'Separation Between Church and State'. During this time, the Church was growing and in many places the church was the government. Bishops and Cardinals could make regional policy and enforce the policies with military might as well as through political influence.
  • This mixing of church and state led to some corruption in the Church and a degrading of the faith towards the original purpose of the Church.
  • Thus the quote, Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely - John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, expressed this opinion in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887.
  • The church was fighting for its existence because Islamic Forces were challenging the faith. For a while, the church needed an Army of Christians.
  • This was the time period of the Knights Templar (red cross on white) and the Teutonic Knights (black cross on white - a similarly based Teutonic/German religious order that also fought in the Crusades). Royalty (the State) did not like foreign soldiers on their turf and royalty did not like having local policy dictated to them.
  • The point is: The [Catholic] Church was The Church and State. Kings and other State Leaders (royalty) did not like policy dictated to them, especially when it did not have to do with faith. Soon, there would be a separation of Church and State and in the process, the Knights Templar would be removed as an entity (even though all of the state leaders knew that it was based on trumped up charges), Kings and States would sit idle and allow the destruction of the Church's Army because it was to their best interest.

  • Another Idea in Conflict was Fair Representation of the needs (and later, Rights) of the common man by his Leader(s). This Idea is played in the 1200's and will ebb and flow but won't find its way into a self governing state until the 1700's (starting with the American Colonies in 1776 with the 'Shot heard around the world') and that was just the start - It is still a concept that is slowly spreading to countries with a Central Government or Dictatorship.

  • Castle Füssen
    Castle Füssen.
    About Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Above: Faux Decorations around edges (windows, corners, doorways, ...) - These images are all painted illusions, Look Closely. This kind of decor was a popular Late Gothic German Fad.

    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Above: More painted illusions.

    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.
    Castle Füssen. Castle Füssen.


    Basilica of St Mang in Füssen, Bavaria
    [Sometimes Saint Magnus, Sometimes the Church of Füssen (other names exist)]
    Basilica of St Mang in Füssen. Basilica of St Mang in Füssen.
    Above Left: Saint Magnus of Füssen: The Town's existence (Füssen), it's Church, and Saint Mang's original purpose are all interrelated.

    Little is known about Magnus. He met with the Bishop of Augsburg who received him and entrusted him with the Christianization of the eastern Algäu. He went into the wilderness, crossed the Lech River at a place still known as St. Mangstritt ("footstep of Saint Magnus"), and built a small dewlling, where afterwards the monastery of Füssen was erected, and he died there. [Wikipedia]

    His original burial place was in the small chapel he built. His bones were transferred to the crypt of the church being built in 850. Around the year 1100 all his bones disappeared. The burial place in the crypt of the St Mang Basilica can be seen today, although the only bone of St Mang is a relic which can be found above the main altar in a glass cross. The cross also contains his staff, breast cross and chalice.

    St Mang's Feast Day is 6 September. On this day Holy Mass is celebrated, then all proceed by torchlight through the old part of the city. During the week of the Saint's Feast a special 'Magnus Wine' is sold. Only 500 bottles are produced. Also, a special harvest display is featured which traditionally ties to Oktoberfest as well as celebrations common to most farm harvests, a fall celebration to give thanks (similar to Thanksgiving in the USA).

    The oldest fresco in the whole of Germany can be found in the crypt of St Mang's Basilica. It dates back to about the year 980. [Wikipedia]
    Above Right: Original Lead Glass Window. The Windows are being systematically swapped out for better insulted windows, except for a few for the sake of tradition; some windows are about 900 years old.

    Basilica of St Mang in Füssen. Basilica of St Mang in Füssen.
    Basilica of St Mang in Füssen. Basilica of St Mang in Füssen.
    Basilica of St Mang in Füssen. Basilica of St Mang in Füssen.
    perhaps St George was here. Harvest Celebration.
    Above Left: I'd like to know the story, perhaps St George was here.

    Above Right: Harvest Celebration.



    Stadt Zentrum (City Center): Füssen, Late Evening
    Ray, Terry, and Pastries. Pastries.
    Above: Three of my favorites.

    Volks at the City Center. Volks at the City Center.
    Above: Volks at the City Center.

    Pfarrer (Friar) Sebastian Kniep - Mind-Body Wellness Hydrotherapist. Pfarrer (Friar) Sebastian Kniep - Mind-Body Wellness Hydrotherapist.
    Above: Another statue of someone? This is Pfarrer (Friar) Sebastian Kniep. He used a loose form of Mind-Body Wellness Hydrotherapy on himself and a fellow Friar who could not pass a heath certification (to minister) so he self administered a wellness regimen to himself and his peer. The process was a regimen based on the readings of Hahn that addressed hot and cold water treatments, diet, and a sort of getting back to nature/basics.

    The process worked.

    The clergy administrators allowed Pfarrer Sebastian Kniep to set up a treatment center at the out of the way location of Wörishofen, Germany. The original treatment model was thought to be for workers and laborers, but the word of treatment success got out and soon Barons and other highborn sought out the Friar and his health recovery treatment process.

    Shopkeeper Sign. Shopkeeper Sign.
    Above: Traditional Shopkeeper Signs.

    City Apothecary. City Apothecary.
    Above: City Apothecary.

    City Apothecary. City Apothecary.
    Above: City Apothecary.

    An Italianish Cafe. An Italianish Cafe.
    Above: An Italianish Cafe.

    Evening Delight. On the road again.
    Above Left: Evening Delight - Yum.

    Above Right: On the road again.

    Lech River. Lech River.
    Above: Lech River.

    Ray is leading the way. Ray is leading the way.
    Above: Ray is leading the way.

    Signs. Hohenschwangau Castle.
    Above Left: Signs.

    Above Right: Hohenschwangau Castle.

    History.
    Hohenschwangau Castle. Sunset from our back porch.
    Above Left: Hohenschwangau Castle.

    Above Right: Day's End.


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