We started this week off with another 2 nights in Munich (4 nights total) and to be honest, it was probably 2 nights too many.
If we were ever to do Oktoberfest again (which is unlikely), we would only stay for 1 or 2 nights in total. It is fun but really just an excuse for Aussies and Americans to have one to many steins.
We left Munich on Wednesday morning with an additional passenger (Jack’s cousin, James). Our game plan was to be in Florence by Sunday because we were meeting the grandparents in Tuscany on Monday (oh, the excitement). Other than that, no other details were set.
We had a couple of places we wanted to see between here and there but didn’t have any set camping spots in mind so after a quick research, our first stop was at Füssen in Germany. We stayed at Wohnmobilplatz which was 14€ for the night plus 1€ for the shower (5 minutes).
The essentially glorified carpark was located in amongst a little shopping village and the town itself turned out to be extremely charming (about a 15 minute walk from where we were). We had a wander around before stopping for a slice of ‘sisi cake’ at Kurcafé (who created the original recipe back in the 19th century for visiting royalty).
We left Füssen early in the afternoon and drove around the lake to visit Neuschwanstein Castle – somewhere we had wanted to visit for a long time and we couldn’t recommend it enough. We took the shorter but steeper track up to the marienbrucke (bridge) for the best views of the castle and it did not disappoint.
After a few snaps, we took the track down to the castle and looked around before heading back. Note: we didn’t go inside because a) once you’ve seen one castle you’ve seen them all and b) the lines were ludicrous.
We jumped back in Peggy and drove a little further south before stopping at Camping Zugspitze in Garmisch, Germany (33€ for one night). As the name suggests, you can see Zugspitze which is the highest peak in Germany.
The main reason for staying in this area was to visit Eibsee which is an alpine lake laying at the base of Zugspitze. Because we arrived late in the afternoon and to ominous weather, we decided to get an early night and hike around the lake in the morning.
Lucky for us, we woke to (temporary) blue skies and made our way to Eibsee by 8:30am. We started the loop track around the lake and were the only ones there for majority of the walk (about 7km total, easy walking). With autumn (my absolute favourite season) being in full swing, we were surrounded by a forest full of green, red, orange and yellow foliage. The lake itself was so still and clear, the reflections of Zugspitze looming over could be easily seen.
As you can gather from most of our posts, we much prefer to be out in nature as opposed to wandering through museum after museum. Eibsee was one of those places that we will be in awe of for a long time to come and confirms this world is truly incredible.
After we finished the loop track, we hopped back in Peggy and crossed over the border and into Austria. Innsbruck was one of our favourites places from our last trip and like Salzburg, we couldn’t wait to visit again. We parked and stayed overnight (for free) on the outskirts of town, with the centre being about 15-20 minutes walk.
We stumbled upon a food market by the river where we munched down on some lángos (fried dough, pizza deliciousness) for a late lunch before meandering through the winding alleys of the old town. We then settled in at Stiftskeller for an afternoon of beers and german tapas.
With only two nights left to reach Tuscany, we crossed the border into Italy and headed half way before reaching Lake Garda where we stayed for free close to Sirmione. We arrived late and left early the next day so unfortunately, didn’t get to see much of the area.
We left early because we wanted to make the most of our time in Florence. We stayed in a carpark that was about a 20 minute walk into the city for 15€. We arrived just after lunch so headed straight into the town to grab a ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ – a must have steak dish famous in Florence.
After enjoying our hearty meal of steak, potatoes and red wine, we left in search of Michelangelo’s David. We found his stunt double in Piazza della Signoria and that was good enough for us so we didn’t pay to see the real deal (call us cheap, if you will). We wandered endlessly through the streets – stopping to ogle at the Duomo / Cathedral and tasting many treats and wines. A wonderful afternoon.
Until Week Nineteen. Arrivederci x
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