In Germany being punctual is the norm, and it is always expected of you. I had heard this before, so I left my friend's apartment near Munich's Ostbahnhof early. I hadn't taken into consideration, though, that on weekends there are fewer trains than on weekdays, so I had to wait 8 minutes for my S-bahn train to Munich Hauptbahnhof, where my bus tour of the Bavarian castles was waiting for me.
When I arrived at the station, I looked at the watch: I would meet my bus right on time, at 8.30 sharp, not bad for an Italian. After all, we are not very famous for being on time, are we? Little did I know that I would be the last to join my tour, the lady in charge crossing out my name and then telling the driver to leave! Ah, these German people, are they even human?
Jokes aside, I usually dislike bus tours: you are told when to stop for lunch and how long to spend in one place or the other, and if your are a minute late, you might find the bus leaving without you. When I was given a complimentary ticket for a tour of the Bavarian castles, however, I couldn't complain: I was saving the 23€ of the train ticket, and what's more I would be visiting not one but two castles, while learning something about them on the way.
When I arrived at the station, I looked at the watch: I would meet my bus right on time, at 8.30 sharp, not bad for an Italian. After all, we are not very famous for being on time, are we? Little did I know that I would be the last to join my tour, the lady in charge crossing out my name and then telling the driver to leave! Ah, these German people, are they even human?
Jokes aside, I usually dislike bus tours: you are told when to stop for lunch and how long to spend in one place or the other, and if your are a minute late, you might find the bus leaving without you. When I was given a complimentary ticket for a tour of the Bavarian castles, however, I couldn't complain: I was saving the 23€ of the train ticket, and what's more I would be visiting not one but two castles, while learning something about them on the way.
After a very scenic drive through the Bavarian Alps, the bus finally parked in what seemed to be a quiet spot in the middle of nowhere. "Our first stop is Schloss Linderhof", the tour guide announced, "the only castle that King Ludwig II saw completed in his short life".
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| Schloss Linderhof |
