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ESSAY CONTEST 2001.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS!
These essays were submitted to the contest by the passengers
who participated in the castle tours during the summer of 2001.
THE WINNERS ARE:
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ESSAY NUMBER TWO
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Janet Miller |
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ESSAY NUMBER ONE
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Robyn Schwartz |
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ESSAY NUMBER ONE |
Last year, to mark the so called millennium, I opted to set out on
my first overseas journey alone, I was going to England to study, but
had to make a few stops first. After seeing the "Castles of the World"
website, I set my eyes on Neuschwanstein, and felt that was the place to
go. I ended up spending several days alone there, loving every second,
but wishing I had someone to share it with, to believe that what I saw
was real and not some surrealistic fantasy. I sat on a balcony, alone
each night and viewing it as The most romantic spot I could ever have found, and vowed to return
there once I found someone who I wanted to share that with, and wished I
would find one soon. A week later, I met James, the cheeky English
scientist with great wit and a gentle heart, I kidnapped him out of
England and spent the year
loving this man, constantly showing him pictures of places I must take
him some day, with Neuschwanstein at the head of the list. Sooner than I
thought possible I learned I would be going back to that very spot with
him, a little under a year after I had made that vow on my balcony.
We left for Europe a few weeks before the Castle Tour started to
explore some of Europe on our own. We saw good shows, had lovely meals
and moonlight walks, every moment as if in a dream, and I kept thinking
how the best was yet to come. When the tour began, it was wonderful to
be around other couples, who all thought we were honeymooners, and it
really felt like we were. We found scores of "kissy spots", had many
priceless moments, fun guide-escaping adventures, and we stuck together
through frisbee dramas and steak nazi's. Within the first few days, it
was already one of the best trips I had ever been on. We fell in love
all over again every single day and just when I was starting to believe
nothing would be more perfect then Mount St.Michael, we arrived in
Fussen, where I had left part of my heart last year.
Dinner was early that night and the majority of the group set off to the
spectacular Ludwig musical, but James and I had other things in mine. A
dream to live up to and a cycle to end. Before we had a chance for a
single breath of digestion, we were power walking to Schwangau, holding
hands and saying "guten tag" to bicyclers, watching the sun sinking
lower and into the trees, and finally we were there. Standing at the
base, near the abandoned tourist center, looking at the fairytale castle
seemingly rising into the clouds. We walked through the small village
were I pointed out Schloss Hohenschwangau and the path that I had gotten
caught on in a thunderstorm, the very room in the Schlosshostel Lisl I
stayed in, and the breathtaking lake Alpensee with its moutainesque
background, clouds rolling down as if they were desperate to dive into
the lake. We sat there staring for a good few minutes and then decided
to "do it", go all the way up to the castle. I knew the path was long,
windy and uphill, not to mention the sun was setting, but I knew I would
hate myself if I missed this chance. The temperature was perfect, and we
knew we would have it to ourselves so we bounded up the wooded hill, and
made it up in a little under 20min.
Once up, I felt every part of me want to sing and dance, I was
standing here, with my vision of a perfect man, a big white deserted
castle and the sun setting behind the mountains. The air would have been
silent if it weren't for the lullaby from the Bavarian cow bells and
nearby whisper of the waterfall. There was no crying children, yelling
tour guides, businessmen on cell phones or clicks of cameras, just us
running around and laughing like children, hugging the castles walls,
and finding different kissing angles to
still view the castle, and just sharing what we now tell everyone was
the best moment of our young lives. It was a tragedy that those 90 or so
minutes had to pass, and no manipulation of imagination....or science
could freeze them. We walked back down, both wondering if that had
really happened, and it didn't fully hit us until the next day, when we
returned with the group and saw all those places and things that we had
come to share the night before, and the magic was forever sealed within
us then and there. We toured the
magnificent interior of Neuschwanstein that day and saw the looks on our
groups faces when it first came into view, but nothing could compare to
that time we spent there in the sunset, and I doubt anything ever could.
The entire trip was like one big fantasy. We were time travelers
and beauty seekers, and the group was in it together, but each of us
took home our own fond memories and ours just happened to complete a
cycle that I had promised myself, and sealed a love I never thought
possible, and thanks to this tour, this was possible, and I have this
fairy tale to remember and live out forever.
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ESSAY
NUMBER 2 |
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Ode
to the 68
Frantic arrival our plane was late
Looking for Lucy at quarter to eight.
Dinner was waiting somewhere to us unknown
Then Colin appears and says let's go!
So off and running, our tour begins
(Don't lose him I whisper over and over again)
The madman is off and flags down a cab
Jabbering in French and waving his hand
He yells Stop Here! and out he flies.
Running closely behind
I keep wondering why
Have we made a mistake
Have we lost our minds?
(Don't lose him I whisper over again)
Up one staircase and yet another
He looks over his shoulder to see if we're there
He points out buildings, views, and sites
"Take a picture here, no wait!
A better shot's here,"
He directs us while pointing
and running up stairs
Have we made a mistake
Have we lost our minds?
(Don't lose him I whisper over again)
Finally arriving at the top of the hill
The restaurant awaits us
Beef or fish, white or red?
Quick decisions and strangers' faces
We slowly sit down wide-eyed looking around
SUDDENLY loud music begins
Lawrence Welk in Kiss makeup
Have we made a mistake
Have we lost our minds?
Paris excursions and much to see
The sheep and the shepherd
Colin leads and we follow
Off and running he goes
Bus Schedule in hand he studies it all
and says "AHA I have found it !
We need the 68 !"
We blindly follow our leader
I keep wondering why
Have we made a mistake
Have we lost our minds?
(Don't lose him I whisper over again)
At the bus stop, we wait and we wait
Where could it be, that bus 68?
Colin paces and paces and paces some more
I whisper to others
"Does it run Sundays too?"
OF Course I am told.
Then a frown appears on his face
As we finally read the sign
"Monday through Friday"
NO 68 today, oh my
But our fearless leader is undaunted
"Plan B" he shouts and he's off!
to the Metro we run
Have we made a mistake
Have we lost our minds?
Who cares, THIS IS FUN!
I hope there is more!
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