By bmlee18
It's been the start of my five-week long break, which has probably been one of the greatest perks of studying at Cambridge. Typically, students take this time to study for their exams and tweak their dissertations that are due next term, but given the different structure for my program's visiting students, I've been given the amazing opportunity to travel throughout Europe. Currently, my parents are here visiting me, and because they've never been to Europe before, we've really taken this time to explore and experience as many places as possible.
Among the destinations that we've visited thus far, I thought that I would share some of the most memorable places.
1. Happily ever after - Neuschwanstein Castle. From Munich, we took a two-hour long train ride to the Bavarian town of Füssen, eventually to reach the small but magical village of Hohenschwangau. Against beautiful mountains and a glistening lake, King Ludwig II had built this magnificent castle that became the source of inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. I was bewildered as to how a castle of such scale and grandeur was constructed on top of rugged peaks - truly a remarkable engineering success. While the view right next to the castle, as well as the interior, was breathtaking, I have to say that the best place to really gaze at Neuschwanstein was from Mary's Bridge (Marienbrücke), which was at a staggering height above a gushing waterfall. While I don't really have a fear of heights, I was actually quite frightened staring out at the ground below and walking to the middle of the rickety wooden bridge. It did make for some amazing photos, though, and was overall a wonderful respite from busy city life.