Day Trip - Herren Chiemsee

As I sit here and sip my cappuccino and gaze out at Lake Chiemsee, known to the Bavarians as “The Bavarian Sea” for its great size, I realize how big of a trip we embarked on today.  Right now, Katie, Renee, Karanjot, and Lisa are passed out on the table…and I don’t blame them. 

This morning I woke up at 6:30 so I could get to the station at 8:05 with Bianca to catch the S-Bahn.  After having a great time the last train ride we took together, Nik, Tobi, Bianca, and I grabbed four seats and laughed and joked the whole hour to our stop ‘Prien am Chiemsee’.  When we got off the S-Bahn, we thought that we had reached our destination BUT NAY! We had one more train to catch, however this train was the coolest one we have been on because it was a steam engine from the 1800’s.  Dad…it felt like I was taking the train to Tombstone or something, it was so cool! When all the students saw the small green cabins we were getting into, jitters came over the group because the Chiemsee bahn was just so cute and quaint! WHOOT WHOOT! The whistle was authentic and it screeched as steam came barreling out of the train.  After 15 minutes, we arrived at another place we thought was our final destination, but again, we were wrong. 

The group boarded a boat to go to the first island ‘Herreninsle’.  On this island we saw the German version of Versailles.  IT WAS BREATHTAKING!  It was built by King Ludwig II in the 1860’s but only one third of it was finished.  Before they could finish the rest of the building in the extravagant gold, frescos, chandeliers, and other profuse and gaudy decorations like custom curtains, tables, dressers, beds, and more, the King bankrupted Bavaria.  With a bathtub that can hold 60,000 liters of water, it is no wonder that this castle sent the entire state of Bavaria into debt.  After we left this beautiful castle with fountains and paintings on the ceilings and more, we hustled back to the docks to catch another boat. 

This time it took us to ‘Frauen-Insel’.  On this island, we were given 2 hours of free time.  I went with Bianca, Tobi, and Nik, and grabbed some fish for lunch before sitting down in a park for the rest of our time.  Oh, and there was also a small water fight that ended with Bianca and I looking like we peed our pants…this time the boys won, unfortunately. 

After free time we took another boat back to the mainland, caught the Chiemsee bahn again, and now I am sitting in the S-Bahn station (we moved locations) talking to a 13 year old boy named Constantine. 

Constantine has a big windsurfing board with him and has been surfing the lake for the last week.  He was born in Iowa City and later moved to Munich.  He didn’t have a ticket to get home so he asked Mr. Mobini and I if we had an extra ticket because he also has no money to get one.  Quickly, the group adopted him and now he is sitting in a pack of teenagers with his board talking and laughing.  This kid is awesome! Now aboard the train (keep up, we are always on the move here) we are headed back to Markt Schwaben for a night of needed relaxation after this day of traveling on planes, trains, and automobiles. 

And so, until next time, I say…happy trails, to you! Until we meet again! ~Jessika