No BMW European delivery trip is complete without a visit to the Neuschwanstein castle, rumored to be Walt Disney’s inspiration for Cinderella’s castle. Unfortunately, my time with my new car was nearing an end as I had to have it returned by 4pm just outside of Munich so the castle trip had to be quick.
I headed out and enjoyed the winding roads through the German countryside on one of the most gorgeous days I had experienced yet in Germany – where the summer weather tends to be unpredictable with a penchant for clouds and rain.
Since the castle is located on the top of a hill there are several options for going up – a horse-drawn carriage, a bus and walking. Incorrectly gauging the time and effort it would take to reach the top, I decided to go for a brisk walk to the top.
Drenched in sweat and glad to stop off at the concession stand, I reached the top and the view from there was breathtaking.
Realizing that I would need to take advantage of my car’s engine and my driving abilities to make it back on time for my drop-off, I wasn’t able to stay long and walked back down the hill to go for the last leg of driving for a while.
I walked in with a only a minute or two before closing to get the car dropped off. I met with Thomas, BMW’s representative for the shipping process back to the US. He was an extremely nice and gregarious guy and he let me keep the car until midnight when my insurance and license would run out as long as I did all the paperwork that afternoon and left the second set of keys with him. Like hitting the snooze button on an alarm clock that sounds far too early, I had a reprieve and took advantage of the beautiful day to find a nearby lake and soak up some rays, enjoy a cold beer and currywurst and go for a little swim.
Later that evening, I dropped off my stuff at my hotel, went out for a late dinner and took the car back to the shipping facility. I arranged for a taxi home and could only take comfort in the fact that the next day I would be headed to Italy to stay with my extended family there for a few days.
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