On my final day in Germany I walked from my last hotel the Holiday Inn Express Munich City West to Nymphenburg. Walking over was much better than taking a taxi because of the fall colours and surprisingly warm weather. Unfortunately after a few hours at Nymphenburg I was so tired that I had to taxi back to the hotel.
The night before touring Neuschwanstein Castle with Viator, a staff member at Hotel an der Oper gave my mom and I some insight about the connection between Neuschwanstein Castle and Walt Disney. Neuschwanstein Castle was an influence for some of Walt Disney’s creations, such as the film Fantasia. Along with the castles connection to Disney, there is the historic yet unresolved tale of King Ludwig II “The Fairytale King.”Stories take place everywhere, but even just walking into the castle feels like walking into a storybook.
On my last full day in Russia with Amawaterways we went to Peterhof. Peter the Great was inspired by Versailles when he visited in 1717, which influenced the design of Peterhof. I remember being told that some people preferred Peterhof but that “you would have to see for yourself.”  I found Tsarskoye Selo more beautiful, but I remember Peterhof as the fun palace. At Peterhof a set of sprinklers would go off if you stepped on the wrong spot while trying to sit on a grand bench outside. The inside was beautiful and the outdoors was magical.
Tsarskoye Selo with Amawaterways
Travelling to Pushkin from Saint Petersburg, we were early enough to beat the lines at Tsarskoye Selo. Amawaterways gave us a tour of the palace, taking our group through the history of the different rooms, including a romantic spot for Catherine the Great. There was a great amount of destruction there from World War II, as some parts were still being restored. Once the tour of the rooms which we were able to see was over, it was time to explore the gardens freely.
Travellerella 