Leaving Bavaria

My days in the hills
Have come to an end, I know.
The stars have come out
To tell me it's time to go.
But deep in the dark, green shadows
Is something that calls me to stay.
So I pause and I wait and I listen
For one more little thing, one more little sound
That the hills might say.

9:15 PM Fri.22.Apr.2011
Like Maria, my time in Bavaria is nearly over. On Saturday morning, Ann & I leave to catch a train to Paris. It will be a long journey as the German engineers & conductors are on strike. It appears we are taking an Austrian train. We board at Kempten at 11:00 and arrive at Paris' Gare du Nord at 8:00pm. A long day, but only 90 minutes longer than driving! But that's tomorrow and the goodbye can wait until then.
Today, we took the roads around Schwangau & Fuessen. We discovered a cable-car ride to the top of a mountain: ~1500km or 4921ft. There were many para-gliders and hang-gliders launching from up there. Planes flew lower than we were! It wasn't the Spitzeuga, but we were close to it. There was still snow on the ground! So, we watched a few launches, took some pix and ate lunch in the Alps.
We then headed over to Fuessen to find the Abbey. We found it in the old part of the city (Altestadt), but it was not open for guests today. It is, after all, Good Friday. We stepped into a Roman Church named for St Mang and listened to part of the Good Friday service. There were no more than 10 people in the nave of the church, most not paying attention to the readings. I picked up on Jesus in the middle, Mary Magdalen and Mary Mother. The church was a beautiful one in the Baroque-style I think. Not enough gold and flourish for Rococo. 
The shops in Fuessen were also closed due to the holy-day, so we drove back to Hohenschwangau and rested for a few hours. 
Dinner was a fine salad with chicken breast done to perfection, a glass of half-dry Riesling, and a chocolate sundae for dessert. Lunch consisted of goulash, spaetzle and a dark beer.
It will be hard to leave this little piece of paradise, but I guess that just means I'll have to return.
And now: on to PARIS!