Entry No. 7 From Sophomore Lauren O'Connell -- The rain fell like God had personally opened up the clouds. The temperature dropped to a cool eight degrees Celsius. The fog settled among the hills diminishing any division between land and sky. The Neuschwanstein Castle stood tall on the hillside as the trees engulfed the sides of the building.

Was it haunted? Maybe. Had the king who should have ruled within the walls of the castle been murdered? Possibly. However the family of the Late King Ludwig refused to allow his body to be exhumed. This eerie sense of uncertainty consumed the mountains around the castle on Monday morning.

Baylor soccer arrived at 12:30 p.m. to tour within the immense walls of the infamous Castle. Once inside it was clear as to why Disney had designed their fantastic castles and famed logo after Neuschwanstein. The detail and pristine condition of the paintings and furniture, all original pieces from the beginning of construction in 1869 were evident. The remarkable paintings on the walls of almost every room in the castle looked so elaborate the question was raised as to whether or not the art was wall paper.

The furniture was so perfectly carved and comprehensive that pictures could not do it justice. Maybe this was one reason why cameras were banned from within the castle walls. The most awe-inspiring part of the Neuschwanstein Castle, however, was the view that could be seen from any window in any room. The greenery stretched out till what seemed like forever until the trees ran into the mountains and the mountains ran into the sky. What a way to live. What a way to rule.

Following our tour of the castle we grabbed lunch and headed to our second game of the trip. We arrived at MTV Diessen's facilities at 5:30 p.m. as the rain relentlessly fell down. The conditions were taking no prisoners. Likewise, neither were we. As the game began the rain did not cease and the first half commenced with a dominating performance by Baylor and a halftime score of 5-1. Every player on the team was able to play in the second half as we extended our lead to 8-1.

The day ended with a joint meal with MTV Diessen at their onsite restaurant with traditional Asian cuisine. The bus ride back to the hotel was loud and obnoxious as the team's spirits were high.

Lauren