Castle kitchens, Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany.

I've been in Munich for the past few days, eating pork, walking around Old Town, and visiting castles.

Although I'm a big fan of royal bedrooms, it's the voyeur in me, I really like ancient kitchens. But, before I move on to kitchens, I have one thought about royal boudoirs... not-a-one has a king-sized bed in it. Or a queen-sized bed for that matter.

This series of photographs is from Neuschwanstein Castle.

In the center of this photo is a rotisserie with a five-foot-long spit. To the right of it is a plate warmer. Oh, how you'd need a plate warmer. Castle = damp/drafty.

The kitchen itself is gigantic, my apartment x three (or four). I wish I were better at judging distances, but it's large. The main, central prep table is at least 20 feet long.

 

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

I love the pots and the molds below. Life size asparagus, and lemon molds plus a cute little crown and a swan mold. Swans were a favorite of King Ludwig II because they symbolised fidelity and steadfastness.

Ludwig was considered 'mad' in his day. Today, he'd be a moody, eccentric goth with a shit-ton of money.

The photo on the right is the cook's office. It has a daybed as Ludwig was fond of sleeping in and waking up late for midnight carriage rides and hanging with friends. Which meant that the kitchen was a 24/7 operation, but the cooks never knew exactly when he'd be eating.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle, savory molds.

 Adjacent to the Cook's office was a large area that looked like a pastry kitchen. It had large windows, two deep sinks, and another 10-15 foot prep table.

This castle was luxurious,' as it had running water. Granted the water came straight from the alps so it was very cold, but it was piped into the castle rooms that needed water like the kitchen and the king's loo.

Next: Linderhof.

Yours in ancient (kitchen) beauty,

Nancy