Schwaebisch Hall

So, on Sunday we spent the day traveling to Ansbach to look at a van for our family. Yipee! Although now it turns out that we're not going to get it, we still had a great day Sunday.

On the way back home, we stopped in Schwaebisch Hall for lunch. It was on our list of places to see, and it was a glorious day. As we entered the town, we saw a sign saying it was Freund Tag, and so we knew something had to be going on. We parked near the river on the lower half of the town, and walked towards the music. The buildings here seem to tower over you as you stroll because the stadt is built into the hillside, which emphasizes their height.

We were all excited to hear the traditional music playing, and happy to see that they had a small fest set up in the marktplatz, including a stage and vendors with all kinds of treats. We decided to have lunch on the sidewalk of a hotel that looks over everything that was going on. We enjoyed the different entertainers very much, excepting the modern, horrible dancing by some pre-teens set to distasteful, lustful modern music. But, beside that bad sideshow, the rest of it was great.

We detoured for a few minutes into the church that overlooks the platz. Follow this link to see pictures of the stairs to this place, as I didn't get any pics. Inside was lovely, with lots of what looked like newly done paintings. Ariel had a good lesson of Christ's sacrifice on the cross because this place had real colors on the statue of Jesus, including the blood. She was upset because she thought that they turned the real Jesus into a statue, and we had to explain that it's just a reminder of what happened, but the real Jesus is in heaven.

Shortly thereafter we left and stopped at the spielplatz on the way back to the car. It was a new one, and the kids had fun on it. It was along the river amongst large shade trees, and very lovely. We had a fun day, and Ariel wants to take Grandpa & Grandma there to play. I'd like to go back because we didn't see any of the upper part of the city. It was a really cool place to see.

Bad Wimpfen

So, we spent this morning at Bad Wimpfen, which is about a half hour away. It is a very old town, existing for more than one thousand years. It has a bit of Roman remains, and housing from the 1500s. The city is made of cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses, neat little alleyways and the tall blue watchtower. There are old gateways that lead to the palace, walls that mark new and old territory, potted gardens galore, and a pig museum.

It was a lovely day outside and we enjoyed investingating a new town and getting some great photos. We went to the top of the Blue Tower, and the views were nice. From the one side, you could see the river, and there was a boat going by. From another wall you could see the beautiful Evangelical Municipal Church. From another side you could see the Jewish house with the Hebrew inscription from the 1500s.

As we walked back towards the car, we stopped to get the kids some ice cream and let them play on a playground a little bit. Then we took another path that took us to a little dog park , with pathways down to the river. This is where we found a war memorial that had names engraved on it from both world wars.

On our way back out, we saw the musicmen & women, come down the path pushing their musicboxes. They were all dressed in costume for the Hurdy- Gurdy festival. Yes, again with the German festivals, but this one looked cute- what in the world is a Hurdy-Gurdy festival? They had been setting up in the square while we were looking around, but nothing had started, as the Germans are known for being night-owls that like to drink and then sleep in. So, we missed the fest, but we had a good time visiting yet another German masterpiece.

Nuremburg

Nuremburg is another great city in Germany. It is towards the east side of the country, and located in Bavaria, in the rolling hills and tall pines. Again, we prefer the altstadts to the modern city, and so we spent our time roaming the cobblestone streets, the old buildings, and the markets held here. We visited during the Christmas market and the Easter Market. The Christmas Market was great. It was all decked in holiday cheer, smells of smoke, sausages, spiced wine and pine, and sights of people bundled up, garland and bows every where, candy-striped tents holding goodies galore and even Kinder entertainment. It

was a alot of fun, and we hope to get back to Nuremburg to see it's historic castle and other sights.

Sweet Speyer

Speyer was the town that Dustan stayed in whilst working his 6 months temp here in Germany in 2005. His hotel was out in the country, but he made it a point to visit the city, and here is where he brought me; my first visit to a German town. It is such a wonderful city. It's Cathedral is on the UNESCO World Heritage list- I do believe in the number two spot for Germany.

The altstadt is in a park like setting, with bits of the old wall still intact, fountains here and there, street musicians entertaining the passersby, and a youthful vibrance throughout, despite the age of the city. There are many things to see here, churches with beautiful paintings and carvings, a watchtower, jewish baths, and the list goes on. They also host many festivals and have a major tourist influx in the summer.

All in all, Speyer is not to be missed. Roaming the streets will bring you to awe, especially on market days. The variety of produce and flowers, man-made products, the craftsmanship is great. The artwork and decorative etching on the houses and shops is just another mark of the German's pride in handiwork. It is a great place for the family to visit, which we have done several times, and still have yet to see all of it. Hopefully we will make it back this summer and see the rest of it.

Ancient Trier

September 2005

Trier is a cool place. A city of antiquity, it is filled with Roman remains and a sense of history permeates the air. It is amazing to walk the streets and imagine the things that used to go on here. It lies near the Mosel River, and is quite the extensive city. It is nerve-wrecking to walk into the ampitheatre, thinking of all the horrid things that happened here, even more so in the holding pens below the stadium.

The imperial baths are really neat to investigate. Some of the high walls are still standing. The pools have been dug back out, and the tunnels that serviced the facility are open to mole thru.

There is also the Dom Cathedral, and it is filled with graves, statues of the grim reaper and skeletons, a humongous organ that hangs from the ceiling, and shrines decorated with bronze and gold.

Then there is the Porta Nigra, translated to mean, The Black Gate. It is really cool and not to be missed. Of course, you couldn't really miss it, even if you wanted too.

This is where I also had the best German ice cream. There was a little shop along the main strip where they make the waffle cones right in front of you. So, you have this warm, sweetened waffle encircling the creamiest ice cream you've ever had. No American ice cream can compare. Of course, I had fresh strawberries and REAL whipped cream topping it, so how could I have not absolutely loved it?

Trier was so much fun, and a great day trip for travellers. Not very ideal for small children, as there is A LOT of walking and lots of heights that you'd want to climb, but really shouldn't for safety's sake with children. But, I'd love to go back to visit again, but this time in the spring, for I noticed that there were fruit trees everywhere, and so it must be beautiful, blossoming in the spring.

Heidelberg

I lost my heart in Heidelberg. That's the catch line for this university town, and it's true for so many people, including me. It is a wonderful town filled with history, good views, great shopping, fantastic food and even more wonderful people. It has been a major role in religious circles and has been marked by war, love, literature and archaeology.

We have visited several times, and we still love to go as often as we can. We always take our visitors to enjoy Heidelberg. With the Neckar river flowing gently by this busy town, and the castle overlooking it, it is an enjoyable atmosphere.

You can read about Heidelberg's history on my link on the list of European Destinations.

Ladenburg

July 2006

While my mom and aunt were visiting us, we took a lot of day trips, but one particular visit stands out in my mind. It was an evening visit to the altstadt of Ladenburg.

In summer, dusk does not arrive until after 10 pm in Germany, and so we had ample time to enjoy the town after putting the kids to bed.

When we arrived, the sun was setting its' glow upon the town, and with it, the church bells chimed. Whilst walking along the alleyways and cobblestone streets, we came upon a choir rehearsal, and the music echoed off the buildings and sent our spirits soaring. How romantic! Any notion that an American has about the romanticised old way of life had come to life for a few moments for us. What a perfect experience.

While we had a relaxing evening exploring this great altstadt, and the photos are a good reminder of it, they are not sufficient of the actuality of the place, nor even do my memories of it do it justice. One must see it to fully appreciate it. Breathe the air there, hear the sounds, feel the stones beneath the feet, the smell of delicious food. In some ways, this reminds me of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father and what He has prepared for us. The wonder of His handiwork that we see everyday is amazing, and yet is just a reflection of what is to come in the new heaven and earth, and in heaven itself. Even these created places cannot compare to God himself; His infinite glory, love, magnificence. Oh, how magnificent indeed must our Lord truly be!

Rothenberg ob der Tauber

What can I say about this beautiful, romantic town? It is truly ideal for the traveller who wants to relive medieval past with cobblestone streets, half-timber houses, shops with all things collectable, German, and palate tempting delights. Although you will find many Americans and other visiting nationalities out and about roaming the streets, you will also find Germans dressed in traditional costumes, and maybe you'll be so lucky to come across a medieval festival or a parade, a music fest with traditional instruments... who knows? But what ever you'll find here is definately worth the effort of making the trip, even with kids who get carsick.