Day 7 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
This morning the alarm was set for 6:30 so that we could be ready for breakfast by 7 and ready to board the bus by 8. For a few minutes the streets of Bacharach were filled with the thunderous roar of luggage as we said our final farewell to this charming town and our 700 year old hotel. Auf wiedersehen, Bacharach!
Bus rides, however long, seem to be accompanied by periods of napping between history lessons from our guide, Dimitri. These history lessons do help us to know what we are seeing in the countryside as we pass by. It also helps to enrich our experience of history of the area we are going to be arriving in. However, after a period of silence when it is likely that many people have fallen asleep Dimitri likes to turn on his microphone and say, "Wakey wakey!" and then tell us what our next stop will be. Today our next stop is Rothenburg, or more specifically, Rothenburg ob der Tauber (on the Tauber River). There are several Rothenburg towns in Germany, so to be clear we are staying in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany's Christmas town. Another thing about Rothenburg is that it is a walled, or fortified, city. The only way into the city is via gates within the walls. Our tour bus paused outside one of these gates as Richard and Dimitri determined whether the bus would fit through the gate. Finally the decision to move on was made. We inched our way forward, drawing closer and closer to the gate. Everyone on the bus held their breath and pressed their faces to the windows as Richard, our driver, pulled into the gateway. The bus was silent until we made it through. This was followed by an immediate sigh of relief. Dimitri's voice came over the speaker system saying, "Oh you up-seat drivers. Did you doubt Richard's abilities?" The rest of the drive to the hotel was our dear Richard turning through narrow streets. I cannot recall how many vehicles we passed where it looked like they barely missed scraping against the bus. This bus is his baby, so we felt pretty safe regardless. Finally we arrived at our destination, the Hotel Goldener Hirsch Rothenburg (Golden Deer Hotel). We poured out of the bus, thankful to be on solid ground outside our home for the night. We thanked Richard profusely for his masterful work before we gathered our bags and made our way inside to check in. This hotel appeared to be much more modern than our last. It was very beautifully/richly decorated and the room itself was very spacious. The bathroom was beautiful and complete with a jacuzzi bath. Mom and Emily were really excited about this! |
After settling into the room we came back downstairs to go out and explore. Dimitri was waiting for us all to give us an introduction to the town of Rothenburg. Along the way we passed by christmas shops, bakeries, and so many charming buildings. There were so many wonderful things that I enjoyed seeing. Along the way Dimitri pointed out the town's pastry specialty called schneeball. This is a ball of pie crust that is fried and dipped in something. There are a variety of flavors: powder, chocolate, apple, caramel with peanuts and so on. He also told us that, in his opinion, they are not worth the hype they are given (they are in every bakery window!) and Rick (Steves) agrees. He took us to the main square and pointed out the main areas to visit and gave us a general orientation. He also filled us in on a story about the city and a special event that occurs along with the chime of the hour. On either side of the clock you have a window. Within each of these windows is a figure depicting a legend where, in order to save the town, mayor Nusch made a deal with the enemy that if he could drink over 3 liters of wine in one gulp then they would get the town back (1631). So on the hour these windows open up. On the left side you have the enemy and on the right you have the mayor chugging the wine in memory of his great moment. You might also notice that the clock is not exactly ordinary. This clock has the ability to tell the day as well as the hour and minutes. Pretty neat!
After our orientation Dimitri set us free to go out and explore the city until the time that we need to meet up for dinner and then for a city tour with the nightwatchman.
After our orientation Dimitri set us free to go out and explore the city until the time that we need to meet up for dinner and then for a city tour with the nightwatchman.
Our first stop was a visit to the Lutheran Church, St. Jakobs, located a couple of blocks away from the main square. This beautiful church took 170 years to build (1300's-1400's). The must see part of the church is the Holy Blood Altar which was carved by Tilmann Riemenschneider. On this structure there is a cross and at the crux of the cross there is a gem. The gem on the cross is said to contain three drops of Christ's blood. The altar itself gets its name from this gem. The church is beautiful with stunning stained glass and other beautiful alter pieces which are scattered around the church.
Once again I fell in love with the stained glass and the beautiful way the sun shines through the windows upon the ground, absolutely stunning! |
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After the church we walked down to the bakery to pick up some treats before going back out to the town and adventuring. At the bakery we ordered some schneebals since they are such a big item here. We got a four pack which included a chocolate, a powder, an apple, and a peanut butter. I agreed with Dimitri, they were not as good as I was hoping for, but of those my favorites were the apple and the peanut butter. I am glad that we gave them a try. When in Rothenburg do as the people do, if they do of course (they might be laughing at us for purchasing their schneebals ;) ).
After our special treat we decided to split up so that we could each do what we wanted to do in Bacharach. Emily and I opted for some shopping time while mom went to find a way to walk on the fortified walls. |
My first stop was one of the Christmas shops in Rothenburg. There is supposed to be a big Christmas shop, but I could not find it. I also was in search of some German teddy bears wearing the dirndl dress and the lederhosen. I had seen them in one shop but I did not love the face right away. Teddy bears can be so different from one to another and I was determined to find the perfect bears with the perfect outfits and faces. I went from one shop to another and finally I found the two perfect bears, one girl and one boy. Their names are Felix and Ava.
After finding the two perfect bears I went back to our hotel room to go and relax for just a little bit before dinner and the watchman's tour. I was the first to arrive back. Not long after mom joined me. She had found the wall and walked on it a little. However the views were not what she had expected and so she came back. The time was ticking down and soon we would be meeting the group once more. Finally Emily returned back to the room as well. She started talking about the big Christmas shop she had been in. I had been unable to find the store and wanted to see it. So we all got ready to go out once more and walked up the street to find the Christmas shop. The shop is incredible. Looking at the building you did not expect that it was so huge as it is inside. They have every kind of ornament you can imagine as well! From glass to bulbs to wooden ornaments. There were very cute teddy bear ornaments as well. They had everything, and in the short time we had to look it was almost impossible to see all that they had! I selected a few that I wanted to purchase, and even then I was stuck in a long and very slow line for what seemed like forever. I had mom and Emily walking over to update me on what the group was up to and who was there. Then it was an update that they were waiting. Finally it was my turn and I was able to purchase my items and truck my way over to the nearby fountain where they were waiting. I was thankful to have my little Christmas treasures in hand too! |
Dinner was with the group tonight. They led us to another hotel with a lovely dining room where we were going to have our dinner. I was amazed as I walked into the room. The stonework in the room was beautiful and went perfectly with the medieval feeling of this town. This meal included a drink with it and so we each ordered one. Emily got a beer and mom and I got the house white wine. Mom drank hers whereas I had a hard time drinking it. Alcohol is not my scene. Emily was not altogether thrilled with her beer so I gave her my wine and took water. This was also the first meal that we shared with our bus driver Richard, who joined us after everyone was settled. My encounters with him had been slim so far (Richard is known for being the heartthrob bus driver, you see. He is a stylish man who dresses very well. We even caught a glimpse of his shoe collection today while he was unloading our luggage. He has probably 20 pairs of shoes in the storage area reserved for his cleaning supplies (and shoes apparently). I had mentioned this to Julie, one of our fellow travelers (that he is the heartthrob bus driver). At our very first bus stop in Germany I was looking at some scarves they had. With sunglasses and jacket on Richard approached and told me, "No, you don't purchase scarves here. You buy your scarves in Florence." I watched as he walked on by us toward the door. Julie was nearby and leaned in asking, "Is it just me, or did it just get hot in here?" Her husband, Joe, was standing just a couple feet away. He then said, "Well, it looks like it just got hot outside too."). So this is the first meal that we shared with Richard at our table of four. He is such a delight to eat with too! We quickly discovered his infamous charm.
For dinner we had a first round of salad with a special sauce. This was followed by schnitzel (breaded chicken) along with german potato salad. This salad tasted more similar to the potato salad mom makes back at home. It was cold, but very delicious! For dessert we had ice cream with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate drizzled artfully over the top, along with a cookie straw. Very delicious! After dinner we strolled up the street back to the main square of the town. Here we wondered and waited for the appearance of the nightwatchman. We watched some very thirsty pigeons drinking from the fountain in the square. Finally, just around the 9 o' clock hour he arrived. His long, black cloak, lantern alight, and halberd in hand certainly set him apart from the typical bystanders who had since crowded the square in preparation for his arrival. Like the red sea the crowd parted before him to allow him to walk right up the steps to the town hall. He welcomed us (and everyone else who had assembled into the square) and told us that now was a good time to take photos with him while we waited for the clock to chime 9. You have to be a bit pushy for a chance at a picture, however I was able to squeeze in for a picture with him (yay me!)! |
After the bell chimed and the Mayor drank his 3 liters of wine in one gulp the tour officially began! The Night Watchman told us about the history of the job. In Rothenburg there used to be 6 Night Watchman, but now there is only one (one of the benefits of wielding a halberd, according to the watchman - eliminate the competition). "And there were 6 of us, 6 Night Watchman. Each had to guard his own district. Now it's just me left. I am the only one who is still around, still doing it, thank God! I had to get rid of the other 5. To make a living, but that's long ago."
We followed along after him through the streets and around the block, so to say. Emily and I stayed close to him so that we could hear everything he had to say. It was a large crowd that was following him, so your spot was important. Again you have to be a little aggressive. We all loved the tour! The watchman is very funny, and very dramatic in his speech. There were many pauses for dramatic effect. It was a fantastic presentation though! (If you want to listen to him talk go to youtube.com and search "Night Watchman Rothenburg"). I enjoyed all of the tour, however there was one story in particular that I really enjoyed about the time when Bacharach was finally taken over by enemy forces. It went something like this: “On the third day of the attack we ran out of gun powder. There were just a few barrels of gun powder left. It was all stored within the powder tower, which is one of the towers along this wall and part of the fortification. It was pitch dark room inside, like towers usually are… Then something very stupid happened.
It’s hard to talk about. One of our own people made this HUGE mistake. It was the guy in charge of the gun powder, making sure that no unauthorized person gets access to it. But for some reason he himself went in there, but with a torch light. Maybe because it was so dark in there, or maybe because he forgot what kind of tower it was. You know, later on we never could ask him what the hell he was thinking. But the result is impressive. He blew it up… We surrendered immediately, hoping they would take mercy... But they did not take mercy. We had killed more than 300 of them. But we had only lost two so far. One was the man with the torch. The second was standing too close.”
Oops! |
"So when you people are walking around our streets and someone tells you, "Go to Hell" it's actually a good thing." |
On his route the watchman passes a building that they call "hell". "It's written on the outside in German language, "This is Hell". It's named hell. Also outside there is a golden figure that is supposed to be the devil. See it? There is a devil, and it's hell. But it's still a nice place. It is a pub and a restaurant, and it's open late. So when you people are walking around our streets and someone tells you, "Go to Hell" it's actually a good thing." To my knowledge I did not have anyone tell me to "Go to Hell" while I was in Rothenburg, thank goodness for that!
The tour ended back at the main square where we had started. Once done I went back with Mom and Emily to the hotel room long enough to fetch my tripod and shutter remote. Mom said she would come with me for at least a little while. Together we ventured out onto the street to see what nightlife in Rothenburg is like. We slowly made our way up to the main square once more. Along the way we stopped at some fountains and other lovely places. Once we arrived at the main square again we noticed that the Night Watchman was at it once more, leading another tour group, but this time he was speaking in German. I worked around this group and followed them a little down the road. Somewhere along the way I had gotten separated from mom. She found me down the road at another fountain near another church. We looped around to see St. Jakobs lit up at night. However, much to our surprise they started turning off lights as we walked by, literally. We were walking past one of the Christmas stores when the alley light shut off. A block away from St. Jakobs we found a beautiful building, a restaurant/pub. I set up my tripod to take the picture and finally was all set up when the light illuminating the building went out. It almost felt personal! The lights somehow magically knew that we were there and using them and poof, out they went. Needless to say we did not stay out much longer than that. Plus tomorrow is another day of travel, so a good night of rest is important.
The tour ended back at the main square where we had started. Once done I went back with Mom and Emily to the hotel room long enough to fetch my tripod and shutter remote. Mom said she would come with me for at least a little while. Together we ventured out onto the street to see what nightlife in Rothenburg is like. We slowly made our way up to the main square once more. Along the way we stopped at some fountains and other lovely places. Once we arrived at the main square again we noticed that the Night Watchman was at it once more, leading another tour group, but this time he was speaking in German. I worked around this group and followed them a little down the road. Somewhere along the way I had gotten separated from mom. She found me down the road at another fountain near another church. We looped around to see St. Jakobs lit up at night. However, much to our surprise they started turning off lights as we walked by, literally. We were walking past one of the Christmas stores when the alley light shut off. A block away from St. Jakobs we found a beautiful building, a restaurant/pub. I set up my tripod to take the picture and finally was all set up when the light illuminating the building went out. It almost felt personal! The lights somehow magically knew that we were there and using them and poof, out they went. Needless to say we did not stay out much longer than that. Plus tomorrow is another day of travel, so a good night of rest is important.
Emily had opted to stay back in the room and bathe. When we got back to the room Emily came out of the bathroom with a towel in hand. "If either of you want to bathe tonight then we're going to need to get new towels" she announced. We had been given three sets of towels, however the jets in the jacuzzi were stronger than she had anticipated. Trying to have a relaxing and comfortable bath she had turned them on, however they were very strong and ended up spraying water all over the bathroom before she could go and turn it off once more. She had therefore flooded the floor just enough that she needed to use all of the towels to clean it up. In the moment I was tired but the way she told it was just so hilarious that I could not help but laugh! Oh dear. Mom went downstairs to pick up some more towels. She explained to the man at the front desk what had happened. He nodded, well aware of the situation. "Yeah, that happens a lot here." He told her with a laugh. At least they were understanding!
So that was our day in Rothenburg. Tomorrow we drive to Dachau Concentration Camp. I think tomorrow will be a rather sad and emotional day, so I think that bed time would be a really great idea. Night night my family and friends! Thanks for reading!
So that was our day in Rothenburg. Tomorrow we drive to Dachau Concentration Camp. I think tomorrow will be a rather sad and emotional day, so I think that bed time would be a really great idea. Night night my family and friends! Thanks for reading!