Rothenburg ob der Tauber: A Fairy Tale Town and Rest Stop Outrage

On Sunday morning, we discussed how sore our bodies were from the distance walked the day before and groveled about the impending drive home.  The two topics seemed polar opposites, a joyful day of sight seeing and exploration compared to a long and arduous ride back to Germany.  However, there was a silver lining; the monotony of travel can be mollified by visiting points of interest along the way.  Conveniently, about halfway through the seven-plus hour trip - lies the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber; a quaint town many have (probably) seen in pictures, but are unfamiliar with the name.

Outside the city walls

Quiet Sunday in Germany...aren't they all...

We departed Prague sometime in the late morning because getting seven people on the same schedule is about as conceivable as seven dwarfs living harmoniously in a small cottage.  The first three hours passed with little to no trouble, although, the system of the European rest stop irked some of our star-spangled visitors.  There was an obstinate outrage about the pay-per-use bathroom; the principle of paying €0.50 to use the facilities was incredulous.  In turn, a €0.25 redeemable coupon to use at the rest stop was of little consolation.  I digress.  

Every street seems to look like this

Making our way to the Marktplatz

When we reached Rotheburg ob der Tauber, we parked outside the city walls and briefly stretched our legs in preparation for more walking.  As we passed through the streets, it felt like a typical Sunday in Germany, quiet, and the majority of businesses were closed.  Our time here would be brief, but long enough to explore the medieval town center.  The cobble stoned streets and half-timbered homes of the picturesque village made it feel like you were walking through the setting of a fairy tale.  

Fleisch- und Tanzhaus (Meat and Dance House)

There are a lot of cobble stones in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

One of many fountains

While it would have been great to stay for longer, three hours of driving remained; reality settled in, and we had to window-shop the attractions.  Also, due to the strong opposition of using another European rest stop, we decided to stay and eat before returning to the road.   On the final leg of our drive, we miraculously avoided the omnipresent stau of Stuttgart.  We were relieved to be home, but sad that our visitors too would be returning home.  

Ratstrinkstube (Councillor's Tavern)

Plönlein (Little Square)

Cheesing it up at dinner

Blautopf, A Cave, Two Castles, and I Tarnish My Driving Record

After some time off from our usual travels, our long awaited group of visitors from the States ventured to Deutschland.  Five of our friends would come in two separate waves, the first of which arrived and the second would touchdown on German soil later in two days.  We graciously welcomed our new visitors, however, we would be pushing the maximum occupancy of our home.  With weekend plans set to travel to the Czech Republic, we needed to find some activities to do in the meantime.

Arriving to Blaubeuren

Walking around

Blautopf

The triumvirate of girls that landed had traveled to Iceland and Spain - so combating jet lag was not necessary.  However, inasmuch excitement that our hometown offers, Julie and I thought we should go see some of the quaint German countryside and throw in a few castles.  Our day's plan called for an overzealous road trip through Baden-Württemberg, starting with Blautopf.

View of town from the other side

Didn't think I'd bring Rayleigh scattering into this

I did...knowledge is power!!!

The vibrant blue spring found in Blaubeuren is a unique body of water that gets its distinct color as a result of the sun's interaction with the water.  Due to a high quantity of limestone particles, the light reflects off the limestone and scatters the short wavelengths of the visible spectrum, or blue light (also why the sky is blue, Rayleigh scattering).  We continued to walk explore the town and Blautopf itself, but it we were ready to move on to the next destination, Tiefenhöhle.

Descending into the earth

At the depths

Looking up at a stalactite

We soon learned the area had as many attractions below the surface of the earth as it does above.  A vast array of caves had been discovered over the years and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to explore one.  The Tiefenhöhle, or Vertical Cave is a system that descends 55 meters (180 feet).  The cave entrance resides in a small building, a park sits to the right of the main entrance, and open fields surround the rest; an underwhelming sight from the surface to say the least.  Once we paid the admission, we walked down a small staircase to a room where we read information placards about the cave system.  Conveniently, we arrived just in time to escape the summer's heat, plus, our descent 18-stories below - landed us in a more temperate climate.  The stairs and well lit path made our visit easy and enjoyable.  When we returned to the surface, it was time to get back in the car and continue westward.

More cave features

The surface is up there somewhere

On the way to our next stop, we got distracted by an alpine slide we could see from the roadway.  An immediate request was made to stop and I obliged.  While the slide caters to the amusement of children, the five of us adults were undeterred and joined the line for the ride.  Our short detour was a success.  And it should be said that the alpine cars can fly down the hill; Julie could be heard screaming her head off for kilometers in every direction.  Once we were back on track, we swung by for a quick visit to Schloss Lichtenstein.  A larger castle awaited us, thus, we briefly walked around the grounds before returning to the road.

Circumventing the grounds

Schloss Lichtenstein

As we made our way to Burg Hohenzollern, somewhere along the L230, the road offers stunning views of the picturesque castle - high on the hilltop.  Wanting to get a picture from a distance, I heard a request to pull over; I spotted a park bench and decided that was a perfect spot.  However, as the car veered off the road, a ditch swallowed our car immediately once it got hold of our passenger-side tire.   Sadly, we would not be making it up to Burg Hohenzollern, rather, we needed help.  At first, we tried to call AAA, then ADAC (the German AAA), anyone who would listen.

Bummed we aren't going to visit the castle

The earth swallowing the ADAC guy

Sadly, the majority of people who drove by, snickered with snarky smirks or a starred with non-empathetic stone-faces.  Although, a few cars stopped to ask if we were okay.  Julie and I have had car troubles abroad once before when our rental car key in Costa Rica magically bent 90-degrees. Once again, we found ourselves having to make the most of a difficult situation.  Eventually, an ADAC serviceman showed up with a tow truck an hour later.  We were set free, but too much time had elapsed to visit the castle and we had to make our way back to Homburg.

The view, and why we ended up in a ditch.

When life gives you lemons, build a human pyramid

My pristine driving record has now been tarnished.  For the record, I claim little to no responsibility for our car being engulfed by the earth, and it will always remain a mystery as to how we ended up in that ditch (queue the Unsolved Mysteries theme).

Das Kehlsteinhaus: Hitler's Hideout

With the reality of our eight hour drive to Salzburg burdening the back of our minds, we made plans to break up the monotony of our return home with a stop along the way.  We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of visiting Das Kehlsteinhaus, better known as the Eagle's Nest, location of Hitler's Bavarian hideout.  We determined it was in our best interest to visit knowing we wouldn't be in the area again.  Unfortunately, the doldrums of long drives were not to be unburdened, we found out we were no closer to home despite the 45-minute ride back to Germany.

Eagle's Nest

House atop Kehlstein

There was one highlight of our morning drive, we concluded our endless search for affordable Lederhosen.  During our marathon ride to Salzburg, we passed an outlet close to our hotel who sold the highly sought after leather pants.  We had yet to come across a store whose price for the traditional garb was below €400, thus our predetermined pessimism numbed us from raising our hopes.  However, to our surprise, the Austrian outlet had everything we wanted at a reasonable price.  Being a Lederhosen neophyte, the employee helped with everything and even guessed the appropriate sizes with remarkable accuracy.  Our day was already off to a great start, but it was time to get back on the road and head to the Eagle's Nest.

View of the Alps

Path to/from the house and Biergarten

Another thirty minutes later and we crossed the border, passed through the town Berchtesgaden, and arrived in Obersalzberg, where we were surprised to see the largest crowds we had seen all weekend.  Every parking lot we passed was full, however, we found a spot on the side of the road a short walk away from the ticket office.  To our surprise, the operation was similar to a Disney-run attraction; the ticket line snaked to control the masses, a specific time and bus number was designated, and you begin and end your adventure at the gift shop.

View from our bench

Given the logically streamlined process, the blatant ineptitude of people never ceases to amaze.  We waited in our assigned bus line while (at least) three large groups of visitors struggled to make the correlation between the numbers on their tickets and those on the signs and corresponding buses.  Once the plight of incompetence was settled, we made the long and winding ascent up Kehlstein (mountain's name).  On the ride up, the history of the Eagle's Nest was played over the audio system and included important instructions once we reached the top.

The wait was worth it

Even got someone to take our picture

Before heading to the through the underground tunnel, it was stressed that visitors book a return bus upon arrival at the drop-off.  To avoid further annoyances from absent-minded tourists, we tried to be among the first to arrange our return.  We thought the long waits were over, however, we were wrong.  Next up, another line for the elevator at the end of the underground passage.  The hordes' impatience was palpable, numerous groups sent individuals to the front of the line to gauge the amount of people who boarded the elevator and then count the amount of people ahead of their group.  This line reminded us of the wait for Les Catacombes, although, in Paris, we worried we wouldn't make it inside the Ossuary before it closed its doors for the evening.

The house before the clouds rolled in

Wait, we just left Austria, now we're back

The clouds cometh

When we boarded the elevator, we were relieved the waiting was over.  As we disembarked the lift, the new arrivals ready to explore merged with the traffic from the Biergarten which bottlenecked the flow.  We were relieved once we made it outside where crowds of people still lingered, but the fresh air and warm sun welcomed us.  For one of the most detestable humans to have ever lived, Hitler's Bavarian hideout is exceptionally popular.  Das Kehlsteinhaus was built for him as a gift for his 50th birthday and is the most visited attraction in Berchtesgaden (unfounded statistic based on our experience).  The first thing we noticed was the incredible view of the German and Austrian Alps.

Enjoying the final moments of the view before the clouds obscure it all

The weather couldn't be better for our experience, the skies were clear and the sun kept us warm despite the elevation (1834 m or 6017 ft).  However, by the time we left, the majority of the panoramic views were blotted out by the clouds.  With the additional wait for the elevator, our time to explore was curtailed.  We briefly hiked along the ridge and crossed the border back into Austria.  Instead of joining the crowds congregating in the Biergarten, we found a lone bench overlooking the German Alps.  Sadly, the time came for us to wait in our final line of the day, our descent to the pickup/drop-off zone.  There seemed to be slightly less confusion with the buses this time.   We eventually made it back to the souvenir shop where purchased a post card to add to our collection and later returned to our car.

One more panoramic 

The fun part of our weekend adventure officially ended, all that remained was the mind-numbing drive home to Homburg.  Stau and Stuttgart remained synonymous, although; if you can call it luck, the remaining six hours weren't nearly as bad as the drive that began our weekend.  Regardless, I needed to mentally prepare for our future escapades because we had a lot of driving ahead of us.

A Long Overdue Update, My Radio Silence, and Major Moving Announcement

To start, my sincerest apologies to our limited yet loyal readers.

Updates have fallen by the wayside the past few months while life traveled at Autobahn speeds.  Many moons ago, a new career opportunity beckoned and was too good to overlook given the incessant unpredictability of the contemporaneous workplace.  The new job offered the chance to repatriate, but required a move a third of the way around Earth (30.65% in linear circumference).  For those who don't have a globe adjacent to them, there is only one state to fit that criteria, Hawaii; specifically the island of Maui.

With the large move and limited ability to ship 700-pounds. of goods home, we had to sell all our worldly possessions like we were joining a monastery.  When we moved to Germany, we brought nearly everything we owned, including our car; now we had to get rid of it all (sans souvenirs).  Therefore, planning a move while traveling most of the remaining weekends in our European journey presented countless and nuanced difficulties.  Coupled with a (nightmare) move from our home in Homburg, time was scant to keep the blog updated.

Old and New local breweries

New Blog Banner

To retroactively give a preview of our travel the last four-plus months, I listed our adventures below.


6/26 --- Paris
6/27 --- Paris
6/28 --- Paris
6/29 --- Mont Saint-Michel
6/30 --- Caen and Bayeux

7/1 --- Normandy
7/2 --- Honfleur
7/18 --- Salzburg
7/19 --- Salzkammergut
7/20 --- Kehlsteinhaus

8/3 --- Castles, Caves, and I tarnish my pristine driving record
8/8 --- Prague
8/9 --- Rothenburg ob der Tauber

8/15 --- Brussels
8/16 --- Brussels
8/17 --- Bastogne and Dinant

8/28 --- Bled, and Lubjlana
8/29 --- Vrisic Pass
8/30 --- Predjama Castle, Skocjan Caves, Lipica Horse Farm
8/31 --- Monkey Mountain: Austrian Edition

9/2 --- Köln

9/5 --- Bern
9/5 --- Gruyéres
9/6 --- Interlaken

9/20 --- Oktoberfest
9/21 --- Innsbruck

9/24 --- Crete
9/25 --- Santorini
9/30 --- Homburg and the Scumbag Landlord

10/3 --- Cairo
10/4 --- Cairo
10/5 --- Luxor

Schloss Linderhof and Kloster Ettal

It was the penultimate day of the conference, but the last day for sightseeing - we would depart Thursday afternoon after the last speaker.  Julie had another full day at the conference and wouldn't be able to join me for any expeditions.  I had two options, drive to Innsbruck (Austria) or stay close and visit two attractions in nearby Ettal.  The weather had turned from sunshine to typical German-permacloud - and given the long trip home the following day, I thought it would be best to stay local.

Schloss Linderhof

Courtyard, fountain below was drained and full of workers

Gazebo

Schloss Linderhof is one of three palaces built by order of König Ludwig II of Bavairia - the other two, Schloss Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee.  While an inept bookkeeper, everyone's favorite reclusive king had a keen eye for art and architecture.  The Bavarian king revered Louis XIV, designing both Linderhoff and Herrenchiemsee to closely resemble the French Sun King's palace in Versailles.  Sometimes called, the Swan King, Ludwig II identified himself with the Swan Knight (Lohengrin) from the opera  named after the famed legend, Lohengrin.  Features of Schloss Neuschwanstein paid homage to the opera - including the courtyard, path to the chapel, and numerous paintings depicting scenes from the fable.  The king's adoration of Richard Wagner was also present at Schloss Linderhof.  He had a piano specially built for the composer in hopes of obtaining a private concert through flattery (albeit, they were friends).  Linderhof palace is particularly small compared to the others built for the Bavarian eminence and is the only one in which he lived.

Could only get pictures outside

Entrance

König Ludwig II of Bavaria Crest

Pictures were not allowed while on tour, a common restriction (in our experiences throughout Europe) much to my chagrin.  My group was small and the walk though the residence took an hour.  One of the highlights was the "disappearing table" also called, "Tischlein deck dich." The dinning room was built directly above the kitchen, where a table could be prepared and lifted to the floor above - this way the king could avoid human interaction.  The tour ended with a stroll through the "Hall of Mirrors," a garish room worth a thousand words, but pictures weren't permitted, so it is only worth twenty-seven words.

Kloster Ettal

Looking up after walking inside

A ghost town

Something religious

Organ

Fresco and details

Rounding out my trip to Ettal, I stopped by Kloster Ettal on my way back to Edelweiss.  The Abbey has a community of (approximately) fifty monks, although, I didn't spot any.  In fact, I didn't see fifty people all day.  I  approached the Monastery curious to see if it was open - having not seen a soul in the the square.  While taking pictures in the courtyard, I spotted two human life forms entering the church - confounding my ghost town suspicions and I went inside to confirm they weren't indeed apparitions (and to take pictures).  The church is modest (in size), intimate, and beautifully decorated - statues, gilded artwork, and a fresco painted ceiling.  I briefly visited the Abbey and had lunch at a restaurant down the street.  Driving back to the hotel, the permacloud turned to nimbostratus and would continue the rest of the day.

Organ area

Quaint little church

Confessional

Chandelier

Our trip to Bavaria ended on a high note, we saw our first snow of the season.  While exploring the Free State, we experienced a full year's worth of seasons.  We arrived to comfortable sunny weather with a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius (~mid 60's Fahrenheit).  During our visit to Schloss Neuschwanstein, the weather dropped a little bit and resembled the typical crisp weather of a perfect Autumn's day.  The falling snow made for a beautiful drive home, that is, until it turned into rain after leaving the mountains.  Bavaria and the Mosel River Valley are easily our favorite regions in Germany.

A room with a "favorable" view

Days one through three - Spring/Summer

Days four through six - Autumn

Last Day - Winter

Flags

Favorable view, unfavorable driving conditions

>

Driving home, taken from Austria

Side of the road, Österreich