Christmas in Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Germany

Last year in 2013 on Christmas break (yes, I know how far behind I am in blogging) we traveled down to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, or the German travel Mecca (Mecca meaning everyone HAS to go there) as I call it. When people back home in America found out that we had lived here a year and a half and hadn't been down to Rothenburg, they basically freaked out. "Oh! You've just got to GO!" 

So we went because everyone said we had to. We couldn't continue to miss out on Rothenburg. Because everybody knows that each little German village is completely different from the next. I mean it's not like every German village has an old town wall, and an old church or cathedral, or half-timbered houses, or a fountain in the town square. Oh wait a minute...  They do. 

Don't get me wrong. Rothenburg is a very pleasant and cute town. I just didn't feel like I was going to die if I didn't get down to see it right away. 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is very cute and very German. When traveling there, make sure you have the right Rothenburg because there are several in Germany and I don't think the other ones are as cute.

Rothenburg is down in Bavaria on the Tauber river. Things got really rough here in the 1600's after 40,000 troops from a neighboring city-state left the town with basically nothing. Then the Black Death did another sweep through and then the city was deserted. Left with no power or money the city was unable to grow or modernize. That is why it is so cute, because it has stayed frozen in time.

There are stores that you can sell your first born for a nutcracker or a tree ornament. Yep, they're that expensive. But oh so cute and quaintly German. Germany is where most of the traditions or decoration ideas we use as Americans come from. Decorated pine tree in the house? Check. Nutcracker? Check. Anything super cute? Check. It's all German.

Here I am getting a little Christmas warmth from my hubby on this cold, German winter's day.

This is the view across the little valley Rothenburg is built near. Even in the winter I think Germany has got to be one of the most beautiful places. I am absolutely in love with green rolling hills and streams and forests and little cottages nestled next to them. I feel really lucky to call Germany home.

My kids put our dog, Minkie, up on the city wall to look down in the valley. They then realized she might jump so they held on to her for dear life. Minkie enjoys a good German view too.

The view of the walled city of Rothenburg.

The Nazis loved Rothenburg. There's something I don't think you will hear this town boasting about. The Nazis thought that it was the quintessential German home town and was the most German of Germany. They would send Nazi soldiers here for a little R'n'R. That's rest and relaxation for you non-military folks out there. 

When the Americans came into Germany at the end of WWII, they recognized the significance of Rothenburg and tried to inflict minimal damage in the taking of the town. Here is the town's castle still intact on a hill in the city.

My husband's mother was born in Bavaria so my kids feel right at home here. And we just found out that we are moving a half-hour away from Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria so now we can come here all the time. If we want to come here all the time, that is.

It started getting darker and that always means colder so it was time to go. Auf Wiedersehen for now Bavaria. We'll be seeing you again, very, very soon!

We are moving near the town of Ansbach, Germany in January 2015. Stay tuned to hear about our fun move! Because moving is always super fun, right? RIGHT?! 

Now We Live In Wiesbaden

Oder, Wir wohnen in Wiesbaden. Always working on that Deutsch.

Hello! I have missed you! You may have noticed I haven't been around for awhile. Yeah, about that. Let me explain. No, is too long. Let me sum up. (Extra points if you can tell me what movie that is from in the comments!)

We move to Wiesbaden. 

I spend 2-3 weeks learning the roads and autobahns of Wiesbaden and nearby Mainz and Frankfurt. (I refuse to ever be lost in Germany again!)

I am asked to help run a girls youth church group that organizes activities and spiritual lessons. 

I say yes. 

September starts, and with it the most beautiful fall that I have ever seen. (Seriously, perfect. Cool temps, bright blue skies, vineyards and forests bursting with color everywhere. Had to be explored!)

My parents, brother, and his wife come to visit. Then they leave.

My other brother and his wife and cute toddler visit.

We go on an eleven day cruise to the Western Mediterranean. (More on that soon.)

Come home and it's Christmas time.

Brother leaves.

January- husband and children have recurring flu, strep, and colds run through them for three months.

Computer gets nasty adware and malware that makes it practically impossible to blog without 30 popups a minute.

I get flu that lasts three weeks.

Finally buy new computer. A Mac, I might add. I feel so yuppie.

So, now everybody is healthy. I have no more popups. And I think I have learned to manage my time better. So what time is it? It's time to blog again, my friends.

I live in Wiesbaden now. Wiesbaden in the capital of our new state, Hessen. I must admit, I love Wiesbaden. Like, really, really love Wiesbaden. It is nestled between the Taunus Mountains and the meeting of the Rhein and Main rivers. The countryside and hills around us are covered with forests and vineyards. Twenty kilometers east is big, bad Frankfurt. And 20 kilometers west is the start of the beautiful section of the river called the Romantic Rhein. Castles, vineyards. It is truly lovely. 

Let me show you a picture of downtown.

This picture was taken on a late August morning during the farmer's market that takes place every Wednesday and Saturday.

How cute is that?

They sell flowers, fruit, vegetables, and baked goods. I'll take one of everything, please!

Here are my boys and our doggie, Minkie in front of the city square, or Schloßplatz. That impressive red building is the Marktkirche, or market church. It is the main Protestant church in Wiesbaden and was finished in 1862.

Here it is soaring over the Altstadt of Wiesbaden.

Here is one of my favorite buildings in Wiesbaden. Der Eimer, or the bucket. This is a little bar in downtown Wiesbaden. I'm not sure why it's crooked, but the story goes that when they built this little bar they forgot to put in toilets. To rectify the problem, they put a bucket (for you know what) in each corner. Hence the name, the bucket. Or more aptly named, the buckets. 

Here are die Kinder standing in front of what is left of the Roman fortification that was here between 121 AD and 486 AD. This wall is called the Heidenmauer, or heathen's wall. The Romans built it around to 364 to keep out all the Germanic tribes, or heathens for lack of a better word. Imagine it, heathens roaming freely around Europe. How exciting!

There are some Roman artifacts around the remnant of the Heidenmauer.

I think we are going to be very happy in this beautiful city.

After all, there is some of the best Spaghetti Eis we've ever had here. What is Spaghetti Eis? It is vanilla ice cream dispensed in long noodle shapes, toped by red, strawberry sauce, and finished off with grated white chocolate chips. All made to look like noodles topped with red spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese. It is so good. Come to Wiesbaden and I'll buy you some!

Tchüss,

Kelly

PS - I am going to try really hard to keep my blog updated. I have so much to tell you! Castles, cruises, Africa, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Croatia, maybe more moves! Stay tuned! 

PPS - Feel free to email me (some of you did!) and call me out on my laziness in keeping my blog updated. It helped! 

Another Move - Heidelberg To Wiesbaden

Sorry that I haven't been writing much lately. It's not because of my usual excuse which is I have been traveling too much. It's because we moved. Again. If you are thinking that we just got settled in Heidelberg, you're right. We had only lived in Heidelberg for 11 months when we had to trek the 90 kilometers north to Wiesbaden. Even by Army standards, that is a quick. We moved (and all of the US Army in Heidelberg) back in July, but we are just starting to feel settled.

I didn't feel settled for awhile because we got to do this. Again.

And this. Again.

Actually, we didn't do it. The very efficient and kind German moving company did all this.

We just watched. And some of us did less than watch. Some of us napped.

After all the packing and such, we moved here.

And it looks pretty much the same as where we lived in Heidelberg (more lovely Army housing). And then we got to unpack. Again.

We didn't choose to do this. No sane person would choose to move twice in 11 months. The whole reason for the move is that some Burgermeister (mayor) and some Army general didn't see eye-to-eye about where to build some airstrip in Heidelberg. I think it went kind of like this.

General - "I think you should let me block off a road and build an airstrip here."
Burgermeister - "No. I zhink zhat you should do vhat I say and build it over here."
General - "No. I want it here."
Burgermeister - "Too bad. I don't."
General - "Well, maybe the US Army should just leave Heidelberg."
Burgermeister - "Vhat do you mean maybe?"
General - "Oh no you didn't!"
Burgermeister - "Yes! I did!"
General - "Okay, then we'll go!"
Burgermeister - "So go!"
General - "I am!"
Burgermeister - "Good!"
General - "Bye!"
Burgermeister - "Double bye!"

From what I hear, that is pretty close to how it went down. And the crazy thing is, is that neither the Burgermeister nor the general were working with the city of Heidelberg at the time the close down happened. They had both been moved to other positions. But because of the wheels set in motion by these two masters of diplomacy, the American Army left Heidelberg after being there for 66 years. My husband used to work in a building where Nazi troops were headquartered and stationed. (Read more about that HERE.) It is the end of an era.

The move also means that these four kids here had to start at a new school today. Again.

  It also means meeting new people and making new friends. Again. And that is an again that I want to say. Every where we have lived we have met amazing people who have become friends, and then more than friends. They've become like family. Let's hope that we are as lucky in Wiesbaden as we've been everywhere else.

Until the next move, Army.

 

Have you had to move a lot? What are tips and secrets you have used to get you through a move?

Hometown Heidelberg - Germany

We only have about month left in Heidelberg before we have to move north, to the Wiesbaden-Mainz area. The United States Army is withdrawing its presence in Baden-Württemburg and consolidating its forces through out Europe. Heidelberg is on the list of bases set to close. 

One of my friends wanted one last visit to the Altstadt  before she moves back to the States this week, so we woke up early and visited downtown on a beautiful Saturday morning. 

I recently read that my travel guru, Rick Steves, said NOT to visit Heidelberg. He thinks it's touristy and not that great. Oh Rick, don't write us off yet. I took some pictures of some my favorite little spots in Heidelberg and maybe you can decide for yourself.

After wandering the side streets we came out in the square in front of the Heiliggeistkirche, or Church of the Holy Spirit, where vendors were setting up their booths for the day. It was turning out to be an absolutely beautiful day in Germany. My friend lamented about how sad she was to leave after calling Heidelberg her home for three years. I felt a little sad too. I have to move next month, and although I'm not leaving Germany, there is just something special, something magical, about Heidelberg. There isn't anywhere else like it.

Tchüss,

Kelly

What do you think? Do you think Heidelberg is worth a visit? Should we tell that Rick Steves to go stuff it?

Der Früling in Heidelberg

Der Früling is just around the corner. Who or what is der Früling? It's the spring! The season, not the creaky things in beds. It has been a cloudy and cold winter in Germany and spring is definitely trying to take hold. 

If only Mother Nature would cooperate. I have decided though, that Mother Nature is a cruel and vengeful witch when she gave us one week of sunshine and temps above 50F° and then took it all away and replaced it with clouds and a biting cold wind from former East Germany. So that's what we get for tearing down the wall, huh? Cold wind? Thanks. Thanks a lot.

It is Good Friday today so everything is closed up tight and the roads are empty.

See?

After running a quick errand, I saw how deserted town seemed and so I took a quick drive around Heidelberg. Streets that are usually packed with bikers and pedestrians had become ghost towns. The sky was mostly cloudy, but the sun kept trying to peek out and so I walked along the Neckar and enjoyed my city.

The river was slow and lazy today, meandering down from villages higher up in the canyon and sliding quietly by me.

The river was so calm that these two guys were able to do this.

I walked along the river and noticed across from me daffodils had sprung up along the banks.

Bunches of crocus had erupted in formerly all green lawns.

The clouds were getting thicker and the air still had a chill of winter about it, but everywhere you looked it was undeniable that spring was fighting its way into our little corner of Germany.

I stood under the bridge, waiting for the sun to come out one last time (it didn't) so I could a picture of the river with the sun sparkling off of it. When I finally realized the clouds were here to stay I looked up and saw I was right under the old gate tower. 

To millions of people all over the world, Heidelberg will just be that place where they had an amazing vacation. Not me. It will be that place where I lived for a year. Where I walked, and ate, and got lost, and turned the wrong way on Einbahnstraßes (one way streets), and looked for parking, and made friends, American and German. And lastly, where I started to think, "hey, I can do this. I can live in Germany." Because for awhile there, I thought I couldn't.

I walked back to my car and passed tourists getting on buses.

The streets had been fairly empty, all except for these guys. Apparently they didn't get the memo that Germany shuts down Easter weekend. 

Just like spring was slowly working its way through Germany and taking hold, Germany was slowly working its way through me. And taking hold. I drove home thinking about no matter where I move to next or where I go in this world, I will always have been a Heidelberger at one point in my life. 

Which means I will never have to go in here.

Tschüß,

Kelly*

*Heidelberger du jour.