Final Night at the Reichstag

We spent our final hours in Berlin visiting the Reichstag -- the German Parliament building.  Much of this building was destroyed in World War II, but has been rebuilt to its neo-Classical glory - at least on the outside.  Inside is very sleek and modern, which you would never imagine looking from the outside.

The crowning achievement on the Reichstag is the large glass dome.  Designed by British Architect Lord Norman Foster (I’m sure he’s my long lost uncle), the dome is a remarkable architectural achievement with twin spiral ramps that circle the dome all the way to the top.  From there, you can look down directly into the Parliament chambers where the Bundestag meets to pass laws and govern the nation.  It’s been said that if the Bundestag ever forget who they work for -- the people -- they only need to look up to see them.

Inside the dome are thousands of mirrors that reflect sunlight into the Chamber.  The dome is also open at the top to let fresh air in and remove stale air from the building.  Tours are free, but you have to reserve a space in advance.  We were able to get one of the last spots of the day -- 9:30pm.  Touring at night was fantastic, as you get all of these great views of the City at night that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.  The dome itself is illuminated, so you can see people walking the spiral ramps, even from the ground.

The Reichstag is a great example of how classic and new architecture are being blended together as Berlin continues to emerge from World War II and the Cold War.  It was a fitting end to our day and our time in Germany.

Alas, our time in Germany has come to an end.  We've thoroughly enjoyed our time here and look forward to paying a return visit in the future.

Ampelmännchen

One remnant of East Germany still thrives in the reunited Berlin of today -- the beloved Ampelmännchen.  These are the “little traffic light men” who tell you whether its safe to cross the street.  These signals were being replaced after reunification, and after a huge uproar and lengthy court battle, they have been kept.  They certainly have more character than saying Walk/Don’t Walk.

Berlin

Our last full day in Germany was spent touring Berlin.  We took a Hop on -- Hop off bus tour which took us around to see all the major sights -- the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag,  Victory Column, Tiergarden, Museum Island, and the Berlin Cathedral.  Because Good Friday is a holiday in Germany, there were more people out and about on the street and most of the stores were closed.  However, all of the sights were still open.

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin is currently one big construction zone.  The City had to totally rebuild after World War II, and that rebuilding continues today.  There are construction cranes and detours all up and down the historic city center.  A lot of the construction is being done so buildings have the same historic architecture they’ve always had.    Other buildings have a more modern, contemporary design.  There’s even a Frank Gehry building right on Pariser Platz next to the Brandenburg Gate, although you’d never know it.  From the outside, its form is classic design to blend in with the other buildings.  However, all the action is on the inside where the wavy forms resemble a fish.

The view of the TV tower from our hotel room.
This is the tallest structure in Germany

The fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago has also helped fuel a building boom as East and West are reunified.  In some ways, Berlin feels like a very young, newer metropolis.  In a single generation, the City has been transformed, both physically and with a younger, hipper vibrancy that belies the fact that Berlin is over 700 years old.

We were fortunate the weather cooperated, as the original forecast was to rain all day.  Although we didn’t get to experience all Berlin has to offer in such a short visit, we were able to get a flavor for what a great City it is and is becoming.  Now we’ll have to just come back in about 10 years and see how all the current construction turned out.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is Germany’s official Holocaust memorial.  It opened in May 2005 and occupies an entire block in Berlin near the Brandenburg Gate.  The memorial is a field of stelae containing 2,711 concrete blocks of varying heights.  They are unmarked.

Underneath the memorial is an information center with a powerful exhibition documenting and remembering the six million victims.  As you walk through, you see excerpts from letters sent by family members to one another and see the chronology of atrocity as it goes from bad to worse.  The mood is quiet and somber as you reflect on how something like this could have ever happened.

Checkpoint Charlie

We’ve arrived in Berlin, our final stop.  After returning the rental car, we walked two blocks to see Checkpoint Charlie.  Checkpoint Charlie was the border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War before the Berlin Wall came down in 1944.  The checkpoint has been dismantled and what remains is more of a recreation.  At the site, there were numerous wall panels that described the history of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie.  This year is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  There's so much to do and see in Berlin, it will be difficult to see all that we want in the short time we're here, but we'll have fun trying.

Nuremberg

After leaving Rothenburg ob der Tauber, we drove about an hour to the City of Nuremberg.  Nuremberg is also a walled city, and much of it had to be rebuilt after World War II.  We stayed right in the heart of the old city, inside the walls along the Konigstrasse, the main pedestrian thoroughfare.  We took a self-guided walking tour along Konigstrasse, seeing the main sights along the way and ending up in Hauptmarkt (Market Square).  The square is filled up every day with vendors selling anything and everything.  Mona and I both bought a bratwurst and strolled through the stalls while we ate.

Most people hear of Nuremberg and think of the Nuremberg trials after World War II.  Nuremberg was actually a center of Nazi activity and Hitler had grand plans to build an enormous Nazi complex.  The old movies you see of Hitler address large crowds of troops was often the rally grounds in Nuremberg.  We visited the Nazi Documentation Center which traces the evolution of the Nazi movement and Hitler’s rise to power.  It’s not actually a World War II or Holocaust museum, but discusses Nuremberg’s role.

The grandstand at the rally grounds in Nuremberg.
The podium area in the middle is where Hitler stood while
giving speeches.

The rally grounds were to contain a whole complex of buildings.  The Congress Hall is the largest building still standing and where the museum is housed.  This is where the Documentation Center is located.  The Zeppelin Field is where Hitler held his largest rallies, many of which were filmed.  The grandstand is still there but is in much decay.  A lot of this area has been repurposed by the City of Nuremberg through the years for park space, athletic fields and the like.  It’s certainly not being preserved as a shrine, but it is an important reminder of German history.

St. Jacob's Church

Our final morning in Rothenburg ob der Tauber was spent touring St. Jacob’s Church.  This is the main church in Rothenburg and is Lutheran.  The church was open for visitors beginning at 9am.  As we approached, we could hear the organ playing and entered just in time to hear the final bars of the Toccata from Widor’s 5th Organ Symphony -- one of the classics of organ literature.  We also heard the organist play a few more pieces.  I assume he was practicing for Easter services this weekend.  We basically had the place to ourselves and our own private organ recital.  A great way to start our day.

The highlight of this church is a large wood carving entitled Altar of the Holy Blood by master carver Tilman Riemenschneider.  It’s 35 feet tall and was carved between 1499 and 1504.  It’s actually in the rear of the church, behind the organ in the loft.  The detail in the carving is incredible.  This portion of the work shows Jesus and the 12 disciples during the Last Supper.

While in Rothenburg, visiting the church is a must.  Organ recital not guaranteed.

The Night Watchman

Standing with the Night Watchman

When you come to Rothenbrg ob der Tauber, the one must do is take the Night Watchman walking tour.  Hans-Georg Baumgartner has been doing this tour for many years and it is an hour filled with humorous tales from Rothenburg’s colorful history. The stories are true, but you’re laughing along the way as he gives the complete history of the town -- abridged.

For me, the best story by far was how Rothenburg was spared from destruction during World War II.  Near the end of the war, after the fall of Nuremburg, one of Hitler’s armies retreated to Rothenburg.  Hitler’s orders were to defend it to the death.  American bombers came one night, but because of severe fog, they missed a lot of the intended targets.  Although 40% of Rothenburg was destroyed by those bombs, the old city center and walls were spared. 

The American Army was prepared to shell the town with artillery in order to bring about its defeat.  U.S. Assistant Secretary of War John McCloy heard of this and ordered the commanders in the field not to shell the town but first seek its surrender.  He knew of the medieval architecture and historical significance even though he had never been here.  How?  His mother traveled to Rothenburg in 1914 and brought back an oil painting of the town.  John McCloy grew up seeing this painting and hearing his mother’s stories about how wonderful the town was.  Fortunately, the German General had left, and the Major in charge accepted the American’s terms and left Rothenburg without putting up a fight. McCloy was honored by Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1952.

Serendipitous?  Divine Providence?  Either way, Rothenburg ob der Tauber was spared a fate many German cities and towns were not.  As a result, the town is preserved in its original form and not some sugary reproduction.  It’s the real deal.

Fiona

Fiona leading the way as we literally wind
our way through Germany.

One of the most helpful parts of this trip has been the GPS in our car.  While we have a paper map and downloaded directions into our iPad, the GPS has proved invaluable.  We’ve named her Fiona.  Fiona knows all the the best ways to get there, and is expert at navigating the one-way streets.  It’s not always apparent that the street actually requires you to drive over the sidewalk when you want to turn (especially while in Rothenburg ob der Tauber).

And the best part -- listening to her give directions in her proper British (not German) accent.  Close your eyes and pretend you hear the actress Emma Thompson saying “Please prepare to turn right in 500 meters.”   That’s Fiona leading the way.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

We left Oberammergau and drove what's referred to as the Romantic Road to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.  This route follows the old Roman trading routes and connects several old historic cities and medieval towns along the way.  The best preserved medieval town is Rothenburg.  Although we ultimately got off and drove the autobahn part of the way to maximize our time, it was great to drive through the countryside and see the different towns and villages along the way.

If there is such a thing as a classic, medieval European city, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is it.  It still has its well preserved wall and ramparts surrounding the center of town that you can walk along.  The narrow cobblestone streets and alleyways open up into large squares with no warning.  Colorful gabled houses and buildings line every street.

Our hotel for the night, Hotel Spitzweg, was just a few steps from the main Market Square -- down the hill and walk under the clock tower and you were there.  The hotel is owned by an older German couple -- the Hochers -- in a great rustic building built in 1536 with wonderful exposed wooden beams and only 10 rooms.  There was no elevator, but it was easy to tote our bags up the curving staircase to the third floor.  Pop enjoyed talking with Herr Hocher over coffee about the hotel and the building.

Just down the street from our hotel.  The eggs in the
Easter decorations behind us are real painted eggs.

Unfortunately, our itinerary didn't allow us to stay here but the one night.  It definitely warrants a longer stay.  If we make it back to Germany, we will be here at least 2-3 days to really soak in its charm and medieval history.

German Food

We’ve sampled a variety of traditional German food since we’ve been here.  Meat. Sauerkraut. Pretzels. Beer.  We’ve about done it all.

All of the food that we’ve had to date has been tasty.  We’ve had the traditional -- bratwurst, sauerkraut, and potato salad.  We’ve had spatzle (german pasta dish).  I had maultaschen, which is a meat pocket served in a beef broth with cooked onions.

We ate leberkäse -- which literally translated means “liver cheese.”  It’s a bavarian favorite of Monika, our guide in Munich.  It’s neither liver nor cheese, but described as a type of German meatloaf, and traditionally served with mustard.  I liken it to fried balogna.

Breakfast has been included at every hotel.  The typical German breakfast consists of various meats and cheeses, bread, fruit, yogurt, cereal, fruit, etc.  Our hotel in Füssen also had hot items like eggs and sausages.

Except breakfast, every meal is washed down with beer, and in our case, wine for the ladies.  I’ve been sampling the various wheat beers.  We’ve also had Turkish food and Italian food as well.  Every restaurant we’ve been to has been excellent.  The one restaurant we’ve not yet made it to is McDonald’s.  Perhaps another time.

It's Snowing in Oberammergau

Painted Stenciling

We woke up on Tuesday morning in Füssen to a light dusting of snow.  Although we’re not high in the Alps, we’re still at a high enough altitude for snow.  Fortunately it was only sticking a little to the windshield and grass -- the roads were fine.

Our ultimate destination today is the best-preserved medieval town -- Rothenburg ob de Tauber. But first, a side detour to the small town of Oberammergau.  

Oberammergau is most famous for the Passion Play that the town stages every 10 years.  In 1633, there was devastating plague sweeping through Germany, and everyone prayed that if the town was spared, they would stage the Passion Play every 10 years.  The town survived and they have kept true to their word, staging about 100 six-hour performances every 10 years.  The next is in 2020.

Detailed Stenciling

Oberammergau is also famous for the painted stenciling on their buildings.  Instead of having actual shutters, window treatments, and the like, these are frequently painted on the sides of the buildings.  In addition, lots of buildings have very detailed painted stenciling depicting various scenes -- often Biblical in nature.  Oberammergau is one of the areas of Germany best known for wood carving.  Mona and I found one shop and talked with the craftsman and his wife about the carvings.  Pop found a different one and did the same thing.  Many of the carvings were of a religious nature, probably owing to the decennial Passion Play.

Fresh snow on the flowers

It snowed and sleeted the entire way there as the temperatures dropped to below freezing because we were at a higher elevation.  Fortunately the roads were fine and by the time we left, the sun was starting to pop out.

Hello Austria

Since we were so close to the Austrian border while in Fussen, why not take a slight detour and at least say we went there?  Even though she’s been to Austria before, now Mom can claim she went to two countries on this trip instead of one.  She could have stepped into France as well -- we practically drove through France on the way to Baden Baden.  But, she was fast asleep in the backseat so we just kept on driving.

Whirlwind tour of Munich

Munich deserves more time than we had to spend there.  For those of you who have been, you’ll know that we were able to see quite a bit, but perhaps not experience it to the fullest.  Our guide Monika helped us make the most of it as well as the great public transportation -- we rode on the subway, bus, and streetcar during our day.

Glockenspiel

We started in Marienplatz, the main public square in Munich.  The square is dominated by the New Town Hall (built between 1867 and 1908), an imposing neo-Gothic building that is an entire side of the square.  The clock tower contains a glockenspiel that chimes the hour.  At certain hours, there are figurines that move as part of the chiming of the hour.  The four parts of the chiming are the wedding procession, the joust, the coopers’ dance, and the rooster crowing.  We were able to see this with many hundreds of our closest friends crowding the square at 11:00am.

We walked through the Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s open air market and beer garden.  The market was filled with over a hundred vendors with incredibly fresh produce, meat, and flowers.  This market occurs every day but Sunday -- how nice it would be to have this at home.

Opera House

We strolled by numerous churches -- all Catholic -- saw the Opera House, and the Residenz.  The Residenz was formally a palace of the royal Wittelsbach family, who ruled Bavaria for centuries before becoming part of a unified Germany.  The Residenz is now a museum, but we didn’t have time to tour.

No stop to Munich would be complete without a visit to the Hofbrau Haus, the largest beer garden in Munich.  Complete with traditional band playing oompah music, people flock here for food and Hofbrau beer.  Hofbrau is one of seven breweries in Munich (the others are Augustinerbrau, Munchner Bier, Hacker-Pschorr Brau, Lowenbrau, Paulanerbrau, and Spatenbrau).  We didn’t eat at the Hofbrau Haus, instead we went to Augustiner Beer Hall.  So far on this trip, I’ve tried beer from three of the seven Munich breweries.  I won't make it to all seven, but it's been fun sampling.

Spending Time with Monika

When Pop and I went to China several years ago, we had a private guide and driver the entire time to show us the sights and explain what we were seeing.  We took a day trip to Munich, and because we didn’t know much about the city, I booked a private guide for half the day.

In doing our research for the trip, Monika Hank was a recommended guide for private tours.  I corresponded with her back in January as we only had one specific day in Munich and I wanted to be sure she was available.  This was a surprise for Mom and Pop as we did not tell them in advance what we were doing other than spending the day in Munich.  We took the train in from Füssen rather than driving to avoid parking headaches and to have no worries about driving home after visiting the beer garden.

With Monika at the end of the tour.

Monika met us at the train station and showed us all of the major sights and explained a  lot of Bavarian history. She is one proud Bavarian.  The folks that live in this region of Germany consider themselves Bavarian first and German second.  They have a strong cultural identity, including their own unique dialect of German that those who speak the language well instantly know you’re from Bavaria.

Munich is an easy city to get around and  a lot of the interesting cultural and historic sights are situated in and around Marienplatz, Munich’s main square in the heart of the historic center of the city.  You can easily see the sights yourself and not need the services of a tour guide.  However, she gave us insight and showed us parts we wouldn’t find as easily in the guidebooks.  Because our time was limited and we had to make Munich a whirlwind tour, she made for a very memorable day.

The King's Castles

Today we drove about 3 hours from Baden Baden to Füssen where we'll spend the next two nights. Füssen is in southern Bavaria, near the Austrian border, at the foothills of the Alps.  The highlight of our day was visiting two castles, commonly referred to as the King's Castles - Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein.  These were constructed by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 1800's.  Neuschwanstein is the castle on which Walt Disney based Cinderella's castle.   It was a nice leisurely day capped off with fabulous traditional German food at Madame Plüsch around the corner from our hotel.

This is why we love to travel -- to experience views and culture like this.

Neuschwanstein captured from Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge).
This is the iconic picture you're able to capture
when you visit here.  A spectacular view.

Triberg

The other stop we made in the Black Forest was in the town of Triberg.  We stopped just outside of Triberg at the Triberg Waterfall, billed as the highest in Germany.  It's more of a cascading waterfall, tumbling down the rocks as it comes down the mountainside.  It gave us a chance to do a little hiking in the Black Forest.  We ended up parking at the top of the waterfall and hiked downhill to the various viewing points.  As it was fairly steep, we just let Mom and Pop keep hiking to the bottom which put them in the middle of town.  Mona and I hiked back up to the car and picked them up in town.

Triberg certainly has a touristy feel.  Although it's not the height of tourist season (thankfully), we did notice a couple of tour buses and there were a lot more people milling about than in Furtwangen.  We toured the Schwarzwald Museum and learned more about the Black Forest region than cuckoo clocks.  I mentioned in the clock museum post that the wood carving is very impressive here.  We found a wood carving shop along the main street and talked with one of the craftsmen while he worked.

The Black Forest region has been a great starting point for our trip.  A lot more rural, with lots of farming, and a very relaxed feel.  We'll finish up with the more urban areas as we progress towards Berlin.

The final leg of the drive back to Baden Baden was on the autobahn.  Our BMW is a very nice driving automobile.  We topped out at 115mph and the car was still handling quite smoothly -- very nice indeed.

Cuckoo for Schwarzwald

Today we did a full day of exploring the Schwarzwald region of Germany -- the Black Forest.  When most people think of the Black Forest, they usually think of Cuckoo Clocks.  So we took a fantastic drive through the mountains and countryside of the Black Forest to the town of Furtwangen to the Deutsches Uhrenmuseum -- the German Clock Museum.

This museum is more than just about cuckoo clocks, of which there were many.   It was a fascinating history of clock making from the earliest of days through the present.  The museum had very well -documented displays of clocks and inner workings through the centuries.  We learned how clocks made the progression from weights to turn the gears (very large clocks) to springs (much smaller and more ornate clocks) to pendulums (very accurate clocks).  They had exhibits on everything from sun dials to magno-electric clocks.

Monks circling during the chiming
of the hour.

Some of the most interesting clocks were the "Astronomical World Clocks."  These clocks not only showed the time, but also the date and lunar position.  The largest clock in the museum is the one shown here.  Besides the clocks themselves from a timekeeping perspective, the woodworking is what is so impressive.

What we know as the quintessential cuckoo clock derives from a design of Friedrich Eisenlohr, an architect who entered a design contest for a new cuckoo clock modeled after a railroad house.  The intricate wood carvings and ornamentations would come later, but would become the standard during the heyday of cuckoo clocks in the 19th century.  This is still the clock that dominates what is sold in the Back Forest region -- at least for tourists-- although you have to be careful to make sure you are buying one that is actually hand-carved and not mass produced.  We saw large clocks such as those show here selling for well in excess of $1,000.  Needless to say, that will not be our souvenir this year.

Friedrichsbad

Baden Baden has been known as a spa town since its earliest days.  The Friedrichsbad thermal spa opened here in 1877,   Their literature describes it as "the temple of well being."  Europeans have been coming to Baden Baden and Friedrichsbad in droves ever since.  It's even part of the "prescription" you'll receive from the German health care system to improve your health.

Friedrichsbad is described as a "Roman-Irish" bath, with a precise 17 step regimen of warm air, hot air, scrub massage, steam, hot steam, cooler water, pool, cold dunking, cream massage, and being swaddled in blankets at the end, while you let the cares of the world drift away and perhaps even fall asleep. There's also lots of showering between steps.   Read about the complete process here.

Friedrichsbad is in a grand neoclassical  building with fabulous arches, a grand staircase, and a central pool under a soaring dome.  The building itself is a work of art.

However, I don't have any pictures to share with you.  Why?  Did I mention that this is a traditional European "garment free" spa experience.  That's right, you're waking around nude the entire time.  Mona and I did this together and it was fabulous.  It was incredibly relaxing and just what we needed after a long day of travel.  We Americans often get hung up on nudity, but quite frankly, you don't really pay attention to anyone else.  There are all ages, shapes, and sizes.  And yes, it's co-ed (at least most days).

When we travel, we like to try and experience life as the locals live it.  Freidrichsbad was a fabulous experience and one that we would do again.

Guten Tag from Germany

Today began an exciting, but whirlwind tour of Germany.  We had an extremely long day of travel.  Our flight to Germany left over 3 hours late from Chicago.  Instead of arriving at 7am local time, we arrived at 10am,  After claiming luggage and getting the rental car, it was after 11:30am before we left the airport.

Burg Katz, overlooking the Rhine River across from St. Goar

Our first two nights are in Baden Baden, a spa town at the beginning of the Black Forest region of Germany.  Our flight into Germany was to Dusseldorf, about 3.5 hours away without stops.  Our plan was to drive along the scenic portion of the Rhine River, between Koblenz and Bingen.  Here you're driving through castle country -- albeit a number of castle ruins -- as well as vineyards.  The Rhine Valley is a top producer of German Riesling wines.  The drive was great and scenic, but we were a bit rushed not having the 3 hours we lost in travel.  Our plan was to stop and spend some time in Bacharach and St. Goar, but St. Goar was all we could really do.

Still smiling after a very long day of travel

The best part is we're here safely with all of our luggage and such.  I'm driving a BMW for the week which has been a lot of fun on the autobahn so far.  We're tired but off to a great start.  Looking forward to what the rest of the week has in store.