Synopsis: I flew to Germany to spend two weeks with Laura and Hendrik. Mum arrived in Germany on 31st August with Helen and Can on their return drive. Two weeks of great times for Mum and I.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)Laura and Hendrik picked a rather stunned me up from Stuttgart airport a little after 11am (well, I had been up since midnight). On arriving back at their place the first thing Laura did was give me a tour of their new flat, as this was the first time I had seen it, other than as a Skype tour. It’s a lovely place with plenty of space and light. It’s also very quiet and has a nice outlook. After my long journey (up at midnight to catch the 01:05 coach out of Exeter) I was in desperate need of a cup of tea so Laura put the kettle on for us.
Laura and Hendrik then suggested we might do a bicycle ride later but said the bicycles probably needed some attention. That seemed an excellent idea to me. Hendrik and I set off down the stairs to the basement which is where residents store their bicycles. And yes indeed, a number of tyres were flat and one had a fault with its valve which would necessitate a trip to a bicycle shop to rectify. The intention was that I ride a bicycle borrowed from Helen which, after a little more air in the tyres, was ready to go. Hendrik had recently been given a brand new bicycle as a birthday present. This was yet to be taken out on its first ride.
The three of us set off for a nearby superstore named Decathlon. This is a multi-purpose store which lacked the choice of a specialist outlet, but we found a set of new inner tubes and a bicycle tool kit which was all that we required to get us cycling today. By the time we had returned to Laura and Hendrik’s flat we were all rather hungry so we broke for lunch. Laura had prepared a quiche which she heated and served with salad. A delicious meal.
After lunch Hendrik and I returned to the basement where we fitted two new inner tubes to Laura’s bike and after a few minor adjustments here and there we had three functioning bikes. Of course by this time the weather had closed in and after what started out as a lovely morning, this had now turned to rain. We postponed setting off for about an hour during which time the rain stopped. Although overcast I said I thought we should go on our ride in the belief that if one waited on the weather one would never do anything.
We had a lovely ride into Stuttgart, although finding our way was occasionally a little fraught. Several checks on Hendrik’s iPhone were needed before we finally arrived on the outskirts of Stuttgart. We passed the thermal baths of Bad Cannstadt which we were to use later in the holiday. We then crossed the Neckar River and entered the charming park of Unterer Schlossgarten where people were milling about after the passing of the rains. A gentleman with a fluorescent neon tube (come light sabre) was performing very alarming juggling tricks to our dismay.
From here we followed some roads till we entered Rosenstein Park. We parked our bicycles near Schloss Rosenstein and went for a little stroll through the formal gardens. We then walked down to a little old wooden footbridge that spans the Neckar River.
We then circled back to Schloss Rosenstein to collect our bicycles and set off on our journey home. Laura and I became separated from Hendrik for a while but located him again to join him along a quiet cycleway by a waterway. We arrived back at Laura and Hendrik’s place just as light was fading.
What a lovely and relaxing way to spend time on this my first day in Germany. Laura had fixed me up with a bed on the sofa and I was asleep in minutes. Now, just why was I so tired?
An inauspiciously wet start to the day, but we were undaunted. Our plan was to visit Schloss Ludwigsburg, and that we stuck with. On a wet day like this it was probably a good option since at least part of the day would be spent touring the interior of the palace.
Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg
It wasn’t actually raining on our arrival at Schloss Ludwigsburg, but it was very overcast. And it wasn’t long before it did start to rain. The gardens were looking splendid all the same. I was very impressed at the amount of time, money and effort that had obviously gone into planting up the gardens. They were magnificent.
Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg - Japanese Garden
I don’t recall having seen the Japanese garden on my previous visit at Easter last year. Today, with the rain pouring down, this seemed to perfectly set the scene for this garden which looked very atmospheric.
Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg - hotdogs in the rain
We decided that it would make sense to have an early lunch since there was a guided English tour of the palace scheduled to start at 13:30 that would last 90 minutes. We found a burger seller not far from the palace entrance. We bought hot dogs and sat under a parasol to eat these, sheltered (just) from the rain.
Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg
By the time we’d eaten hour hot dogs we needed to obtain tickets for our palace tour. Taking photographs in the palace is not permitted, so you’ll have to take my word for it, this is palace has a superb baroque interior that is well worth seeing.
Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg - pumpkin festival
On finishing the tour we head in the direction of the Blooming Baroque and the Fairy Tale gardens. There was a pumpkin festival being put together at the time of our visit. Apparently this exhibition of pumpkin sculptures is claimed to be the biggest of its type in the world. I can believe that.
We visited some of the Grimm's Fairy Tales exhibitions dotted about the garden. I have to confess to not knowing these stories as well as Helen and Laura, and the fact that the various animations are in German did not help my understanding of them. They’re well put together all the same.
Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg - Grimm's fairy tale Pinocchio
We took pity on the poor forlorn Pinochio boatman who had no customers for his boat ride. So, despite the rain, we asked for a boat, and off we sailed around the circuit, enjoying it all the more for it being in the rain. Childish, I know.
Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg - Grimm's fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk - The Giant
We eventually found our way up to the tower that sits in the gardens. We weren’t able to climb to the top however, but we could descend to a viewing point. And then from here we went to the Giant’s Castle, and yes, there appeared the giant. And that concluded our most enjoyable visit to Schloss Ludwigsburg.
Laura prepared a chicken curry supper for us that evening. Just the meal we needed, to warm us through after our rather damp outing. This was to prove to be our only day of rain during our whole holiday.
We thought it would be nice to explore Esslingen which is a pretty town with an old town hall and a number of attractive buildings off the old town square. Since Laura and Hendrik live only a short distance from the centre of Esslingen we thought we’d use our bicycles. We popped into the tourist information centre which is located on the market square. The people there were very helpful. Unfortunately the local museums were closed (being as it was a Monday) but they did provide us with some very useful walking and cycling maps which we were to make use of later in the week.
Esslingen - looking east with the markplatz (town square) just to the right of the photo
The market square was looking very busy as the national German elections were due to take place within a few weeks. A senior parliamentarian from the socialist party was due to make a speech later in the day, so much activity was going on setting up a stage, sound system and lots of bunting.
The people in the tourist information centre had suggested we visit the churches of Esslingen, so that was precisely what we set about doing next on our agenda.
Esslingen - Stadtkirche St. Dionys
We next visited the church of Stadtkirche St. Dionys. In the Stadtkirche St. Dionys, a lady came up to me and started speaking to me. I explained I was English and she said she was happy to converse in English. I explained I was with my daughter and her partner. We formed a little group and the lady explained some of the history of the church. Apparently the two large towers were collapsing in on each other due to poor foundations and that’s why there is today a bridge between them, which also acts as a support. Unfortunately, for health and safety reasons, we were told it’s not possible to climb the towers.
Esslingen - Münster St. Paul
The next church we visited was the Münster St. Paul. The cathedral church of St. Paul was once part of the former Dominican monastery. In 1233 the monks took over a property within the city walls and probably started immediately with the construction of the monastery and church. It is one of the earliest Gothic churches and the oldest mendicant on German soil.
Esslingen - Frauenkirche (‘Our Lady’)
We then visited the Frauenkirche. The name Frauenkirche translates to woman’s church, but quite why it should be called this we never did find out. Possibly it’s simply the German translation of ‘Our Lady’. Apparently “The Frauenkirche was built between 1320 and 1500 by the architect families Ensinger and Böblingen. The church is considered a masterpiece southwest German Gothic.” (Wikimapia).
Esslingen - old city wall
The city wall can be easily reached from just beside the Frauenkirche. We began our slow steady ascent of the wall along the ramparts taking in the wonderful views across the rooftops of the city.
Esslingen - old city wall - view over Esslingen with the Stadtkirche St. Dionys prominent
This is the view over Esslingen from the old city wall. The large church on the right is St. Dionys (with the twin towers). To the left of this can be seen the stepped gabled roof of the rathaus (town hall).
Esslingen - old city wall and Dicker Turm (thick tower) of the castle
The land on the southern side of the wall was covered by vineyards with grapes fast ripening in the hot late summer sun. We were headed in the direction of the Dicker Turm (thick tower) of the castle.
We descended from the high fortifications through an arch in the wall and following a path through the vineyards. We headed back to our bicycles parked in the town square and sat on a nearby bench to eat our picnic lunch.
The two options open to us were to either walk around the old town of Esslingen or cycle on in the direction of Plochingen. I sensed we were in need of some more rigorous exercise, and so suggested we cycle on, which we agreed to do.
Esslingen - The physiotherapy practice 'de facto' where Laura works as a physiotherapist
We cycled through part of Esslingen looking for a cut down to the river. On our way, Laura said we were near to her place of work, so we popped in to have a quick look around. Laura works as a physiotherapist at the de facto practice in Esslingen. It was very quiet on our visit, the only person we met being the gentleman by the name Axel who was on reception. It was nice to see Laura’s photo on the wall, marked ‘Physiotherapist’.
We sought out the river and found ourselves on a lovely quiet cycle track which we shared with other cyclists, joggers and the occasional fisherman. We were making excellent progress when all of a sudden the cycle track ran out and we were left stranded. We had to back track a little along a road and cross a bridge over the railway before once again continuing in our direction towards Plochingen.
Plochingen - Hundertwasserhaus
On reaching Plochingen we parked up our bicycles in a cycle rack and went on a stroll around the town. The tourist information office was closed, so we wandered as we pleased. We passed the Hundertwasserhaus, a house designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, renowned for his design of houses to be found in Vienna, Austria. This housing complex in Plochingen is designed very similar to the architecture of the houses in Vienna. We were a little unsure whether we could walk in, as the sign on the gate to the interior courtyard definitely says private. We elected to stand at the gate to the courtyard and snap a few photos from there.
Plochingen - cobbled streets and half-timbered houses
I asked where one buys ice creams in Plochingen and so we sought out a nearby ice cream parlour. I treated us all to very delicious ice creams. Well, after all that cycling, I’m quite sure we were deserving of these.
It was by now 16:30 so time to be headed home. Initially we set out on our bicycles from Plochingen in the wrong direction but we soon corrected ourselves and were back on course. We arrived back home in Esslingen-Mettingen at 17:50.
I shopped with Laura at the local grocery store. Laura rustled us up a quick chicken nuggets, mash potato and peas meal for our supper. Later that evening we watched the film Red Dawn by streaming to Laura and Hendrik’s television. Choice of English language films was a little limited but this film provided us with suitable entertainment during the evening.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - entrance to the old town via a gate in the city wall
Hendrik had chosen to go dance training today so that left Laura and myself to do as we pleased. I had mentioned to Laura that I’d like to visit Rothenburg ob der Tauber if possible, and we made that our destination for today. This would involve Laura in a long drive of about 160km but we felt it would be worth it. On arriving we parked up in Erlbacher Straße, just a 100 metres from one of the entrances to the old town. We sent a photo message to Hendrik from Laura’s iPhone to let him know we’d safely arrived.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - on our approach to the Markplatz (town square)
Laura and I made for the market square to seek out tourist information with a view to obtaining a map of the town. On our way we noticed a shop selling schneeball (snowball in English) pastries which were said to be a speciality of Rothenburg ob der Tauber so we bought a couple to eat with our lunch.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - rathaus (town hall) on the Markplatz
By the time we’d acquired a map of the town it was a little after noon and we were hungry so we checked the map for a bench in a park area on which to eat our lunch, this we found on a spur of the old city that juts out on the eastern side of the town surrounded on three sides by the river far below.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - the view from the park bench on which we ate our picnic lunch
The photo left shows the view from our park bench. As usual, I was a mess of crumbs after eating my very tasty schneeball. Why does that always happen to me? We walked around the spur where we’d eaten our lunch and then headed back into the old town.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - a place to wander and take in the views
This is really a place where one simply has to wander wherever the mood takes one. This is such a complete medieval town that quaint and picturesque old buildings and city defences are to be seen all around.
It eventually twigged with me that our map has a number of walk routes on it. Having made this discovery, we cobbled together a rough plan of our own devising using parts of the suggested routes on the map.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - probably the most recognisable view of the town
There was one place in particular that I was keen to get to. In many respects it is the classic shot of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. A timber framed building sits on the corner of a twisting cobbled street. Eventually we found this spot at which a street busker was playing the violin, and rather good he was too. Laura said she just had to give him some money, which she did. We walked on from here along the old city wall.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - view from the parapet of the city wall
If you wish to immersed in medieval architecture, I know of no better place to do that than Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It’s almost unbelievably historic in every corner of every street. It gives an almost total experience of another time. I felt as if I could have been living a Grimm fairy tale. We did however experience our own Red Dawn on the streets of this lovely old town.
Laura purchased a fridge magnet for my collection (similar to the ‘Rothenburg ob der Tauber 053’ photo above), and then we headed back to our car for the long drive home.
It had been a delightful visit. We were so glad we came. I think we both felt pleased with our escape to Rothenburg, finding another world, which could have been a theme park, but it was, thankfully, for real. On reaching home we plumped for KFC as the evening meal of choice so Hendrik kindly popped out for our supper.
Laura and I sat down and looked through the various walking and cycling leaflets that we picked up at the Esslingen tourist information office on Monday. We chose a cycle circuit that started out from Nurtingen but realised the train ride required three connections, one at Wendlingen so we opted to ride the train to Wendlingen and cycle onwards to Nurtingen and then reduce the cycle circuit slightly. We mapped this out using Google Maps but had trouble transferring this route (KML) to Map My Ride. In the end Hendrik remapped our circuit in Map My Ride before transferring to his iPhone which we intended to use for navigation. Both Hendrik and Laura had recently acquired new handlebar mounts for their phones.
The train station near Laura and Hendrik at Esslingen-Mettigen couldn’t be more convenient, being a mere two minute walk from their front door. We soon had our tickets purchased, caught the train, and were on our way. German trains are most accommodating for cyclists, with clearly marked doors, plenty of space for bicycles, and straps to secure them to the carriage. A real joy to travel this way.
We set out on our bicycles from Wendlingen in the warm morning sun right on schedule. Hendrik guiding us using his May My Ride route on his iPhone, Laura following on Google maps using her iPhone. Approaching Nurtingen we were confronted with a road closed sign which we chose to ignore on the basis that it was probably meant as a notice for car drivers and not for pedestrian/cyclists. This theory however didn’t quite holdout as we were confronted with road works that completely spanned the street. Hendrik, unabashed by this predicament, simply cycled on, leaving Laura and I no choice but to follow. A rather bumpy hundred metres wobbling past some deep ditches and workers looking on in amazement saw us safely past this obstruction and on our way.
Once out of Nurtingen we were immediately in quiet lovely open countryside. At first the going was level and easy but as we entered a forest the track was no longer surfaced and we started to climb. Hardly gruelling, but stiff all the same. We levelled out and then came onto a surfaced lane once again, this time beginning to descend. By this time Hendrik had shot ahead and was out of sight. The next moment (at about 13:30) Laura’s back wheel jammed solid. My efforts to free it were of no effect. Hendrik cycled back and he too attempted to free the wheel on Laura’s bike but with no success.
For a while we were stuck to know what to do next. Hendrik search Google on his iPhone and discovered the rail station at Frickenhausen was only 1km away and so we headed in that direction, with Hendrik carrying Laura’s bicycle. We rather ignominiously ate our picnic lunch, including left-over KFC from the previous evening, on the platform at Frickenhausen railway station. A few train hops later (Frickenhausen to Nurtingen to Esslingend-Mettigen) and we were back home.
Laura went for a lie down on arriving home. I switched on the computer to transfer some photos from my camera. Claire, who was at Wendy and Colin’s, noticed I was online in Skype and rang. Laura joined us for a little video chat with everyone in England, including new born Emma. Laura gave the folks back home a guided tour of their place and introduced everyone to Sophie. For some reason Wendy kept referring to her as ‘he’, despite Colin’s animated protestations in the background.
In the evening we went for a swim at the Mineral-bad Canstatt just outside Stuttgart. A major complex of indoor and outdoor pools, most with very warm water, but some cooler for the more serious swimmer. I did do some lengths in the latter but was more in the mood for gentle relaxation in the former. As always, a swim proved a great way to ease away the stresses of the day.
That evening Laura and I cooked a chicken fettuccine meal from her bowl recipes cook book (p.162?). This made a delectable and highly sustaining meal that evening. I’d bought (well, picked up really) a bottle of the local Trollinger wine from the supermarket a few days previous (seeing the grapes growing on nearby slopes prompted this) and we opened that to go with the meal. All very enjoyable and highly civilised.
We made an early start this morning, setting out for Munich by 8am. Laura did the driving and we were generally making good steady progress despite numerous road works along the way. We arrived at the Bavarian Film Studios at 11:20 but spent 10 minutes driving around the business-end of the studios before discovering that we had entered at the wrong entrance and had to back track to the visitor’s entrance. This could definitely have been made clearer. But little harm done as we had soon parked up successfully in the correct car park.
We queued for our tickets which included an English tour at 13:05. It was by now a little before noon so we opted to find a bench and sit and have our picnic lunch. Hendrik once again did a marvellous job of drawing the wasps away from Laura and myself.
As we had time to spare before our studio tour we decided to take a quick peak at the Bullyversum exhibition. This is centred around a German TV and film personality, Michael Herbig (Bully). He has apparently made parodies of Star Trek and westerns, but being German, and having targeted German viewers, a certain amount is lost to an English person such as myself. It was amusing all the same and was a pleasant way to wile away time till our tour start.
Bavaria Film Studios - our studio tour bus
We were standing near the clearly indicated tour start point and speaking English when we were overheard by the tour guide approaching the start point. She heard our English and directed us to the tour bus, an open transporter that ferried us around the site.
After introductions our tour started. We were shown to a hangar like studio that represent how films were once made. Here there was an old American police car and a rolling scene moving behind it that represented the supposed motion of the car. Laura and I were asked to act out the scene of the car being driven down the road, my stopping for lunch, Laura stealing the car, and my apprehending her. It was a fun thing to act out, and made overnight stars of Laura and myself. Well, ok, maybe not quite, but you get the picture.
Bavaria Film Studios - Sturm der Liebe (German soap) set
We got to see the set of the German soap Sturm der Liebe. I believe many Germans will be familiar with this television soap, running since September 2005.
Bavaria Film Studios - Film: Das Boot (mock-up of interior as used in the making of the film)
Next we were taken to see the actual submarine reconstruction as used in the making of the film Das Boat. It was extremely interesting to see the lengths to which the film makers went to realistically represent the actual claustrophobic and grubby life aboard a WWII German submarine.
Bavaria Film Studios - Hendrik becomes weatherman for a day
We were then shown how green and blue screen special effects are created. Our tour guide had noticed Hendrik was a German speaker and asked him to act as a TV weatherman. Hendrik had to give a weather report in front of blank green boards whilst watching monitors which showed the actual weather map images being (supposedly) broadcast to viewers. Hendrik actually had a good stab at it and made a pretty fair weatherman.
Laura plays a starring role in Sturm der Liebe
We then went to another studio where scenes for Sturm der Liebe is shot. This time it was Laura’s turn to act the part of a TV soap star. Laura had to assume a position at a hotel reception desk and deal with a guest arriving. Although Laura, just like Hendrik, had a good stab at this, and actually performed really well, I don’t think she’s quite ready to give up her day job as a physiotherapist just yet.
Bavaria Film Studios - Bullyversum
After the tour we spent some more time at at Bullyversum exhibition. We then grabbed a quick drink at the car before setting off for the centre of Munich and our hotel for the night, Motel One, Munich. After checking into our rooms Hendrik moved the car to a nearby car park since the hotel had no free car parking spaces available.
Munich - Marienplatz - Rathaus (town hall)
We then walked into the centre of Munich. What was immediately apparent to us was just how alive Munich is. There’s a real street scene with people out taking an evening stroll and eating and drinking in street cafes. What is also apparent is just how much of a cyclist’s city Munich is. There are thousands of bikes everywhere. In fact, after crossing a street, one had to be wary that one was then on a cycle lane with cyclists whizzing by. This all adds to the impression of Munich being a pedestrian/cyclist friendly city.
Munich - Hofbrauhaus
We then sought out the Hofbrauhaus but weren’t alone in doing so. The place was brimming with people. It’s a place that doesn’t change, except in becoming ever more popular. The waitresses are in traditional dress, the band plays traditional Bavarian oompah oompah music, and the menu is about as ethnic as you can get. That is to say, it’s just what people visit the Hofbrauhaus to experience. I enjoyed the experience and the meal, although the buzz filled my head after a while and I was glad to escape to the streets once again.
Munich - Karlsplatz
Hendrik was tired and had a long day ahead of him tomorrow, since he would be giving lectures, so he decided he would retire to his hotel room. Laura and I, charged with energy, were keen to experience Munich by night, so off we strolled wherever the mood took us. It was clear to see the general tide of people which we were happy to join. The people of Munich, and the occasional tourist like us, were out in their droves, rightly enjoying the warmth this summer evening, and taking in the pleasures of this most vibrant of cities. There was a definite tide of people traversing the pedestrianized route between Marienplatz and Karlsplatz.
Munich - Karlsplatz
Eventually we reached Karlsplatz with its most dominant of features, an enormous water fountain brightly illuminated. In many respects this seems to be the central hub of the city. Much of the transport system seems to emanate from this location. Nearby was yet another fountain, this on the corner of Alter Botanischer Garten which we photographed from across the street. If we had had more energy, it might have been nice to explore the gardens by night, but we felt we now needed to make our way back to our hotel.
It was a nice evening stroll Laura and I took that evening. We even passed some sort of Michael Jackson celebration in the centre of one street. There was a large sculpture of the singer on display. Not sure what that was about. Laura and I tried the hotel wireless connection when back in the hotel, without luck. Next day we were informed that there was a known problem connecting Apple devices. I suppose, on the basis there aren’t many of these about, the hotel regarded this as a matter of little consequence.
We had breakfast in the lobby of Motel One, Munich, then checked out and headed to where the our car was parked. We dropped our luggage in the car. Hendrik then headed off for Munich University where he was to give a lecture (control and feedback systems). Laura and I walked to Karlsplatz from where we intended to catch a tram to Schoss Nyphenburg (tram day ticket, E5.80 per person in the inner district). Note that on certain days there is a Discover Munich tram tour of the city.
Munich - Schloss Nymphenburg
The tram stops a very short distance from Schloss Nyphenburg. We followed the Schlossgartenkanal towards the main entrance to the palace. We purchased tickets for the palace which includes various other attractions so it’s worth checking out the details of your ticket on purchase. Apparently the gardens are free, which is pretty amazing when you see them. We later learnt that a king (Ludwig II I think) gave the gardens to the people of amusement as a form of appeasement as they were becoming disgruntled with their king.
Munich - Schloss Nymphenburg - Great Hall
Once having bought our tickets for the palace we were provided with an audio guide and then allowed to roam at will around the interior. The palace like so many large houses evolved over time, and therefore aspects of the interior represent various periods in the palace’s history, some in original baroque style, others rococo or neo-classical. The scale of the building is enormous the tour taking in only a selection of the rooms in the palace, but those that are of greatest importance.
The tour starts in the Great Hall, which is breathtakingly beautiful. A full plan and list of rooms included in the tour Laura and I did can be found from this link: The tour of the palace.
Munich - Schloss Nymphenburg - Bratwurst and potato salad - how very German
Laura and I had to ask someone at the ticket counter whether food and drink could be purchased nearby. We were told there was the cafe Schlosscafe im Palmenhaus in the palace grounds. We didn’t actually eat in the cafe but bought a snack from one of the kiosks just in front of the palm house. I had a bratwurst and potato salad, that was just what was needed to restore my flagging energy. We took a quick look at the cafe in the palm house after lunch, which looked very smart, but possibly pricey.
Munich - Schloss Nymphenburg - Badenburg
Laura and I then set off to explore the gardens of the palace. This was no small feat, as the gardens are very extensive. The first building we came upon was the Pagodenburg which I wish we’d checked our ticket for, as it includes entry to this building. We then circled around to the Grand Cascade, which as you’ll see, can potentially look quite spectacular, but on our visit today just a lame trickle of water flowed through this marble fountain. Continuing our circle of the gardens we next came upon Badenburg, the swimming baths of the palace. Quite modern and sumptuous looking, and apparently much imitated.
Completing our circle we re-joined the central canal and returned to the palace. We then departed for the tram stop to catch a tram back to Karlsplatz.
As we travelled on the tram I checked my GPS for tram stop near to a number of ‘Schwabing Art Nouveau Buildings’ on a walking tour I’d located before coming to Germany. Laura and I decided the Elisabethplatz stop on Nordenstrasse would serve the bill, so we made that our next destination. The buildings on the tour that we hoped to visit I’ve mapped on my Schwabing Art Nouveau Buildings Google Map.
Munich - Jugendstil walking tour
It was interesting to see buildings from the Art Nouveau period, or Jugendstil as it is known in Germany. I wouldn’t know where to look for such buildings in England. Finally yet another tram, and once again heading back for Karlsplatz, which seems to be the centre of the universe here in Munich.
We thought we’d be smart and save our legs by catching a tram to Marienplatz, but instead we found we’d caught a tram to Mariannenplatz which rather annoyingly was out of our way, so we reversed this journey by catching a tram back to Karlsplatz. Continuing on foot this time, we were in search of a pizza restaurant, but were not inclined to use Pizza Express.
Munich - our table at trattoria for pizza supper
I directed us to a pizza restaurant named Hugo’s, but when we found it we thought it a little too posh for our tourist garb, so passed it by. I’m glad we did because, just as we were about to give up, Laura spotted a delightful little pizza house with a few street tables. We had lovely pizzas sat outside, served with politeness and efficiency. A great meal with which to round off our day in Munich.
We then headed back to the car park for our car. Laura drove the short distance to where Hendrik was lecturing. We arrived bang on the time when Hendrik was scheduled to finish. After a short wait Hendrik appeared and drove us the long journey home (there was a lot of traffic about).
Our two days away in Munich had been very enjoyable. We found Munich to be a charming, beautiful and vibrant city. And the weather was just perfect and summery, coming in hot and sunny for the duration of our visit. Absolutely delightful!
I should point out that a Schloss Nyphenburg ticket entitles a person to view palaces and museums that we did not visit today. Potentially a visit to this palace could consume an awful lot of time.
One last point of possible interest: I read from the Wiki page for this palace that the Italian director Luchino Visconti made a movie Ludwig in 1972 about the life and death of King Ludwig II which was partly filmed in Nymphenburg.
Hendrik had chosen to spend the day dance training, so that left Laura and I at home. Laura and I prepared a shopping list for lunch (coleslaw and salad to eat with leftover quiche), a lasagne meal and fairy cakes. We shopped and ate lunch together Laura and I.
After lunch Laura and I set about making the fairy cakes. Realising we didn’t have any icing sugar meant one more trip for Laura and I to the local grocery shop.
Hendrik’s parents have invited us to dinner at Honey Do on Hohenstaufen for 19:30. We plan to pop-in (18:00-19:00) on Helen and Can, and Mum too, who have arrived from England today. They’d spent the afternoon up at Sue and Ewald’s. Apparently Ewald was busy plastering on their visit, and was covered in plaster dust, but joined them later.
We then drove on to have dinner at Honey Do with Helga, Konrad, and Hendrik’s sister Olga. Some of the meals are quite unpronounceable, to me at least, but eventually I settle for the turkey cutlets. Whilst waiting for our meals I presented Helga and Konrad with a couple of books, ‘F in Science’, and the book ‘Exeter Through Time’, a book of photos showing Exeter old and new. To my welcome surprise, the humour in the F in Science book seemed to appeal to Helga.
The food was excellent and it was nice to meat Hendrik’s parents at long last. We were able to chat agreeably on various subjects, in English of course, as my German I’m ashamed to say is non existent. A very pleasant evening.
The plan for today was to visit an adventure park Kleterwald at Laichingen. I didn’t know quite what I was letting myself in for, but perhaps foolishly I said I’d give it a go in the best gung-ho spirit. Laura’s long-time friend Greta was joining us today. She met up with us at Laura and Hendrik’s place, having caught the train out from Stuttgart where she is staying with her father. We four drove to Helen and Can’s.
We discovered that Can was not feeling too well, having picked up some bug whilst in England, possibly on their outing to Woodlands where I’m told they, ‘got cold and wet’. Can therefore opts to drop out of today’s visit to Kletterwald. We picked up Olga in Goppingen en route and reached Kletterwald around midday, therefore on arrival we find a bench on which to eat our picnic lunch. The fairy cakes (note the name) that Laura and I have made go down a treat, but soon attract wasps.
We purchased our tickets and each of us is kitted out with a safety harness and given instruction on how to traverse the various rope sections safely. Once given our instruction we’re let loose on the park. The various courses are colour coded in terms of degree of skill required (or is that scariness?), from yellow (easy), through green, blue, and finally black (really scary).
We group up in pairs, Laura with Greta, Olga with Hendrik, and Helen and I. Helen and I choose to start with a green course. We complete two green courses (Abenteur and Fitness), and were becoming more adept and confident as we went. We took a look at a blue route. Olga joined Helen and I as Hendrik had gone off to try his hand at the black course. Olga and Helen ascend a climbing board on a blue course (Kinder-Risiko) but I can’t make it, so I leave them to it, content to watch from the ground.
Everyone enjoyed the adventure park very much. Physically it was quite demanding, and some nerve was required to complete the courses, but we all felt good about what we had achieved. I think this kind of park is a great idea, and wonder why we don’t offer this in England (or perhaps we do and I’m not aware of it).
Helen invited us all back to her place. We ordered take-away pizzas from nearby restaurants. Laura went to see Greta off from Uhingen railway station. That evening we watched the film Mission Impossible 2.
Laura and I sat down at her laptop this morning and investigated on the Internet options for today. Hendrik returned to work after his week’s leave using his bicycle to commute to Stuttgart University for the first time. Laura and I chose Ruine Hohenrechberg for today, one of the places Konrad had mentioned during dinner on Saturday.
Laura drove us to Uhingen where we visited the bank (Laura has a cheque to pay in and I needed cash). We also purchased bread and yoghurts from a supermarket and dropped in on Helen and Mum. Next operation was to set about making sandwiches for our outing today. Helen was unable to join us as she had study/job business to attend to.
Hohenrechberg - picnic site - lunchtime
On arriving at Hohenrechberg we parked below the ruin in a car park and found a bench with lovely views out across the hills. There’s no vehicular access to the ruin beyond this point.
Hohenrechberg - picnic site - lunchtime - perfect!
There was only one picnic table, but that was ok, there was only us there. A quiet and relaxing place to eat our lunch. What more could one ask for? A cup of tea? Well, maybe. For a brief moment after lunch I’m king of the castle for a while. Well, we saw this little castle in the play park with the English flag flying from it, so I just had to play my part, ever the child.
Hohenrechberg - Burgruine Hohenrechberg - bridge to castle, previously a drawbridge
Replenished with food and drink we began our steady walk up the gentle incline to Ruine Hohenrechberg. The castle is approached across a bridge that once contained a drawbridge. It was immediately apparent to us just what a strong defensive position the castle held, set high on this rock promontory, with steep walls all around. Little wonder that this castle remained occupied and undestroyed until very recent times, in the ownership of the originating noble family till 1986.
Hohenrechberg - Burgruine Hohenrechberg
There’s an automated turnstile through which one enters the castle with a small entrance fee (€2 I think). The views from the castle alone are worth the fee. Hohenrechberg is located in very picturesque countryside, and there can be few better places to appreciate that, than up here on Hohenrechberg.
Hohenrechberg - Burgruine Hohenrechberg - drawbridge, that was
On concluding our castle visit we attempted a circular walk we’d seen on an information board as we approached the castle. But this proved too steep for Mum, as the castle rather unusually is not on the peak of this hill, but set on a promontory a little way down from the summit. Instead we returned to the castle entrance and walked back down the way we’d come up.
Laura drove us through some spectacular scenery as we headed for Hohen Staufenberg. Our plan was to walk the small lake that we’d walked on my previous visit to Germany Easter of last year. Mum chose to sit on a bench whilst Laura and I set off on our walk, Laura anti-clockwise, me clockwise. We could see Mum sat on her bench from the furthest most point on our brief circuit of the lake.
We phoned Helen to see if she wished to join us for supper but she told us that she had a couple of emails she wished to write and so couldn’t make it. Laura drove us back to her and Hendrik’s place. This is Mum’s first visit to Laura and Hendrik’s first home, so Laura gave Mum a guided tour of the flat.
For supper Laura cooked us burgers which we had with cucumber salad followed by the fairy cakes that remained from Sunday. Laura drove Mum back to Helen and Can’s place, with me travelling as passenger.
Later that evening Hendrik explained that he had found the cycle ride home hard despite having good lights on his bike. The route he used followed a very busy road and he was frequently dazzled by the headlights of the passing cars. Hendrik said he felt there was a risk he’d lose sight of the track and end up in the river. I mentioned the solar lights that we have embedded along the Exe Estuary cycle trail; perhaps Germany needs to invest in some of these.
The idea for today was given to us by Konrad whilst we dined together last Saturday. Laura and I had done some research into this the previous day but decided to revisit our findings prior to setting out today. A good thing we did, as we discovered there are two Steinheims nearby, and we were looking at the wrong one yesterday (Steinheim an der Murr), one just north of Stuttgart, whereas the museum is actually in the other direction from Laura’s (Steinheim am Albuch). At the last minute we text Helen to tell her to stay where she is as we’re coming to her.
The sad thing was that after making this correction, picking Helen and Mum up, we finally arrive at the Steinheim Meteorkrater Museum only to find it is closed on a Tuesday. Just when we were feeling smug about correcting our previous mistake, we find we are floored by the museum being shut. In our defence, we hadn’t found this information was made clear on the web pages for the museum that we had examined (museum opening times). Still, unperturbed, we decided that we can at least view the crater itself. We drove out of Steinheim and up onto the crater wall where we had a picnic under the shade of some trees on this very hot day.
Steinheim crater
An information board at our picnic site informed us we were on the crater perimeter walk. After lunch we decided we’d walk a part of the crater perimeter. The walk started out quite level but we soon encountered a long descent which we thought would be too much for Mum, so we turned back.
Steinheim crater - bright red grasshopper
It was worth walking part of the perimeter, as short as our walk was, since this gave a good perspective on the size of the crater, which is huge, having a 22km circumference. We also got to see plenty of grasshoppers, including one that was a rather startling bright red colour. And a baby lizard too, which I managed to catch and hold for a short time.
Arriving back at the car we still had plenty of time to spare, since it was only mid afternoon. A quick check of POIs on my GPS and I could see there was a Wild Park Eichert at Heidenheim. This was only a short distance from where we were, so we decided to head over to the park.
The Wild Park wasn’t too well signposted so we drove past it at first. On returning we parked near to a Natur-theater building and examined an information board in the car park from which we could see we were in the right place. Prior to a visit, it’s worth examining the map on the Wild Park Eichert leaflet which shows car park locations.
Wildpark Eichert, Heidenheim
We entered the wild park along Wildparkweg. We saw deer, wild boar, wild mouflon, chamois, stags, birds of prey and ducks on our walk around the park. Our walk route was relatively level and easy going. It was cool and relaxing to walk through the wild park, a calming respite from the scorching heat we’d experienced earlier in the day on the crater perimeter.
In the evening we returned to Helen’s place and Laura and I prepared a lasagne, originally intended to have been cooked at Laura’s, but last minute changes (explained above) brought about this change to our plans. Whilst Laura and I prepared the lasagne Helen set about creating her inspired starter of dates and bacon to be cooked in the microwave. Helen and Laura insisted on jelly and ice cream for pudding which luckily Helen has a rapid production technique for.
That evening we watched The Sound of Music on DVD that evening, an old favourite of ours that I’d not seen for quite some time. We felt that as much of the scenery we had seen today was reminiscent of that in the film, it would make a good viewing choice, and it did. Jelly and ice cream during the interval.
Laura and I picked up Mum from Helen’s place. Helen had jobs to do today, so was staying home. Laura drove the three of us to Strasbourg, a long drive taking us nearly 2.5 hours. We arrived just before noon allowing us time locate the tourist information centre and to walk around the cathedral, the Notre Dame.
Strasbourg - Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg (Strasbourg Cathedral) - colourful organ sits high above nave
At 12:30 the doors to the cathedral opened, so we explored the interior. It’s a beautiful Gothic cathedral with a very colourful organ set imposingly high above the nave. It seems to hang there, almost as an afterthought.
Strasbourg - Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg (Strasbourg Cathedral) - astronomical clock
There is a very grand and elaborate astronomical clock in the cathedral that dates from the time of the first French possession of the city (1681–1870).
Apparently the main attraction is the procession of the 18 inch high figures of Christ and the Apostles which occurs every day at half past midday (darn it!) while the life-size cock crows thrice.
Strasbourg - view from Pont du Corbeau of the brasserie in which we had our lunch
After our visit to the cathedral we decided to look out for somewhere to eat lunch. I noticed a little brasserie right on the waterfront that looked inviting. Laura and I chose ‘flammkuchen’ (French: Tarte flambée). Mum chose grilled ham, cheese sauce, onions and garlic served with potatoes and parsley. Mum’s dish was not quite what any of us expected, and wasn’t English enough for Mum’s taste. But then, this is France.
Strasbourg - Batorama river tour boat
After lunch we booked a boat tour (Batorama). With time to spare before our embarkation, we took a quick stroll around the river area of the city. It was very hot and quite tiring.
Strasbourg - our 'Batorama' boat tour - Eurodistrict
Our Batorama tour boat was packed and the tour very hot with no escape from the blazing sun. The tour however proved a good way to sample Strasbourg, especially for Mum who was tired from all the walking. The commentary was both interesting and informative. The tour did a circle of the old city before taking a leg out to the European area. Here the European Institute of Human Rights and the European Parliament operate from large glass buildings on the waterfront.
Strasbourg - Petite France
After the boat tour we walked down to the region of Strasbourg known as Petite France, the old quarter. The half-timbered houses on the banks of the river are very beautiful. The streets are very narrow and many are cobbled. For a moment it feels as if we’ve escaped the hurly burly of the modern world. I of course have to purchase a fridge magnet, and one for Helen, who neglected to get one on her visit to Strasbourg last September.
Strasbourg - tram stop
And to conclude today, I just had to include this photo of a Strasbourg tram. Why? Well, quite some time ago, whilst writing a blog post after my trip on our trams at Seaton, I made comparison with these trams of Strasbourg, not having seen one for real. Today, at last, I finally got to see one. I didn’t actually get to travel on one but I can say they did live up to my expectations in that they truly are sleek, elegant, quiet, clean and smart.
We found a little bakery and bought quiches and a muffin for our supper, to eat in the car on the journey home. We set off for home at 18:15. Laura was feeling a little unwell by the time we got to Helen’s place, so Helen provide Laura with a Lem Sip to take before she went to bed in the hope this would help her sleep. Laura told me after taking this, it was more of a Lem Gulp than a Lem Sip, as she was in a hurry to get to bed.
Just the three of us today, Helen, Mum and myself (Laura and Hendrik were dance training, Can was in Munich working). I caught the train to Uhingen from Esslingen-Mettigen (E5.70), a mere 30 minute journey. Helen had suggested we take a walk around the lake at Adelberg. But before we did that, Helen offered to show us around Göppingen.
Göppingen - town centre
Göppingen was Helen’s home town whilst a student at Stuttgart University. Now it is the next town to where they live in Uhingen. Göppingen has spent a considerable amount of money on transforming the centre of its town, which today looks smart and inviting. A stream runs down the centre of the main pedestrianized street, and to this has been added little water driven features that makes for a fun playground for children.
Göppingen - fountain
We strolled around the centre of Göppingen and parts of the old town. I made the comment, where was the trademark symbol of German towns, the fountain. Most of the fountains in Goppingen were in fact undergoing renovation and therefore dry. We did however see one fountain in action which redeemed my faith in tradition.
Helen took us to her old dance school. Poking her head in the door she saw Claudia, Sousa, her mother and children, and Irvine. The school was officially closed but Claudia kindly invited us in, switched on the lights on all of the floors, and allowed us to use the staff lift. Helen gave Mum and I a guided tour of the building.
Adelberg Lake
Helen then drove Mum and me out to Adelberg See just beyond Göppingen. The car park we initially stopped in was short of the lake, so we drove on and eventually found a car park adjacent to the old mill. We sat in the car and ate the sandwiches Helen had prepared that morning. We then set off on our walk around the lake. It was hot and sunny but the trees offered a lot of shade and therefore the walking was quite comfortable. There was a little bit of climb up to the level of the lake, as the mill and car park are just below the dam.
Adelberg Lake
Part way around the lake there is a bridge beyond which is a short extension to the walk. Mum was a little tired so she chose to sit on a bench in the shade whilst Helen and I walked the extension. Mum was meant to join us on my ringing her mobile phone, but she didn’t hear the ring, so that didn’t exactly work. But Helen and I discovered Mum not far away and she quickly joined us on the bridge.
Adelberg Mühle - a nice place at which to take a cool drink
We were hot and in need of a drink by the time we returned to the mill. The mill has been converted into a restaurant/cafe. We decided lager shandies would be nice, so we ordered three. Served ice cold, these were a real treat.
Helen cooked Kaese Spaetzle for us in the evening. Laura joined us for supper. We watched Skyfall on DVD after supper, a gripping film with plenty of action. Laura drove me back to her place after the film.
Laura and I got up early and had our breakfast before getting on the Internet to search out a pasty reciped on the web. We then walked to the local grocery shop to purchase the ingredients required to make pasties and a cheese cake. We then made dough for both, and Laura lined the cheesecake dish with the pastry, which we stored in the fridge. After washing the dishes we were ready just in time for Mum and Helen’s arrival at 9:15. Helen had made sandwiches for our day at the zoo and offered to drive us to the zoo.
Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart - hot house
We were soon parked up, had our tickets bought, and had entered Wilhelma Zoo. We started by walking through the hot houses as we suspected these would become really hot and humid later in the day.
There was an enormous array of plans of assorted colours to be seen in the hot houses. This was a relaxing and gentle way to ease ourselves into our day at the zoo.
Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart - feeding the seals
We luckily exited from these just as the seals were being fed, so we joined the large gathering of people at the seal enclosure. The seals darted effortlessly through the water and jumped up on the rocks beside the seal keeper. A large male seal seemed to dwarf the smaller female seals. All were very keen on the fish meal to which they were being treated.
Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart - Helen and Laura revert to their childhood
Slowly we wound our way up the right-hand side (nearest Stuttgart) of the zoo.
A day out with Helen and Laura wouldn't be complete if for a little while they didn't revert to their childhood. Here we seem them in the children's play park on one of the climbing frames. They learnt their balancing skills at Dobwalls, Cornwall.
Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart - a very sleepy tiger
The day was already warming and we were glad of any shelter from the sun that we could find. The big cats were rather languorous in the heat, and difficult to make out in their enclosures.
We sought out a bench near one of the kiosks overlooking the zoo on which to eat our picnic lunch. I think Mum was glad to sit down for a bit, as we all were.
Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart - the meerkats watching the antics taking place in the next pen
After lunch we visited elephants, hippopotamus, monkeys and meerkats. The meerkats, as always, were amusing to see. They were watching a zebra chase gazelles in the neighbouring enclosure, quite obviously very amused by the antics taking place. There are brand new enclosures for both the elephants and the apes. The elephants were looking a little distressed in the heat, although they do have a small pond in which to bathe and cool off.
Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart - new ape enclosure (opened on May 15, 2013)
The new ape enclosure provides plenty of space for its inhabitants. They even have a television to watch. Apparently the apes are bored by political programmes, but do like nature documentaries. They’re alarmed when they see large carnivores on the screen, screaming and darting about the cage. And when they saw a snake they darted out of the cage, only returning very cautiously when they were sure the snake was no longer to be seen. When the apes saw small furry animals they all went ‘aah’. Apparently the television broke down and had to be repaired. The television repairman received a round of applause from the apes when he returned with the repaired television. He said he’d never before received such a reception, and was rather overwhelmed by the response (see description against this photo in Flickr for full story).
By about 3pm we were feeling the strain once again and decided ice creams were called for which Helen purchased for us near the polar bear enclosure. The polar bears were understandably also feeling the heat, as they remained inside their house and only visible in part through their doorway.
Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart - Mum strolling through the gardens
With just a little time to spare, I was keen to see the parrots, but only a few were visible. We then walked through the gardens of Wilhelma, in themselves a stunning display. By this time dark clouds were forming in the skies above us with the odd rumble of thunder audible and we feared a downpour. We made our way through the zoo in the direction of the shop and exit. Helen was able to acquire a fridge magnet for her collection (I already have mine from last year).
Back at Laura and Hendrik’s place we set about making the pasties whilst Laura set the cheesecake cooking. The pasty dough was alarmingly hard when taken from the fridge but once split into six and kneeded a little in our hands soon softened. We roughly rolled six circles of pastry, filled, folded, crimped, coated with egg and placed in the oven to cook. As it was a pleasant evening (the rain having passed over by now) we decided it would be nice to eat on the balcony so the table was laid, and a bottle of wine opened. Hendrik joined us for our supper. The pasties were good, but very large.
In case you’re wondering why we were eating Cornish pasties and baked beans in Germany, here’s the explanation. I had said to Laura jokingly a few days previously that she could make a good trade in selling pasties if she set up a stall outside her block of flats I said I thought they’d be quite a novelty here in Germany. This inaugurated our Project Pasty. They made for a pleasant, and very English, meal after our demanding day at the zoo, although they were just a little dry and very big.
Later that evening Laura and Hendrik showed Nanny and Helen some videos of their new dance formation. They were about to enter upon an extensive period of training for the dance tournament season that would start in the new year.
Can had proposed the previous night that we take a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle today. It was a place I very much wished to see sometime, so I jumped at the idea. Although I knew of Neuschwanstein Castle I couldn’t recall ever visiting it. If I had, it would have been on an old motorcycle tour done about thirty years ago. Laura and Hendrik wouldn’t be with us today because of their dance training commitments.
Laura offered to help get me on a train to Uhingen as we weren’t sure if the ticket machine operated in any language other than German. As it happened, we discovered it did offer a translation into English. At first Laura and I were confused about the pricing we were being offered, as it was E9.60, where as I had travelled to Uhingen for E5.70 on a few days earlier. Then we realised that I was predicted to travel in the direction of Stuttgart (Bad Cannstadt, Stuttgart) on my first leg where I needed to connect with a train to Uhingen, therefore it was a significantly longer journey than on the previous occasion. After purchasing my ticket (the machine even printed an itinerary) Laura returned home for her journey to Ludwigsburg with Hendrik.
I arrived in Uhingen at 9am. Can was still at the hairdresser’s when I arrived at Helen and Can’s place about 9:15. Can had to make a trip to the petrol station to fill up their private car, as Helen was owed some money on petrol she put into the hire car of Can’s. It wasn’t long however before Can arrived and we were on the road to Neuschwanstein Castle. It was a long drive as TomTom redirected us from the Autobahn which was suspected of being congested. After three hours of driving through some wonderful scenery we eventually reached the car park at Neuschwanstein Castle. We were informed by the car park attendant that there were three ways up, walk, bus or horse-drawn carriage. We figured bus would be best for us. However first thought was some lunch, a picnic we ate in the car.
Immediately after lunch we walked up the hill to where tickets for the castle were sold. On arriving at the ticket office a screen above the booths informed us that the next English tour was at 16:55, rather startling since it was now only 13:30. We had no option but to take tickets for this time which we queued for and bought.
Lechschlucht (Lech gorge), near Füssen
Can said that he knew of a picturesque gorge nearby that we could drive to to fill in the available time. We decided that was a good option and so we returned down the hill to the car and Can drove us there. Parked up by the road we descended to a bridge above the gorge. At this point the wide river became squeezed into a very narrow gorge. The sound of the water over the waterfall and rushing through the gorge filled the air.
We returned to Neuschwanstein Castle, this time Can and Helen dropping me and Mum off up the hill near the bus pick-up point whilst they dropped down to the car park to re-park the car. Mum and I sat on a bench under the shade of a tree looking out across a large lake just below Neuschwanstein Castle waiting for Helen and Can. On their return we decided to walk a section of the path that surrounds the lake, but Mum chose to stay put, as she was feeling tired and wished to conserve her energies for the castle.
Schloss Neuschwanstein - Alpsee (Alp Lake)
The lake looked lovely in the sun. There were pedaloes and rowing boats out on the lake. The water was crystal clear and sparking in the sun.
Schloss Neuschwanstein - May pole in the blue and white colours of Bavaria
We returned to where Mum sat with about an hour to spare before our castle visit. We queued for the bus, not expecting to get on, but everyone was squeezed in. I had the necessary change for the bus (E1.80/person) so offered to pay. Helen asked what I’d say, and I said, “Vier bitte.” Helen said that’ll do nicely. The bus driver said, “Danke.” Then went on to say, “Enter the bus by the rear door.” He spoke this in English. I threw my arms up in despair, saying to Helen, “Why do I bother?” This made Helen smile.
Squeezed onto the bus like sardines, we were dropped just short of the castle. A track from here leads to a footbridge (built in 1866) which acts as a castle viewing point which Helen, Can and I said we’d like to see. Mum decided she would walk up to the castle entrance whilst we visited the bridge. The walk to the bridge high above the gorge was well worthwhile as the view of the castle was breath taking (see below).
By now we needed to head for the castle. We dashed back down from the bridge and up towards the castle. Mum was rather out of breath by the time we reached the castle gate. Just inside we had a five minute wait till our ticket number came up on the display screen and we entered through electronic gates to join our tour.
The tour started with a significant climb up winding steps. This was really tough going for Mum. She later said that she only just made it. The tour lasted 45 minutes which was a little rushed considering how much there was to see. Understandable in a way, when you consider how many people had to be got through the castle today. Perhaps there would have been greater time on a day when the castle was not so busy. Photography is not allowed on the tour of the castle’s interior. You can gleam an impression of the interior from the Tour of the castle.
Schloss Neuschwanstein - view of Alpsee (Alp Lake) and Schloss Hohenschwangau from Schloss Neuschwanstein
The ‘castle’ itself is relatively modern. It is however very sumptuous with all the opulence one might expect. The castle’s location itself is stunning, which is brought home as one looks out of the windows during the tour. This has to be the ultimate site for a castle, with the mountains looming large all around, and the lake lying far below, shimmering in the evening light.
Schloss Neuschwanstein - from the path descending down from the castle
After the castle visit we began our short but steep descent back to the car park. We were ready to set off for home by about 18:30. This journey was a lot quicker than our morning journey out, taking just short of two hours. This was convenient since Helen and Can needed to shop in Boli for the barbecue that was planned for the following day.
That evening the Goppingen stadtfest was taking place and Helen and Can were keen to go as many of their friends would be there. It had been thought I’d join them, but I was just too tired, so I said I’d stay at home and keep Mum company. The two of us sat down to our suppers (Mum: cheese on toast; Me: finishing up the sandwiches from lunch time) watching The Italian Job DVD. Hendrik called to pick me up from Helen and Can’s later that evening, as he too had visited the Goppingen stadtfest. Apparently Helen and Can didn’t get home till 2am that night.
On the drive back to Esslingen Hendrik informed me that he and Laura had new dance partners and that the team was shaping up nicely. Hendrik now had the increased responsibility of dancing at the head of the formation team.
Helen and Can learnt from a friend Almere that there was an Old Timer event in Kirchheim. At first Helen and I were confused what was meant by that. We thought it was a rally of old cars and after several unsuccessful search attempts on Google eventually we figured we should be looking for an aircraft event. We read that this ‘Kirchheim Unter Teck – Old Timer event’ (http://www.oldtimer-hahnweide.de/home.php) was to be the biggest gathering of its type across Europe. We had one other option for the day, a visit to the nearby Dinosaur Museum. In the end we concluded that this event in Kirchheim was just too good an opportunity to pass up, so we decided to give it a go.
Kirkheim ‘Old Timers’ air display
We were glad we did. There was such a variety of old planes on display and being flown around the aerodrome, that there was never a dull moment. I was surprised to find the runway was simply grass, and not tarmacked. We were so close to the runway that we really felt part of the show. Many of the planes were parked up extremely close to the visitor walkway, so it was possible to get a close-up view of lots of the planes.
Kirkheim ‘Old Timers’ air display
There were all kinds of aircraft from German World War I fighter biplanes to jet fighters being flown. There was also acrobatic air displays by the Red Bull Team, and a parachute drop into the arena. Luckily we thought to bring binoculars with us as this helped us get a close up view of the aircraft in flight.
We bought food at one of the food marquees at the event. Burger type meals all round, and very tasty too.
Barbecue in the rain at Helen and Can's
After the air display we returned to Helen and Can’s. The plan was to have a barbecue in the evening. The clouds had begun to close in but we were undaunted and continued with our plan regardless. Just as Can began to cook so it started to rain. We had to shift the hot barbecue into the doorway of the lounge so that Can could continue to cook sheltered from the rain. This barbecue was becoming highly reminiscent of many we have held in England in the past. Comforting to know it doesn’t only rain on English barbecues.
Laura and Can’s mother Christine joined us in the evening for our meal. Hendrik had to drive to a nearby town where he was due to lecture, dropping Laura off en route. Christine supplied the wine, a drink by the name Hugo (a new one on me), a sparkling white whine that was served with a sprig of mint and a slice of lime. It was a very refreshing indeed, an ideal accompaniment to a barbecue.
Later that evening Helen brought down the book of old photos that we had compiled for Mum a few years ago ("Helen, Laura and Robert Growing Up - Twenty years of memories by Helen, Laura & Robert Slack"). I had mentioned there was a photo of Helen at Polperro in the book taken when she was very young. Helen no longer had a clear memory of Polperro, not altogether surprising since she would have been only about five at the time. We had been talking about Polperro because Laura’s friend Greta and her boyfriend Danny are planning to spend the New Year in Polperro.
Laura and I decided that we’d like to return home reasonably early, as Laura had to be up early for work the following day, and Mum and I would be travelling home to England again. Helen very kindly offered to drive us back to Laura’s.
As Laura was to be up very, very early the next morning (six o’clock) we said our sad goodbyes that evening. We were drawing towards conclusion of what had been a fabulous holiday.
Helen said the previous night that she’d set off at ten o’clock to pick me up at around 10:30 but rang me in the morning at 9:30 to say that she and Nanny were ready to set off, so they joined me early at Laura and Hendrik’s place. We sat and chatted wiling away 30 minutes till it was time for us to set off for the airport. At the airport we said our emotional farewells to Helen and Mum and I started out on our journey back to England. It was an event free journey and we arrived punctually back in Exeter. Christine and Louise kindly picked us up and drove us home.
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