Medieval Rothenburg: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

October 20, 2014

It was a busy day in Rothenburg. We had a relaxing breakfast and planning session. Then it was off to the train station to get our tickets to Berlin.

Trains and bikes are always exciting, and tomorrow the plan is to leave Rothenburg in the morning, arriving Frankfurt Airport at about noon. We then have three hours, train to train, to get the bikes up to the Sheraton, perhaps get one of them in a box, and then jump on the train to Berlin, sans our beloved ponies. I am a bit anxious about the timing, but once more the Chief Navigator is assuring me we will have lots of time. As he points out, because our flight does not leave until the afternoon of the 27th, even if we can't get a bike in a box, we will have the evening of the 26th and morning of the 27th to get it done.

Once the train business was sorted, we came back to the hotel and gave the ponies a bath. They look quite lovely. The bikes have been absolutely fabulous. We chose Surley because of their touring reputation and they have performed flawlessly. They will have a short 1 km run tomorrow, and then a few days rest.

After that it was in to Rothenburg. Keith needed a coffee as he was falling asleep on me and then we walked our way around the town doing all the touristy things. It is so great to visit at this time of year. We climbed the Rathaus tower where they have crowd control signs and a red light and green light system, and we were the only ones up there. You can appreciate things a bit differently when you are not lining up or, in my case, standing on tiptoe trying to see.

After lunch Keith talked me into the criminal museum and I am very grateful I did not live in the Middle Ages. We walked the wall that surrounds the town and then came back to the room to rearrange our panniers...one each will stay in Frankfurt and one will go to Berlin. I worry my biking clothing is going to create a biohazard in the Sheraton storage room, but I have sealed everything in ziplock bags awaiting my washing machine at home.

We are about to wander back into town and find some dinner. Then it will be early to bed for train travel tomorrow.

And back from a great Italian dinner. We are a bit schnitzeled out. Rothenburg after dark is a treat. A little more sight seeing and window shopping, and now blog and bed!

I have decided I am a big fan of off season travel. Rothenburg gets 2.5 million visitors a year, but obviously most of them don't come at the end of October. That was awesome for us.

According to our guidebook, Rothenburg has the strictest building code in all of Germany, to preserve these old buildings.

I asked Keith to take a picture of this house. It just looked like such a cosy place to live. I loved the colour and the crooked door.

And out to the Tauber Valley. I am not great with heights, and by this time my knees were a bit weak.

Vegetarians, avert your eyes. A shop window.

This pussycat followed us around the old wall. We were trying to figure out a way to bring it home for Val.

Loved this old building. It is the youth hostel in Rothenburg.

More pictures to come, including two of the most beautiful hunde you have ever seen, but the wifi has stopped cooperating and I need my beauty sleep. Hah!

Here are our Hunde of the Day. They win the most beautiful award...and best groomed! Hannover is a World Champion for his breed, Havenese, and his buddy Nixon gives him a run for his money. They were travelling the dog show circuit with their delightful humans Larch and Kathy from Sweden. We really enjoyed meeting all four. They have a web page: www.meandis.se. Check it out!

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