Quite a busy day today. We started by getting on the train to Nürnburg. Nürnburg is only about 25 miles from Bergoberbach, but parking is expensive in Nürnburg and Tammy has never taken a train before. She said she liked it. We got to Marcus' school and he introduced both Tammy and me to his class. When he did he opened up the black board and on it was written "ask an American with real Americans." they had been studying American culture and so all of their questions were geared to that. They asked questions about Obama, gun control, dating, American cars, food, etc. A lot of their views were based on American tv shows and movies...not a real good database and so I had to correct them...lol. They had prepared questions for me, but as usual we took a few rabbit trails off the main course, but it was very good.
After speaking we went to a bier Garten for lunch and then to the Documentation Museum. I was here last time, but going though it again still amazed me and made my heart hurt. Nürnburg was the government center for Hitler. This is where he staged the big parades, had the 3 big swasticka flags flying, this is also where there were many videos shown of Hitler and 2 others walking to the memorial of the fallen soldiers. Therefore the German government decided this would be the place to have this museum. This museum was about the rise of Hitler and the atrocities he did and how he carried them out. It showed not only how the German army did what Hitler said, but the atrocities against the Jews and how the Americans liberated the Jews and help defeat the German army. We all walked out of the museum with hurting hearts. One of the main reasons they built this museum was to let it be a warning/reminder to future generations.
After the museum we went to the castle, which happened to be the oldest that we have seen on this trip. It is also the only castle in which no one ever lived, it was used like a hotel to royalty who were passing through but needed to conduct government business. This castle had no furniture, but it was due to the traveling nature of the royalty...they took their beds with them where ever they went. This castle was also an important place to the Roman government. There were 34 Roman emperors that had their first meal there (a tradition). This castle was 70% destroyed during World War 2, and the only place in the castle that wasn't damaged by the bombing was th chapel...hmmm...go figure!
After the castle we walked back to the train station, but on the way we stopped at a cafe for some really REALLY good ice cream. I normally don't eat ice cream (LGN diet), but this was AWESOME!!! While we were waiting for the train, a storm was approaching, complete with shelf and roll cloud. There was no shelter where we had to wait and we couldnt leave because the train was only minutes away. So the race was on...train against the storm. Thank You Jesus he held off the rain unti, right when the train got there. In fact we saw it and all of us were yelling "hurry!" The train won!
Tomorrow we go to Heidelburg which will be the last city in our tour, it is also my favorite city and castle!
Check out the pics...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
July 8, 2011
July 6, 2011
Day 8 - July 6
It was kind of a slow day, relatively speaking based on the past few days of driving and walking. While we did drive and walk, it was only to Ansbach which was a 5 to 10 minute drive from Bergoberbach. We stopped by Christina's parents place and walked to The Residenz, a castle where royalty not only lived but also did much of their government business. This castle dated back into 1400s. The sister of Alexander the Great and Princess of Prussia lived here at one time. While walking to the Residenz, we saw Jurgen's mom and sister at a cafe in Ansbach (yes Jurgen, we got a picture). The Residenz was nice, although the tour was only in German (they did have a pamphlet in English, but it told very little of each room). Manuel did most of the translation (by the way, I ordered Rosetta stone to learn Deutsch).
After touring the Residenz, we walked over to the gardens and got many pictures of the beautiful flowers. We also got some action pictures...see the pics.
Tomorrow looks rather exciting. We are taking the train to Nürnburg, then I will be speaking at Marcus' English class where his students will ask me questions on English and then after I answer, I will ask questions in English and they have to respond in English.. These are 11th graders...23 of them. This should be a lot of fun. Afterwards we will tour a museum, go to the castle (one I didn't get to the last time I was here because it was closed), and then some shopping.
Check out the pics...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
After touring the Residenz, we walked over to the gardens and got many pictures of the beautiful flowers. We also got some action pictures...see the pics.
Tomorrow looks rather exciting. We are taking the train to Nürnburg, then I will be speaking at Marcus' English class where his students will ask me questions on English and then after I answer, I will ask questions in English and they have to respond in English.. These are 11th graders...23 of them. This should be a lot of fun. Afterwards we will tour a museum, go to the castle (one I didn't get to the last time I was here because it was closed), and then some shopping.
Check out the pics...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
Day 7 - July 5...updated
Today was a full days trip. We went to one of my favorite castles...Neuschwanstein, which is located in Schwangau, about a 3 hour drive from Bergoberbach at the edge of the Alps. We left around 630 AM. The weather was beautiful, 70s and sunny. When I was here 2 years ago, it was March and the day we visited, the ground was still covered with snow. Much much different this time. The flowers were blooming, the trees had leaves...just beautiful. We toured the castle, but while we were waiting we met several people from the Atlanta area. We heard a lot of Americans talking, as well as Germans, Estonians, Italians...it was basically a melting pot of cultures in this one little area. Our tour was in English. Nueschwanstein is a relatively young castle built in the mid to late 1800s. Walt Disney patterned Cinderellas castle after Neuschwanstein. The owner, King Ludwig was about 40 years old when he died, unfortunately the castle was not finished when he died (unexpectedly) and it remains in just about the same condition that it was in when he died. Only about a third remains unfinished. The other two thirds look beautiful with a lot of the decorations patterened after the music and plays of Richard Wagner, who was a good friend of King Ludwig.
After the tour we walked up to the bridge that looks toward the castle. After a nice hike back to the base of the mountian, we had a nice lunch and then we hiked over to a lake and then did some shopping. We got back to Bergoberbach about 8 PM.
Please check out the latest pics...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
Tomorrow we go to Ansbach to tour the castle and the gardens around the castle.
Update...
One thing I forgot to mention about the trip to Neuschwanstein...Manuel drives a Honda Jazz, rather a small car which fits 5 people...if they are small, but really 4 average size adults. Remember I said it was a 3 hour drive to Schwangau...it was also 3 hours back...in the heat...with 5 adults...6 hours total. Needless to say we felt a bit claustrophobic. Fortunately we were on the autobahn which the average speed we were going was between 140 and 160 kph...in US terms...about 85 to 95 MPH.
After the tour we walked up to the bridge that looks toward the castle. After a nice hike back to the base of the mountian, we had a nice lunch and then we hiked over to a lake and then did some shopping. We got back to Bergoberbach about 8 PM.
Please check out the latest pics...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
Tomorrow we go to Ansbach to tour the castle and the gardens around the castle.
Update...
One thing I forgot to mention about the trip to Neuschwanstein...Manuel drives a Honda Jazz, rather a small car which fits 5 people...if they are small, but really 4 average size adults. Remember I said it was a 3 hour drive to Schwangau...it was also 3 hours back...in the heat...with 5 adults...6 hours total. Needless to say we felt a bit claustrophobic. Fortunately we were on the autobahn which the average speed we were going was between 140 and 160 kph...in US terms...about 85 to 95 MPH.
July 4, 2011
Day 6 - July 4
Happy Birthday America!! Unfortunately the Germans do not celebrate Independence Day, so....
Had a great day today. Went to Rotenburg o.d.T. (over the river in German). We left about 930 this morning, stopped at Colmburg Castle, then spent the rest of the day in Rotenburg. One of the first things we did was tour the Criminal Justice Museum. This told how crimes were dealt with in the medieval days, including torture, how sentences were passed, how people were convicted of crimes, oh and of some of the stupid laws people would break, such as...
Men thinking bad thoughts
Women babbling too much (gossip)
People playing music badly (look at the picture to see what they had to wear when they broke this law)
And many others
Afterwards we walked the town and then came back to Bergoberbach. When we got home, we took the dogs for a walk and stopped by a kneipbecken, which is a mineral pool that helps relieve pain/stress from your feet, legs and I guess whatever else that ails you.
The weather was beautiful, 70s! It looks like it will stay warm for the rest of our vacation. Because of the threat of rain on Friday, we will be traveling to Neuschwanstein tomorrow, about a 3 hour drive south of here on the edge of the Alps. We have to leave here by 6 AM.
Updated pictures are at...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
Had a great day today. Went to Rotenburg o.d.T. (over the river in German). We left about 930 this morning, stopped at Colmburg Castle, then spent the rest of the day in Rotenburg. One of the first things we did was tour the Criminal Justice Museum. This told how crimes were dealt with in the medieval days, including torture, how sentences were passed, how people were convicted of crimes, oh and of some of the stupid laws people would break, such as...
Men thinking bad thoughts
Women babbling too much (gossip)
People playing music badly (look at the picture to see what they had to wear when they broke this law)
And many others
Afterwards we walked the town and then came back to Bergoberbach. When we got home, we took the dogs for a walk and stopped by a kneipbecken, which is a mineral pool that helps relieve pain/stress from your feet, legs and I guess whatever else that ails you.
The weather was beautiful, 70s! It looks like it will stay warm for the rest of our vacation. Because of the threat of rain on Friday, we will be traveling to Neuschwanstein tomorrow, about a 3 hour drive south of here on the edge of the Alps. We have to leave here by 6 AM.
Updated pictures are at...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
July 3, 2011
Day 5 - July 3
In keeping with the church tradition of resting on Sunday, we did. We went to the Humpeneder's church this morning, a protestant church. Michael's girlfriend went there for the first time and really liked it and said she would go back again. It was a good service, they sang songs that we knew, however all but one was sung in German. The one that wasn't, the pastor told us was sung in English in honor of us. In fact, when the service started, she said they had some Americans visiting and were on their honeymoon...we got a round of applause. After church I talked with the pastor about bringing a short term mission team to their church. She was very interested in this and she wants to start communication about a possible trip...pretty cool!
After everything was over at the church, Erika showed us the classrooms that she teaches in. The church service is held in the local school. We went back to the Humpeneder's house, had lunch (goulash...very good), watched the pictures from our wedding from Paul and Aprils web site...paultidwellphotography.com
We kinda lounged around the house during the afternoon and evening, actually a good day of rest for the up coming week...quite a bit is planned. I did managed to get lured into wearing lederhosen. They were Gerharts, but since Manuel and Michael wore them, I thought why not. We did get pictures and I will upload them tomorrow.
After everything was over at the church, Erika showed us the classrooms that she teaches in. The church service is held in the local school. We went back to the Humpeneder's house, had lunch (goulash...very good), watched the pictures from our wedding from Paul and Aprils web site...paultidwellphotography.com
We kinda lounged around the house during the afternoon and evening, actually a good day of rest for the up coming week...quite a bit is planned. I did managed to get lured into wearing lederhosen. They were Gerharts, but since Manuel and Michael wore them, I thought why not. We did get pictures and I will upload them tomorrow.
July 2, 2011
Day 4 - July 2
Today was a long but fun day. We went to Oberstdorf, a village in the Alps in southwest Germany. Gerhart and Erika signed all of us up for a bus ride to a ski resort in Obertsdorf which took about 3 hours to get there from Bergoberbach. Once we got there we took the gondola up to the top of the mountain which was a little over 9000 ft. There wasn't any snow on the ground where we were but we could see snow on some of the higher peaks around us. Once we got to the top we walked about 4 to 5 miles around the top of the mountain, going to a few other peaks and then eventually back to the gondola to go down to the base of the mountain. It was absolutely beautiful on top of the mountain. The views were spectacular and the pictures just doesn't do it justice! A few showers moved over us and yes, for the 2nd time in Germany it snowed on us...not much, but enough to say it snowed on us. Yes it was cold, about 40 degrees on top of the mountain! Also for a 2nd time in Germany, I had my cup of coffee on top of the mountain at a ski resort in Alps...and for the 1st time Tammy had her cup of hot chocolate on top of the mountain at a ski resort in the Alps.
The flowers that were on top of the mountain were beautiful, and for being as cold as it was up there, it was amazing how pretty they were.
After we got down the mountain, we had a nice dinner. I had roasted deer medallions with spatzel (a small German noodle)...very good, and Tammy had wiener schnitzel without the breading in brown sauce and spatzel. It was sehr gut!
While we were at the restaurant, me, Tammy, Christina and Manuel got VERY sleepy and thought we would sleep on the bus ride home. Unfortunately the bus ride was warm, loud, and...well several of the people had beer before they got on the bus...and beer while ON the bus, and...well you can guess the rest. We even thought at one time someone was coming around taking orders for beer, but we were tired and turned the other way.
I have to give kudos to my trainer Dan Miller. The leg workouts really paid off today. Other than being out of breathe due to the altitude, my legs were fine...which is amazing given the elevation change we walked today...thanks Dan!
Tomorrow we are going to church with Manuel's family and then resting from the past few days.
We've added pictures from today so take a look...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
The flowers that were on top of the mountain were beautiful, and for being as cold as it was up there, it was amazing how pretty they were.
After we got down the mountain, we had a nice dinner. I had roasted deer medallions with spatzel (a small German noodle)...very good, and Tammy had wiener schnitzel without the breading in brown sauce and spatzel. It was sehr gut!
While we were at the restaurant, me, Tammy, Christina and Manuel got VERY sleepy and thought we would sleep on the bus ride home. Unfortunately the bus ride was warm, loud, and...well several of the people had beer before they got on the bus...and beer while ON the bus, and...well you can guess the rest. We even thought at one time someone was coming around taking orders for beer, but we were tired and turned the other way.
I have to give kudos to my trainer Dan Miller. The leg workouts really paid off today. Other than being out of breathe due to the altitude, my legs were fine...which is amazing given the elevation change we walked today...thanks Dan!
Tomorrow we are going to church with Manuel's family and then resting from the past few days.
We've added pictures from today so take a look...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
July 1, 2011
Day 3 - July 1
It ended up being a rather filled day. We started be going to the cathedral that overlooked Wurzburg. Got some beautiful shots both inside and outside the cathedral. Of all the catholic churches I have been too, both Tammy and I agree that thisnwas the most ornate cathedral we have ever been to. Although it was dark inside, the camera compensated for it. Aerwards we walked back downhill and stopped at a cafe called Auflauf. This restaurant specialized in casserole dishes. Tammy had a spicy noodle casserole with chicken and zucchini, tomatoes, coconut, curry and melted Gouda cheese on top. I had a German ravioli stuffed with pork and spinach, topped with tomatoes and melted Gouda cheese. We both had this beer that was mixed with lemonade, it was very tasty!
We went back to Manuel and Christina's flat, packed and headed to Manuel's folk's house in Bergoberbach, which is near Ansbach. When we got there we had a welcome sign on the garage door for us. We got to see Erika and Gerhart, Grandma, Michael and his new girlfriend whichnwe call Pam because we cannot pronounce her name, and also Marcus and Stefanie. It was a very good reunion, especially with Marcus as we have been chatting on skype since my last trip to Germany. The family made a big barbecue for us, which consisted of pork, small bratwurst, turkey breast, plus side dishes of potato salad, mozzarella cheese with tomato topped with balsamic vinegar...and beer! We had a good time, we heard how each couple met, and then I told how Tammy and I met and then how we got engaged. When I talked, Manuel and Marcus interpreted for Grandma.
Tomorrow we head to the alps to climb a mountain near Oberstdorf...pray for us!
Check this web site for my latest picture updates...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
We went back to Manuel and Christina's flat, packed and headed to Manuel's folk's house in Bergoberbach, which is near Ansbach. When we got there we had a welcome sign on the garage door for us. We got to see Erika and Gerhart, Grandma, Michael and his new girlfriend whichnwe call Pam because we cannot pronounce her name, and also Marcus and Stefanie. It was a very good reunion, especially with Marcus as we have been chatting on skype since my last trip to Germany. The family made a big barbecue for us, which consisted of pork, small bratwurst, turkey breast, plus side dishes of potato salad, mozzarella cheese with tomato topped with balsamic vinegar...and beer! We had a good time, we heard how each couple met, and then I told how Tammy and I met and then how we got engaged. When I talked, Manuel and Marcus interpreted for Grandma.
Tomorrow we head to the alps to climb a mountain near Oberstdorf...pray for us!
Check this web site for my latest picture updates...
https://picasaweb.google.com/kmcmullen81/McMullenTravel?feat=directlink
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