G'ma and G'pa Visit

Matt's parents had spent a couple weeks hiking with friends in Austria.  Before heading back to the state, they took a train an hour north to spend a couple days with us.  Matt was able to pop out of work to pick them up from the train station, but had to go back.  So we spent the afternoon on a walking tour of our stomping grounds.  We went to our close park first.  While there the most bizarre thing happened.  A big truck pulled up through the grass and trees and picked up the massive, concrete ping pong table, put it in the back of the truck and drove off.  We looked on aghast.  But. . . .wha. . .  that's our ping pong table!   Good thing Isaac challenged grandpa first thing.  During the next few weeks we checked out our other spots and none of those tables had been moved.  Bizarre.

Good-bye faithful table.  We will miss you.

We also walked over to the castle grounds to relax and splash in the water.  Little did we know then, what was to become the kids favorite park was a two minute walk from here.

Grandpa, Jess, Makenna

We went to our "Stammtisch" for dinner.  This was our most frequented spot for dinner.  We quickly were labeled as regulars, after 2 visits, and when we went for the third time and asked if they had a table for 5, they told us, "Naturally, there is your Stammtisch."  Except in German of course.  We had just learned that new vocab word the week before.  It means a table for regulars.  I honestly can't say I know the real name of this restaurant, we called it Stammtisch after that, but they had wonderful Italian food at amazing prices.  We ate there at least once a week.  Matt often went for lunch as well, as it was two minutes from the base.   

Thursday, Matt took a personal day from work and we all went to Rothenberg.  Chris had gone more than once with kids and visitors from their days in Bittburg, but it was a first time for Don and might as well have been for Jess too.  She was just a baby the last time we were there.  We parked just outside the wall and as soon as we passed through, up we went to walk along the ramparts for awhile.

The stairs and steep and feel a little questionable.  It adds to the feeling of extreme age.  

I have so many memories of this place.  And so many pictures.  I remember doing shots with real film for a high school photography class of the wall and all the old and new roof tiles you can see from the walkway.  They still fascinate me.  

Makenna has always loved posing in doorways, Jess is picking it up.  

This is inside one of the towers that are placed every few hundred meters along the wall.  

Steep stairs going down. Hunger pangs drove us back down and into the town.  

We lucked out with the weather.  It was a simply beautiful day.  Light jackets were wanted sometimes, but more often they were stuffed in a bag or tied around a waist.  Rotherberg is such a picturesque town, I'll try not to go overboard with the pictures.  This is while Matt and Isaac are having THE BEST WURSTS THEY HAVE EVER TASTED.

Inspired by the Muellers.  ;-)

Grandma Chris off to the left. 

This is inside the old part of the still used Rathaus.

You could climb much steeper and at times ladder-like stairs to get to the tower.

This is me going back down.  I went first to help guide the girls down.  It was a a bit tricky.

G'parents looking out at the town. 

Coming back down.

I love this painting.  It's the closest thing to a snapshot of the town a few hundred years ago.  The fountain is still there and flowing!  

While the girls are picture taking, the boys are talking economics and practicing a golf swing?

Jess was just way up there.  

Old doorbells.  We also liked how many of the doors cold open in different places in different sizes.  It made us think of Isaac getting whacked in Comedy of Errors. 

Of course we went in, but we didn't buy anything but a postcard.  Living out suitcases and a several boxes of school stuff really helps curtail spending.  

We had prearranged with Troy to contact him when we were in the main square so he could look for us on the online viewer.  It's not great resolution, but he spotted us and took some screen shots.  What a crazy world. 

The girls were dancing while waiting.  We saw the windows open on the hour and watched the puppet mayor drink his two liters of wine to win the bet against the invaders to keep them out of town.  

Gelatto break. 

They are everywhere!

One of the most famous views. 

The fountain in the old painting!

Schneeballs are a classic Rothenberg treat.  They have specialty shops selling them all over.  We did get a few to try.  It's like Matt's thing with eggnog at Christmas.  You want to try it because it's the season (or location) but a little bit scratches the itch and then you are stuck with the leftovers.  It turns out that swans like them. 

On our way to the criminal museum.

We have a picture from right here with two of these kids about 6 years earlier. 

The criminal museum (really torture, let's be honest) is fascinating, but most of it isn't the type of stuff you want loads of pictures to help you better visualize.  So here's a family shot instead.  They are in the room with the rack, so pleasant.  

This was interesting.  I love home school history!  Isaac had just learned about these the week before and viola!  These are cylinder seals from 4,000 B.C.  The Sumerians used these to sign important documents.  They would drip wax onto the clay tablet and roll it over the hot wax before it dried.  Awesome.  

Yeah, there it is again. I really am skipping a bunch.  

The sun is going down. 

We walked along the wall for a ways to get back to the car.  You can go most of the way around the town on the wall.  

We went back to Schonblick for dinner.  Matt called ahead to make a reservation for 7.  When we arrived they realized we were American.  They were slightly embarrassed and explained that they though Matt was from Holland and so decorated the table for the Dutch.  I guess Dutch like orange?  Impressive that they don't hear an American accent!  But although the food was wonderful, everyone was rather full from lunch.  It had been a long, but lovely day.