An Old Storybook Town And an Astonishingly Lot of Modern Cars

While Pops was out doing his car thing, the rest of us took off to step back in time and explore Rothenburg. Be ready for a picture overload.

 Probably the most famous shot of Rothenburg.

 Walking through the White Tower with the old Jewish dance hall to the right of it. 

 This is where the castle once stood.

 Who are these funny-looking creatures?

 So glad the weather was on our side.

 The council hall, site of the not so impressive reenactment of an old legend in which a citizen allegedly drank 3.25 liters (4 bottles) of wine in one go (took him ten minutes) to spare his city from destruction during the Thirty Year War. 

 At some point we had to try this pastry called snowball, unique to Rothenburg. A bit dry, the next day we reverted to apple strudel and ice cream.

 We climbed up the town hall tower, the highest point in Rothenburg. Sophie and I lost Nanny and Daddy on the last bit due to vertigo. 

 This is the church which would have charged money for people to enter and have a look. 

 Up along the old city wall.

 After all that walking, a visit to the year-round Christmas store, a run in with a grumpy and mean old Bavarian sales clerk (Did Andrew tell her where to stick it!), we managed to snatch a table on the old market square. Even dolly was thirsty (picture by Sophie).

 As we were enjoying the late afternoon sun and tranquility of the town, there was a sudden futuristic noise that sounded very much like a certain American sports car. 

 A sheer never-ending convoy of Shelbys (or is it Shelbies?) paraded into the medieval market square.

Suddenly we spotted a familiar face in this Shelby.

 Even though the square was full, the cars kept coming with a roar.

Both the American and Japanese tourists and the German locals were in awe of the free spectacle.

And one person was in his happy place.

How about spätzle for dinner?

Important First Words: Bonjour and Croissant

This morning it was time to explore this picturesque little medieval town of Wissembourg by daylight and to find a cafe that was serving a proper French breakfast with baguettes, croissants and chocolat chaud for Sophie.

 Sophie by the old mill

 There were flowers everywhere - we were wondering how much work went into their upkeep.

 We were thinking that this town could serve as our little getaway from Germany every once in a while. I am glad we discovered it.

 After a delicious petit déjeuner just like I remember them, we stocked up on some more baguettes (you just can't beat the original!) for a lunchtime picnic on the road.

In front of the town hall

 This is one of the oldest buildings in town the salt house dating back to 1448.

There was also a giant church, but I just realized I had not taken any pictures of it. 

 On our way back to Germany we stopped at the nearby Schoenenbourg fortification which formed part of the Maginot Line (the French underground defense fortification against the Germans along the entire border). It was quite eerie all hidden in the forest.

Then it was time to leave France and head east towards another medieval town - Rothenburg ob der Tauber. 

 Part of the reason we chose to visit Rothenburg this weekend was because the German (Czech and Swiss) Shelby group was holding a gathering here and Pops had been invited to join. 

This was the view from our balcony. 

 A funny sign we spotted as we were walking towards the old city gate. It was like stepping into some type of medieval amusement park. I am sure that Sophie kept her eyes peeled for a princess sighting the entire time. 

Dinner ran a bit late tonight, but it was still good in a tavern called "Zur Hoell" (To Hell) in one of the oldest buildings in town. 

Truly a history-filled day. 

Sophie took this picture of Daddy enjoying his spare ribs. 

A Corner of Germany and One of France

With our visitors here and a rental car at hand, we thought we would go and see a bit of Germany and hop across the border to France just because it is right there. So we headed south along the Rhine towards Koblenz. Andrew had been here before, so he served as the guide.

We strolled through the old town to the giant Kaiser Wilhelm I (the grandfather) statue at the Deutsches Eck (German corner), where the Moselle and the Rhine meet. Having been bombed and destroyed during the War, the controversial statue was re-erected in the early 90s and now serves as a memorial to German reunification. 

 The view from the monument: Mother Moselle on the left and Father Rhine on the right.

 Fortress Ehrenbreitstein on the opposite shore of the Rhine - the second largest fortress in Europe still standing.

 What a place for a picnic! We felt some envious looks around us. 

 With our tummies filled, we strolled along the shore to the electoral palace. It housed no doubt some of the finest public bathrooms in the world. 

 Then it was time to climb back into the car to head further south through the Palatinate (wine everywhere) across the border to Wissembourg, France. A little medieval town only one kilometer into the Alsace, but what a difference. 

 After much research, we picked this restaurant for our big French meal out. We had been daydreaming about these dishes for weeks. It turned out that it was a good choice.

 Anticipation

Enjoying a wonderful meal!

How about that for dessert? Crème brûlée, calvados, profiteroles and armagnac. 

Somebody was slowly getting tired though. Sophie has been so good and is clearly enjoying the company.

Nanny and Pops in France.

A New Pet

By pure chance, we happened to discover these hobby horses for kids in one of the stores in Benrath. It has been on the top of Sophie's wish list for months. We could not pass it up and Sophie was so happy. 

In the evening, she even made a special bed for Sophie the horse. 

Schloss #1 - Benrath

I have a feeling that we will be seeing our fair share of castles and palaces over the next couple of weeks, but we cannot leave out our local Schloss Benrath. We zipped down to the suburb of Benrath in our newly rented car only to be greeted with an impressive downpour as we stepped out of it.

The rain cloud disappeared as fast as it came and we managed to find a bit of blue sky as a complimenting backdrop to the pink Schloss.

 The flowers were going crazy in the gardens, among others bright purple dahlias.

 Walking around the gardens a bit to build up an appetite.

 Posing in the front.

 Taken by Sophie the photographer.

 We discovered swiss chard in all different colors planted among the other flowers. It looked really appetizing.

Then off for some more ice cream.

Swimming then Ice Cream

After we all went to the gym today while Sophie had her swimming lesson, oh wait, except for Andrew who almost cut off his finger with the newly sharpened bread knife this morning, we treated ourselves to some more ice cream on the way home.

It was a relaxing ending to a rather hectic day during which Sophie was kindly treated to her first lunch at preschool while we were at the doctor's with Andrew to have the gaping cut in his finger sealed. Guess who will not be chopping vegetables for a while?

Anyone for Crunch (Cars + Brunch)?

What better way to start off the day than with a delicious brunch at the Classic Remise Meilenwerk in Duesseldorf. This is an old restored roundhouse and maintenance station for trains, now filled with expensive cars both old and new. 

We even found a Shelby.

Sophie and Nanny looking for their favorite cars.

When does Sophie ever get to have both Nanny and Oma at one table in Germany?

Eating in style.

Sophie and I decided to take pictures of each other.

My favorite color on a car (this is a Jag)

Sophie's favorite car because it was red.

I liked the row of Porsches.

(The restaurant behind me.)

Another red favorite.

Subsequent food coma. There must have been a sleeping medication in the waffles.

But the weather was pleasant and we had places to see.

Sophie learning a pat-a-cake game from Nanny. 

Posing in front of city hall for the blog

International Children's Day Festival along the Rhine shore.

This is where we ran into our neighbors Sissi and Jessica.

Time for an altbier (the local brew) at one of the oldest breweries in town. 

Caught on picture: Andrew laughing with some Germans! Just give them a beer and their frowns are turned into smiles.

A fun bunch.

Ending the day in style with some of the best ice cream in Duesseldorf. We lined up around the corner and it was worth it.

By the way, for anyone who has been wondering how we can be buying ice cream on an almost daily basis. It's 80 cents/$1 per scoop here.