When I first got into the city, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. It’s a bit like a Disneyworld for medieval fans, minus the rides and personable animal characters. There were characters in Rothenburg though, let me tell you. As a result of the three day festival, people involved in the activities went all out in their uniforms. There were different groups who dressed in similar outfits. Some were performers- there was singing and drumming, some were military types with obvious weapons, some were all women perhaps “servicing” the other men who were there – but one thing was consistent, they were ALL drunk. I suppose when in Rome…
I got up the next day and went to breakfast at about 8:30 and much to my surprise, there was a group of these characters in the restaurant of the hotel. They were singing, and sharing a big stein of beer. What? It’s 8:30… I had my European breakfast (sandwich and yogurt with muslei) and went on my way to the town. As I got into the town wall, I realized that there was some normalcy to the drinking and singing I had just witnessed. Each different group of characters were visiting each and every store and restaurant in town. At each place they stopped, they were fed alcohol of some sort- either beer, or glasses of wine, I saw some just giving out bottles of liquor to the group. It was a bit like the school-leavers serenade, but instead of chocolate chip cookies, they got alcohol. I have to admit, some of the groups could actually sing, but some were horrible- but seemed to think that they got better with more alcohol.
I decided to go up in the tower accessible to tourists that morning. As I climbed the first set of stairs and walked along the ramparts of the wall, I came across close the last thing I thought I would see while on a wall built more than 600 years ago. In the main tower on the level one could walk along the wall, was a room that someone apparently lived in. It was grafittied (if that is a word) in a way that suggested it was not done by vandals but an artist. I also spotted a bed and a computer. Someone apparently lives in the wall. It was strange to see but I guess it takes all kinds.
I thought this was quite a juxtaposition – the chainmail clad soldier using a digital camera…
This is a picture of one of the city gates – the door in the middle is called a “man hole” for people who returned to the city after curfew. They were fined heavily, but it worked because security wasn’t risked by opening the entire door late at night. Also, those entering the town via the “man hole” did so in a compromising position so if they were actually trying to attack the town, it would be very difficult entering in this vulnerable position. The door is an original from 1556, but the wall is older than that, so it’s technically the “new” door.
I toured the old city vaults, which were surprisingly above ground. I guess I envisioned vaults to be underground. At any rate, in each of 15 vaults there were mannequins dressed in different levels of nobility from doctor to the highest rank. There were also historic relics on display from the long tenure of Rothenburg as a town. The creepy part was when you actually got to go underground to where the torture chamber and jail cells were. The mannequins were extra creepy down there, and the general feeling was a bit more eery. It was cool, but I was glad to return to the warm sunshine of the cobblestone streets.
Lunchtime brought about an interesting dilemma for a single traveler. I wanted to sit outside at a table that lined one of the streets so I could watch people. However, I’m sure it’s frowned upon to occupy an entire table with just one person at the height of the lunch hour. I finally stopped at a place and snuck into a table for two right along the street. Well, I managed to pick an Italian restaurant. Really? I’m in Germany eating Italian food? Yeesh. It was very good – and I had a local beer as well. Because of the demand for tables, a nice German couple joined me and though we didn’t speak, we all sat closely together at the table for two – all three of us. It wasn’t bad, and I noticed because of my close proximity to the street many a German walked by and wished me a “guten appetite.” Are we the only society that doesn’t wish a good meal to total strangers – or each other for that matter?
After lunch I was just in time for the Shepherd’s Dance being performed in the main square. I got there a bit late so I didn’t have a real good view, but here are some pictures.
I toured the gardens of the (former) castle and then went to Toppler’s Castle afterwards. It’s a cute little house that the governor of Rothenburg lived in at one point. I don’t know much about it because the explanations were all in German, but it was a nice trek off the beaten path.
When I returned to the walled city, I was just in time for the big parade of all the groups. I again didn’t have a very good view, but it was interesting to watch all the groups on their horses and pulling their wagons. I tell you – I was totally overwhelmed by this city – mostly because of the festival. However, at any given moment, there was drumbeats, singing, costumed actors, horses or some sort of action coming from every direction. I can’t speak for what Rothenburg is like on a normal day, or a summer weekend, but it was truly an interesting experience.
L-R: Mark, John, Preston and Josh
After the fanfare of the day, I decided to try and find a GERMAN place to eat, so I opted for a restaurant across from the Italian one I had eaten at earlier. It was “serendipitious” as Josh said, because I ran into a group of American men in Germany on business. I heard them speaking English and asked if they’d eaten there. They hadn’t yet, they were just having drinks, but planned to eat there. They invited me to join them for drinks, and I of course took the opportunity. They were very nice- John, Preston, Mark and Josh, and it was nice to not have to sit by myself while enjoying the people on the street. They were southerners, from North Carolina, and boy did they sound like it. Though they frowned on being in public with a Yankee, I assured them that I was good company. John worked for a German company and was trying to sell some sort of printing machine to the other three guys. So, as a result of crashing their dinner engagement, I became a casualty of the (seemingly never ending) expense account John had. All my drinks – (five over the course of the evening- 4+ hours) and my dinner – in addition to cake and another glass of wine at a different restaurant were paid for by whomever John works for (easily over 60 Euro worth of food). In return, I vowed to research one of his multimillion dollar printing press machines… yeah right. Each of us had a varying form of asparagus for dinner. It’s evidently asparagus season in Germany – I don’t know if it’s just this area but they are known for their asparagus and there is about a 30 day window that we were smack in the middle of. There was asparagus soup, asparagus shrimp cocktail, asparagus with sirloin and other choices of meat; I had an asparagus noodle soufflé. The asparagus page on the menu had many different types of it – I have never seen so many choices! It was a little Forrest Gump like – baked asparagus, boiled asparagus, asparagus with meat, asparagus with shrimp, asparagus soup… etc. Delicious none-the-less.
There was a little excitement while we were having dinner – the police, fire department and ambulance raced by, in three different directions at different times. Evidently there had been a call to emergency services that there was a gas smell somewhere, but the responders weren’t quite sure where it was. Though amusing at the time, if someone called and it was a prank, it’s a hefty fine for doing so – hopefully everything was taken care of.
Monday morning was departure time. I decided to take an earlier train, and skipped the Euro breakfast because there was a Burger King not to far from where I was staying. I know, frown…. But I needed something greasy after the night of alcohol that I had… so I paid, said no thanks to the breakfast and headed to the Burger King. I was going to catch the 9:06 train and had just over a half hour to get to BK and to the station. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the BK didn’t open until 10. Seriously… Serves me right I suppose, being in a European country heading to the Burger King…. So I had McDonalds at the Nurnberg train station instead J
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