Rothenburg

Written on May 14, 2012 but there was no internet!


Today after breakfast we took a taxi to Avis Rental, a sort of mysterious place.  I had a problem  finding its actual location and no one in Nüremberg, including the taxi driver was clear on exactly where it was located.  Google and many different maps were no help, even the Avis web site.  He did get us to the general area and we were able to spot it.  We are now have wheels - an Opel.

With the help of little Garmin, and the hotel owner's direction, we drove right to the front door of our hotel in an hour and a half.  Cars are not allowed in this little walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, but you can drive in if you have a hotel reservation.   We met Herr Hocher, owner of Hotel Spitzweg (which was built in 1535 and only has 10 rooms) and he assisted Jim in getting the car parked  in the back of the hotel.   Jim said apparently German men can be bossy too as Herr Hocher told me to go in and sit down as he directed and told Jim how to park the car.  He's a very funny man, when I  first walked in was outside and followed me in.  He asked me if we were from Oklahoma and then asked me "doesn't your husband talk to old people?" as he tried to engage Jim who was sitting in the car and he wouln't respond.  So, he had me take him out to meet Jim!!  He's quite an amusing character.

We are still in Franconia but have now entered the land of German cuteness.  Check out the photos.  Great shopping to be done here, wonderful Christmas shops, teddy bear shops and anything else you could possibly image.  We also visited and bought a couple bottles of Franconian white wine from a store that belongs to the actual vintners.

Lunch was a bowl of soup at a sunny table.  Liver dumpling soup for the German girl and Jim had Hungarian goulash soup.   Around 50 degrees here, however, one has a duty to sit outside and drink beer.  It simply has to be done.

I also had a Schneeballen covered with cinnamon sugar - this is traditional Rotherburg item.  Rick Steves says they are awful, but they are great.  The poor soul is from the west coast and has never had fried dough I suppose.  They are similar to strips of pie crust dough rolled into a big baseball looking type thing and taste similar to crunchy fried dough.

Tonight we are going on the Night Watchman's tour which we missed the last time we were here as many restaurants stop serving by the time the tour is over (9pm).   I had wanted to eat at Altfranische Weinstube am Klosterhof and Herr Hocher told us they do serve late, and to walk over there to make a reservation.  Rick Steves said it seems designed for gnomes to celebrate their anniversaries as it's a very dark pub, lit by candelight in a 600 year old building.  We initially had trouble finding it, but when I spied the little door - I just knew it was the right place.  Small door for the gnomes.  When we walked inside during the day, it was like walking into pitch black.  A woman took our reservation - she wasn't a gnome.

**Addendum:  we had a terrific meal in the above noted restaurant.  In the whole big room there were only 2 small electric lamps, the rest was candles - with 2 candles on each table.  The meal was excellent - and such great atmosphere.  The whole meal and wine was only 25 euros.  Eating in Germany is very economical!  Afterwards, we took one more stroll around before heading for out hotel for the night'