Heidelberg

Well yesterday was our first day out and about exploring Germany. First stop was Heidelberg Castle in Heidelberg, Germany. It was amazing. There were tiny spats of rain here and there and it was cold. We only saw the outside of the castle and courtyard because we were too cheap to take a guided tour of the inside of the castle. That's ok though, there's many more castles on our itinerary to see...

The castle itself was enormous. It burned down one three separate occasions so the entire structure isn't even standing. It sits above the city and has great views of two cathedrals (one built in 1391) and overlooks the Neckr River. Three times a year the city lights up the castle at night with red lights and smoke to simulate the burning of the castle followed by a grand fireworks show off the old pedestrian bridge in front of the castle. We were fortunate enough to see this last night and what a show it was. I will post pictures later but even they don't do it any justice.

After viewing the castle we walked around the city itself which is rather quite large. There is a huge pedestrian only district. Unlike the States you can take your dogs anywhere you go (almost) and alot of people did. Puppies in restaurants, coffee shops, and castle grounds.

We ate dinner at a German restaurant/hotel where I ordered Schweitzer Schnitzel. Only problem is I didn't order it the way its spelled...I kept saying Scheitzer Schnitzel without realizing it until our German hosts started laughing. You see, Scheitzer Schnitzel is German for (sh*t schnitzel). After a while, Jennifer was saying it too since its like a tounge twister. Everyone got a good laugh including the waitress. Stupid Americans.

The city was charming and we had a blast. We also had Italian icecream and stopped by a small bakery for some chocolate covered puff ball of nougat. There are your cheesy gift shops for tourists, but unlike alot of them in the states, they're filled with handcrafted gifts among the cheesy pens, magnets, and t-shirts. For example, we saw a $900 euro ($1300 approx) coo-coo clock in one store.

Before we leave I'll have purchased my share of souvenirs. I just want my Stein and a Nutcracker.

Hope everyone at home is doing well. I am sure I didn't cover everything yesterday...so we'll update with pictures and more detail when we return...

From Germany,


Russ & Jenn