Rothenburg

"What was I thinking?" Were Pattis words as we considered the travel day that lay ahead for us.  7 hours on 6 different trains with 5 different transfers. Yikes!  The original plan was a little derailed by this being the end of a long holiday weekend and no seats left on the originally planned high speed train. 

The many transfers were actually better then sitting on our butts the whole time.  They made the hours enroute pass very quickly between looking out the window and looking at the schedule for the next train.  A number of the trains had a 1st class section, which was nice, and the kids are enjoying this one. 

Before we boarded crazy train land and before the kids woke up this morning Patti did some TRX. We have been able to hang it in some interesting places over the years and this is a pretty good one here in my simulation.  This is attached to the smallest, steepest most modern set of stairs I have stepped foot on. These climb to the kids bedroom in the attic and we were a little worried about Tara and Riley trying to navigate them during a nighttime bathroom break, but no incidents were reported. 

We made all of our connections even though the last one was very tight.  In fact we should not have made it, but thankfully we did.  Patti and I had stayed in Bavaria, in Rothenburg, about 14 years ago during an extended layover on our way to Egypt. This was one of the reasons Patti wanted to come back here with the kids. I remember it being a very interesting medieval walled city with plenty of wandering around to do. This time it did not disappoint either.

We arrived just before dinner time so that was high on the list.  Also, Tara was exercising her Right of Birthday Dinner which had been granted to her on her real birthday a few weeks ago.  This RBD entitled her to eat whenever and wherever she wished. Tonight she exercised her right and, at our suggestion, made sure spatzel was part of the entree. 

After dinner we walked the relatively broad main streets, explored some of the tight alley ways and walked the wall before making our way to the main city square. 

In the main square we met 'The Nightwatchman' for an informative and entertaining tour of Rothenburg. He led us around with his lantern and weapon explaining some of the interesting details of a night watchman in Rothenburg as well as the hardships of early life in a city like this. They were the graveyard shift policeman of their day. Sweeping up drunks and other unsavory types, checking that all the house doors were locked and sounding the fire alarm. 

After our tour ended it was time for bed. We returned to what was the smallest and least liked room of our trip so far. It was a little tight but the price was right. 

Images in 2015 Rothenburg.