Final Destination: Bad Wimpfen

Our last town was Bad Wimpfen.  We walked around and I bought quite a few scarves and other goodies that would fit in my backpack.  As I did when I traveled through Europe two years ago, I did all my birthday and Christmas shopping for friends and family at the various shops in the different towns we visited.

I haven't really much to say about Bad Wimpfen other than it is one of the many medieval towns along the Rhine and Nekkar rivers, snaking through the heartland of Germany.   It is a historic spa town where people came to bathe in the mineral waters, hoping to improve their health.  It was settled first by Celts around 450 B.C., was conquered by Domitian and became a Roman province around 98 A.D. It came to Fraconia at 500 A.D. where Christianity bloomed and today holds some of the oldest Christian buildings, originating from this time.  It was a focal point of the Reformation with Erhard Schnepf being the most prominent preacher who spoke there. There are many extremely old historic buildings, some of the oldest we saw on this trip.

Half-timbered buildings in the town square.

Half-timbered house

Josh showing our state of mind after eight days and biking 240 miles from Koblenz to Bad Wimpfen.

Home of Johannes Denner (1655-1707), musician, maker of musical instruments and inventor of the clarinet.

As with Ebersbach, the town was built onto the side of the hill.  Josh and I had very little energy to climb up and down after a day of biking but managed somehow.  I'm sure we earned some kind of trooper award, but we were ready to quit.

Friends we had made from Germany, Denmark and Norway climbed the steeple to the top of the church.  We didn't.

Translation:  Former Inn Quarters of General Tilly vor der Schlacht during the Thirty Years War in 1622

Translation:  Attention drivers:  Beware of the dog.

Nekkar River

And that is the last day of our tour.  The next day we got on a bus, then a train and returned to Frankfurt.  After spending several hours at the airport we discovered that we had a bought a ticket with the wrong date (wrong month!) Thus began a race to cross the airport, buy two more tickets on the only available plane back to Dublin in order to catch our flight the next day back to the States.

So many mishaps to add to the tension.  The attendant behind the counter couldn't get our tickets to print out for, oh 45 minutes.  Then we got stuck behind someone at the customs line that the officer wouldn't pass through.  Actually we were several people behind him.  We asked the others if we could cut which they all graciously allowed us to do.

Back in Dublin there wasn't time to get a hotel so we stayed the night at the airport.  There was NO place to sit except at one available table.  I kept reminding myself that I was quite adept at sleeping in an upright position at a desk in high school, but still wasn't successful.

And here we are safe and sound back in Texas and considering our next destination.  We were thinking Athens and Paris next Christmas.  What's your opinion?

En route from Heidelberg to Eberbach

We bid a fond farewell to Heidelberg. We are no longer on the Rhine river but are biking 33 miles along the Neckar to Eberbach.

Good bye Heidelberg Castle

On the way, we encountered a small village built into the side of the hills.  I'm sorry I don't know the name.

When I say built into the side of the hills, I mean the roads zig-zagged to and fro in front of and behind the houses and shops.  The front doors would be on one level and the back door would be on the second floor.  The roads were so steep that half way up we had to abandon our bikes and continue on foot.  I couldn't imagine living in such a place.  The people there must have basketballs for calves.

Neckar River

Our boat floating below.

On the edge of the village was an old church.  I don't know it's age but judging from the Gothic arches I could say later Medieval.

The church was different from other churches in that it had painting on the walls. I deduce this church was older than the others we had previously seen.

As an organist I find these small self-contained organs fascinating.  I would have liked to play on it or look inside the box and see how it functioned.

These are the tombs of ladies and knights gone by.

From our cabin on the boat.

Back on the boat and on to our final stop:  Eberbach which I will present next time.

Heidelberg continued

In Heidelberg we walked around and spent some time sitting in the town square eating chocolate bars and enjoying the scenery. Here are some scenes from our afternoon.  Notice above how narrow the streets are.

Town square

The reason the streets are so narrow and labyrinthine is because it helped ward off invaders from getting to the castle.  While the enemy was working their way through the maze of streets and alleyways, the citizens of Heidelberg were retreating to the castle and fortifying it.

Turn of the century house we toured.

Heidelberg Castle

Castle overlooking town square.

Wouldn't you like to live in a town where the houses looked like this?

The markings on the edge of the building show the water levels when the Neckar River over flowed and flooded the town.  Apparently a serious problem at times.

Still smiling after biking 30 miles.  Or grimacing.

The Heidelberg monkey is at the foot of the bridge that leads into the town.  The brass monkey has superstition wrapped around it.  Touch the mirror for wealth and the monkey's hand to return to Heidelberg.

Next to the monkey are a couple of mice.  If you rub them you will have many children.  I rubbed it for fun, but I'm not particularly fearful of any fertility after results.

 

Heidelberg University, established in 1386, is Germany's oldest university.  Mark Twain wrote about it as well as the town in his story, Tramps Abroad.

 The church of the Holy Spirit is an interesting mix of modern and traditional art.  If I remember the tour guide correctly, the windows on one side were blasted out during war and replaced with modern works.  I must confess that I preferred the order and harmony of the traditional windows but you can decide for yourself.

 Don't ask me what the white thing hanging from the ceiling is.  Something modern.

 The above window is quite modern but also lovely.

And that is our time in Heidelberg.  Back to the bikes and the river!