Getting organized and back to normal.  We are still recounting our trip in our minds, it seems it went so quickly.   We are organizing photos and I will post some here from the 1^st leg of the trip.   We landed in Frankfort after leaving Detroit at 6pm, and arrived 8:30 am the next morning.   Then we had a number of hours at the Frankfort airport to get through passport checks, get our luggage, and find the train station.  Then 3 trains to get to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.   The trains were wonderful and we made our transfers without issue.   We had rain our days in Rothenburg, but light enough for us to still walk and sight see.   We stayed inside the walled city and walked the cobblestones.  And among the cars that they unbelievably let drive through the narrow streets!  We stayed at Hotel Eisenhut which has lot’s of history.   And the start of the wonderful breakfasts of breads, sausage and cheese.  We did some shopping and stops for drinks and eats.  There was certainly a lot more to see than we got to.   And we had a great meal at an Italian restaurant with MJ’s cousin John and kids.  John is now retired Army and his wife is stationed in Germany.  This was a great kick off to our trip! We arrived there Tuesday afternoon and left Thursday afternoon.

A few notes on Rothenburg!

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a small town with a big reputation. Nowhere else will you find such a wealth of original buildings dating from the Middle Ages. You can’t help but ask yourself whether time has stood still, as you amble past the beautiful old houses, secluded squares and tucked-away corners of the old quarter, where towers, taverns and town gates alternate with fountains, fortifications and former storehouses.

But it could all have been so different … in 1631, during the Thirty Years’ War, Rothenburg was captured by General Tilly of the Catholic forces. In desperation, the councillors offered him wine in a tankard that could hold more than three litres. Tilly, who had intended to burn down the town, showed clemency and decreed that he would spare Rothenburg if anyone could empty the vessel in one steady chug. The former mayor came forward and to everyone’s astonishment, met the challenge. Tilly was suitably impressed and let the town stand. Whether all of this is true nobody really knows, but it’s undoubtedly a great story – and it also gives rise to the annual Meistertrunk festival, a historical spectacle with a focus on entertainment.

Rothenburg may be small, but it has a remarkable wealth of historical sights, museums, churches, abbeys and monuments. In Rothenburg, another nostalgic spot is the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village. The largest Christmas shop in Europe open all year round, it stocks everything that makes the festive season special, from candles, nutcrackers and decorative tablecloths to Germany’s famous Christmas pyramids and incense burner figures.

It is well worth strolling through Rothenburg’s ‘spital quarter’, passing through the medieval town gates or visiting the wonderful churches. St. James’ Church, for example, has a beautiful stone carving depicting Christ and the sleeping apostles