Shopping in Frankfurt
Today we are spending an easy-paced day wandering around the Romer section of Frankfurt. We went back down by the Christmas Market and also down the main shopping area of Frankfurt. We sample gluhwein, which is a warm mulled wine that goes down nicely on a cold winters day. We stop in to have a bowl of goulash soup. This is nothing like what our mother's made but is a rich flavorful brown soup with chunks of very tender beef and a few tomatoes served with a heavy dark bread perfect for dipping into the soup.
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| It is always fun to see the familiar foods with different names! |
We discovered the Protestant Parrish Church at the far end of the market by the river. It was originally built in 1150 AD and added onto over the years. Small but very beautiful, it has the Gothic architecture and the brilliant stained glass windows.
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| Simple alter compared to some of the other churches we have seen |
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| 12 inch high nativity inside the foyer of the church |
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| Several stained glass windows tell Biblical stories |
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| Amazing pipe organ |
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| History of the church |
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| City Hall of Romerberg |
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| Skyline of Romerberg |
I had a wonderful massage today and while I was getting that done, Johnnie went out roaming the streets and came back with a yummy pretzel. These are freshly made at the stands and come in a variety of flavors, milk and deep chocolate, nut-covered, cheese covered, etc.
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| Chocolate covered pretzel |
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| Do not come between a man and his fresh pretzel! |
19 Dec. 2012
Day 5 Visit to the Stadel Museum
We decided to do the museums today as it was overcast and cold. Just seemed like a good day for an indoor activity. There are 30 or so museums in Frankfurt, many are located in a stretch along the River Main. We had grandiose ideas of going to several but wisely started with the most famous art museum the Stadel. After about 5 hrs. there we were worn out and couldn't get enough energy to go to any others!
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| Stadel museum |
The museum has 5 floors with the two top floors being devoted to the Old Masters (1300 - 1850s). There are some amazing paintings there, definitely worth the trip. The rest of the museum was a let down after that, except for a small section of Surrealism from the 1920-30's.
We had lunch in the restaurant inside the museum and enjoyed some simple German dishes; Johnnie had a hamburger, which we were informed originated in Hamburg, and I had a glass of Reisling which makes me an honorary German!
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| Artistic cutlery in an art museum restaurant |
20 Dec. 2012
Day 6 Heidelberg
We set the alarm for 6am this morning ( a crime when on vacation!) and caught the day tour to Heidelberg. It is about 1 1/2 hrs. drive each way and very scenic. Our tour guide was funny and kept our group of 15 people entertained the entire time.
About Heidelberg
It was very cold there, and especially on top of the hill where the castle ruins are. The wind was bitter cold and I had to buy a stocking cap for my head. The castle ruins are amazing but as it was so cold, we didn't spend as much time wandering around as I would like. In warmer times, it would be great to walk around the grounds and explore. Not much is left of the original castle and no one has actually lived there since the 1600's when lightening burned a big portion of the castle.
The climb up and around is steep and a bit rough. There is a funicular that you can take from the bottom up if you like. The views from the top are spectacular and it is easy to see why the castle was built here, not only for beauty but for protection as well.
After exploring the castle we headed back down the hill, had a snack and then stopped in the old town portion of Heidelberg for a look around.
There was an ice skating rink set up in the town square and lots of people out skating. Booths were set up and Christmas decorations and shops were everywhere but again, it was so cold we had a hot drink and went back to the bus.
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| Lots of busses waiting outside, once again ours is the short bus! |
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