artstuff

I'm a little late in getting to it - our trip was in April 2013 - but I would like to share my trip report for all the wonderful Fodorites who helped in the planning (Thank You, Thank You!!), for all future travellers to the areas I've already explored (feel free to ask me questions), and for all you dreamers out there who, like me, enjoy reading trip reports about places they have been or would like to go.

<b>OUR SILVER LINING TOUR
A German Journey & Queen's Day, Too
April 17 - May 4, 2013

BACKGROUND: </b>

You know that saying, "Every cloud has a silver lining"? For my husband, BJ, and me, it turned out to be true. Our clouds were provided by Tropical Storm Lee in September 2011, resulting in devastating damage to our property. And our silver lining was good insurance and the points we accumulated on our credit card paying to put our lives back together. We would use those points to help buy our escape to Europe when the task of destruction and reconstruction was finally finished. Now.... where to escape to? Where could we look forward to visiting? Where would the Silver Lining take us?

We flew into <b>Amsterdam</b> and spent 3 days getting over jet lag and meeting up with friends who were also in the city. Then we headed to <b>Germany</b>, to the state of <b>Baden-Wurttemberg</b>, where we rented a car and spent the next 8 days exploring the <b>Neckar Valley</b>, the<b> Schwäbische Alb</b>, the <b>Grosse Lauter Valley</b>, the <b>Bodensee</b>, the <b>Black Forest</b> and a dip into <b>Switzerland</b>. We returned to Amsterdam just in time for gettin' down and partying on the last <b>Queen's Day</b>, then chilled for a few days before flying back home to reality.

And the points we accumulated, no thanks to Tropical Storm Lee... we used them towards buying our plane tickets: regular price - $1028.50 each; price after points - $49.68. Not bad, huh?

<b>TRAVEL ITINERARY:</b>

Day 1 Fly from Newark Int'l to Schiphol, Amsterdam
Day 2 Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 3 Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 4 Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 5 Train to Heidelberg, Germany - Hotel Goldener Hecht
Day 6 Drive to Oberöwisheim, Eppingen, Maulbronn, Tübingen - Hotel Hospiz
Day 7 Schloss Hohenzollern, Schiltach, Alpirsbach, Baden-Baden, Tübingen - Hotel Hospiz
Day 8 Schloss Lichtenstein, Grosse Lauter Valley, Sigmaringen, Meersburg - Gasthof Zum Bären
Day 9 Meersburg - Gasthof Zum Bären
Day 10 Birnau, Schloss Hohentwiel, Stein am Rhein, Wisen,CH - Gasthof Löwen
Day 11 Heritage Tour, Münstertal, Staufen, Triberg, Gengenbach - Hotel Sonne
Day 12 Train to Titisee, Frieburg, Gengenbach - Hotel Sonne
Day 13 Train to Köln, train to Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 14 QUEEN'S DAY, Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 15 Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 16 Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 17 Amsterdam - Hotel Nadia
Day 18 Fly Schiphol to Newark

Robyn

hetismij2

Hi Robyn,

missed you last year, (maybe next time ) but I'm looking forward to reading about what you and BJ got up to.

I hadn't realised you had had such troubles. A silver lining tour indeed by the sound of it, and a much needed one at that!

artstuff

<b>Day One (Wed, 17 April) TRAVEL DAY</b>

We're off to <b>Newark International Airport</b>, our friend, Rocky, at the wheel. It's over a three hour drive, so we stopped halfway in Tannersville, PA for breakfast at the <b>Tannersville Diner</b>. What can I say about their food?... It's mediocre diner food, but more importantly, they have a bathroom.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare - it's the "hurry up and wait" game - then we found out that the flight had been delayed due to a good tail wind. The plane can't land at Schiphol until our gate time, so they intentionally pushed the departure time back a half hour, so we don't arrive in Amsterdam too early.

When we finally board we find that we're sitting in Row 36, in two seats on the left in the back of the plane (2-3-2 configuration), and we soon realize (woo-hoo) that the plane is not filling to capacity. There are several rows of seats in the middle that are empty, so BJ asks the flight attendant if he can switch seats. Of course, as soon as he makes his move, the rest of the empty rows quickly filled up.

Finally... we're off to Amsterdam... only 50 minutes past departure time.


<b>Day Two (Thurs, 18 April) AMSTERDAM</b>

The plane touched down two minutes before our scheduled arrival time: 7:25 am. (I guess they were spot-on with their tail wind estimates) Within a half hour we were through passport & customs, had our luggage, and were on the train to Amsterdam. Let me just say that <b>Schiphol Airport</b> is a pleasure to travel through.

We arrived at <b>Amsterdam Centraal</b> and walked across the Stationplein to the <b>GVB</b>, where we bought our 3-day tram pass (€16.50 ea). We boarded the 13/17 tram to the <b>Westermarkt</b> and arrived at the <b>Hotel Nadia</b> by 9:00 am, where we were offered a complimentary drink (coffee/tea/water/juice/soda).

This is our third stay at the Hotel Nadia (€115/night, 6% discount w/ cash, breakfast included) so it felt like we were coming home when we were greeted by the staff. We like Room #412, mostly for its covered balcony overlooking the Westermarkt, the Keizergracht and the Raadhuisstraat. It's a tiny, Amsterdam-sized hotel room, on the 4th floor (78 steps!), but they supply all the amenities that we need, including someone to schlep our bags up & down those stairs, a mini fridge, coffee/tea service and fresh cut flowers.

Our room won't be ready until after 14:00, so we're off to start exploring and get over jet lag. Spring just didn't want to come this year, so we were bundled in our scarves, hats and gloves as we trammed down to the <b>Dam</b> and walked about, checking out the <b>Palace</b> and <b>National Monument</b>. We proceeded down the <b>Damstraat</b>, taking in all the familiar sights and sounds of the awakening city; shop owners preparing for the day's customers; bicyclists coming and going in all directions; sweet smells wafting from the bakeries; church bells tolling in the distance. It felt good to be back in Amsterdam.

We stopped at the <b>Bluebird Coffeeshop</b> on Sint Antioniesbreestraat, which is our traditional first stop - our way of getting over jet lag. BJ ordered up one of those fancy coffees with the cookie on the side and I had my Strawberry Looza, which I've longed for since our last trip to Amsterdam. Looza has got to have the best fruit drinks that I've ever tasted.

Afterwards, we walked through the <b>Waterlooplein Flea Market</b>, which was still setting up for the day, then meandered through the streets and alleyways until we landed at the <b>Amsterdam Historical Museum</b>. We purchased our Museumkaarts (€49.90 ea), but didn't feel like touring through the museum right now since we've been several times before, and the sun was shining outside. BTW, I think the <b>National Museumkaart</b> is one of the best deals that the Netherlands has to offer. The €49,90 that we spent bought us €89,25 in museum entrances, and we saw several museums that we wouldn't have visited otherwise.

We continued our wander, breathing in the cool, crisp air, until we ended up at the <b>Ons Lieve Heer op Solder /Our Lord in the Attic</b> (Museumkaart), perhaps one of our favorite little museums in Amsterdam. The last time we were here, in 2011, they had just started renovations, and the church was pretty much gutted. Today, the church was painted back to its historical colors, some of the fixtures had been replaced, and a crew was onsite from the UK laying down woven rush floor matting. We spoke with a young man who was apprenticing with the group, www.rushmatters.com, who informed us that they use the old method of harvesting the rush, drying it, and then weaving it into various products, including floor matting.

Afterwards, we went down the canal and around the corner to the <b>Oude Kerk</b> (Museumkaart), and found that their renovations had been completed. We could finally view Saskia's grave stone.

It was now 12:30 and we had made our way over to <b>Utopia Coffeeshop</b> on the NZ Voorburgwaal, and met up with some friends who were also in town. Oh good... another Strawberry Looza for me. Afterwards, we trammed back to the Westermarkt and stopped at the <b>Albert Hein</b> (conveniently located across from the tram stop, and just down the street from our hotel), to stock up our little refrigerator. Then back to the hotel by 14:00, where our luggage, and fresh cut flowers, were waiting for us in our room. We napped and showered and were back out again by 19:00, on the prowl for some dinner.

Since we were dealing with jet lag, and still a bit punchy, and didn't want to make any important decisions, like where to eat, we opted for something familiar... the <b>Leidseplein</b> and <b>Rancho Argentina Steak House</b>. I don't often eat beef, but I do enjoy their rib eye. In fact, it was rib eye for both of us. And when two dudes from the States, but stationed in Afghanistan, came in, sat down next to us, and "eyed" up what we were eating, it was rib eye for them too.

After a hearty meal, we trammed back to the Dam and mooched around until we ended up on the <b>Nieuwe Markt</b>, so we decided to stop in at the <b>Jolly Joker</b>, and return the hospitality that they showed to us on a previous trip - they had helped us find our houseboat after we were given bad directions. Although it wasn't the same dude behind the counter that had helped us, he appreciated our gesture of thanks. Now here's where the karma comes in - when you do something nice it comes back to you - two young women came into the Jolly Joker while we were sitting there, who turned out to be from two small towns in Pennsylvania, maybe 15-20 miles from our home town. Now how cool was that?!

We ended our first day in Amsterdam by strolling back down the Damstraat, and picking up some goodies from <b>Rene's Pastries</b> to take back to our hotel room. I'd have to say, it was a pretty good 32 hour start of our journey!

artstuff

Hey Barbara -

Good to hear from you. I was hoping to catch up with you on this last trip but BJ was meeting up with friends of his at different times; hard to pin down with him a specific time for you to travel in to Amsterdam to meet up with us. But yes, definitely next time. I would love to sit and chat with you again.

At times, during the recovery from Lee, the only thing that kept us going was dreaming about travelling. It is truly good for the soul.

Robyn

Leely2

Enjoying your report! Please post more. Thanks.

aussie_10

Enjoying your report.
We will be in the Netherlands for Kings day this year.

Looking forward to more.

artstuff

Thanks for following along, Leely & aussie.

You're going to have a GREAT time at King's Day, aussie. It's kind of a controlled anarchy in orange.

Here are the web links for Day 2:

http://en.gvb.nl/ovinmamsterdam/Pages/bestdeal.aspx

https://www.nadia.nl/

http://www.museumkaart.nl/

http://www.opsolder.nl/eng/home.php

Robyn

artstuff

<b>DAY THREE (Fri, 19 April) Amsterdam</b>

Awoke to the bells tolling at the Westerkerk, and went downstairs to the 2nd floor, to the breakfast room, which is nicely decorated with lots of house plants. Breakfast consisted of assorted breads and rolls, cheese, yogurt, jams, nutella, pound cake, some fruit, orange juice (no meat or eggs). Afterwards we spent a leisurely morning watching the different layers of traffic from our hotel balcony; the eclectic assortment of bicycles, the funky little cars, the boats on the canal, an occasional tram and the people - many walking through the Westermarkt to queue for the Anne Frank House.

By 11:00 we had made our way over to <b>Voyagers Coffeeshop & Hotel</b> on the Geldersekade, across from Centraal Station, where we met up with our friend, Allen, and his daughter, Alice. After chatting up for awhile, and having my minimum daily Strawberry Looza, we strolled over to the <b>Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam</b> (public library). What a beautiful building! And the lighting inside is just spectacular. We took the escalator up the 6 stories, stopping on each floor to admire the innovative designs. Saw an interesting art installation: The Wailing Wall of Lonely Socks. We ended on the 7th floor, at the self-serve cafeteria, <b>La Place</b>, which looked so appetizing we had to eat something even though we weren't real hungry. We checked out the view of the eastern part of Amsterdam from the observation terrace, then said our goodbyes to Allen & Alice, who were off to the newly opened Rijksmuseum, while we continued our walk along the <b>eastern dock</b>.

We crossed the bridge over to the <b>NEMO</b> (Museumkaart), the Science & Technology Center, which is located in that copper-clad building that looks like a ship's bow (it also doubles as the entrance to the tunnel under the River Ij). The NEMO is Amsterdam's version of a Children's Museum, done <u>only</u> as Amsterdam could do it. The first and second levels are geared towards the younger children, with a menagerie of hands-on experiments and exhibits. I will admit, the fourth grade nerd in me came out as I found myself among the kids, playing with the displays. Then we went to the third level, where the displays were a little more advanced, including their Teen Facts: Let's Talk About Sex, which, again, was done <u>only</u> as Amsterdam could do it.

I found myself laughing when I saw the two red plastic hand "puppets" representing tongues and explaining the French Kiss, but I will admit I gasped a bit when I turned around and saw the Peepshow (accessible to kids 12 and over, luckily there weren't any kids around when we went in). It was set up, just like a peepshow, with three curtained cabins and displays on the wall, such as What is Love, Your Brain in Love, Sexual Chemistry, etc. Then there's the display made up of those wooden, bendable artists' figures, posed in various positions from the Kama Sutra. Inside the curtained cabins they dealt with issues such as the hymen myth, the penis size myth, what happens during erection, gay rights, and Le Petit Mort. We were rustling through our pockets, looking for a Euro coin to check out the peepshow, when we heard a group of kids coming in, so we quickly ducked out of the display, avoiding embarrassment for all.

We finished the NEMO on the fifth level, where there is a cafe and a stepped roof terrace with a nice view of the city. BTW, the stepped roof terrace is open to the public, accessible off the sidewalk at the bottom right of building, which is where we exited. We continued along the docks, admiring the many old sailboats, and ended up at the <b>Scheepvartmuseum</b> (Museumkaart), The National Maritime Museum, which is housed in the former Arsenal, dating from 1656. The building was recently renovated, including the installation of a magnificent metal and glass roof over the inner courtyard. The barrel-vaulted rooms in the basement were real cool. But we came here to see the replica of the Amsterdam, the Indiaman ship which is docked outside of the museum (apparently the original was lost on her maiden voyage). It's a lovely tall ship, which was interesting to walk through - to envision how the men and boys lived back then. We spent some time wandering around inside the museum, but it was getting close to closing time, so we didn't have enough time to take in all the different exhibit halls.

We mooched our way over to the <b>Nieuwemarkt</b>, past the <b>Waag</b>, and took a brief respite at the <b>Green Place Coffeeshop</b> before heading back to the hotel, by way of the <b>Magna Plaza</b>. We had to rest up for the next task, which was finding dinner. In which direction would we hunt tonight?

We decided to walk over to the <b>Jordaan</b>, and cruise the streets until we found a restaurant that "felt right". We ended up at <b>Eetcafe Sonneveld</b>, at Egelantiersgracht 72-74 (the building was once owned by the Dutch comedian, Wim Sonneveld), which appeared to be a quiet, intimate place. We sat in the front room, which only had one other couple dining. BJ ordered their special, Spaghetti Bolognese, and I had the 1/2 chicken, said to be, "as memorable as the Westerkerk weathervane". Just as our meals arrived, so did 21 people, to celebrate someone's birthday! They took over every empty table left in the dining room, including the end of our table (which we don't mind sharing). Our quiet, relaxing dining experience has now turned into a raucous party, complete with a written quiz for all. Of course, everything was in Dutch, so we had no idea what was going on. Overall, the meal was okay, and the large group didn't really spoil our evening, it just made it a different kind of dining experience.

We waddled our way back to the hotel, caught up with the news on TV, and crashed.... only to be awakened around 3:00 am by the couple in the next room, having sex on their balcony. All I can say was she was a loud moaner.

http://www.oba.nl/pagina/22992.central-library.html

http://www.laplace.com/?setLanguage=EN

http://www.e-nemo.nl/en/

http://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl/?t=English

http://www.cafesonneveld.nl/

Robyn

irishface

Really enjoying this! Thanks for sharing!

irishface

What is a strawberry looza? sounds delicious!

hetismij2

www.looza.be

bettyk

Great report so far, Robyn. Saw where you stayed in several of the hotels we have also stayed in - the Hospiz, zum Baeren and Hotel Sonne. Looking forward to your reviews!

artstuff

<b>DAY FOUR (Sat 20 April) AMSTERDAM</b>

Had a slow start to the morning, due to the loud activities in the middle of the night. We skipped breakfast at the hotel because we were meeting up with friends at <b>Barney's Uptown</b> on the Haarlemerstraat. After breakfast we walked through the Saturday <b>Noordermarket</b>. and the <b>Lindengracht Market</b>, checking out the vendor stalls ranging from fresh fruits, vegetables, meat & seafood, to socks, pashminas, shoes, and plumbing supplies. We picked up a few things to eat on tomorrow's train journey.

We meandered through the streets of the <b>Jordaan</b>, until we stumbled on <b>Gunters & Meuser's</b> hardware store. BJ is a tradesman, and enjoys checking out hardware stores when we travel, and buying little hand tools. Today his prize was a Schuil Holland wooden folding ruler.

We stopped briefly at the <b>Paradox</b> on 1e Bloemdwarsstraat, for a coffee, a Looza, to say hi to the dude behind the counter and to check out their recent renovations. Nice new bathroom. Continuing on our way back to the hotel to drop off our purchases, we heard music in the distance. Turns out that the <b>Velvet Record Store</b> on the Rozengracht was having "Record Store Day", with different live bands playing every half hour on the sidewalk in front of the store. We were lucky enough to catch <b>Maison du Malheur</b>, a four-piece band consisting of electric guitar, banjo, saxophone and tuba. They were great.

We took tram 14 to the Keizergracht to visit the <b>Museum van Loon</b> (Museumkaart) which is a period canal house dating from 1672. The original van Loon was one of the founders of the Dutch East India Company, which was reflected in the furnishings of the family home. We took the self guided tour through the first floor parlors, the second floor bedrooms, and the kitchen in the basement. We crossed through the backyard garden to the carriage house, where there was a special exhibition on Adriaen Dortsman, the architect behind the van Loon house and many of the other houses along the canals. It was interesting to see how the upper crust lived all those hundreds of years ago. BJ and I are both interested in architecture, so I'm glad we took the time to visit the house. If not for the Museumkaart, we probably never would have considered this museum.

We were feeling hungry after our canal house experience, but we didn't have enough time to sit down and enjoy lunch. We had to meet friends in less than a half hour. So we trammed down to the Dam and picked up some Prawn Sate from <b>Wok to Go</b> on the Damstraat, and wolfed them down as we hustled our butts over to <b>Voyagers</b>.

We had a nice get together, but we were still a bit hungry afterwards, so we walked down the <b>Zeedijk</b> to <b>Wijs & Zohen</b>, which is a tea house that has really good sandwiches, and beer. We both ordered Gerookte Kip, which was smoked chicken with cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Mmmm... delicious.

It turned out to be a beautiful Saturday in Amsterdam, which was evident by the amount of people on the Dam and bikes parked in front of the <b>Bijenkorf</b>. And if it's Saturday in Amsterdam, that means it's <b>"stag party"</b> time. I understand the camaraderieship of hanging with your buddies, but I don't get some of the costumes; I thought the man wearing a diaper, bonnet, and sucking a pacifier was a bit weird, but tonight it was a seven foot tall penis walking around with his friends. Yikes!

After buying some beer at the Albert Hein for tomorrow's train ride, we retired to our hotel and packed for the early morning journey to Germany. Heidelberg here we come....

http://www.guntersenmeuser.nl/

http://www.museumvanloon.nl/eng/home.php

http://www.wijs-zonen.nl/index2.php

Robyn

artstuff

irishface - I have tried many of the different fruit Looza's, which were all very good, but I keep going back to the Strawberry. Erin go Bragh!

bettyk - I've read many of your trip reports, so it was probably your recommendations that helped steer us towards those three hotels. Thank you! We weren't disappointed.

Robyn

bettyk

So glad to hear it, Robyn.

PalenQ

always enjoy reading about Amsterdam - thanks for sharing!

artstuff

<b>DAY FIVE (Sun 21 April) AMSTERDAM, HEIDELBERG</b>

No time for breakfast at the hotel this morning, we had to catch the 8:05 train to Heidelberg, Germany. With advice from the Fodor's Forum, we had purchased our train tickets 3 months in advance on the bahn.de website so we could get the discount rate. The on-line transaction went very smooth, and it was nice to be able to print out several copies of the tickets... just in case.

We taxied to <b>Centraal Station</b> with a half hour to spare, but became concerned when we didn't see our train listed on the departure board. We walked up to the platform indicated on our tickets and discovered we were the only ones there. What happened to the train we had purchased tickets for?

We inquired at the <b>International Desk</b>, and were told, "Oh, that train left early", of which we informed the desk lady, "That's not the way it's supposed to work!" She re-booked us on the 9:44, which means we would be getting into Heidelberg too late to visit the castle, one of the reasons we chose the city as a destination. Oh well, this is what happens when you put your plans in the hands of the German Rail system.

So it's 7:45 on a Sunday morning, and here we are, standing in Amsterdam's Centraal Station with all our luggage, and nowhere to go for the next two hours! BJ remembers that <b>Centraal Coffeeshop</b>, directly across from Centraal Station, opens at 7:00 am, so that became our welcome respite until it was time to finally depart from Amsterdam.

We arrived in <b>Heidelberg, Germany</b> at 16:12, only three and a half hours behind schedule. We taxied to our hotel, the <b>Goldener Hecht</b> (€91,00), which is located on the corner just beyond the Alte Brücke. We checked into Room #32, billed as the Mark Twain Room for its view of the Neckar River and the bridge. It was a nice size, simply decorated, clean room, although the floor was pitched, but I guess that's to be expected in some of these old buildings.

We spent the next two hours wandering the streets of the altstadt, taking time to explore the 15th century <b>Heiliggeistkirche</b>, the 18th century <b>Jesuitenkirche</b>, and the <b>Providenzkirche</b>. We admired the beautifully carved facade of the <b>Haus zum Ritter</b>, passed by the <b>Alte Universität</b>, and gazed longingly at the castle on the hill, imagining what we could have explored.

There were many dining options to choose from, with most restaurants spilling out onto the sidewalk in front of their establishment. We finally decided on <b>Vetter's alt-Heidelberger Brauhaus</b>, (Steingasse 9), mostly because of the word Brauhaus. Not bad beer at all, we opted for their Helles Heffeweissen.... BJ had the rump steak and I had the Schwine Schnitzel (€37,10).

After dinner we retired back at the hotel, and watched the boat traffic on the river, and the foot traffic on the <b>Alte Brücke</b> from our Mark Twain window, as the sun set on the first day of our German Journey.

http://www.hotel-goldener-hecht.de/
http://www.brauhaus-vetter.de/

Robyn

artstuff

<b>DAY SIX (Mon 22 April) OBERÖWISHEIM, EPPINGEN, MAULBRONN, TÜBINGEN</b>

It was a cool, overcast morning as we awoke in <b>Heidelberg</b>. We took a final stroll of the altstadt, stopping for coffee since breakfast was not included in the hotel price. We walked across the <b>Alte Brücke</b> and started the switch-backed climb up the <b>Philosophenweg</b>, which offered a magnificent view of the city and it's (unexplored for us) castle. We would have liked to keep climbing the slopes of the <b>Heiligenberg</b>, and checking out all the views and greenery that was just beginning to bud, but it was time to walk back down the hill and check out of the <b>Hotel Goldener Hecht</b> (€91,00).

We taxied to the <b>Sixt Car Rental</b> office, and picked up our wheels for the 7-day car journey through Baden-Wurttemberg. We thought we were going to get a VW Golf, so we were quite pleased when they pointed us towards an Audi A3, with a built in GPS. And let me tell you, that GPS came in handy, even if it was programmed in German. We don't own a GPS (we live in rural Pennsylvania), and have always relied on the old fashioned method of reading maps to travel across the United States and southern France, and we will continue to use maps when we travel, but we've become new converts to the value of a GPS. Okay, I know we're a little late to the game, but we still use a rotary phone for our land-line.

Our first destination for the day is <b>Oberöwisheim</b>, an easy 45 minute drive south of Heidelberg. I can trace my mother's ancestral roots back to my 9th GGFather, born c.1590's, who came from this little wine-making village among the rolling hills of the <b>Kraichtal</b>. We first explored the outskirts of the village, driving up the hill where the former castle stood, now replaced by the <b>Burggartenschule</b>, and then stopped briefly at the <b>Catholic Church</b>. We walked around the <b>Evang. Church</b>, with its 14th century tower and outside pulpit dating from 1477. This is the church where my people would have come to worship. Then we drove down to the center of town and walked up and down the streets that my grandfolks would have trod upon. It was an overwhelming moment to be walking in their footsteps.

In the 1680's my 7th GGMother hooked up with some dude from <b>Eppingen</b>, so that would be our second destination on my Mom's Heritage Tour. We drove 30 minutes east and arrived in this wonderfully preserved fachtwerk town, which is part of the <b>German Fachtwerkstrasse</b>. We parked by the train station, and walked across the street to the <b>Fachtwerkpfad</b> in the park. This is an excellent free display of the different types of fachtwerk that you see in the buildings, like St. Andrew's Cross, Alemanic Woman, Wilde Man or Frankish Man. Unfortunately the signage is all in German, but at least you can identify the name to the type of construction. This came in handy as we walked around the timbered streets that encircle the town, gazing at the many fine examples hidden in plain view. It was like a game of "I Spy... the Frankish Man in that building over there."

Using the handy-dandy walking guide that I printed from Eppingen's website, we covered most of the 27 points of interest, including the oldest house, the <b>Bäckerhaus</b> dating from 1412 (that's 601 years old!!), and the prettiest, the <b>Baumann'sches Haus</b> dating from 1582, and currently housing the Hotel Wilde Rose; the <b>Alte Universität</b> (1494/95) which served as Heidelberg's University when theirs was shut down during the plague; the <b>Ratsschänke</b> (1483) which adjoined the medieval market place, perhaps where my kinfolk did their shopping; the <b>Katholische Kirche</b> (1435) with its ornate cemetery and macabre death march mural; the <b>Alte Synagoge</b> (1731), tucked into a side street, with its amazingly preserved Mikwe Jordanbad; and the 13th century <b>Pfeifferturm</b>, which was part of the original city wall, used as a prison in the 1800's, and today serves as a base for an abstract modern art installation.

We stopped for sandwiches at <b>Cafe Muller</b>, located on the <b>Marktplatz</b> which was decorated with a beautiful Maypole draped in flags representing the town's different guilds/trades. The <b>Rathaus</b> from 1820 looked out of place and "modern" nestled between several timbered buildings. Earlier in the day I had dropped my camera and it broke open, but I was able to force it back together.... but for how long would it continue to work? So when we spotted a camera store across the street, we decided to go in and buy a second camera.... just in case. It proved to be good insurance as I'm still using my old camera, and the new one is still packed in its original box!

It was about 15:00 when we left Eppingen and drove 20 minutes SW to <b>Gölshausen</b>, where my 5th GGParents were married in 1748. (Three years later they immigrated to Philadelphia.) We arrived to find the streets in the middle of town, where the only church is located, under construction. BJ pulled over long enough for me to jump out, and photograph the church, which had a date stone of 1862, long after my GGParents had left their homeland. I'll choose to believe this was a modern replacement to my ancestors house of worship.

Back in the car we're now headed 15 minutes SE to <b>Maulbronn Monastery</b>, a UNESCO world heritage site, founded in 1147. We had visited Maulbronn in 2007, but we arrived too late to tour the Monastery. So today we arrived in plenty of time, only to discover the monastery bathed in scaffolding. I know... scaffolding is a good thing. That means the building is being restored for future generations - but it's still a bummer, when I'm the "now" generation and have to look at everything through metal barricades. It does help that BJ is a tradesman, and we've taken to looking at the scaffolding as an intricate piece of sculpture.

What we did get to see of the medieval monastery was hauntingly beautiful. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, except for the handful of workers milling about, so it was very quiet, much the way it might have been when the monks walked around the cloisters, meditating in silence. We explored through the <b>Klosterkirche</b>, with its gothic wooden-carved choir stalls and plainly decorated interior. The <b>Brunnenkapelle</b> and the <b>Kalefaktorium</b> were of special interest to my husband, the plumber. The Inner Courtyard, I'm sure would be a lovely place to sit and contemplate, but today it served as a base for some amazing scaffolding.

We walked around Maulbronn and the farm complex (free to the public), admiring the collection of stone and half-timbered buildings clustered around the monastery, including the impressive 9-story <b>Granary</b>. We found an outdoor seat at <b>Zur Kloster-Katz Weinstube-Cafe</b> where I had a glass of their house wine and BJ had a coffee (he's driving). We bought a bottle of their Riesling for later, and then climbed the stairs of the fortification wall, to the vineyards criss-crossing the hills above Maulbronn. Following the trail, we ended up in the cemetery, which was lovingly tended to by the dead one's survivors.

By 17:30 we were on the road to Tübingen, our final destination for the day. It was a 2 hour drive which took us through Hirsau and Calw. Our plan was to do a quick stop in one, or both places, but it began to rain en route, so we decided to drive straight through. Point of interest, or not, we passed the enormous amazon.de complex somewhere along the way. Wow!... lots of commerce.

Arriving in <b>Tübingen</b>, we easily found the <b>Hotel Hospisz</b>, which is located right behind the <b>Marktplatz</b>. The hotel attendant parked our car in their garage (additional fee), while we checked into Room #213, a modernly decorated spacious room with a mini fridge, and started chilling the Kloster-Katz wine. With umbrella in hand, we did a walkabout of the center of Tubingen, on the prowl for dinner. We walked up and down the hilly medieval streets, and ended up on the Kornhausstrasse, near the Crooked Bridge, at <b>Krumme Brücke Steakhäusle</b>, where we dined on traditional Schwäbische Roast Beef - knives not required - washed down with a couple of Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbiers (€36,60).

Feeling fully sated, we slowly wandered back to the hotel and passed out, exhausted from an emotion-filled day of travelling.

http://www.kraichtal.de/index.php?id=100
http://www.eppingen.de/kultur-und-fr...trundgang.html
http://www.deutsche-fachwerkstrasse.de/uk/index.php
http://www.kloster-maulbronn.de/en/maulbronn-monastery/
http://www.hotel-hospiz.de/index.php?m=0&s=0&page=1&l=1
http://www.krumme-bruecke.de/

Robyn

artstuff

PalenQ - Thanks for reading along. Be patient, I'll be back in Amsterdam in a week... And thanks for your thread ALL about Amsterdam, which was helpful in our planning.

Robyn

artstuff

<b>DAY SEVEN (Tues 23 April) HOHENZOLLERN, SCHILTACH, ALPIRSBACH, BADEN-BADEN, TÜBINGEN</b>

Breakfast at the <b>Hotel Hospiz</b> was a delicious spread of your normal German design, only on steroids, with multiple options of breads, meats, cheeses, cereals, fruit, juices, etc. There was even a platter of tomato and mozzarella! We happily bulked up on enough to sustain us into the afternoon.

Our car was ready for us by 9:00, when we made the easy 35 minute drive south to <b>Schloss Hohenzollern</b>, which is a restored-in-the-mid-19th-century castle majestically perched on the top of a mountain overlooking Hechingen. We drove to the parking lot (€2,00), then took the bus (€3,00 RT each) to the castle entrance, where we opted for tickets with access just to the outside grounds (€5,00 each, additional fee for inside tour in German).

We walked up the three-story circular ramp, crossing over several draw-bridges, and passing through many gates, until we came to the <b>Eagle Gateway</b>, so named for the seal of the Prussian Eagle. We ascended the last incline, which opened up to the castle's vast courtyard with gardens. We walked through the protestant <b>Christ's Chapel</b> on one side of the courtyard, and the competing catholic <b>St. Michael's Chapel</b> on the opposite side. Our admission also included entrance to the 15th century <b>casemates</b>, which were recently rediscovered and opened to the public. We walked around the bastions encircling the castle, taking in the breathtaking, but somewhat overcast view of the <b>Swabian</b> countryside.

By 11:30 we were descending the mountain back to the parking lot, along with a bus load of school kids. After a 70 minute car ride west, into the edge of the <b>Black Forest</b>, we came to <b>Schiltach</b>, another town listed on the <b>Fachwerkstrasse</b>. But it wasn't timbered houses that brought us to this quaint town. It was... their <b>Bathroom Museum</b>. Yes, we drove across Germany just to visit a museum dedicated to 700 years of bathing (remember, my husband is a plumber).

We easily found the <b>Hansgrohe Aquademie</b>, but were sorely disappointed to learn that the museum was closed for renovations. However, their <b>Shower World and Bath Design</b> exhibits were open (free), so we spent some time playing in the water, while learning that the German's have some interesting designs when it comes to water distribution and conservation. At the end of our visit, Hansgrohe invited us to relax with a complimentary cup of coffee, tea, or fresh squeezed orange juice before we got on our way. Nice hosts!

Afterwards, we walked through the <b>Städtle</b>, or old town, where the streets are lined with timber-framed homes of many colors and designs (I spy.... the Alemanic Woman over there). Because the town sits on a hill, it gives the appearance that the buildings are stacked on top of each other. The <b>Rathaus</b>, which sits at the highest point on the triangular <b>Marktplatz</b>, is adorned with paintings of the town's history, including 3 fires during the 1500's, the worst in 1590, which claimed most of the buildings in town. The <b>Apotheke Museum</b> and the <b>Museum am Markt</b> also sit on the Marktplatz, as well as the <b>Town Well</b>, which dates to the 15th century.

Schiltach sits at the confluence of the Schiltach and Kinzig Rivers, and gained its wealth from trades made on the river - milling, tanning and rafting. There is a museum dedicated to these crafts which can be visited. Because of its location, the lower part of town has been flooded many times over the years, which is evidenced on the corner of one of the buildings with high water marks (we can certainly empathize with the Schiltachers).

We could have stayed the rest of the day in Schiltach - it turned out to be an unexpected gem - but we were off to our next stop, <b>Alpirsbach</b>, an easy 15 minute drive north. Alpirsbach is known for its monastery and brewery. It turned out the brewery is a large plant on the edge of town, although they have a brewery museum by the monastery. I guess the town was still on winter hours because everything seemed to be closed. We walked around a while, taking pictures of the outside of the monastery and the fachwerk buildings in town.

We proceeded north to <b>Freudenstadt</b>, and drove past the largest square in Germany, and then picked up Route 500, the <b>Schwarzwaldhochstrasse</b>, which runs 60 kilometers north to Baden-Baden, along the mountain ridge at heights exceeding 3200 feet, and offering spectacular views of the valleys below. We stopped in <b>Mummelsee</b>, which is a small glacial lake located at the foot of the <b>Hornisgrinde</b>, the highest point in the Northern Black Forest, where we had dinner at the <b>Berghotel Mummelsee</b>, which sits on the shoreline. It was Schweinschnitzel and Pomme Frites for both of us, and a couple of hefeweissens to quench our thirst, while we enjoyed the lovely view overlooking the lake (€39,70).

We continued along the Hochstrasse, where it ends in <b>Baden-Baden</b> (elev 500 ft). We parked the car in a garage under the <b>Kurhaus Casino</b>, and began our quick trek around town. We're not interested in gambling, so we much more enjoyed walking around the outside of the <b>Kurhaus</b> and the nearby <b>Trinkhalle</b>, where a newlywed couple were staging their wedding photos. We crossed over to the Langestrasse, the main pedestrian street, but found everything closing up for the night. On the way back to the garage, we stopped for a frozen yogurt from a little shop which just opened 2 weeks prior, owned by some dude from San Francisco. He was a nice guy to talk with, and he had some delicious yogurt flavors. He was giving away free samples, that's what drew my husband in. I do believe it was the first time he ever had frozen yogurt!

Back at the garage, we tried to use our credit card to exit, but quickly learned that we didn't have the proper card. We pushed the "HELP" button, which wasn't any help at all. The voice behind the button kept telling us he didn't speak English, as BJ tried to explain the situation. You would think they would have someone who was bilingual at this site which draws international travellers. But I guess I shouldn't really complain, since we're both humbled monolingual Americans. Luckily for us, a nice German woman, who was multilingual, came up behind us and wanted to leave. She instructed BJ to park the car, and follow her to somewhere behind a door in the wall. It turned out to be the cashiers desk at the casino, where he was able to pay for the parking.

We were finally on our way back to <b>Tübingen</b>, via the <b>Autobahn</b>. BJ was excited about the prospect of driving on the no-holds-barred highway. He gets teased back home from his guy friends because the computer on his minivan shows an average speed of 29.4 miles per hour. So he was determined to break the myth that he's an old slow-poke. He topped out at 161 kph, and I have photographic proof.

By 20:30 we arrived back at the <b>Hotel Hospiz</b>, and to a basket full of clean laundry. It was about half-way through our trip, and we were running out of underware, so we opted to spring the bucks for the hotel laundry service. We were tired after a busy day and decided to settle in for the night and enjoy our nicely chilled bottle of Riesling from the Kloster-Katz in Maulbronn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern_Castle
http://www.schiltach.de/en/Home
https://pro.hansgrohe-int.com/3683.htm
http://www.stadt-alpirsbach.de/en/To...dt-Info-Office
http://www.schwarzwaldhochstrasse.de...periences.html
http://www.mummelsee.de/en

Robyn