Road Trippin'

      Our travel day between Diessen and Nuremberg was a long one but really gave us a chance to see some of the Bavarian countryside. We may two main stops, in the medieval towns of Nordlingen and Rothenberg. Nordlingen has all its walls intact and we got to walk around on them. Interestingly, the town is situated in an enormous meteor crater and the church in the town is built from the rock native to the area caused by the collision. Essentially, a space-rock church! It had a beautiful interior with very organic columns and vaulting that made you feel like you were standing in a forest of stone. The town itself was also adorable, like a little fairy tale village, too cute to be real with bright colors and decorative embellishments on the steep-roofed houses.

      After a brisk, Stevens-speed walked around the city's medieval fortifications, we had a really fun group lunch just outside of town. I ordered a special German drink called applesofteschorle which is essentially apple juice with carbonated water. We had pork with a "mustard dumpling" and a pasta unique to Germany followed by a raved-about dessert of chocolate mousse! It was wonderful! At the end of the meal one of the members of the family who runs the restaurant came out to thank us and gave us all free beer to take with us, which was so nice of him! 

      Rothenberg also had a Halleskirch (a german style church with side aisle and nave of equal elevation and no transepts) this one housing a limewood altarpiece called the Altar of the Holy Blood by Tilman Riemenschneider. It was an interesting work because Judas is the central figure, which is probably not how I would commission my own altarpiece but was a very interesting change! The wood carving was beautiful and I especially liked the miniature bottle-glass gothic windows that backlight the scene.

       After that it was another two and a half hours (one Memphis to Little Rock length!) between us and Nuremberg. We are staying in a wonderful part of the city, very central and in a fabulous hotel that is one of the few surviving buildings from before WWII when the entire city was destroyed by the Allies. Our room has a really nice bathtub!

        Alex and I ventured out for food only to discover that there was a fish fair going on just across the street with rides, fish sellers and food stands. So naturally, we ate everything. We had brackwurst, fish and chips and then these desserts that were chocolate balls with a wafer bottom and cream filling. We had no idea what we were buying, but the vendor was so nice. Really everyone I've encountered in Germany has been so kind and accomodating!

German people dressed up as sailors selling fish and chips. One guy was like "Tennessee has very preeety girlz. Mebbe I come to Tennessee wiz you." Alex nodded uncomprehendingly so i'm pretty sure we have a new boyfriend.