“Prost” My Friends!

Farewell to Germany!

“Prost” my friends!

Here’s to Germany and

all its sights, sounds, and tastes,

to the beer and pretzels,

and Octoberfest toasts

 to drifting along soft rivers,

past castle and church,

 to storybook streets and violins,

sliding past towers of ancient dreams,

and holding sweet memories of breathtaking scenes.

Farewell to Germany!

I’m going home.

I’m going home.

From: http://www.reuters.com
Visitors toast each other on a sunny day during Oktoberfest in Munich REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

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He is Stone Rich

Stone Tower in Regensburg, Germany

This is one of the medieval tower buildings in Regensburg, Germany that once belonged to a rich and powerful patrician family.

The actual living space was on the main level.

The upper stories were only a façade, with small storage rooms behind the upper windows.

Stone was expensive, so prosperity was displayed by the height of the tower you owned – the higher the tower, the more stones required and the wealthier the merchant.

Germans still say of someone they think is wealthy, “He is stone rich.”

Many such buildings remain in Regensburg and some owners have invested in renovating the upper levels and adding electricity.  They can then rent the tiny spaces to students who are able and willing to climb the ladders between floors.

Note the varying window styles on the different levels of this tower.

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The Romans Were Here

Roman Rock Foundation

Rocks are not particularly exciting unless you are a geologist or an archaeologist of course,

or unless you are a tourist in Germany!

In Germany, according to our guide, there are numerous remnants of Roman rock foundations.

And later generations built right on top of them.

Can you see in this photo where the ancient Roman rocks begin and end?

 

 

 

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How Can a Town Hall be Romantic?

Bamburg, Germany Town Hall – Photo by Dor

Thinking of marrying in City Hall?

Can a Town Hall ever be romantic?

Take a look at this one in Bamburg, Germany!

It actually houses government offices.

This photo in Archives: http://city.1-themes.com

 

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Entertaining Tears

 

Hearing the Zither Once More

It began with a zither player named Tomy Temerson who came aboard our river boat in Germany to provide an evening of surprise entertainment.

His “zithermusik” was fabulous as we listened to tunes like Edelweiss, La vie en Rose, Maria Elena, and the theme from the Third Man.

The zither, according to Tomy, originated in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (the German speaking countries of Europe).  And although it is an ancient musical instrument, its heyday was in the 1920’s. If you could not afford a piano you would buy a zither.  Tomy played for us on an instrument made in 1928.

Tomy Temerson, Zither Player

Bill was especially excited to hear this music since he listened to his mother play when he was a young boy.  And we were so moved by the beautiful music and the unexpected surprise of the evening that we were both on the verge of tears.

From: http://musicofyesterday.com

A zither is a stringed instrument that is plucked with a “plectrum” and could be one of the most ancient musical instruments.  It consists of a flat box which lies on the table, strung with five metal strings passing over the frets, and from 27 to 40 strings of various kinds played as open strings plucked with the fingers to form the accompaniment to the melody which was played with a plectrum, on the strings nearest the performer.

Hungarian Gypsy Music

On another evening two violinists came aboard, accompanied by a guitar player.

They played classical music that was so heart rending we were literally struck dumb.

And then they veered off to Hungarian gypsy music!

When I was a young girl, my Hungarian father extolled the beauty of such music.  He told me how it went from deeply tragic and sad to extremely lively and joyful, and that it inevitably would bring the listener to tears.

I was stunned to hear the music of my father’s origins played by a wonderful trio of beautiful  talented young people.

And yes, I was brought to tears.

As you might imagine, we purchased both CD’s!

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Slipping By Splendor

This is one of my favorite photos taken as we drifted along.  I have forgotten where we were.  Was it the Rhine or the Danube?  I do remember those are vineyards at the top of the shot.  It seems Germany is becoming known for its wines.

It was a foggy morning in a sleeping city.

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Are You Sleeping Yet?

 

From: http://www.cliparthut.com

I keep blogging about our trip to Germany and now beginning to envision

blank faces,

yawns

and vacant stares.

Constant reviews of recently returning tourists can even be sleep inducing.

This will therefore be the last post on my visit to “the old country.”

That is, unless there is something special that must be shared – like a castle built by Mad Ludwig II.

Swan Lake below Neuchwanstein Castle

 

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A Sign of the Times

There is a sign I just can’t resist sharing.

Our guide translated it from German to English:

ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING OF BICYCLES HERE!!!!!   (VERBOTEN!!!!!)

And beneath the sign………….

 

 

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A Kaleidoscope of Memories in Germany

Need a Dress for Octoberfest?

12th Century Interior Door

Park/Cathedral Garden in the City of Speyer

Flowers on a City Street

Christmas Store Soldiers

Standing on a 12th Century Floor

Padlocks Pronouncing Love Along a City Bridge

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Is The Black Forest Really Black?

Dor and Bill at Black Forest Clockmaker

I expected to find the Black Forest would be black – or very dark and forbidding.

Instead it was Christmas tree perfect.  It is suspected the name came from the contrast of desiduous trees and their autumn-changing leaves against the darker evergreens.

We went to the House of Black Forest Clocks.

There we had Cherry Cake and coffee. and this put us all in a good mood for wandering around intricately handmade cuckoo clocks and Christmas ornaments.

My brother and I both found cuckoo clocks in the land where our mother was born.

From the clock house we visited a Farm museum center to see an old German country home.

The house is the same today as when families and livestock lived there under one roof (for warmth of course and easy access).  The inside was very dark and the center of life was a tile stove (again designed for exuding optimal warmth).

The out buildings are all there too – a bake house or smoke house with a black ceiling from all the cooking, and a mill, all close by.

There were horses to greet us too, and one in particular who never met a stranger.

A German Horse

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