DAY 19 of “Chancellor Watch” – Coalition talks between Germany's socialist SPD and conservative CDU ended on Thursday in Berlin with a statement that a final decision on the chancellorship could be announced on Sunday.
DAY 20 of “Chancellor Watch” – German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder denied that he was making a swan song foreign trip as head of Germany's government after meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg.
Day 2 of the Romantic Road found us arriving in Rothenberg, a town that is world renowned as THE town to see on the Romantic Road. It’s not as if there is any one thing special to see. Rather, it is the combination of everything in this Bavarian village that makes it so quaint. Generally speaking, there are lots of German timbered houses, cobblestone streets, medieval city walls and tower gates.
While about 40% of Rothenberg was destroyed during WWII, this village has been lovingly restored and is an absolute delight. And the city fathers TOTALLY understand the tourism game, which is evident in the tourist activities that are available, information developed for all languages, and stores and restaurants that are open late into the evenings, Sundays, and holidays. Seems the people of Rothenberg have a special dispensation that allows them to keep shops open for tourists. “If you build it, they will come.” And we did….
Stop Number 1: We checked into our charming and extremely well-located inn. We knew we were off to a good start, even with the rain showers that had followed us the entire day.
Stop Number 2: Arriving in Rothenberg early in the evening, our order of business was to find some grub. Our restaurant of choice was nothing more that the German equivalent of the US small town cafe. The food was great and portion sizes were huge, the service was efficient and friendly, the price was just right, and the place was packed. Always a good sign.
Stop Number 3: After dinner, we joined an evening tour of the “Rothenberg’s Night Watchman’s Tour. Normally, these types of things can be a bit cheesy, but hey, I was game to check it out as it had been highly recommended by the inn’s staff. So, Buddy and I, along with 50+ people, toured the town of Rothenberg in full rain and drizzle for about an hour. The dude playing the role of the night watchman was totally into the role and had a great sense of humor, so we gave it a “thumbs-up”.
One of the highlights was watching the market square clock as it struck a new hour and seeing the life-size puppets that told the story of the city of Rothenberg being saved during the Middle Ages. Just thing cuckoo clock concept, with marionettes pooping out of third story windows every hour on the hour.
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