Rothenburg, October 2, 1999

We sleep reasonably well for having just arrived in Europe. We have breakfast at the hotel in their breakfast room where the use actual patterned china. They have the usual assortment of cold cuts and cheeses, eggs and rolls. Then we go out for a walk around the city.

We see a band and stop for a listen.

The band!
Mary watching the band

We go to mini-World, a train diorama, on our way to St. Jacobs church.

Mary on the way to St. Jacob’s Church. Portico for church in the background.

Inside St. Jacob’s Church is a beautiful altarpiece depicting the life of St. James. On the reverse of one of the panels is a 15th century depiction of Rothenburg looking much the way it does today (with the exception of tourists.)

Altarpiece in the church of St. James.

We have lunch at the Gesthaus Greifen restaurant on a nearby street.

Mary outside of Gesthaus Greifen

In the afternoon we have booked a walking tour. We find out that Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber means “place where they cut down the trees above the water.” We see the town hall with its “stein” clock, a town market, and the old tower with a sundial. It is an excellent tour.

Town hall with two figures with steins come out of the adjacent windows
Saturday is market day
Spiral tower with sundial

Later we take a ride around the area and end up in the little village of Detwang for dinner at the Gesthof Schwartze Lamm. I have bratwurst and John has venison. This place is much cheaper than eating in Rothenburg! Plus we almost witness a fight between the smoking and non-smoking dogs! Afterwards we go to their little church to hear an organ concert.