Greetings from Horben. We are really enjoying our short break in this beautiful area near Freiburg. It’s very scenic, and I have already taken a lot of photos for the travel blog. I’ll start that series when we get back on Tuesday. For now, here’s a photo…
Cute Cortona!
We arrived in beautiful Cortona in the late afternoon on April 30th. I had never been to Cortona before last weekend, but I do have a couple of first cousins once removed (they are sisters) who both graduated from the University of Georgia and attended study abroad sessions in Cortona while they were in college. I remembered seeing their pictures on Facebook and reading how much they liked the town. Now that I’ve seen it for myself, I can understand why they liked it so much. Besides the obvious fun of being a twentysomething college student in Italy, Cortona is legitimately an adorable town, located at the top of a steep mountain. Bill said it reminded him of Ribeauville, France, which is one of our favorite escapes from Germany. Too bad Cortona is so far away from Germany!
Tom, our guide, booked our small group at Hotel San Luca, which is right in the thick of the town. The advantage of this hotel is that some of the rooms offer stunning views from the side of the mountain. Those who don’t have a view from their rooms can go out the front door and see the view from outside the hotel, or they can enjoy the incredible views from the breakfast room. Below are some photos from near the hotel. In the distance, you can see Lake Trasimene, which is very close to Cortona.
If I’m honest, the views are the best part of this particular lodging, although it was fine for just a night. The hotel appeared to be pretty old, and it had very tiny elevators (a theme during our Italy trip) that had what appeared to be ashtrays in them! But, over the top of the ashtrays, there was a “no smoking” sign. When you enter the hotel, you’re on the ground floor, but you take the elevator down to get to the “higher numbered floors”, which are actually under the lobby.
We were in small room that had a tiny shower. I was glad I brought an extra pillow with me, even if it does make me look like Linus. I hate trying to sleep with flat, wimpy pillows. Below are a few photos of the room. I didn’t get any pictures of the bathroom, but it was very tiny and basic. On the other hand, this room wasn’t as small as the one we had in Torrechiara, and we did have a great view! There was also a balcony.
After we checked in at the hotel, we gathered for an aperitif, and discussed whether we wanted to sit inside or outside for dinner. Everyone seemed to want to sit outside, except for me, of course. Remember, I said I don’t do the “group thing” very well. I was legitimately a little bit chilly, though. Bill went and got one of my sweaters for me. We ended up not eating outside anyway. I think I overheard the waiter say that it was too cold outside, but I also noticed that there weren’t any tables set up on the terrace. I think it would be fun to eat outside where we had dinner. The location is right by the main square. However, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t glad we ate indoors, simply because it was a little cool. I guess I’m just a party pooper. Every party needs one, you know. 😉 Below are some photos I took before we reached the restaurant.
We had dinner at a restaurant called Ristorante La Loggetta, where we enjoyed more lovely wines with good food. We had free choice of the menu at Ristorante La Loggetta, so I went with duck with orange sauce and candied apricots. Bill had a steak. After dinner, which included several bottles of local wines, we walked back to the hotel. Bill and I stopped for a gelato break, and got a few nighttime photos from the adorable city, which happens to be where portions of the 2003 film, Under The Tuscan Sun, was filmed. I haven’t seen the movie myself, but Tom said his sister works at the villa in Cortona where scenes were made. It’s a popular wedding and event venue.
I would have loved to have spent another night in Cortona, simply because I would have enjoyed exploring the town more and going shopping. The main drag has so many beautiful little shops with tons of art, housewares, clothing, and the like. But, now that we’ve been there to see it, maybe Bill and I can visit on our own at some point. We’ll see.
Sunday morning, we rose to some clouds in the sky, which offered a different view of Cortona and its surroundings. We had a simple breakfast in the breakfast room. It included typical Italian pastries, breads, cold cuts, eggs, sausages, juices, and coffee. I had to take more pictures from the huge windows in the room. Then I took more from the cliffside. A small flea market was going on, offering a brief chance to pick up souvenirs. Sadly, I gave Bill all my euros!
Stay tuned for part thirteen.
Our first night at the B2 Boutique Hotel was a bit stuffy. I mentioned that the room was air conditioned and, in fact, it was also disinfected with fog before our arrival. When we first opened the door, there was a sticker on it, indicating that, yes, prior to our arrival, housekeeping had used a state of the art cleaning technique to make sure there weren’t any nasty corona bugs in the room. Supposedly, the fog renders the room “99.9% germ free”. I appreciated that, especially as I continue to read sad and scary tales about people getting sick with COVID-19. The skylight in the room had a blind that could be raised, but I found that raising the blind made the room too warm. In spite of the “air conditioning”, I had to open the skylight.
I had almost booked a different hotel on the lake. It was brand new and beautiful, not to mention slightly less expensive. But I ended up booking the B2 Hotel because I read complaints about the air conditioning at the other hotel– which had some kind of strange water powered system that was lacking. I didn’t want to be hot and uncomfortable, especially for what we were paying. I was a bit warm at the B2 Hotel, but at least the window opened and that allowed for the room to be less stuffy. I have noticed that a lot of places in Europe are investing in air conditioning, since global warming seems to be here to stay. But it seems like some places are trying to use technologies that aren’t as effective as they could be. Fortunately, we were blessed with mostly decent weather, plus temperatures that weren’t oppressively hot.
On Friday morning, we had sunny skies, and I told Bill that I wanted to go south and get some beautiful lake photos. When we lived in Stuttgart, we would often pass Lake Lucerne on our way to Italy. I always wanted to stop and take pictures of the lake off the Autobahn, because it’s extremely beautiful. There is a pull off just before the road passes the water, but Bill never stopped despite my pleading. So I had a stop there in mind for Friday.
Bill decided we’d go to Lucerne, instead. I didn’t mind that, since I had heard that Lucerne was a quaint and lovely town and I had never seen it. However, I really had a hankering to go somewhere more wild and rural. I hadn’t made that clear, so we headed down toward Lucerne. But first, we had breakfast, which was included in the rate.
Sufficiently satiated, we asked the receptionist to get the Volvo for us. She walked down the hill and fetched the car. It took a few minutes. Then we headed off to Lucerne, which is a quaint and lovely town. We didn’t stay long, though… only long enough for me to get some pictures and a couple of short videos. Lucerne is such a pretty town, but there were many people there and the lake was not as gorgeous as it is by the Autobahn. Lucerne reminds me a lot of Annecy, France, where we visited in 2018. I think I like Annecy a little bit more, if only because it’s cheaper there.
Here are some photos from Lucerne.
Like I said… Lucerne is a very charming town, and I probably should have explored it more, but I had my heart set on getting some really beautiful photos. So Bill and I left after about a half hour or so and headed back toward Autobahn 4. We headed south, approaching the town of Schwyz, which is where Victorinox knives and other products are made. It wasn’t long before the gloriously beautiful lake was finally visible. We pulled off the road and I got these photos… I also used the handy and very clean public restroom at the pull off. Kudos to the Swiss for that!
We wanted a closer look at the lake, so we ended up getting off at Brunnen, Switzerland, an adorable little town right on Lake Lucerne. If we have a chance to vacation in Switzerland again, I will look into getting a room or apartment down there in Brunnen. It’s absolutely stunning, and has a different vibe than the city is. Below are some photos I took from our stop in Brunnen, which lasted a couple of hours and included lunch at a restaurant called Haddock Brunnen.
We actually did some driving around before we decided on Brunnen. The area around the lake has several tourist spots available, but if you just drive through there, you might be kind of disappointed at the lack of cute towns. We went through one area that was right by the lake, but there was a train next to the water. I felt sorry for the people living in the apartments right by the lake. Half the time, they’re looking at train cars!
I think this might be why I tend to be a bit “meh” about Switzerland. There’s so much beautiful scenery, there, but there’s also a lot of industry and utilitarian architecture. Parts of it seem a bit soulless to me… but then I turn around and see insanely beautiful places like Brunnen. Despite being a small country, Switzerland also has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh, which is spoken in the Grisons canton. Supposedly, I have some ancestry from that area.
It was lucky we did this visit on Friday, since that day offered the best weather of any during our short trip. We have passed Lake Lucerne in less agreeable weather and, while interesting photos are possible, good pictures are more likely when the sun is out. It was somewhat hazy when we visited, but we still managed to get a few great shots. My mission was accomplished. I made a special point of memorizing the names of some of the towns around that area, since I neglected to do that on prior trips.
I probably ought to look into booking places out in the country… up in the mountains. Or maybe down near the lakes in smaller towns, like Sisikon. That’s probably where I’ll find soul… or, maybe I’ll find it in a restaurant in a big city. More on that in part four.
The mighty Thyssenkrupp Testturm, towering over Rottweil and its environs.
This morning, as we were enjoying breakfast, Bill asked me what I’d like to do today. I suggested a few things, then mentioned the Thyssenkrupp Testturm. Bill kind of got a look of dread on his face. He doesn’t really like heights and wasn’t sure the huge tower near Rottweil would be worth a visit. I told him it might make for a fun blog post, so he relented. He likes me to earn my keep, after all.
We could have discovered Rottweil last year, but didn’t. For Mother’s Day 2017, Bill and I visited the tiny town of Dietingen, where there is a rock museum called Welt der Kristalle. I remember really enjoying the museum and the lovely countryside that surrounded it. Off in the distance, I noticed a strange looking tower surrounded by scaffolding. I wondered what it was, but since rain was threatening, we didn’t venture closer. Instead, we went to the nearby village, ate Greek food, and went home. Because of the rain, we didn’t venture into nearby Rottweil, which is destined for a spot on my next top ten cute German towns list. We discovered today that Rottweil has a lot going for it, and it’s less than an hour’s drive from where we live in Unterjettingen.
We got in the car at about noon and headed south down A81, arriving at the tower at about 1:00pm. It’s a pleasant drive, with some pretty scenery and, as long as there are no staus, the time passes quickly. Before long, you’ll see the tower looming over the landscape, looking curiously like a giant cigarette, minus the smoke.
Although the Testturm offers an awesome deck for birdseye views, it does has a practical purpose. The tower is used to test elevators, some of which even travel horizontally. But with true German efficiency, the powers that be came up with the idea to also offer the observation deck for paying guests and conference rooms for businesses looking for an inspirational place to conduct business meetings.
Thyssenkrupp’s signage.
Some information about the tower. It’s in English and German.
Just one of the views from the tower. Keep reading for more.
Thyssenkrupp Testturm has intrigued me ever since I first noticed it being built on the horizon as we passed on the way to Switzerland. I didn’t research what it was until this past May, when Bill and I visited Annecy, France. On the way back from France, I pulled out my trusty iPhone, took a photo, and looked it up. I discovered that the tower, which was completed in 2017 and opened in October of last year, soars 807 feet (232 meters) over the landscape. It currently offers Germany’s highest observation deck. Yes, it’s higher than the Stuttgart TV tower and the Berlin TV tower. On a clear day, you can see for miles.
It turns out going to see the tower was a fine idea for today, despite the few clouds in the sky. We had a great visit, and I don’t think Bill is sorry we went. The huge tower is really an engineering marvel, and the town of Rottweil is absolutely adorable. What’s more, while the tower offers awesome panoramic views, it’s very safe. The deck is surrounded by a very tall glass wall, which kind of sucks if you want to take clear pictures, but does make one feel very secure.
For most of the year, the tower is open to visitors on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. During the month of August, it’s also open every other day of the week except for Mondays. Tickets for adults cost 9 euros each. Kids under age 5 get free entrance. Kids aged 6 to 16 pay five euros each. Family tickets are available and cost 26 euros. The family ticket covers two adults and a maximum of three children. Our visit to the Thyssenkrupp Testturm took less than an hour. There’s plenty of parking; Bill says it’s two euros for an hour. Tickets for the tower can be purchased online, or you can buy them at the box office.
Having now visited the top of the tower, I can vouch for the jawdropping views available from high in the sky. The ride in the super fast elevator takes about a minute. If you understand German, the operator will give you the specifics. The one who was running the elevator today spoke English, so he also filled us in on trivia about the elevator and the huge tower.
Here’s where you check your bulky stuff, if you didn’t leave it in the car. There’s a list of stuff you can’t bring to the deck. My guess it’s because bulky purses, musical instruments, dogs, and vuvuzelas (yes, they actually specify “no vuvuzelas”) take up precious space in the elevator. Self-brought food and beverages are also prohibited.
We happened to arrive at a good time. It wasn’t crowded at about 1:00pm, so we were able to just walk in, buy tickets, and go. Before you take the elevator up, be sure to use the restroom if you need to. There isn’t one at the observation deck.
Below are some photos I got from today’s visit.
The conference area, where you can watch an ad about the tower and the city of Rottweil. I must admit, it kind of made me decide to go there for lunch instead of eating at the snack bar by the tower. Rottweil is adorable!
This is what the deck looks like. There is no roof, so when the weather is bad, they close it.
Need to pee? Go before you ride up the shaft. The toilets are on the ground floor.
We got to the tower at just the right time. We did not have to wait in line, but when we left, a large group was in the queue.
Small snack bar in the parking lot. There’s also a tiny souvenir hut, where they have everything from sparkling wine to aprons featuring the tower.
My attempt to get the whole tower close up. It was pretty much impossible. It really is massive.
As you can see, there’s a glare on some of my pictures. Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid that, as the whole area is glassed in. I did try hard not to catch my reflection in any of the shots. That would have spoiled everything!
After we finished at the tower, we headed into lovely, charming Rottweil, the very same town from where the famous dogs hail. There are tributes to the dogs scattered around the town, along with a couple more museums, some good shopping and an array of restaurants. Plan better than we did. We arrived at just about the time most of them closed for their pause and ended up having pizza at a cafe.
We also got snagged by a guy collecting donations for the World Wildlife Fund. Actually, the guy snagged Bill. I think I was giving off bitch vibes, because he dragged Bill away while I continued to take photos. Although I wouldn’t mind giving a cash donation to that cause, this was one of those deals where they want a monthly bankdraft. I wrote about my run in with another charity, Die Johanniter, last winter. Apparently, this is a common way to collect donations in Germany and it’s highly annoying. Fortunately, Bill was not hooked into a monthly contribution. I got more photos, which I’m sharing below.
As you come into lovely Rottweil. We managed to find free street parking (after 2:30pm on Saturdays).
These are all around the downtown.
Another Rottweiler!
These fountains were everywhere, too.
We walked down an alley looking for a restaurant. We were unlucky in our search, but I did get some beautiful shots of the valley and the tower in the distance.
There was a wedding going on today, so I didn’t hang around to take too many photos.
We had lunch at Onkel Rudi’s, which is a bar/cafe on the main drag. It had a nice outdoor area and was offering small pizzas and flammkuechen. It wasn’t much, but it did the trick of chasing away my resting bitch face.
Bill had the Pizza Diablo, which came with salami, red peppers, and green peppers. I liked his better than mine…
Pizza Mozzarella… it’s cheese, sauce, and red peppers.
Service at Onkel Rudi’s was good and the price was right. Each pizza was 5,50 euros and our total bill was about 18 euros. They only had three types of pizza and one type of flammkuechen, but I liked that the pizzas really were single sized. And they were fine for lunch. Next time we visit Rottweil, we’ll get there earlier. There is more to see there, including several beautiful churches and another tower.
I would absolutely recommend Rottweil for a day trip. It’s probably about a 90 minute drive from Stuttgart, less if you’re further south, like we are. It’s basically a straight shot down A81 and really has a different feel than some of the other local towns. You could probably fill up most of the day here if you plan right. Visit the Welt der Kristalle in Dietingen, visit the Testturm, have lunch, hit a couple of the museums in the town– there’s a city museum and a toy and puppet museum that I noticed. By that point, you might be ready to brave the traffic back toward Stuttgart. I say give it a shot!
Sometimes I’m really glad I feel compelled to blog. If I didn’t blog, it would be too easy to sit on my can and waste a beautiful Saturday like today. Thanks to my Puritan work ethic and the sad memories I have of the time we wasted during our first Germany tour, I convinced myself to venture out today. However, I didn’t feel like venturing far. It looked like it might rain and I was feeling like I might enjoy a nap. I remembered that even after all of our years living near Herrenberg, before today, we had never visited the ruins of Schlossberg, Herrenberg’s castle. Bill and I resolved to have lunch and make our way up the path leading to the ruins.
One of many lovely views I enjoyed today. I hate climbing hills, but I’m always glad I did it when I get to the top.
Lunch was very successful. We stopped by Hanoi Pho, a place where Bill had only previously gotten takeout. Hanoi Pho serves German style Chinese food, but it’s really more of a Vietnamese restaurant. They had their outdoor seating ready, but we decided to sit inside, where I enjoyed crispy sweet and sour duck and Bill had a Vietnamese dish called Bun cha gio Vietnam. We both had hefeweizens.
I was kind of tempted by the Pho. So was Bill. We have only had it once before, when we lived at Fort Belvoir in Virginia and visited one of the many awesome Asian restaurants outside the Telegraph Road gate. But since it’s kind of warm right now, we decided not to try it this time. The quality of today’s lunch was good enough that I think we’ll be back.
Bill studies the menu, wondering if he should ask “What the pho?”
Nice wheat beer…
And entertaining placemats. Apparently, Bill was born in the Year of the Dragon, while I was born in the Year of the Rat. That makes us compatible. No wonder we get along so well.
Bill’s Vietnamese dish… basically fried dough stuffed with ground meat, cucumbers, coriander, cilantro, and mint, among other things. It was served with rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and a sprinkling of peanuts on top. Since it’s mushroom free, I will probably order it next time we visit. I’ve had my fill of sweet and sour crispy duck.
Although this was very good… For some reason, the waiter gave me a fork and Bill got chopsticks. The sweet and sour duck was served with sliced pineapple, carrots, and red peppers. It was very satisfying.
Total bill was just 22 euros, served with fortune cookies! Mine said I would be getting a big gift soon. I do have a birthday in 18 days… Bill said he would soon get a lot of money. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll use some of it on my big gift. (Kidding, of course… I’d be happy just to spend the day with him.)
The square was looking fine today!
With lunch sorted, we decided to head up to the Stiftskirche, which is the iconic church that sits on a hillside over the city. We’ve visited it a few times. We walked around the church so I could take some pictures and catch my breath. The walk to the church is a little steep. Below are a few photos I took as I slowed down my heartbeat. We didn’t climb the church tower today, although there are days when that’s permissible.
No dogs. No booze. After 10pm, no loud noises. Seems reasonable to me. And they thank you for your understanding, too.
Lovely red roses. Unfortunately, these weren’t the only thorns we would encounter today.
Behind the Stiftskirche is the trail to the ruins. Instead of heading straight up what appeared to be a curvy and steep but well maintained trail, we decided to go left.
The trail was also good beyond this gate. But then we passed a young woman who had suddenly popped out of the woods.
As we approached where she had come from, Bill said, “I thought maybe there’d be a trail here, but maybe she just ducked in there to take a piss.”
Then I noticed there was actually a trail. It was just kind of narrow and steep. I pointed it out to Bill, who said, “Oh yes… this takes you right to the Schloss!”
Against my better judgment, I followed my husband up the slightly slippery hill. There was a lot of pollution on the trail… bottle caps, broken glass, and cigarette butts. But the trail was functional until it stopped right before the ruins. I could then see why the young woman had decided not to go that way. Bill had already plunged ahead, where there were tons of sticker bushes. They were viciously sharp, but hell, I grew up in Virginia. I’ve crossed my share of wild terrain.
Besides, I was able to get some interesting photos.
Sadly, the trail became more thick with vegetation. I was sorry I’d left my machete at home.
We were so close, though!
So I said, “Screw it… let’s keep going.” That was not the best decision.
Bill told me to go ahead of him. I did, and things were okay until I got to just before the powder tower. Suddenly, I started feeling the sting of thousands of tiny needles. It turned out the vegetation in front of the ruins was riddled with stinging nettle roots. As I type this, I still have patches of stinging flesh on my lower legs and lower left arm. Thank God I wore capris and a shirt with three quarter length sleeves. If I had worn shorts, I would definitely be in Hell right now. The initial stings were pretty painful– hot and intense. Bill suggested we turn around. But again, I looked at how close we were and said, “The hell with it. Let’s just go.” Because if we’d turned around, we’d just have to walk through the nettles again and we wouldn’t have satisfied our curiosity. Besides, it appeared there was an escape…
This is on the other side of the wall, beyond the thick cover of nettles and thorny prickers. There, I could see a very well established trail, sans any dangerous weeds…
I looked at my rapidly reddening skin and the welts that were starting to rise and said, “Let’s just take a quick look.” Bill agreed. Then we were rewarded.
And you can climb to the top of the tower and look down over Herrenberg. We spotted the lady who had popped out of the woods up there. She was sitting on the edge of the tower and probably laughed at us as we were making our way through the punishing field of nettles.
We walked to the right of the plateau and looked down. I got a big smile on my face. One of the best things about Germany is that you’re always rewarded when you climb a big hill. Below is the Schlosskeller Biergarten. Not only does it serve food and beer, it also has restrooms where one can start to wash off stinging nettles.
A sight for sore, itchy, stinging skin.
And more enchanting views of Herrenberg and its environs. In the distance, I could see Wurmlinger Kapelle to the south. When we lived in Germany the first time, that chapel on a hill was almost in our backyard. We visited there a few years ago. Our visit to the chapel in 2015 was another case of us taking advantage of having the chance to live here again. Because during our first tour, we gazed at the hilltop church daily, but never took the time to hike up the hill to see it.
We chose a table under a tent and ordered Germany’s national drink.
But if we’d wanted food, that could have been arranged. This Biergarten is also very dog and kid friendly. Several people brought their dogs, who were all given bowls of water to drink.
As we were finishing our beers, a large group of elderly German hikers showed up and took the large table in front of ours. They good naturedly apologized for spoiling our view. But I said in German, “Kein Problem! Prost!” This was more successful than my attempt at ordering food in German last night, which started off German and slipped into Armenian. Some habits die very hard. I haven’t been in Armenia since 1997, but I still have a few language skills.
Below are a few photos of the view from the Biergarten before we hiked back down the hill.
I used the zoom lens to focus on Wurmlinger Chapel, which is probably about ten miles away. We used to live in a neighborhood very close to this chapel.
I had to explore this before we headed down…
It was a beautiful day for a hike!
The park near the Schloss has many sculptures in it.
But none of the art could match the beauty of Herrenberg itself.
There was probably a lot more to the Schloss ruins than we saw today, but I really needed to get home and into a hot shower.
Overall, I’m really glad I wasn’t lazy today. We really enjoyed our afternoon in Herrenberg, even if I do have a painful stinging nettle rash now. As for that trail, I would not recommend taking it unless you’re well protected with long pants, closed shoes, and long sleeves… and maybe a machete. However, I will admit that the trail was a handy shortcut. I won’t be cheating again, though. Next time we visit, I’m sticking to the professionally made trails!
I enhanced my photo of Wurmlinger Chapel and it looks like a painting!
I’ll be honest. Until I took this cruise, I had never heard of The Giant’s Causeway. Or, maybe I had heard of it only in passing. It meant nothing to me when our guide, Bryan, told people to make sure they wore sturdy shoes. Also, I wish I had known what we were going to see so that I could have made sure the battery for my good camera was fully charged. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, so I had to rely on my iPhone and iPad for the pictures I took. I think they turned out pretty great regardless.
I also had my trusty five year old Canon Powershot, which I like because it takes good photos and fits neatly in my beaded bags at formal dinners. Sadly, that camera, which I purchased in advance of our 2012 Hebridean Princess voyages, is no longer holding a charge like it used to. The good camera is another Canon that was bought in the spring of 2017, but it’s very cumbersome. I may need to invest in a smaller one, which will mean the fancy big one will be neglected.
Getting to The Giant’s Causeway involved riding on a coach for a couple of hours. Actually, we could have gotten to the site sooner, but our guide wanted to take a route that would give us stunning views of Northern Ireland’s coastline. Ordinarily, I would have been all for that, except we went on this trip right after lunch. Given that I drank a lot of wine and water during lunch and ate half a bowl of soup, my kidneys had a lot of work to do. Also remember that I was on the rag… which is an indelicate way of putting things, but also adds some insight as to how desperate things could become.
The coach we used was unusual in that it did not have a toilet on board. Consequently, many of us were squirming in our seats as Bryan described the splendor of Northern Ireland’s dramatic scenery. I was getting grumpier and grumpier as we passed a number of public toilets, all just waiting for me to make a deposit.
The trip to The Giant’s Causeway involved a couple of miserable hours, though I did get some nice photos from the bus. Once we arrived, I sprinted to the building where tickets were sold and headsets explaining things were granted. A lot of us were in line for the bathroom before we boarded a shuttle bus to the Causeway.
Useful info.
Here’s a word to the wise. It costs 1 GBP per ride to take the shuttle bus to the end of the road where the Causeway is. Because we were wearing our lanyards, we didn’t have to pay for the bus ride, but we saw a lot of people who didn’t know the bus ride is not included in the ticket price. Had I to do it over again, I would have simply walked. The bus was jam packed with people, some of whom really needed the ride. Also, the walk is very stunning and, to be honest, I could have used the exercise. Bill and I did walk back after our visit, which allowed me to take more pictures and work off lunch.
I wore a pair of new ankle boots I got from Dansko, which is a shoe company that specializes in comfort. They did pretty well on the rocks by the Causeway. I would highly recommend good, sturdy, waterproof, non-slip shoes for your visit. You will probably be tempted to climb on the rocks and they can get slick. Also, make sure you pay attention to where climbing is allowed, lest you get yelled at by one of the minders standing by to make sure no one messes up the site.
The Giant’s Causeway was pretty busy when we visited and it was probably an absolute madhouse a couple of days later, when we encountered a couple of huge cruise ships in Belfast. You may want to take into account when you plan your visit. Make sure it doesn’t coincide with the arrival of a big cruise… although at just 45 people, some of whom didn’t even come on the trip, I think Hebridean Princess isn’t too taxing.
So here are some pictures from our visit, including a few I got from the coach on the way there. I must admit, the torturous ride was well worth the end result. Now I know about The Giant’s Causeway and I think it may have been my favorite of all of the places we visited, despite the crowds!
This is a shot of the indoor museum area, which I will admit I paid little attention to. Shame on me! FYI: The Giant’s Causeway has free WiFi.
One parting shot before we got back on the bus.
Below are a few pictures from the ride up to the Causeway. They are nice, but maybe not as much of a draw as the Causeway pictures are…
Ooh! This one is especially pretty!
These three pictures are from the ride back to the ship. We got a beautiful rainbow that I had to capture, even though we were on a speeding bus and it was raining. The ride back, by the way, was shorter and a lot less painful.
And a few more stunners…
After lunch on Saturday, we loaded up the dogs and set off for Chateau de Chateauneuf, the awesome 15th century fortress and chateau we noticed from the motorway as we were making our way to Semur En Auxois. Bill decided he didn’t want to go on the highway, so we took back roads through some very pretty villages. I noticed that things seemed a little quiet on Saturday, but we had such beautiful weather, at least until we got up on the hill. It was a great day to go exploring.
We were in Chateauneuf too early to visit the chateau, which opened at 2:00, and I doubt the dogs would have been welcome, anyway. However, the little village next to it was very charming. Since we were on a hill, we got some great views of the area. I took several photos.
I probably could have sat on the hillside taking photos all day… But the clouds were rolling in, so we decided to keep exploring.
We parked for free in a generously sized lot and walked around.
The entrance to the chateau offered information in several languages. When the weather is warmer, this little village bustles with activity. It was fairly quiet when we visited, though. On the way back to the car, we ran into a local lady who admired our beagles. She didn’t seem to speak English, but she knew what we had and was very pleased to greet them. I am proud to note that her cat was sitting on the front porch. Zane noticed and took interest, but never uttered a word. Arran was oblivious, thank God!
If the weather had been a little less cloudy, we could have taken a stroll in the hills. This sign tells visitors how long it takes to get to points of interest.
Chateauneuf is definitely a place I want to explore sans dogs. But if you do have your dogs, you can enjoy some lovely walks. I noticed several gites (rooms for rent), too.
We enjoyed good music and conversation as we drove along the country roads. I saw several places that begged for me to jump out and take pictures. We did stop at one point because someone failed to use one of those handy dog clean up stations. We noticed others had stopped on the side of the road. Unlike Germans, who take walks to take walks, I had a feeling there was something going on in the wooded area near where people were parked. But I decided to wipe the poo off my shoe and keep going… and we ended up in the lovely abbey town of Flavigny Sur Ozerain next.
A sign… The 2000 movie Chocolat, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp was shot in Flavigny Sur Ozerain. It is also the only source of the anise flavored candy Anise de Flavigny, which was first made by the monks.
Points of interest…
While we were walking through this town, we ended up having yet another encounter with a local. Two little old ladies were chatting as we rounded the corner with our dogs. One of the ladies was in her house, looking out the window. She did not speak English, but was bound and determined to chat with us about Zane and Arran. She asked us how old they were, if they were brothers, and curiously enough, why they didn’t have their balls. Actually, at the time, I was trying really hard to understand her because I never studied French in school. I stuck with Spanish. Curiously, I seemed to be picking up more of what she was talking about than Bill was. And I caught myself answering in German a couple of times (and my German is only slightly better than my French).
Anyway, I posted about this odd conversation on Facebook. Of course, my American friends wondered if there was a pet overpopulation problem here like there is in the United States (not that I’ve noticed). But here in Europe, dogs aren’t spayed and neutered as often as they are in the States. My German friend, Susanne, explained why, at least in Germany, a lot of dogs retain their equipment. Indeed, there is a law that covers it. That doesn’t mean you can’t get your animals castrated in Europe; but apparently, it is discouraged. According to a 2011 article I found, it’s illegal in Norway. You can read more about the cultural differences between Europeans and North Americans and spaying and neutering here. Interestingly enough, there have been some folks in Germany who have noticed our dogs are neutered and they seemed puzzled by it. Now I know why.
A couple of shots of the beautiful church in Flavigny. It’s very quiet and peaceful there.
Right across from the abbey…
A World War I and II memorial…
Another welcome sight was the public (and free) WC. It was pretty clean. People must have read the sign! I noticed that the French seem much more liberal with free parking and WCs!
The sun was out again as we left Flavigny… I caught some good photos.
We were all pretty tired after our three walks on Saturday, so Bill went out and bought food from the grocery store, along with more wine… and a lovely lemon meringue tart for dessert!
What a lovely dessert! It capped off a great day!
Bill and I have now lived in the Stuttgart area for a total of four years. We were here from 07-09 and we have been here this second time since August 2014. We have seen a lot of cool places in the local area, especially since we moved back here the second time. The first time we lived here, we spent way too many weekends cooped up at home. That was a huge mistake and we have been doing our best to rectify our error during our second Germany experience together (Bill had a third experience back in the 80s, but it was when I was still jailbait…)
Today, we finally made the trip to Schloss Lichtenstein. I am ashamed to admit that the first time we lived here, I had no idea this beautiful little castle near the town of Sonnenbühl even existed. It wasn’t until we moved back and my new Facebook friends from the local community started posting pictures that I realized what I had missed. I have now seen several castles here in Germany and I think Schloss Lichtenstein may be among my favorites. I think I like it even more than the much hyped Neuschwanstein, which I did manage to see during my first time living here.
Bill and I set out for Schloss Lichtenstein at around noon. We expected our journey from Unterjettingen to take about an hour via B28. What we didn’t know was that traffic was going to be absolutely horrendous driving through Tübingen and Reutlingen. Turns out there’s a lot of construction going on in those towns, plus it was a beautiful day. Lots of people were out and about, so traffic was backed up.
Having studied the route before we left, I was surprised Bill didn’t opt for B27, which would have taken us south of the construction. We did come back that way and it was much easier going!
The drive to the castle is absolutely gorgeous and it was so nice to have the top down on the convertible, speeding along country roads. As we approached the parking lot and saw all the cars there, I could see there were lots of people who decided today was a good day to see the castle… or perhaps they had come for the Abenteuer Park…
Here are a couple of shots I got of the ropes course. Lots of people were there today, enjoying the zip lines and climbing challenges. Much to my great surprise, Bill said it looked like fun and he wants to come back and try it! I might have to sit at the biergarten when he does…
We momentarily thought it would be a good idea to eat before we visited the castle, but did not realize that the onsite restaurant Altes Forsthaus (Old Forester’s Lodge) had been booked for a wedding reception. It was closed. So we went on to the castle. Here are some photos I took.
You can either pay a couple of euros to walk around the grounds or opt for the tour. The tours run for about 30 minutes and cost 7 euros for adults and 3,50 euros for children. Our tour was done in German, although you can purchase a card that explains everything in a different language. I understand English tours are also available on request. We muddled through with German; consequently, I didn’t understand everything that was said. Guess I’ll read up on it.
Stunning views!
I was kind of sad that we didn’t get to go to the top of the tower. The tour was very short and really only consisted of the first two floors. The inside of the castle is beautiful, though, and well worth seeing.
I think it was worth the price of admission just to get the pictures! Wow, this is one pretty little Schloss!
I think this is my favorite photo of the day!
This is the chapel, which I understand can be rented for weddings or baptisms. There is also a tiny chapel in the castle itself. The ceiling looked like it came straight from Florence.
After we toured the castle, we decided to go have lunch at the Castle’s Tavern. This is basically a snack bar that offers a few items of substance. I noticed they had a few specials today to include a vegetarian dish and Maultaschen. They also had turkey schnitzel and the usual wursts with pommes. Bill got us two schnitzels while I waited. He ordered in German and the lady behind the counter answered in perfect English as she handed him a “beeper” to let him know when our order was up.
I took a photo of our spot in the biergarten… little did I know, this was the calm before the “storm”.
Ahh… refreshing export beer…
Our schnitzels… they came with substantial salads. We probably should have just shared one. We almost forgot the salads and the lady from the counter brought them out to us with a gentle reproach. I didn’t get a picture of the salads, but they were substantial and surprisingly tasty. I especially liked the pepper relish that came with it.
Just as we were sitting down to eat, a German family came over and joined us. It was a young mom, dad, and two little boys close in age… I’d say one was probably two and the other was perhaps four. They were a boisterous lot. I think Oma was also in tow, along with another woman who might have been a friend or an aunt. They filled up our once roomy picnic table.
I didn’t mind them too much, although the older boy startled everyone when he spilled his drink all over the table. His dad started yelling at him in German. I am surprised to say that I understood much of what he said and it sounded a lot like what many parents yell at their kids in English!
As we were finishing up our late lunch, we heard lots of honking and saw cars driving up the road to the castle. The wedding party had arrived!
There is a playground next to the biergarten for your little ones to go burn off some steam.
And a rather dark photo of the Castle’s Tavern. It does have an indoor dining area, too. I don’t think anyone was sitting in there today.
A map of the area. There is a lot to do near this castle. I want to go back and visit the Easter museum and the caves…
We didn’t bring Zane and Arran with us, though we did notice a couple of folks with their pooches walking around the grounds. If we do go back, though, it’ll probably be so Bill can try the ropes course. And I will most likely be talked into trying it with him… which would mean Zane and Arran would need to stay home again.
All in all, we had a great day! I would definitely recommend visiting the Lichtenstein Castle with your kids and any visitors coming your way. It makes for an excellent day trip from the Stuttgart area.
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