Champagne Bucket trips, churches, former Soviet Union, Lithuania

The Vilnius Series… Learning about Lithuania’s history at a pigeon’s eye view… (part three)

On Thursday morning, we woke up to partly cloudy skies. The weather was still a bit chilly, so we put on long sleeved shirts and pants, and then went down to breakfast. The hotel offers a very generous buffet with all kinds of cold cuts, fruits, vegetables, breads, hot breakfast items, and a few things you can have made to order. They even had little cakes and candies, some of which were gluten free. Naturally, there were also juices and cava– sparkling wine from Spain.

*The light fixtures looked like white blood cells.*

Bill and I sat in the restaurant, and I noticed I didn’t like the chair I was sitting on. It was one of those small chairs with a rounded back that didn’t quite have arms, but was still a bit confining. I also didn’t like that there was a huge mirror right next to our table, and many of the others.

Bill and I both tried the Eggs Benedict, which were good. Maybe I shouldn’t have, in light of my expanded ass. After breakfast, we headed over to the cathedral… a place that had served as a picture gallery and concert hall in the Soviet era, but actually has a long and fascinating history. I took lots of photos… Later, when we toured the crypt, we learned more about the history of the cathedral

We were about to walk out of the cathedral, but the organist started playing, and I had to listen for a few minutes. I got a short video, which I will include with another I got of Bill in the tower.

After we walked around the cathedral, we headed to the cathedral bell tower, which stands at 45 meters and dates from the 13th century. Bill bought tickets for the tower, the English crypt tour, and the church treasury, which was in a different part of Vilnius (easily reached by foot). The triple ticket was 20 euros each for both of us. After we got out tickets, we went down the basement of the tower and watched a very cute little video starring a cartoon pigeon named Pranas, who explained the tower’s history and showed off a special tile in the area near the tower where, if you jump in a specific sequence and make a wish, your wishes will come true.

I didn’t have the chance to try the tile, because when we were by the tower, the tile was commandeered by a couple of Asian ladies who were fascinated by it and were taking many photos. Then they were displaced by a large tour group. We never did manage to give the tile a whirl, or even get a picture of it. Oh well…

We ran into a couple who were curious about where we were from. They were watching the video at the same time we were. They had accents that suggested they came from Eastern Europe. I guess it’s a compliment that we weren’t immediately recognizable as Americans. They didn’t have anything else to say to us, once we told them we are Americans.

Anyway, after the video, we managed to climb the tower steps. There were two very narrow bricked flights, which stopped at interactive exhibits that included headsets telling the story of the tower, video monitors of the conditions around the tower, and a large horseshoe shaped table. The table had drawers that could be opened and showed different aspects of how the tower came to be and how people lived. Each of the headsets had little boxes with doors on them that could be opened. They shared quotes and interesting facts, all of which were in English and Lithuanian.

*Here is where we met Pranas, the tower pigeon.*

Bill also rang the bells…

A video of the organ music and Bill ringing the bells in the tower.

After Bill rang the bells, it was time to gear up for the steep climb. The tower isn’t that tall, but it does have very steep, somewhat rickety steps that are only a little bit deeper than a ladder’s. I’m not in great shape, so I was hanging on for dear life as we climbed up and down the tower. A fall would have been a disaster! Fortunately, we made it, although I did give thought to not trying to get to the top. Happily, I went for it and made it, even though there was a “steep” price to be paid the next day… Below are some more photos from the tower.

As you can see from the photos, the observation areas are behind wire. They do allow you to open a part of the wired in window, so you can take pictures without the grate destroying the view. I read in a review that there are other observation opportunities in Vilnius. The university also has a bell tower that looked even taller than the cathedral’s tower. We didn’t try that one, though, because we found it on Sunday and weren’t really wanting to be sore on Monday. ETA: I looked up the bell tower and discovered that it has an elevator for those whose flesh is as weak as mine. But it wasn’t a really clear day, anyway, so it was no big loss not going up that tower on Sunday. Maybe if we go back, we’ll try climbing it on a clear day.

One guy who was at the top of the Cathedral Bell Tower with us rang the bell, scaring the ever loving shit out of all of us on the observation deck at the time. It was LOUD. I’m not sure he was supposed to do that, either. But it’s not like anyone was going to come storming up to reprimand him, or anything. Climbing above the first two levels is a slow process, even for the fit types. You really have to be careful going up and down the ladder like steps!

Once we managed to climb down the tower and stand on firm ground again, we decided to walk around the cathedral grounds. There are a couple of museums there that we really should have toured on the next day, since it was a rainy day. We didn’t get there, though, because we were hurting… but the pain didn’t really set in until we’d had a sleep. We had enough strength and energy to look around some more, take photos, and find our way to the main shopping drag. We stopped in one more Catholic church and an Orthodox church before we found lunch.

*These gold signs were all over the city, explaining things.*

Before we started our day’s activities, we ran into a couple of Air Force folks with instruments. I was curious as to why they were there, and found out through Google that a quintet had come to perform with a Lithuanian band in the town square. We passed the area where they were setting up. The crew was playing Billie Holiday as they put up the equipment. The concert was free and open to the public, starting at 6:30 PM. I hoped we’d be able to attend and mentally made plans.

I was about to settle for a lunch of fish and chips, when I noticed a quiet side street. I saw tables and chairs, and since experience has taught me that restaurants off the main drag are often better, decided to turn right and investigate. That’s where we found the cute little French place called Balzac.

Of course, the restaurant was named after a French book, but that didn’t stop some of my Facebook friends from making the obvious jokes and warning us against ordering hot tea (which I’d never do, anyway)… Balzac turned out to be a nice place for a leisurely lunch. I had duck and Bill had lamb, preceded by starters… I liked the clever use of corks on the beams in the ceiling.

*Bill had duck ravioli with a red wine sauce…*

Oops! Can’t forget the wine!

*When my dad was stationed in England, we knew a family named Virant…*

After our leisurely French lunch, we headed back toward the hotel. Our tour of the crypt was set to begin at 4:00 PM, so we had about 90 minutes to kill. We stopped by another Orthodox church, and then went to our room for a short rest. I was already starting to feel the soreness seeping into my muscles. I’m not sure what the second Orthodox church was about. Photos were allowed in there, but not in the first church we visited. I watched a woman in the first church very reverently performing rituals, showing deep faith. Again, I was very struck by how faithful and religious the people in Vilnius seemed. We would later find out why religion seemed so prominent there.

This post is getting a bit heavy with photos. Because the crypt tour involves many photos and stories, and we didn’t do that much on my birthday, I’m going to save that story for the next part. Stay tuned!

Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe

Our day in Cesky Krumlov… part five of our 2023 Czech tour!

Wednesday, October 4, was our one full day in beautiful Cesky Krumlov. We were determined to make the best of it. After a good night’s sleep in the big bed in Room 6, we went down to the big table in the lobby and had the first of two wonderful breakfasts. Bill decided to try the fermented wheat, which was described as an “original” breakfast offering at Monastery Garden. The receptionist who had checked us in the day prior was there for breakfast, and she explained that it’s not difficult to make fermented wheat… but the process is “quite stinky”.

I’ve mentioned before that Bill seems to like things that stink… like exotic cheese and probably even me after a particularly active afternoon. 😉 I have a very sensitive sense of smell, though, so I can’t abide a lot of things he enjoys. I wouldn’t have ordered the fermented wheat anyway, because it had mushrooms in it, and mushrooms are of the devil. I didn’t notice that the dish smelled offensive; it came with poached eggs, and Bill seemed to really enjoy it.

I had Eggs Benedict, which were absolutely fabulous. I especially loved the way the dish was presented, with super sweet cherry tomatoes and greens. It was almost too beautiful to eat.

We also had filtered coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, which was served to us whipped into a foam. On the menu, it mentioned that the juice could be served with “chili” pepper. I asked about that, since I’d never heard of anyone putting pepper in their juice. The receptionist said that some people like to use it to heat up their metabolisms. I joked that I could use a little of that myself, but I decided not to try pepper in my juice. Bill, who likes things spicy and hot, did put some in his juice. He didn’t complain about it, but I noticed he didn’t add pepper to the juice the next morning! Breakfast was not included in our room rate, but it was well worth what we paid.

While we were eating, we were chatting with the receptionist about the pandemic and how things were in the Czech Republic. I had read that they had been pretty strict there during the worst of the COVID era… which I guess is still ongoing. She said that a lot of Czechs were kind of slack about following the mandates. I would imagine that the way the pandemic was handled in Europe was very different than it was in the United States.

After breakfast, we started to explore and soon found ourselves at the Museum of Torture, which is on the main square. We bought a combination ticket with the Wax Museum, which gave us a couple of activities for our morning. The Museum of Torture was mostly interesting, although parts of it were a little cheesy. Like, for instance, at one part of the museum, there’s an exhibit that shows a woman suspected of being a witch being burned at the stake. They played an endless sound loop of flames and the whimperings of a suffering female. It was a little hokey and probably unrealistic, given how much being burned hurts, at least at first.

I have to admit, I was pretty horrified by how cruel human beings can be to one another as I looked at all of the instruments of torture used to punish people in the medieval era. I also couldn’t help but remember when we visited the superior torture museum in Rothenburg ob den Tauber in Bavaria, Germany. The one thing the museum in Cesky Krumlov has over the museum in Rothenburg is that it’s in a very cool dungeon like building that appears to be very old. The building definitely gave the torture museum some realism. Below are some photos…

Just a little bit hokey…

After we spent some time in the torture museum, we moved on to the wax museum, which was also entertaining. The museum had some interesting replicas of celebrities– many of whom were (or still are) American. The wax museum also provided a narrative of Czech history, although perhaps not as well as the Castle museum did. Still, I think it was worth visiting just to see the wax versions of Mick Jagger and Tina Turner. I have a soft spot for wax museums anyway. My dad’s hometown of Natural Bridge, Virginia had one for many years and one of my distant relatives, Bar Tolley, was immortalized there. 😉 Below are some photos from the wax museum.

By the time we finished touring the two museums, it was late morning. We kept walking around Cesky Krumlov, which basically goes in a circle, and soon found ourselves as a bench offering a nice view of the Vltava River, which flows through both Prague and Cesky Krumlov. We were still sitting there at noon, which happened to be the time and day of the month when local authorities throughout the country test the sirens. I noticed an announcement in Czech and English that it was “only a test”. That’s more than we get in Germany.

*We decided to skip the labyrinth, because neither of us likes to look in the mirror!*

Finally, we worked our way to the castle entrance, where we were able to see the bears that “guard” the moat. I remembered how when we came to Cesky Krumlov in 2008, I saw the bears. I also remembered that there was a guy at the bottom of the castle tower who took our money and advised us to go “slowly”. Now, there’s a big complex at the Castle Tower, and visitors can buy tickets to the museum and the interior of the actual castle. We skipped touring the castle interior, but we did visit and enjoy the museum after we climbed the tower. The tower wasn’t too awful, either. I was able climb it without too much trouble and was rewarded with some very nice photos.

After we visited the castle and its tower, we were ready to eat lunch. Since this post has so many photos in it, I will continue writing about our Wednesday activities in the next post! Suffice to say, looking at these pictures, I feel very fortunate that we had such nice weather. There were plenty of people in Cesky Krumlov during our visit, but it wasn’t extremely crowded. I bet the place is now PACKED in the summer! I think October is a great time to visit this town.

anecdotes, blog news

Physical challenges on the stairways to paradise…

Yesterday’s outing to the Kubach Cave was sort of a test for me. I’ve always been a pretty healthy person, albeit fatter than I ought to be. That is, of course, because I’m not as “herbal” as I ought to be… (with many apologies to Livingston Taylor). I like good food and I drink a lot of beer and wine, as well as the odd cocktail. I probably should stop doing that, since I’m in my 50s, but I’ve got no reason to hang around here… So I might as well enjoy myself while I can.

Here’s James Taylor’s brother, Livingston, singing the song of my people…

Still, it’s not that easy for me to climb up and down stairs anymore. I’m actually pretty lucky, though. I’ve so far been blessed with very robust physical health. I have some friends who have needed knee replacements or other complicated orthopedic interventions. I don’t have any problems with my knees (yet). I do have lower back aches that can sometimes make walking a literal pain, but it’s not so bad that I don’t eventually loosen up.

I was a little worried about yesterday’s caving experience, but it turned out fine. Other than a little minor soreness in my thighs today, I feel mostly okay. I did do a lot of “huffing and puffing”, as my old riding teacher used to say, but I recovered fairly quickly. So now I know that two upcoming physical challenges that I will almost definitely face are well within my reach.

The first challenge I know I will face will be the Cesky Krumlov Castle Tower in Cesky Krumlov, Czechia. I climbed this tower on my birthday in June 2008. One week from this coming Tuesday, we will be back in Cesky Krumlov for a couple of nights. If the weather is good, maybe I’ll work up the gumption to climb the tower again and get some fall views of the beautiful town. During our first visit in June 2008, we happened to arrive in time for the Five Petalled Rose Festival. Everybody was dressed in medieval garb! I thought I had stumbled into a theme park. This time, that festival won’t be going on, but I already know it’s a picturesque town. I was sad we had to leave last time we were there. This time, we’ll get a couple of nights to enjoy the ambiance. And maybe my old body can still handle all those steps at the tower…

*Only 162 steps… that’s less than yesterday’s challenge!*

Since we’ll have a little more time in 2023, maybe we’ll have the chance to visit the castle itself, although if the weather is nice, I can see myself wanting to just walk around the town. It really is very charming, and I have a feeling it’s a place a lot of American tourists miss. We only found out about it because we stayed in Passau, Germany for my birthday in 2008 and the innkeeper at our hotel told us about it. We had a wonderful day there, and in nearby Cesky Budejovice. Now I’m kind of wishing I could have booked one more night!

We will also be going to Brno and Prague on our next trip, and I suspect there could be climbing challenges in both of those cities. I’ve never been to Brno, but I have read and heard that one of the best activities in that area is caving. There’s a good chance we’ll visit one or two of the 1100 caverns and gorges in the Brno area– especially since only five cave systems are open to the public.

And Prague no doubt has towers to climb… church towers at the very least. I may be in the mood for a visit to a beer spa by then. Prague now has several beer spas. So do other towns in the Czech Republic! Bill and I are really big fans. On the other hand, after our experience at the beer pool in Austria, plain old “beer spas” kind of pale in comparison. Looks like they’ve gotten really pricey now, too.

Prague does have the famous Astronomical Clock Tower, of course… but I see you can take an elevator! Maybe by the time we get to Prague, I’ll be screaming for an elevator! We only have two nights in Prague, anyway. I’m hoping to find us some new art for the house.

The next physical challenge I know I’ll be facing will come when we visit Yerevan, Armenia in November. I know I’ll face the Cascade Steps… and that I used to be able to do them without too much trouble. In fact, there was a time when I climbed up and down them on a daily basis. But then I discovered the escalators and figured out the public transportation system and quit punishing myself with the steps. It’s a shame, really. I have never been a very athletic person, but I have always been pretty strong physically. I just don’t enjoy how I feel when I’m exerting myself. I do, however, like the rush of endorphins. Must be the adrenaline junkie gene that the men on my dad’s side of the family seem to have.

*How I remember them in 1995… Special thanks to my Peace Corps friend Elaine, whose photo I ripped off from Facebook (mine are all in storage).* 🙁

*What they looked like in 2019! Special thanks to Gerd Eichmann on Wikipedia, who authorized use of this unedited photo. շնորհակալություն!* (*Armenian for thank you!*)

The Cascade Steps in Yerevan go up 387 feet, but you can take your time ascending. Or, you can go to the left of the steps and find the seven escalators that will take you up, so you can see the views without getting winded or sore. I suspect the air quality in Yerevan is better than it was in 1995, so I am hoping for some great views of Mount Ararat– if we have decent weather, that is. But we’ll be there a little over a week, so perhaps we’ll have some good luck. I’m sure I’ll climb the steps at least once during our visit.

Over the years, Bill and I have done some pretty great physically active trips. Usually, when we were doing them, I thought I might die. But, as you can see, I never did.

There was the visit to El Yunque in Puerto Rico, where I fell and landed on my ass on a rock. It took months for the tailbone pain to go away. But we had a really great day!

*We did a lot of work to get to this crowded waterfall in El Yunque in 2010.*

There was the walk from hell from Lake Bled, Slovenia to Vintgar Gorge, during which we neglected to bring water or wear sunscreen. Then, once we got there, we hiked the gorge. It was another great, but exhausting, day. And yes, I made Bill get us a taxi for the ride home.

There was also the time we walked from the port on the Isle of Capri in Italy to the town. It was a long walk uphill. I had a cold, and many Italians were good naturedly laughing at us as we sighed, huffed, puffed, and groaned… We did make it, and we ate lunch served by a guy who looked a lot like Matt Lucas on Little Britain.

I remember climbing up the mountain to visit Highline 179 in Austria and the castle ruins on either side. Later that day, we visited the aforementioned beer pool in Tarrenz, Austria, which perfectly soothed my muscles.

We visited the All Saints Waterfalls (Allerheiligen Wasserfälle) in Baden-Württemberg a few years ago, and that involved some pretty stout climbing… as did our visit to Slap Savica in Bohinj, Slovenia. And I could pontificate all day about our two thrilling, but physically exhausting, trips to the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia!

Bwahahahaha… I guess as long as I keep walking and climbing things, I won’t get quite this big.

We’ve also climbed a whole bunch of church towers in multiple European cities… way too many to list here. And not once has the embarrassing situation in above video ever happened to me. On the other hand, the last time we were in Bruges, I made a point of avoiding that particular tower.

Anyway… I’m just glad we managed to successfully visit the Kubach Cave yesterday and I’m not too worse off for wear today. It gives me hope that my body isn’t too far gone for some of these adventures. I realize that there may come a time when I can’t do this kind of stuff anymore, so I’m going to keep using my body before I lose it. And I will continue to thank God for having really strong and healthy genes. Some of my friends and former classmates haven’t been so lucky.

Bill is off to Bavaria again today, so I guess I’ll spend the next few days planning our upcoming trip. I can hardly wait, because I definitely need a change of scenery… and this blog could use some fresh content. I continue to be shocked that this is my life… and that I’ve managed to have all of the wonderful experiences I’ve already had with Bill. No wonder he makes me smile so pretty. 🙂

Sundays

Der Schönbuchturm in Herrenberg!

Last weekend, Herrenberg opened Der Schönbuchturm, its long awaited new tower that overlooks the forested areas surrounding the city. I considered visiting the tower last weekend, but since it was the first day, I figured it might be better to wait a week. I’m glad we waited. We had perfect weather this afternoon to see the brand new tower– a miracle of German engineering. Bill pointed out the tower as we drove down the hill from Jettingen. I’m surprised I hadn’t noticed it before. It sticks up from the trees in the distant hills overlooking Herrenberg.

First view of the tower.

Der Schönbuchturm, which reaches a height of 35 meters, is located across from the Schönbuch Naturpark, right next to the Naturfreundehaus am Schönbuch, a self-serve restaurant and Biergarten. We parked there at about 3:00pm. There was a fairly decent sized crowd there, but it wasn’t too obnoxious. We easily found a parking spot and then began the 400 meter mostly uphill hike up to the tower. I was pretty breathless by the time we reached the new engineering marvel. Some people were biking up and there were plenty of places for people to lock their bikes. It costs nothing to visit the tower, which is open until 7:00pm nightly.

At the start of the trail, there’s a sign welcoming visitors and a place to lock bikes.

The trail to the tower is covered in gravel made of small stones. Part of the trail consists of steps. I noticed a steep bike trail to the side of the steps, but I don’t think that would be suitable terrain for a stroller or a wheelchair.

A bit closer… I stopped to catch my breath after the short uphill hike. As you can see, you can stop at two vantage points on the way to the top level.

Some interesting stats. The trail to the tower also has little information points like this one. Since my German blows, I mostly ignored them.

There are two stairways. Seems like one should be designated as the “up” stairway and the other as the “down” stairway. However, both stairways are open to either direction. Consequently, you may have to stop to let someone pass in the other direction.

These pictures are from the first vantage point. To be honest, as sturdy as I know the tower is, I was feeling slightly anxious with each new level. The tower has been designed so that there’s little to obstruct your view. It can be a bit unnerving.

Wire fencing and “handrails” rather than solid metal…

The above pics are from the top vantage point.

On the way down… phew. The tower wobbled a bit with the breeze. It reminded me a little of our visit to Highline 179 in Austria. I’m not sure I’d want to climb the tower during bad weather! Today, it was kind of a thrill.

I think I like this view the best!

Our visit to the tower only took about a half hour. It occurred to me as we were enjoying the views that last weekend, we climbed a 35 meter tower that was originally built in the 12th century. Today, we climbed a 35 meter tower that has only been open for a week! And both activities were completely free of charge with no one hanging around to enforce the rules! Gosh, I love Germany!

Last week’s climb was just as high as today’s climb, but today’s was less painful. Instead of a tight spiral staircase, there’s a much gentler climb. I noticed a lot of children climbing up, including one adorable little girl with intense blue eyes crawling on her hands and knees! As nervous as the climb made me, I have to admit the view at the top is breathtaking. You can see for miles.

Although we could have gone to the Naturfreundehaus for a snack, Bill and I decided to visit La Piazza Gelataria for ice cream. The outside seating was full of people who had the same idea we did. I will note that the Naturfreundhaus, while no frills and self-serve, also has a little playground for kids!

The church bells played a hymn we used at our wedding in 2002… “Now Thank We All Our God.”

Bill had a Waldbeere Becher (wild berry cup). It was strawberry and vanilla ice cream with blueberries, strawberries, currents, and cherries, along with lots of whipped cream.

I had an After Eight Becher, made with After Eight mints. My mom used to love those things! It had chocolate ice cream, mint ice cream, mint sauce, and chocolate “streusel”. We also shared San Pellegrino. Our total bill was just over 16 euros. Today was “cheap”! I don’t think I’ll need dinner, either.

For the first time, I noticed the really cool looking balcony on this building, along with its terrace on the roof.

Fun scene in Herrenberg. Little kids were enjoying the fountain. I couldn’t help but muse about how pleasant life in Germany is… for me, anyway. It’s so nice to be able to sit in a square that looks like it’s out of a fairytale and eat ice cream while children play in the fountain.

One last shot before we went home.

I’m pretty happy with how today turned out, especially given how it started off. Next month, we’re going to Ireland to see Paul Simon in concert. I bought tickets for the show in February and put them in my usual safe keeping spot. Somehow in the past four months, the tickets got lost. This morning, we spent about an hour trying to call Ticketmaster in Ireland to get duplicates made. For awhile, it looked like we weren’t going to get through to a human being and I was getting pretty pissy. But we were finally successful. A lovely Irish lass helped us out and for a six euro fee, I hope to have duplicate concert tickets in my hands for next month’s concert… the second of four we’re planning to attend this year.

Sundays

Yet another wonderful Sunday in Nagold… and another uphill hike!

Because the weather was just so perfect today and I was feeling especially energetic, Bill and I decided to make up for all the lazing around and drinking we did yesterday. We went to Nagold for lunch, then decided to hike up to Hohennagold Castle, a 12th century ruined castle on a high hill. Remember, I am in my 40s and not as fit as I could be. I also hiked up to Wurmlinger Chapel this morning and that, in and of itself, was a workout. I don’t know what got into me, but dammit, I did it. And now I’m sure I will sleep well tonight. Of course, I saw plenty of older and even elderly Germans trekking up the hill. If I keep up with days like today, maybe I’ll lose my beer gut.

We started with a stop at Longwy, which is a bar and restaurant next to the Nagold River. We have eaten there before and I was hoping to try a new place today. We ended up going there because I wanted shade. It turned out to be a good choice because it’s a lot of fun to sit there and people watch… and dog and duck watch.

We started with Hochdorfer Krystalweizens…

Then we did some carb loading. I had a flammkuchen. I had ordered a Greek one, but they brought out bacon and onion. I had already eaten a piece when the correct one showed up. Tut mir lied! I liked my dish. It wasn’t too heavy. Bill had penne pasta with spicy tomato sauce. And it really was very spicy. Being from Texas, he likes spicy food but even he was saying this was pretty hot stuff.

Watching people boating… it’s a little more laid back in Nagold than it is in Tuebingen.

I had to get a shot of this… an adorable border collie was taking a swim. I was jealous, even though the water in the river is a little scummy. We saw a dead fish floating by, too.

After lunch, I suggested that we attempt to visit the castle ruins. Bill was a little skeptical, given our walk this morning. But he was game to try.

Going up…

One of many long, steep switchbacks up the hill… At least it was shaded.

Be a friend to nature…

These little stations were very handy places to stop for a rest… and I did need to stop a few times. I appreciated the educational nature of these activities. There’s no reason why one can’t learn while taking a breather.

A shot of the gate. We were actually stopped there for a few minutes because I wanted a clear shot of it. Several people were stopped there because a mouse was lying near the gate in its death throes. Several kids were wanting to play with it while the adults were trying to figure out what to do. Finally, a man got a tissue from his wife and picked the poor mouse up. He moved it to a place where it could die in peace.

The views were positively majestic.

This was open from 2 until 5. Climb to the top and have a look at all of Nagold and its surroundings.

As I climbed up, I was reminded of a scene in the film In Bruges, where the protagonist runs into several fat Americans who were about to try to climb a tower. Having just been up the tower himself, the man knew it was a tight squeeze. He tried to warn the Yanks, but they took him for being rude. I made it up just fine, but it is a bit of a narrow stairway.

See?

Yes, that is a biergarten below. Leave it to Germans to reward a steep climb with beer! Or coffee and cake, if you prefer… There are also restrooms up there.

Fireplace.

Looks like lovelocks are starting to make an appearance here.

There’s no cost to visit Hohennagold, unless you plan on enjoying a snack. We were sure glad for a beer break. They were served to us in ice cold frosted mugs. I have not seen those outside of South Carolina. I must say, it was very refreshing! I liked that the coffee and cake were served on real dishes and not paper plates or styrofoam mugs. Classy and environmentally friendly, too!

Needless to say, I highly recommend Hohennagold. And when you’re finished with the hike, you can stop by the freibad for a swim or check out the super cool playground that even had sprinklers for the kids! I was impressed to see adults playing, too. I just love that about Germany. People play outside here.

On the way out of town, we passed one of the fountains in front of a busy restaurant. I saw the cutest little toddler boy in a diaper. He flashed me a grin and when I smiled back and said hello, his face lit up into a full blown smile. Made me feel really good to see that! I’m so glad we went to Nagold today. We had a wonderful time. And I’m so glad we live just minutes away from Nagold so I can hang out there whenever I want to!

anecdotes, Sundays

More Greek food… and a lovely Sunday walk!

Yesterday, Bill made a beautiful lunch of steamed cod with vegetables. We had wine with the lunch and soon it became clear that we didn’t have anything decent on hand for dinner. Because of the wine, we didn’t need to be driving…

Bill even broke out my china for yesterday’s lunch!

Arran loves the table.

A little Kessler Sekt and strawberries for dessert.

So we walked to Taverne Bei Dimi for dinner. I might have gone to Tommi’s Bistro, but they’re closed for most of August. The sweet lady who runs Taverne Bei Dimi was there last night after her time in Greece and was so happy to see us. She and her brother shook our hands as they welcomed us.

Wine, water, and ouzo…

More salad… My body was liable to go into shock.

Since Bill and I also had Greek food on Friday night, we decided to try something different last night. I had calamari and Bill had bifteki.

Mmm… fried squid rings…

And beef with cheese in it…

It was totally dead when we got to the restaurant, but had filled up by the time we left. I was glad to see them getting some good business. I think we are now official regulars.

This morning, we decided to go back to Wurmlinger Chapel and try our hike once again, now that my mom is back in the States. Today, we were successful. We brought the dogs with us and all four of us enjoyed a walk to the top of a large hill.

The way to the chapel… it’s a steep hike.

Map of the area.

So many pretty views as we ascended. I was huffing and puffing as my out of shape body carried me higher.

I always take pictures prematurely as I walk up hills. It doesn’t occur to me that there will be even better views as I go higher.

Lots of grape vines.

200 meters to go. I was way out of breath!

I can see our old village in this photo.

Finally, we got to see this chapel up close. When we lived in Germany the first time, I saw it every day from our backyard. I even have a small painting of it in storage.

This shows you where all the points of interest are. I love that scenic places in Germany have these.

The crypt is very cool.

The caretaker was an older German lady who drove up to open the church. She told me there was water for the dogs. That was about all I could understand as she kept talking to me. I tried telling her I didn’t understand, but she was undaunted.

Blackberries ripening on the way back down.

The dogs enjoyed the view, too.

Sheep grazing.

Dogs have to stay out of the courtyard. Bill and I took turns having a look.

Zane enjoyed himself and the ride back.

I’m so glad we finally got to see Wurmlinger Chapel. It’s a very pretty little church and the views are just lovely. Today was a great day to hike up there. It wasn’t too hot outside. My mom would not have been able to make it up the hill, but I think we could have driven up there. It is discouraged to drive and I certainly needed the exercise. I did alright for an out of shape fat chick, though. Just as a reminder, there is a bathroom in the parking lot for those who need the facilities.

I took this photo in 2008 from our old house in Pfäffingen.

We might have to go back before it closes for the winter. I bet it’s lovely in the fall.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: steep climbs