Germany Day 8

Sept. 17, 2011. I cannot believe I have been here 8 days already - and I have another 8 to go! It is going to be a huge slap in the face to go back to work after so many days of relaxation. Reality is not going to be pleasant...but I'll play Scarlett O'Hara and think about it another time! Tonight is the last night with my host family, the Kuglers. I have really enjoyed my time with them, and it is going to be hard to say goodbye tomorrow.

After breakfast with Birgit, Alexia and Martin, Birgit dropped me off in Rottenburg for a free morning. Since it was Saturday, the marketplace was filled with vendors of breads, cheeses, flowers, fruits, vegetables, eggs and meats. It was somewhat like the Farmer's Market in Davenport. Crowds of people were doing their weekend shopping, and lots of children were running here and there. I looked in the shops, browsed the market and decided to spend some more time at the ancient Roman museum, Sumelocenna. We had spent a short time here yesterday, but I wanted to look at the exhibits more thoroughly. It turns out there was a film in English, and it was a fascinating look at the ancient Roman settlement in this area. No, I won't bore you with details so if you want them you are just going to have to ask for the long version.

By the time I headed back to town square, the vendors were packing their goods to leave. It was almost time to meet the rest of the group at the bus station for our short ride to Hechingen, so I bought a piece of cheesecake for lunch and walked to the station. Follow the signs vs. use the GPS was the dilemna of the afternoon; the signs finally won out and we soon had our first view of Burg Hohenzollern silhouetted against the cloudy sky. It was a magnificent sight with its turrets and towers, and the roiling clouds made it look like a forbidding sentinel against all who dared climb the hill.

Hohenzollern Castle is considered the ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern family, which emerged in the Middle Ages and eventually became German Emperors. A first castle was built here in the 11th century and destroyed in 1423; a second castle was rebuilt three decades later and again demolished in the 18th century; the third version of the castle, which stands today, was constructed for Frederick William IV of Prussia between 1846 and 1867 in the English Neo-Gothic style. The castle was damaged in an earthquake on September 3, 1978 and was under repair until the mid-1990s. It was never used for defense as medieval castles were, and is still privately owned. There was a falconry show taking place in the courtyard, and we enjoyed the afternoon touring the public parts of the castle and looking over the walls at the magnificent view.

Back in Wendlesheim, Birgit and I enjoyed a brief visit with her parents in her childhood home drinking fresh grape juice from their own grapes and talking about family and travels and other interesting German and American topics. When we got back home, it was time to make dinner. On the menu was Rindrolladen, spatzle and green beans, all made from scratch. It was a fun learning experience as Bernhard and Birgit showed me the finer points of rolling the beef just right and cutting the spatzle into the boiling water properly. Bernhard is much better at spatzle than either Birgit or me, but we finally got it accomplished. While the meat cooked, I was treated to an impromptu concert with Bernhard playing piano and both Alexia and Martin singing a song or two. They have beautiful voices - what a talented family they are! Birgit then surprised me with a Swabian cookbook written in both German and English and a spatzle press! I don't even know how to say thank you enough for all they have done for me!

We were joined for dinner by Gabriele and Leonie, and later Ingo when he returned from the soccer match. He drove 600 kilometers today in a remarkably short time thanks to a fast car and the Autobahn! Dinner was delicious, made even better by the great company. Too soon it was time for bed, but not before Birgit mixed up a sweet bread for breakfast! This is a delightful family, and I am going to remember this visit forever! Guten abend!