Marktplatz in Rothenburg

Taken from Rothenburg's official website:

This is the pulsating heart of the town. This is where it all happens, from the weekly market to guided tours, the historic shepherd’s dance, the fireworks as part of the town festival or performances by the Ambassadors of Music.

The steps of the Town Hall are also a popular place for locals and guests from all over the world to meet and stop for a rest. From here you can enjoy the view of the splendid patrician houses that frame the market square. Every hour on the hour between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. the clockwork figures on the clock above the Ratstrinkstube entertain the public with the key scene from the legend of the Master Draught.

According to the story, former Mayor Nusch saved the town from destruction at the hands of the troops of Imperial General Tilly by winning a wager by drinking 3 1/4 liters of Franconian wine in October 1631. What is known for certain is that the women of Rothenburg and their children assembled in the Market Square to beg Tilly to spare the town.

In 1632, the Market Square was once more the center of activity when the King of Sweden Gustav-Adolf stayed the night in Rothenburg with his army. The king himself stayed in the Town Hall.

The most horrific event in the town’s history was in June 1525, when Count Casimir von Ansbach had 17 leaders of the recently defeated Peasants’ Revolt publicly beheaded in the Market Square. Their bodies had to be left on the square until evening, “so that the blood ran down Schmiedgasse like a stream”.

Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out so great, but I loved the charming little square. It's where the Night Watchman tour started, it's where the Apotheteke was located (where I got my bandaids), and it was so fun to see the little figures come out when the clock was striking.

Night Watchman Tour in Rothenburg

Really wonderful tour guide -- funny and knowledgeable

The walking Night Watchman tour in Rothenburg takes place every night and is one of those things you're not supposed to miss -- and I had a voucher as part of my tour package. Despite the rain, there were a lot of people that took the 1-hour tour and it was totally worthwhile. History but with a great deal of humor.

Lots of people with their umbrellas

The tour started in the Marktplatz (entire post to follow) and went around the city where various landmarks and buildings were pointed out. I especially liked it when we went out through the city gates to the outer wall where these troughs were set at specific intervals. Boiling oil or tar could be poured into the roughs to spill down on invaders from below. Remarkable that so much of this is still here.

Following this walk in the rain, I was ready for a nice, long, hot bath!

One of the cement troughs on the outer wall

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Old world beauty of Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Rothenburg on the Tauber river), Germany is one of the most quaint little towns in Germany. As a result, it's a favorite on most tours. Turns out, my tour isn't what I expected it to be.

The Golden Rose in Rothenburg, Germany

My train arrived and the taxi was waiting for me as expected. Upon arrival at my hotel (The Golden Rose), I learned that I wasn't part of an actual tour. What I booked (through Viator) was kind of a bespoke tour put together specifically by Viator, but contracted through various providers. So, my bus yesterday was actually being used by many, many people for a variety of stops and I was just one of them. That explains why they couldn't wait for me. At my hotel, I was just a tourist staying there as opposed to part of a tour group.

My hotel room is in a back building and I have the top floor,

My little guest cottage at The Golden Rose

which consisted of my room and a huge bathroom. They use old-fashioned skeleton keys in the building and the rooms. My travel documents (that I should have picked up in Frankfurt) were delivered and I spent a bit of time going through them. Then, I went back and read my own confirmation documents and found a little line about going to the tour office in Frankfurt -- which I had totally missed. Turns out that the whole snafu was really my fault after all!

Interior of the Baumeisterhaus

After dropping my bags, I headed out (with umbrella - it's raining) to see the town. Stopped to have lunch at Baumeisterhaus (Master-Builder's House) where I had really good bratwurst & sauerkraut and a local wine. When you order wine, they just ask 'red or white' and 'sweet or dry'.  I ordered dry white and it was delicious, and served in one of those green stemmed goblets like I have in my china cabinet.

My delicious lunch at Baumeisterhaus

Then I went to see St. Jakob's Church (with the magnificent wood carving) and walk around the city. I love these walled towns; the first one I ever visited was York (and I was about to walk a portion of that wall) and the next was in China though I only saw that wall as we drove by it.

From my bedroom window, I can see the high part of the wall, which is covered. I climbed up to the Spital Bastion and walked the covered walkway a short distance. The Latin inscription over the gate says, "Peace to those who enter; Farewell to those who leave."

Lovely hand-carved altar at St. Jakob's Church

After a lot of walking today (in the rain on cobblestones), I just wanted a nice hot bath to soak for a while. Turns out I've gotten a blister on my already sore left foot. Good excuse to visit the Apotheteke for bandaids! I also found a pretty 3-D postcard of Neuschwanstein to send to Annabelle so I had to find a post office. Stamp was .75 so I think the 1,10 charged by the Tabac in Paris included a service charge.

City Wall

After my heavenly bath in a deep claw-footed tub, I intended to go to the wifi cafe I had found earlier in the day. Instead, there was a bar/restaurant (Taverna Marathon) so I stopped in for a glass of wine. The smells from the kitchen were so amazing that I ended up ordering stuffed peppers that were really awesome! The food I've had today has been the best on the entire trip!

Snug little door in one of the city walls

Tonight I'm going to take the 'Night Watchman' tour around the city. Highly recommended by every site I've visited including Rick Steves.

Major Hurdles

Ensuite bathroom

My hotel room in Frankfurt

I'd like to reset this whole part of the trip! I fell asleep pretty early last night (as planned) but the bed was low to the ground and hard as a rock. I actually miss the one I had in Paris! Got up at 6:30 so I could get to my tour bus early, and grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonald's. Made it outside in plenty of time. There were lots of buses coming and going, and I even saw the tour office across the street. Despite waiting at what I thought was the right spot, my bus never appeared. Finally, I turned on my phone and called at 8 a.m. (scheduled departure time) to find out what had happened, and found that the instructions I had were wrong. I ran around the huge train station to the front, but a subsequent phone call indicated that the bus was gone. Apparently, when I called from Paris to confirm the details, they were supposed to tell me to come to the tour office and pick up my paperwork and last minute instructions. As a result, I was in the wrong spot all along! Standing on the street in front of the train station in the rain, I was a bit shocked and my mind started racing. Where should I go? I need to make hotel reservations somewhere! My trip had been pre-paid and I had no idea how to continue my journey.

Train station window in Frankfurt

Fortunately, the lady called me back with a plan: take the train directly to Rothenburg and I'd meet up with the tour there. Feeling calmer, I went to a machine to get a ticket and found at least six Rothenburgs in Germany. So, I had to go to the service desk to find out where to go and, after I bought the correct ticket, back to the service desk to find out which platform and train to take. The ticket said nothing about the train #, time of departure, etc. I also couldn't find train schedules anywhere. To settle down a bit, I went back to McDonald's for a mango smoothie. The lady had said she'd call me back and let me know the hotel to go to when I arrived in Rothenburg. Couldn't help worrying that my phone bill would be crippling when I got back.

Lovely old-world train station in Frankfurt

As in England, lots of people bring their bicycles on the train. The train I took had an upper deck (which I should have chosen when buying my ticket), but I sat in the lower. There were two transfer points on my journey and I was grateful not to get lost along the way. It's so nice that they have things in both German and English.

Then, to top things off today -- my watch broke!

I managed to switch trains at Wurzburg and was able to confirm that I switched to the right train via a map inside the new compartment! Whew!   On the train from Frankfurt to Wurzburg were a bunch of bikers that were having such a good time. They had big cans of beer and were laughing and joking the whole trip. Clearly, they weren't bothered by the rain at all. There were lovely vineyards on the hillsides as the train traveled along.

The lady from the tour company called while I was on the train and gave me information about the hotel and confirmed that a taxi would be waiting for me when I arrived, along with the tour documents that I should have picked up in Frankfurt. Looks like everything is back on track (so to speak).

Note:  people talk about not being checked for tickets on trains, but I've been checked every time so far.