Hey all! I have to apologize for my recent hiatus in blogging... Things have been a little crazy around here! But, now that things have almost return to normal, I promise to be better about blogging again. :)
Brian and I spent last weekend in the Karlsruhe area with our friends, Eva and Dominik. What a great time we had!! Eva and Dominik were wonderful "tour guides", and they were both eager to show us the area that they grew up in. The area is where the majority of Germany's vineyards are located, as it is more of a temperate climate there. It was absolutely gorgeous to drive around there... I don't think I've ever seen so many vineyards in my life! :) The villages were also fun to wander through... They all looked like the typical "Bavarian" village... Very quaint and full of history! :) Throughout the weekend, we visited the towns that Eva and Dominik were raised in (Eva's hometown was actually over 2,000 years old!!), we visited Heidelberg and it's famous castle ruin, we did some outdoor rock climbing, and we experienced our first Wine Festival (which was similar to Oktoberfest, but instead of beer, we drank wine). It was definitely a very fun and memorable weekend! :)
We took LOTS of pictures while we were there!! Brian has recently become very interested in photography... especially landscapes and architecture. Needless to say, being that he's the one usually carrying the camera, we have alot of landscape/architecture shots! :) Here are some of the highlights of our weekend (Be prepared as there are quite a few pictures! :))... Enjoy!
The castle in Karlsruhe...
This was how Eva, Dominik, and I spent alot of our time while sightseeing... Standing around chatting and waiting for Brian (Mr. Amateur Photographer) to take his pictures. :)
The rock (crag) that we climbed... It was actually a sandstone rock.
This is what Eva and I did to occupy ourselves in the woods while we waited for Dominik and Brian to get everything set up... We took self portraits of ourselves. :) This was the only way to keep my mind off the fact that we came across a snake on the hike up to the rock... Yep, that's correct... Me, the person terrified of snakes, saw one slither across the path in front of us... Eeeeew!! I've been told that most people have never seen a snake in Germany... But, just as my luck would have it, we saw one of the first in the forest that day! Oh goody! It took everything I had not to turn around and run back to the car where I would have sat for the rest of the day!! :)
Brian on his way up the first route...
Brian with his stellar moves. :)
The rock face that we climbed...
Brian waiting at the top...
And I'm off... :)
That's me on the way up. Brian was waiting for me at the top of the smaller rock... If you look closely you can see him standing up there. :)
From the top looking down...
This is the size of glass that they served at the wine festival... .5 Liters! :) That's almost 2/3 of a bottle of wine per glass! :) Needless to say, we had alot of fun that night! :)
Brian and Eva at the wine festival in Kallstadt...
This is a typical "Bavarian" style house...
A small hotel in the city of Neuleiningen...
A portion of the remaining wall at the Ruine Neuleiningen...
The Ruine Neuleiningen...
Eva, Dominik, and I on the way up to the top...
Brian and I at the top of the Ruine Neuleiningen...
Dowtown Heidelberg... I loved this city! Lots of history, lots of shopping... It was the perfect destination for me! :)
It's asparagus time in Germany!! This stand was selling "weisse spargel" (white asparagus), which is very popular here!! They eat it with virtually everything! :)
A historical hotel located in downtown Heidelberg...
A view of the castle of Heidelberg...
The city of Heidelberg... The bridge is a historical monument. It was once the only way into the city of Heidelberg...
Standing on top of the castle... The view of Heidelberg in the distance... It was such a pretty view!
Inside the castle of Heidelberg...
This tower has definitely seen better days! :) I'm just amazed at the thickness of the walls!
Brian standing in front of one of the remaining towers...
The castle of Heidelberg...
The entrance into the castle...
This was the restaurant that we ate at on Saturday evening. Dominik's parents made reservations for us... It is a very popular restaurant in that region. It is known for it's Saumaugen...
This is a very traditional German meal... It's called Saumaugen (I think I spelled that correctly). It is made of beef, pork, carrots, onions, and spices, and then cooked inside of a pig's stomach. They then bring it out and carve it next to your table. It doesn't sound too appetizing, but it's actually quite tasty. :) The past German Minister would bring foreign delegates here to eat this meal...
This was once considered the entrance into the city of Speyer. You could only enter the city by walking through this gate...
Look at how small the doors used to be! They're the perfect height for a person my size! :)
The city of Speyer... It is over 2,000 years old! This is the city where Eva grew up... They were having a May Day Festival while we were there... Hence the reason for the market being held in the streets.
The church that Eva went to as a child... :)
The Cathedral of Speyer...
We stopped at this Biergarten for some coffee on Sunday morning... It was such a pretty little place! :)
The back of the cathedral... It was a beautiful building!
Tombs of the Emperors found in the crypt of the cathedral...
Loved the little sidewalk display! :)
Again, I apologize for the large amount of pictures, but it was quite difficult to narrow them down. :) Have a great Wednesday! Miss you much!
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