Day 361 –Dinkelsbühl, Germany (by Caitlin)
Posted by Caitlin Taylor on Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Events of Tuesday, June 21, 2011
“Good morning to you! Boop, boop! Boop, boop! Good morning to you! Boop, boop! Boop, boop!” Mom once again woke us up with her annoying song, and then chided us for not sleeping normally. During the night, I had dropped my comforter on the floor and had borrowed Abby’s instead. Then I had decided to share it with her, but sideways, so that my feet were freezing cold from sticking out at the bottom. Mom then turned to Lindsey and declared, “I won the battle over no man’s land!” Mom also reported that in the middle of the night, that Lindsey with her face inches from Mom’s, murmured, “Please forgive me.” Mom and Lindsey had to share a bed because of the odd sleeping arrangements in this strange house. There is a girls’ bedroom, with two double beds, one for me and Abby, the other for Mom and Lindsey, and a boys’ bedroom, the one with two twin beds foot to foot.
Now that all of us were awake, we soon busied ourselves with showers in our shell-shaped bathtub in our loudly sea-themed bathroom, followed by breakfast in our equally bizarrely decorated dining room. Next, we did our daily quiet times and family devotions. All our morning duties completed, we packed up and walked into the historic old town of Dinkelsbühl. We strolled through Nördlinger Tor (the North Tower) and to the local casino, where our parents went inside to the internet café to attend to several online tasks. However, this casino only allowed those eighteen years of age or older, so that left the four of us children out on the streets. But no fear – we had a plan!
We four adolescents ambled around the corner, further into the town, to the local TI, where we had spent a considerable amount of time yesterday, and used the next half-hour to read emails on the internet at the TI’s laptop. Thirty minutes allotted each youth seven minutes on the computer. Seven minutes times four sessions is 28 minutes, leaving exactly two minutes for logging on and off and switching places. When we were not on the computer, we read our books. Our internet session over, we stayed put, continuing to read, until our parents, finished with their time on the internet, joined us at the TI.
Reuniting, we then embarked on a town walking tour with a map from the TI. First stop was St. George’s Minster, one of the most stunning wide-aisled late Gothic churches in South Germany. A highlight was the stonework in the “pretzel” window in the south choir, donated by the baker’s guild; the stonework was actually shaped like gigantic pretzels! Next, Ben directed us to the town’s almshouses and the Church of the Holy Ghost. The descriptions on Ben’s map were fairly dull. It presented just the boring facts, such as the names of people we didn’t know and the years of construction that didn’t really matter to us, except to tell that these buildings were really old. The third stop on our tour was Rothenburg Gate, dating from around 1390. Its unique construction with its hipped roof and bays demonstrated the significance of Dinkelsbühl’s fortifications.
The time (late morning) warranted a brief snack break of granola bars, under a gazebo in Faulturm und Parkwächterhäuschen, the town’s green park with several duck ponds. Next stop on our tour was the Debtors’ Prison and Park Caretaker’s Lodge. Climbing an ancient-looking wooden staircase we took in Rothenburg Pond and one of the prettiest views in Dinkelsbühl. After this stop on the tour, Abby realized that she had lost her sunglasses, her souvenir from London. She, Lindsey, and Daddy retraced our steps to check our picnic spot for them, while Ben and I took a shortcut through town to search the church we’d visited earlier. Neither of us had any luck, so we returned to the TI and found her beloved British shades right there where she’d left them.
Realizing we were all hot and sticky and hungry, we decided to walk home, have lunch, and take a break from exploring the town before heading out again later. Because we were at home for lunch, we had a few special treats, such as the apricots and nectarines Dad had purchased for us yesterday. Another treat was the chance to have peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey sandwiches. This may not seem special, but it is a very welcome change from cheese, meat, and bread every day for our picnic lunches. Peanut butter, honey, and jelly make for extremely messy and sticky picnic lunches.
We relaxed at home for a while after lunch, because it began raining outside. When the rain subsided, we headed back to the old town to complete our walking tour. However, because we had taken the detour home for lunch, we decided to do the tour in a different order. Tour stop ten was Nördlingen Gate and the Town Mill. Next, we strolled clockwise along the inside of the city walls, past a multitude of watchtowers: Salwartenturm, Krugstrum, Hertelsturm, Hagelturm, Weißer Turm, and finally number nine, the House of the Teutonic Order. Initially dubbed “Twetscher Hof” and located beside the almshouse in 1350, it was moved to its present location in 1390 when the town was extended. Continuing clockwise inside the wall, we passed even more towers (Haymarsturm, Berlinsturm, and Wächtersturm) before reaching number eight, Segringer Tor. This tower had been damaged during the Swedish siege in 1648 and later collapsed, but the Italian architect Antonio Don rebuilt the tower in Baroque style in 1655. We Taylors agreed unanimously, however, that it was not very Baroque-looking at all. Tour stop seven was the Chapel of the Three Kings, a single-story building with pointed arched windows and a hipped roof, now a war memorial chapel.
Next, Ben led us to a Corn Storehouse, now a youth hostel, and stop number six on our tour. A half-timbered building dating back from 1508, it was formerly a corn storehouse before being converted into a youth hostel. One of the sections between the timbers had been opened up to reveal how the spaces were filled in with wattle and daub during construction.
Number five was a second corn storehouse next to the “Old Yard”, a huge half-timbered structure built to be the town’s corn store at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
We had now caught up to where our tour had been abruptly interrupted. There were four stops left. Deftly leading us through the confusing system of medieval cobblestone streets, Ben led us to sight number seventeen, the New Town Hall, built as the residence for Bauer, who served as the town’s postillion, senator, and mayor. Next came number fifteen, the Wine Market, a street of five magnificent gabled buildings dating from around 1600, one of which was decorated with Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. Number sixteen, Hezelhof, was a picturesque inner courtyard from the sixteenth century, lavishly decorated with flowers and vines. The only problem: we couldn’t see it, because it was not open to the public. Our last stop, number fourteen on the seventeen-stop tour, was the Carmel Monastery. St. Paul’s Protestant Church was constructed from 1840 to 1843 in historic style, on the site of the Carmelites’ monastery church. Friars from Würzburg founded the monastery in 1290, but the Protestant community purchased it in 1809. Now, the College of Music uses the church.
Finally finished with our “Tour of the Town”, we wearily walked back to our house and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. We had just arrived at home when it began to rain again. It had been sunny and hot all day while we were outside, exploring the town, but when we were at home, it rained – God’s perfect timing!
While Mom napped and I worked on the computer, the rest of the family had great fun playing Monopoly. This board game, however, was the German version, with all German names, cards, and instructions, and even Deutsche marks for currency! Nevertheless, they bravely persevered through the foreign language barrier and played the game as best they could and enjoyed themselves immensely.
Just before dinner, we heard a knock on the door. Who could it be? It was our laundry service! Our hosts had washed, dried and folded everything. Yay for clean clothes! There was some confusion for a bit. Dad thought they were asking us to pay €40 to cover the cost. Yet when Mom tried to clear up this communication glitch, no mention of payment was made, only that it took four washers and four dryers to get the job done. Our host also came in carrying some cords and switched on the TV in the girls’ bedroom. We watched a bit of a Germany-versus-Ecuador soccer game and later found the Simpsons – in German!
After an afternoon full of fun and relaxation, we sat down to a delicious dinner of chicken marinated in “Mojo Verde” sauce and steamed rice, with a vegetable bowl of cool, fresh cucumbers, peppers, and mushrooms.
For dessert, we crunched stale, hard wafer sandwiches full of airy frosting that tasted a bit like marshmallow cream. Dad and Ben picked these up during our stay in the Mosel Valley, and we joke together that they are cardboard with plastic frosting. Definitely not delectable. However, these not-so-great desserts make us eagerly look forward to tomorrow’s visit to Rothenburg and their local dessert delicacy: snowballs!
“Good morning to you! Boop, boop! Boop, boop! Good morning to you! Boop, boop! Boop, boop!” Mom once again woke us up with her annoying song, and then chided us for not sleeping normally. During the night, I had dropped my comforter on the floor and had borrowed Abby’s instead. Then I had decided to share it with her, but sideways, so that my feet were freezing cold from sticking out at the bottom. Mom then turned to Lindsey and declared, “I won the battle over no man’s land!” Mom also reported that in the middle of the night, that Lindsey with her face inches from Mom’s, murmured, “Please forgive me.” Mom and Lindsey had to share a bed because of the odd sleeping arrangements in this strange house. There is a girls’ bedroom, with two double beds, one for me and Abby, the other for Mom and Lindsey, and a boys’ bedroom, the one with two twin beds foot to foot.
Now that all of us were awake, we soon busied ourselves with showers in our shell-shaped bathtub in our loudly sea-themed bathroom, followed by breakfast in our equally bizarrely decorated dining room. Next, we did our daily quiet times and family devotions. All our morning duties completed, we packed up and walked into the historic old town of Dinkelsbühl. We strolled through Nördlinger Tor (the North Tower) and to the local casino, where our parents went inside to the internet café to attend to several online tasks. However, this casino only allowed those eighteen years of age or older, so that left the four of us children out on the streets. But no fear – we had a plan!
We four adolescents ambled around the corner, further into the town, to the local TI, where we had spent a considerable amount of time yesterday, and used the next half-hour to read emails on the internet at the TI’s laptop. Thirty minutes allotted each youth seven minutes on the computer. Seven minutes times four sessions is 28 minutes, leaving exactly two minutes for logging on and off and switching places. When we were not on the computer, we read our books. Our internet session over, we stayed put, continuing to read, until our parents, finished with their time on the internet, joined us at the TI.
Reuniting, we then embarked on a town walking tour with a map from the TI. First stop was St. George’s Minster, one of the most stunning wide-aisled late Gothic churches in South Germany. A highlight was the stonework in the “pretzel” window in the south choir, donated by the baker’s guild; the stonework was actually shaped like gigantic pretzels! Next, Ben directed us to the town’s almshouses and the Church of the Holy Ghost. The descriptions on Ben’s map were fairly dull. It presented just the boring facts, such as the names of people we didn’t know and the years of construction that didn’t really matter to us, except to tell that these buildings were really old. The third stop on our tour was Rothenburg Gate, dating from around 1390. Its unique construction with its hipped roof and bays demonstrated the significance of Dinkelsbühl’s fortifications.
The time (late morning) warranted a brief snack break of granola bars, under a gazebo in Faulturm und Parkwächterhäuschen, the town’s green park with several duck ponds. Next stop on our tour was the Debtors’ Prison and Park Caretaker’s Lodge. Climbing an ancient-looking wooden staircase we took in Rothenburg Pond and one of the prettiest views in Dinkelsbühl. After this stop on the tour, Abby realized that she had lost her sunglasses, her souvenir from London. She, Lindsey, and Daddy retraced our steps to check our picnic spot for them, while Ben and I took a shortcut through town to search the church we’d visited earlier. Neither of us had any luck, so we returned to the TI and found her beloved British shades right there where she’d left them.
Realizing we were all hot and sticky and hungry, we decided to walk home, have lunch, and take a break from exploring the town before heading out again later. Because we were at home for lunch, we had a few special treats, such as the apricots and nectarines Dad had purchased for us yesterday. Another treat was the chance to have peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey sandwiches. This may not seem special, but it is a very welcome change from cheese, meat, and bread every day for our picnic lunches. Peanut butter, honey, and jelly make for extremely messy and sticky picnic lunches.
We relaxed at home for a while after lunch, because it began raining outside. When the rain subsided, we headed back to the old town to complete our walking tour. However, because we had taken the detour home for lunch, we decided to do the tour in a different order. Tour stop ten was Nördlingen Gate and the Town Mill. Next, we strolled clockwise along the inside of the city walls, past a multitude of watchtowers: Salwartenturm, Krugstrum, Hertelsturm, Hagelturm, Weißer Turm, and finally number nine, the House of the Teutonic Order. Initially dubbed “Twetscher Hof” and located beside the almshouse in 1350, it was moved to its present location in 1390 when the town was extended. Continuing clockwise inside the wall, we passed even more towers (Haymarsturm, Berlinsturm, and Wächtersturm) before reaching number eight, Segringer Tor. This tower had been damaged during the Swedish siege in 1648 and later collapsed, but the Italian architect Antonio Don rebuilt the tower in Baroque style in 1655. We Taylors agreed unanimously, however, that it was not very Baroque-looking at all. Tour stop seven was the Chapel of the Three Kings, a single-story building with pointed arched windows and a hipped roof, now a war memorial chapel.
Next, Ben led us to a Corn Storehouse, now a youth hostel, and stop number six on our tour. A half-timbered building dating back from 1508, it was formerly a corn storehouse before being converted into a youth hostel. One of the sections between the timbers had been opened up to reveal how the spaces were filled in with wattle and daub during construction.
Number five was a second corn storehouse next to the “Old Yard”, a huge half-timbered structure built to be the town’s corn store at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
We had now caught up to where our tour had been abruptly interrupted. There were four stops left. Deftly leading us through the confusing system of medieval cobblestone streets, Ben led us to sight number seventeen, the New Town Hall, built as the residence for Bauer, who served as the town’s postillion, senator, and mayor. Next came number fifteen, the Wine Market, a street of five magnificent gabled buildings dating from around 1600, one of which was decorated with Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. Number sixteen, Hezelhof, was a picturesque inner courtyard from the sixteenth century, lavishly decorated with flowers and vines. The only problem: we couldn’t see it, because it was not open to the public. Our last stop, number fourteen on the seventeen-stop tour, was the Carmel Monastery. St. Paul’s Protestant Church was constructed from 1840 to 1843 in historic style, on the site of the Carmelites’ monastery church. Friars from Würzburg founded the monastery in 1290, but the Protestant community purchased it in 1809. Now, the College of Music uses the church.
Finally finished with our “Tour of the Town”, we wearily walked back to our house and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. We had just arrived at home when it began to rain again. It had been sunny and hot all day while we were outside, exploring the town, but when we were at home, it rained – God’s perfect timing!
While Mom napped and I worked on the computer, the rest of the family had great fun playing Monopoly. This board game, however, was the German version, with all German names, cards, and instructions, and even Deutsche marks for currency! Nevertheless, they bravely persevered through the foreign language barrier and played the game as best they could and enjoyed themselves immensely.
Just before dinner, we heard a knock on the door. Who could it be? It was our laundry service! Our hosts had washed, dried and folded everything. Yay for clean clothes! There was some confusion for a bit. Dad thought they were asking us to pay €40 to cover the cost. Yet when Mom tried to clear up this communication glitch, no mention of payment was made, only that it took four washers and four dryers to get the job done. Our host also came in carrying some cords and switched on the TV in the girls’ bedroom. We watched a bit of a Germany-versus-Ecuador soccer game and later found the Simpsons – in German!
After an afternoon full of fun and relaxation, we sat down to a delicious dinner of chicken marinated in “Mojo Verde” sauce and steamed rice, with a vegetable bowl of cool, fresh cucumbers, peppers, and mushrooms.
For dessert, we crunched stale, hard wafer sandwiches full of airy frosting that tasted a bit like marshmallow cream. Dad and Ben picked these up during our stay in the Mosel Valley, and we joke together that they are cardboard with plastic frosting. Definitely not delectable. However, these not-so-great desserts make us eagerly look forward to tomorrow’s visit to Rothenburg and their local dessert delicacy: snowballs!