Weekend Excursions!

A shot of one part of the city, you can see the wall goes all the way around Rothenburg.
main square view in Rothenburg
Rothenburg
One entrance to the walled city of Rothenburg
front door view of a church in Nurnberg
One of the many churches in Nurnberg
Nurnberg streets
Nurnberg
Abby with Mom all happy and awake
Ben with Daddy
Thomas and Ben on the train

We decided it would be fun to celebrate the weekend with an outing to Nurnberg and then on Sunday to Rothenburg. We forgot to remember that yesterday, according to the early Church calender was the first Sunday of Advent. It is a huge thing celebrated in Germany by both Lutherans and Catholics alike. So it is the kick off season to Christmas and all the Christmas Markets around the country are out in full force until the 23rd of December.
KC and I got up early to meet the train in Illesheim with our friends the Pyrtles and head on in. I love the train system in Europe! It was Thomas's first time on a train and he was super excited with it. Ben sat still and really loved to look out the windows. For her part, Abby became a sleeping blob in the sling.
Once we got out into Nurnberg we got to see a few things before the crowd showed up. You could look at thousands of Christmas ornaments, venders from all over were selling their wares. There is a special winter drink called gluwein, a spiced wine that is served every other tent! And then they sold these bratwurst sandwiches. (mmmm-mmmmmm good!) And those smells filled the air and drifted up along the buildings. However it was FREEZING! I mean a biting cold that seeped through every possible spot in your clothes in the cold. It was clear and crisp. After about four hours, we had had enough and got back on our train to go home. Ben's little hands were like ice and I was frozen to the bone. I had everyone in hats and gloves and scarves. But we brought no blankets or anything. Abby was with me in the sling, so she stayed nice and warm. When we got home we checked it out and it had been only 15 degrees out all day. But lets just say that it was beautiful. I actually had to go into a gorgeous church to nurse Abby because it was out of the weather and that in itself was a treat.

On Sunday, I wasn't taking any chances. We decided to go to Rothenburg and visit the walled city. It was just as cold as Saturday, but I dressed the kids (and myself) in double everything. Pants, shirts, socks and then our coats and everyone had hats and gloves and I packed fleece blankets for everyone. I didn't hear them complain once about the cold!
But we got to Rothenburg and enjoyed a spectacular array of shops and places to eat. We ate a small schnitzel shop and then got a few great pictures of the sights. I actually found a beautiful Lutheran church and wanted to go inside, but they were having mass so I am saving it for another day. The shops ranged from pottery, to hats to nothing but Christmas to fantasy stuff like swords and hobby shops for dollhouses and whatnot. But these old Bavarian cities are so beautiful to look at. I could spend a month in either city we visited and not see it all! There were a bunch of museums that rest assured, we will be visiting, especially when we can find a reliable sitter! Thomas had a good time but I know he can't appreciate what he is looking at! Every time he says he is bored or he wants to go back to the hotel (yes, we are still trying to hash out this housing mess), I just want to smack him in the head and say "Boy, you are seeing stuff I have been dreaming about and studying for nearly 30 years!"
But I hope someday he will appreciate all the hustle and bustle we are doing to see things with the whole family. Trust me when I say it is all worth it!