We were early on the road this morning, gliding through the German countryside, learning about the different regions from Joachim. He is a font of information. I know we were listening, then we were sleeping. There is a lot of crud going around – Keith woke up coughing and coughing and is just not feeling well today at all. So far, no one else has had a positive covid test since our group leader, but it doesn’t mean you feel healthy just because you don’t have covid. There still are other diseases.
Taking pictures out of a bus window is never a way to get a great picture, but it doesn’t stop any of us from trying. The very, very best times are when we end up with a picture of a tree that jumped out just at the wrong time. It doesn’t help at ALL when someone starts “helping” by saying, “now….now…..now…take it….now”. You are guaranteed to get a tree if you click on “now”.
Our first stop was Heidelberg. We had a couple hours to wander around this pretty river town and find ourselves lunch. What we couldn’t find was a public restroom. They had maps in several locations that indicated where restrooms were, but try as we might, we couldn’t find one.
As we were running out of time to find lunch (and restroom!), we walked by frittenwerk – a poutine restaurant. Jenny and I zoomed to the restroom inside while Keith ordered. After we ate, Keith tried to use the restroom but needed a code from his receipt to get in. His code was in the garbage by then. I don’t even know how I got in earlier (although I did hold the door for Jenny, so I know how she got in).
There was a partially destroyed (by the French) castle up on the hill. It is still used (for what? I don’t know…I wasn’t listening very well) but has some missing walls and ceilings. It looked cool. I don’t know how to get up there. I would have gone if there was an escalator.
We mostly just walked up and down the streets and window shopped. Stores are not open on Sunday in Germany (well, in Heidelberg, Bad Kreuznach, and Berlin – the three towns I have been in on Sundays this trip) (I am assuming we didn’t get so unlucky as to hit the only three town with Sunday closures in all of Germany). I decided I wanted to buy rocks on a stick. Rocks are probably a bad idea for packing in a suitcase, so I abandoned the idea. Now I want to find rocks and put them on a stick. I probably won’t. But I want to right now.
I think this is a dragon fountain. No one who was with me agreed. They just looked at me funny. How is it not a dragon?
Next we arrived in the spa town of Bad Kreuznach. The band played a concert in the park adjacent to our hotel. The chairs were all set up, with the band facing the hotel. The people were seated in chairs next to the band, and in the park – which was behind the band. With less than five minutes before the downbeat, they decided to reverse. It was pretty comical to see them scurrying to change directions. Keith certainly won, because he would have been in the hot sun on a 93degree day and ended up under the trees. I couldn’t see him much, but before the concert he leaned over and peeked at me.
I stayed in our third floor (no air conditioning) room and listened from my comfy chair. I was working on organizing packing, as tomorrow is the last day of the band tour and the evening will be very busy. Other hanger-on-ers were on the balcony below me. I was waving out the window, because a window without a screen is so fun. Buggy, but special. I was encouraged to put on my crown. Apparently, Sally put the picture on Facebook and at dinner someone told me that that should be the picture that gets blown up and put on an easel at my funeral. Somebody make a note of that.
Dinner was a lovely buffet at the hotel. CARBS!
Several people got up and said happy things about the trip and happy things about the people and happy things about music. Joachim got up and said we were terrific – REALLY – and he is so glad to be back to tour guiding after being shut out of his job (he did work construction, but also keeps saying he just laid on the couch. He never stops moving now, so I find it highly unlikely) for two years. The suggestion was made that we do these trips every two years, and we told Joachim that he needed to pencil us in.
As with each and every place we have had a group dinner, paying for our drinks took a looooooooooong time. I’m not sure what our waiters do when we are not here, but I really can’t imagine that they are waiters. We have not had a meal that the six or eight people at a table actually got their drinks in fewer than 4 tries, and paying taking at least half an hour. I will also mention that our sodas always cost more than the giant beers.
Our room is unpleasantly hot. We missed out on getting a fan tonight – they were out by the time we asked. We tried keeping the hall door open as well as the window, but couldn’t catch a breeze. I am sad to say that we have been the whiniest people on the trip – nothing to be proud of. Keith took all the cold drugs and is sleeping already, which is terrific. I am trying to get a whiff of internet to be able to add pictures to this, but it doesn’t look promising. I’ve waited about half an hour and nothing has happened, so this might be a pictureless day.
Keith woke up and fixed the computer, so you have pictures. Yay.
Worth a return trip to Heidelberg someday to see the castle and the “world’s largest beer keg.” We really like that town – it’s really a university town more than anything else, and it has a long history as such. Unless something has changed, the Germans decided a long time ago that almost everybody should have Sundays off. They get it that people DO need to eat and buy petrol – but they think it’s a good idea for everybody to go to a park, go to the lake, play cards – anything but work. Even the “necessary” folks who work on Sundays don’t work EVERY Sunday. Further, in Bavaria they have more “official” holidays than any other country/province anywhere. It’s a good excuse to drink beer – which really IS cheaper than soda pretty much everywhere. Hope the next trip is fun – heck it will be fun just to find out where it’s going to take you!
I know it means “bath,”as in spa, but my first reaction to names like Bad Kreuznach is always, “What makes it bad? Is there a Good Kreuznach?” (And then, of course, “What’s a Kreuznach?”
Rocks on a stick–the stone age equivalent of s’mores?
I see the dragon! I might not if you hadn’t said, but I definitely see him now.
Thanks for all the great pictures and fun commentary! I hope you have/had an easy, uneventful trip home.
If you translate Kreuznach into English it gives you Kreuznach. HELPFUL! I do know kreuz is cross and nach is after – but you know that too. I do always think the same thing as you said – where is the good, and what is it anyway.
TOTALLY reminded me of s’mores. I can make my own, but they are not gonna have those s’mores rocks
Definitely a dragon. Thanks for the support
Didn’t go home 😁 We woke up this morning and I asked what day it is. Keith said Thursday and he said, ” three more days of hell”, as I was thinking it. Then we laughed a lot
I studied the receipt in the picture of Keith’s currywurst poutine really hard, looking for the bathroom code. Not that it would help now, but still…
OMG that is brilliant. We did find a restroom on our way to meet the group – without looking. Just walking along and there it was
Loved the idea of rocks on a stick. You may well see them in my garden on your next visit to Wales… 😃
If I make some for myself, I could make some for you…but mailing rocks seems like as bad of an idea as putting them in your suitcase 🤣