Marriage Carousel, Paussau or Bust, Another Late Train (Nuremberg, Germany)

Last Meal in Nuremberg

The family doesn’t leave until early evening and my train to Passau leaves at 14:00ish so we head off in search of the Marriage Fountain.  It’s actually called the Marriage Carousel or Ehekarussell in German.  This amazing piece was created by Jurgen Weber and erected in 1984.  It refers to a poem by Hans Sachs entitled ‘Bitter-Sweet Married Life’.  I spent 30 minutes walking around this fascinating piece checking out all the incredible details.  If you like sculptures then I would hunt this one down while in Nuremberg.  

Marriage Carousel

Marriage Carousel

ICE Goodies

Kissed the family goodbye until the next port and heading out on my five-minute walk to the train station.  As it turns out my train is running 40 minutes late.  The ICE staff brought us poor waiting souls water and popsicles to tide us over.  It did the trick.  I was so happy with my goodies on this hot day that I didn’t care my train was late.

The passing landscape was a combination of forests, countryside and small towns.  Well worth the four Euro extra for an assigned seat next to a window. 

Arrived in Passau an hour late and the taxi stand had more people than taxis.  It took about 15 minutes to grab one and as it turned out the couple waiting next to me were also going to the Hotel Wilder Mann…. love when you can share a cab.

Arrived at the Wilder Mann in less than 10 minutes.  Most things in the tiny town are moments away.  Just that short trip and the brief moment out of the cab I can tell Passau is a very special place.  Picture perfect at every turn. 

The Hotel Wilder Mann shares space with the Glass Museum, which adds to its castle like feel.  The hotel is very quaint.  My single room is on the fourth floor and up the cement-winding staircase I go.  It is a bit of a maze trying to get around this hotel, which I adore.  My room is very small but super adorable with a big window and decent bathroom.  It feels very ‘Passauie’ in this room.  Like the others the breakfast is included and I can’t wait to see what it’s like. 

One additional thing I noticed off the bat about this hotel and will see all over the city in days to come is the extensive flood damage sustained just months ago.  It was the worst in History, which dates back to the 1500 round these parts.

It’s getting late so I head out in search of dinner after a long walk along the waterfront.  The whitewashed buildings with pastel trim are absolutely adorable.  I want to decorate my next place like Passau feels.  I stop at a restaurant on the water for dinner.  Pork schnitzel for me and of courses a good sturdy German beer.  My extremely tall, blond server was particularly nice.  A thing I never knew back home is that schnitzel should be doused in with a good squeeze of a lemon to set off the flavors.  Delish!  (10.8 Euro)

Enjoyed the rest of my beer as the sunset and headed back to my cozy room for a good but hot nights sleep.

Train Tickets, Ice Cream, Music Fest, and Scary Dungeons (Nuremberg, Germany)

My sister Mayah and I got up earlier than everyone and after the two of use ate breakfast we went to the train station to get my ticket to Passau and ice cream to boot. 

Nuremberg on a Saturday at the height of summer with a music festival going on is a wickedly packed place.  Oh the people watching that will be done today.   By the way, what up with wearing back pantyhose when it is nearly 100 degrees out…why are we wearing cloths at all?

Mom was doing a little shopping so the rest of us decided to grab a bite to eat at the concessions for the music festival.  Meika was in heaven because we found a noodle and rice vendor.  Yummers…. would rather do sausage but noodles good too. 

Next stop was the dungeons.  We waited 30 minutes for the tour in German to begin.  All of five minutes down the tunnels both the girls freaked out, next thing we are back outside.  Oh well.

Spent the rest of the day people watching in cafes, playing in water fountain and drinking wine…beginning to think this is the good life.   I leave the family tomorrow for Passau and if all goes well I will see them there before I head to Vienna.  They board their 8-day Viking Cruise along the Rhine tomorrow and I plan to stalk them at every port in-between here and Budapest.

Stellar Breakfast, 2-Headed Baby Doll, Dead Rabbit Sculpture, More Tasty Eats (Nuremberg, Germany)

Lunch on Tiergartnertorplatz

The breakfast at Hotel Victoria was stellar.  The breakfast room has high ceilings and huge picture windows, which make it light and inviting.  You can also choose to sit outside if you can find an empty table.  There were many delicious choices including eggs, bacon, many breads, vegetables, fruits, several flavors of yogurt and cereals, juices and as always many cold cuts and cheeses.  I stuck with a pot of coffee but mom opted for a cappuccino.  This is the kind of breakfast I need to have everyday. 

Two Headed Doll at Toy Museum

First stop is to the Toy Museum.  It is three floors of antique and modern toys.  It houses a large doll collection, which totally wigged me out.  I have always hated dolls as I did and still see them as tiny, demon transmitting vessels from hell.  My fear of dolls was only amplified by this place.  There was a two-headed doll and also one that was positioned to crawl like a crab with belly to the air.  That is only the two most terrorizing, believe me there were more. 

Off to the Castle we go.  There is lots of cool castly things in the museum…. medieval weapons, armor, and other knights in shinning armor stuff.  We also went to the top of the tower, which gave fantastic views of the city. 

Another crappy history lesson:

There is a record of a castle at this location as early as 1105 and King Conrad III had a second built on the site in 1140.  In the 13^th Century Nuremberg became an Imperial Free City thus becoming the care of the city.  During WWII the castle was sadly damaged and only the Roman Double Chapel and Sinwell Tower survived.  It was restored after the war.

Durer Hare

We now head off along the numerous cobble-stoned streets that line the old city in search of the Dead Rabbit sculpture.  The sculpture is actually called Durer Hare and has sat in Tiergartnertorplatz since 1984.  It is a bronze and done by sculpture Jurgen Goertz.  Durer Hare is an odd little dude but very much worth a must see in my book.

We finally stumbled upon the Rabbit accidentally.  We were hungry and stopped to eat on Tiergartnertoplatz but there was some roadwork or cobblestone work being done and didn’t see it until the work truck moved and Little Dead Dude was reveled.

Nuremberg Castle

For lunch I had boiled sausage again…. can’t get enough of it.  Mom had potato pancakes with delicious applesauce.  Seriously why is the food so good here?

Mustn’t forget that it is ridiculously hot here right now.  Back at the hotel we had drinks and let the girls place in the fountain to cool off.   The play lasted only a few minutes before all were back at the table as Meika had kept her flip-flops on and taken a mighty spill.  She didn’t even cry and the cut was a good one, on the verge of needing stitches.  Cortney, the good little nurse, took perfect care of the injury and brave little Meika was good to go.  Her knee will bother her a bit the next few days but healed up well.

There was a major music festival going on and it was almost impossible to find food in the evening.  Germans do know how to have a good time that is for sure.  In the end we went back to our Lederhosen wearing server for dinner. Cortney and I split that beautiful salad again and a pork wiener schnitzel.  Once again a brilliant meal. 

View from the Castle

 

Freak Flip Flop Fountain Injury

Trains, Family Reunion, Tasty Sausage, Lederhosen, and a Crappy History Lesson (Nuremberg, Germany)

Window Seat view, very sad!

The train ICE 27 to Nuremberg took 4 ½ hours and cost 86 Euro.  I do enjoy a good train ride but I reserved a window seat and got a wall (I will remember to double check the position of my window seat next time). 

I will meet The Family at the train station as the Frankfurt train arrives around the same time I do….well I assume anyway since we gave each other ISH times for our arrivals.  

 About two hours into the trip my train made a stop in Frankfurt and what to my wandering eyes did appear but two super cute Chinese girls heading towards the back of the train.  I sent mom a text and yes that was my beautiful little sisters I saw....we were on the same train.  Maybe because we have met up with each other so many times in the past we didn’t bother to find each other for the next two hours of the trip.  I mean, I did just see then four days ago in Colorado. 

The Family

Looks like a long trip for Cort so far!

When we got off I headed to the first class car and met up with My People.  Even though only a few days had passed since I left the States it was still cool to meet them there.  The hotel was just across from the train station in the old historic part of town.   I do love when you can walk to your hotel from the train.

Hotel Victoria is absolutely lovely but a bit too modern on the inside for my taste.  They do go a bit overboard with the orange color scheme but it rocks for comfort and amenities.  We have a family room, which has a double bed, two twins and they added a cot for little old late add-on me.  It is huge and there is  a massive balcony overlooking a square with a very active water fountain that kids can play in.  The bathtub is extra deep and right out in the open so if you want to take a bath all in the room will see you.  The shower is off set but no door so if someone in tub or at the sink they too would get a nice view of your bits and pieces. There is also a huge deck overlooking the square complete with tables and umbrella.  Can't wait to check out the included breakfast tomorrow.

It is insanely hot in Germany and most of Europe right now.  It would normally be in high 70-s-low or 80’s but it is in the high 90’s.  The fact that very few hotels in Europe have ac doesn’t help matters but luckily mom had requested extra fans.

After catching up and chilling for a bit we decided to wander the city a bit and grab a bite to eat.  Nuremberg is a beautiful, history city made famous throughout the world for the Nazi Occupation and the Nuremberg Trails. 

the deck at Hotel Victoria

Insanely quick Nuremberg history lesson skipping 80 % of it’s past:

Nuremberg is situated in the German State of Bavaria and lies on the Pengnitz and Rhine rivers.  Nuremberg played a major role during the Nazi Germany era.  Due to it’s relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and it’s central location the Nazi Party choose it as the site of the massive Nazi Part conventions also know as The Nuremberg Rallies.

It was also an important site for military production.  There was major devastation to the city during the war years. 

Nuremberg is probably best known for the Nuremberg Trails between 1945-1946 when German officials involved in the Holocaust and other war crimes were brought to trail before an international tribunal.  The Soviet Union wanted the trails to be held in Berlin but Nuremberg was chosen instead for several   Firstly, it’s location of the Nazi Party’s Nuremberg Rallies where laws that stripped Jews of their citizenship where passed.  Secondly because the Palace of Justice was very big and undamaged fro the war.  Lastly a compromised was made and Berlin would be the seat of International Military Tribunals. 

reasons.

Told ya, crazy quick history leaving out most of Nuremberg’s history.  Wikipedia is a good source for more basic information.

Anyway back to our first half-day.  As you know from my terrible history lesson most of the city was destroyed during the war but a massive effort was made to restore it to its former glory.  It is a beautiful city and we all enjoyed walking around even the touristy bits. 

Steak dinner

Found a cute cobblestone area with shops and restaurants geared to tourist but still wonderfully charming just around the corner from the hotel.  We sat at at a picnic like table at one of the traditional German eateries.  I had boiled Nuremberg Style Sausage with boiled onions and my sister Cortney got the grilled version with sauerkraut so we could share.  It was served with pretzel bread and mustard and a beautiful salad.  This was all served by a straight out of Sound of Music, lederhosen wearing server.  It was so crazy good that I would crave and eat it again before my departure.  From what I gather the Nuremberg style is small sausage the size of a Jimmy Dean at home.  You order then in 6 or 12’s.  My tummy is sooo happy right now especially since we washed it all down with a local beer.

Nuremberg Sagauge

What a great day.