How is it that I’ve been to Rothenburg 3 times in the past 4
years but haven’t written a post about it? Another time as a kid, but no digital
photos in the olden days. The first time in Rothenburg we were on the way “home”
from Vienna, and stayed for one night. We walked around the following morning,
then completed the drive to Kaiserslautern. Last year I attended a women’s
Bible study retreat, and didn’t take many photos, though the experience was
wonderful.
This year I returned for the same retreat, and participated
in a guided city tour. Learned some new things, so the tour was worth it
despite the SNOW in May. There were tons of tourists (ourselves excluded, since
we live in Germany) all 3 times, so Rothenburg is absolutely a popular place to
visit. The typical cobblestone paths are surrounded by walls you can climb on and
walk along.
There are still some hotels with antique features, and a
good German common-sense umbrella holder in the room!
Restaurant food is standard German fare; plenty of shops are filled with toys, books, clothes, Christmas ornaments, and souvenirs. I didn’t
care for the “snowball” desserts, so cannot recommend them.
The cathedral is beautiful, and I’m glad that I participated
in a daytime tour. Just keep exploring the little alleys and make interesting
discoveries as you stroll around.
Sometimes things aren’t too exciting, and that’s ok! I’ve written
about an ordinary week last year, as well as the year before. This week I went
to a bulk food health store in downtown Stuttgart, and look forward to going
again! Check out these gorgeous (well, to me!) Portobello mushrooms
It’s asparagus and strawberry season here, and people just
LOOOOVE their white asparagus. It’s like in Forest Gump: asparagus with hollandaise
sauce, asparagus with ham, asparagus with potatoes and on and on. I just
LOOOOVE green asparagus and was happy to find an assortment of fresh fruits and
veggies at the bulk food store.
Earlier in the week, I got 500 grams (a decent sized
container) of local strawberries for $1! Anyway, you can either bring your own
containers or buy reusable containers to buy your bulk products. A scale weighs
your empty container and spits out a small sticker so you only pay for the food
items when it is weighed upon purchase, not the weight of the container.
I got dried peas, roasted peanuts, almond flour, and several
other items. Parking is tough on Saturdays, but allegedly better during the
week, and public transportation is always an option! Schuettgut will see me again soon- this is not a sponsored post (I wish)!
In other news, handbell choir is done for the season. I ended up being the director this spring, after the previous director got very short notice orders to move. Bible
study is coming to an end, and travel season will soon be here. Yoga will be on
break, though thankfully German choir keeps going until after the summer
concert. Thinking of trying new things, like the swimming hall nearby, which
has a large outdoor summer splash park attached.
The "pick your own flowers" stands are in full swing. Daffodils are gone, and tulips are blooming nicely. Peonies are already growing. The honor system seems to work ok: a sign lists the price per stem, and you put your money into the cement-encased lock box.
Another stunning museum (see part 1 for the first one) includes the Dead Sea Scrolls! We
highly recommend the Israel Museum for its comprehensive sections of Judaica,
art, special displays (in this case, a history of clothing in Israel), and
sculpture gardens. It was amazing to see fragments of the book of Isaiah!
Please note that the Sabbath is taken very seriously in Jerusalem. While the
museum was open on Saturday, several restaurants within the museum were closed.
The remaining open snack bar had a minimal selection of pre-packaged foods and
the small space was stuffed full of hungry museum goers.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is ostentatious and
crowded. In the lower sub-basement, a calm and simple Chapel is a relief. In
contrast, another possible location of the burial and resurrection is “The
Garden Tomb” outside the Damascus gate. No admission is charged to this serene
location with volunteer guides.
The Mount of Olives provides an amazing view over Jerusalem. We went through several massive stone gates to enter and exit the city: Jaffa, Zion, Damascus, and Dung.
Please beware of restaurants that don’t include prices on
the menu. Do NOT think, “well, how bad can it be?” The answer is: really bad.
All other dining experiences were great. The fresh hummus, pita bread and
falafel were fantastic, as well as salads, seafood, pasta, and risotto at
various restaurants.
We did not have the opportunity to bargain at the huge market, Mahane Yehuda, because SOMEONE immediately agreed to pay the quoted price for some delicious scoops of granola and tea. So don't take it from me, but it may be possible to negotiate down a bit. Thankfully, our tour guide said he pays the same amount, so we didn't feel too ripped off after that! Where is your favorite place in Israel?
