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| e-Marginalia
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Issue #19, February 15, 2006 |
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Issue #18, January 15, 2006 |
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Issue #17, December 15, 2005 |
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Issue #16, November 15, 2005 |
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Issue #15, October 21, 2005 |
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Issue #14, September 15, 2005 |
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Issue #13, January 14, 2005 |
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Issue #12, December 14, 2004 |
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Issue #9, September 12, 2004 |
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Issue #8, August 4, 2004 |
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Issue #7, July 7, 2004 |
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Issue #6, June 1, 2004 |
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Issue #5, April 1, 2004 |
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Issue #4, March 1, 2004 |
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Issue #3, February 1, 2004 |
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Issue #2, December 21, 2003 |
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Issue #1, November 21, 2003 |
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 Our vacation more than half over, we needed to start heading back
toward Munich. Our next stop was Rothenburg ob der Tauber, slightly
off the main train line, but we had been told that the storybook
town surrounded by walls and turrets was worth a visit. The tourist
office located a room for us in the town’s center, which we stopped
in only long enough to drop our suitcases and grab extra film.
Locating a sidewalk café for refreshments, we sat and watched as men
dressed in ancient military garb began rolling cannons down the
street. Our server told us there was to be a re-enactment of the
17th century battle against the invading Swedes. Sure enough, as we
sat sipping our beers, cannons were fired back and forth in front of
us.
We strolled the streets with more half-timbered, flower-adorned
buildings than we had previously seen. Each of the establishments
had intricately fashioned brass or gilded signs hanging outside,
lending them old-fashioned charm. The large main square had a clock
tower with closed shutters that opened at the stroke of the hour.
Mechanical figures revealed by the open shutters acted out “Meister
Trunk,” a drinking scene, which depicts the town legend. According
to folklore, the town was saved during the Thirty Years War when its
mayor won a bet by gulping down three liters of wine. Literally
translated, “Meister Trunk” means “master drunk.” That is apparently
Rothenburg’s main claim to fame.
 The next day, a brass band was setting up to play in the main
square. After a hearty German breakfast in our hotel we sat, a small
crowd of us, on the spacious steps of the town hall to listen to
traditional German music. We then walked beyond one of the town’s
towered gates, where we found a pleasant park with good views of the
walled-in town and valley below. There we were entertained by a
violinist, trying to eek out a few euros from the listeners.
Later we visited an interesting toy museum, then returned to the
main square, where we saw that the entertainment had changed. There
was now a trio playing, two having stringed instruments which were
unfamiliar to us, and a xylophonist who was extremely talented. The
music was lively, and the crowd had grown. Suddenly, the musicians
halted. All eyes in the square turned upward to the clock tower to
watch the figures act out their routine; the musicians resumed
playing after the shutters closed. As the day progressed, new
musical groups took over in the square, each placing their
instrument cases open to allow the tourists to throw in a few Euros.
We spent the rest of the day listening to the entertainment in the
square.
 The next morning, we took the train south along the “Romantic Road”
through Western Bavaria. Our destination was Nordlingen, another
attractive walled-in town, but much less touristy. Finding an
inviting bed and breakfast above a restaurant near the town center,
we walked on the old wall surrounding it, reachable by stairways at
its five gates. Around us were panoramic views of the town, with an
occasional glimpse of the surrounding countryside. I was amazed to
see that there were apartments within the walls themselves, and
futilely hoped for a chance to look inside one.
We orientated ourselves by the town’s central 15th century gothic
church, one of the tallest in Germany. The town had a few intriguing
museums which unfortunately were closed on Mondays. But I spent much
of the afternoon exploring shops selling local goods while Fred sat
and people-watched at a sidewalk café.
Late in the afternoon we returned to our hotel room, where the
aromas coming from the restaurant below made it easy to decide where
to eat dinner. We had delicious home-cooked food with a Bavarian
flare. Fred bravely ordered wild boar, the house specialty, while I
stuck to the more conventional roast pork.
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