Susan Lynn – Page 5 – Susan's Point

26 August 2008

Plans changed. Sean decided to skip Berlin so we went to Munich instead. Sean got grumpy again at trying to find a room. Finally, we sat in a covered loading area so I could call close ones listed in the guidebook. The first one had a room. I slept. Sean took a walk wanting to find convenience stores, police, and other stuff. When he got back, we slept. We did nothing until 9:00pm.

He told me that we were not in a good part of town and that I was not to go out alone after dark. Imagine a boy telling his mother not to go out.

We went to eat, then walked his figure eight. There were many women out alone and many families out with children. There were some older children out alone. I figured it couldn’t be too unsafe with all the children out and about. But there were casinos and strip clubs all over the place. I know that nudity is not a big deal here but something seems wrong about having families with young children passing by posters advertising strip clubs. That bothers me more than the prospect of seeing nude sunbathers in the park. Maybe I’ll like Olde Town better – the Marienplatz, museums, churches, etc. I guess my mid-western United States Bible belt Christian side is showing.

We came back to the hotel and Sean plugged himself in to his iPod. He does that a lot. His idea of a vacation is to go plant himself in one spot, enjoy the sites, sounds, and attractions of that one spot for an extended period of time instead of moving from place to place every day. If I am going to be in a foreign country, I want to see everything I can cram in the time allotted.

He went out walking again and I sat down to catch up on my journal. I met an elderly couple from Vancouver, British Columbia, and heard a trumpet and a screaming child with lots of banging. Could not hear any of the sounds when I went out into the hall.

I think of showering. Maybe he will be back by the time I’m done… but he won’t be able to get in… hmmm.

*Note 5 March 2015 I didn’t take any pictures that day and I should have. Even though I may have been uncomfortable, the mundane of the cultures make the most interesting pictures. I especially should have photographed the cherubs in our hotel. I didn’t mention the cherubs. There were five pictures on the walls of cherubs with rolls of gobby fat, just a little creepy.

Arrived in Rothemburg ab der Tauber on Sunday, 24 August. Sean insisted on carrying my suitcase on his back because he doesn’t like the noise of the wheels over the cobblestones. He got tired of carrying it and said it smells. We should get a new one and throw this one away.

We have trouble finding a place to stay but settled on another nice mid-range B&B.

We separated to meet back at the room at 6:00pm. Sean had my camera! I took my guidebook pages and took the self-guided walk but came back at 5:00 and napped. I was frustrated without my camera. Sean showed up at 6:00 so I went out and around again taking pictures. We were supposed to meet back up for an eight o’clock tour but I got lost. I did find a bag store. No one was at the church for the tour when I got there so I guess I missed it.

Sean was still asleep and I crashed too. Aaahhhh, twelve to thirteen hours sleep.

On Monday, we would split up again.
There are two things I love about Europe (at least where I have been in Europe), the earth-friendliness and the easy, quick, and painless public transportation. It doesn’t matter whether we’re going by train, bus, or cab. In Oklahoma, buying a train or bus ticket is almost as monumental as an international airline ticket. Plans must be made in advance. Here, we just look at the schedules posted at any stop, purchase a ticket from a machine or the driver, and get on. I love it!

25 August 2008

I got out before the town was up and going. I saw St. Jakob’s church and the Reichsstadtmuseum. I paid three euro extra for the privilege of taking any pictures I wanted of the exhibits. Any time museums let me take pictures, it’s a wonder.

I saw museum and church, Sean saw stores. He shopped and wandered. We did laundry and wonder of wonders, after laundry, I actually found the bag store I had passed yesterday while lost, and another wonder, they had a suitable backpack. We shipped home two bags and some gifts.

We took the Night Watchman’s tour. He was funny. I bought the video. Can’t find it now though.

It was fun being out in the town at night. The day bus tourists had left but the stores were still open.

**notes added 20 February 2015

While Freiburg had an earth-friendly atmosphere, Rothemburg felt like a theme park. It is still set up much as it was in the fifteenth century. There are few cars and we rarely saw them driving. They have a parking lot outside the town walls. You can see the metal work where one of the old town gate used to be, along with the little door that the gatekeeper could open to see who wanted to enter the town after hours. I found the ugly face with a large hole for a mouth interesting. They would pour hot liquid out of it down on their enemies who were trying to force their way in.