St. Jakob's Church, built 1311 to 1484
What goes up must come down and soon we were back on the streets
Our early evening meal that first day was in a restaurant we have always returned to. It was just across the street from our hotel and served in a beautiful walled-in garden. Much to my regret I only took video there, not photographs to share with you. We love to eat outdoors in good weather and a quiet garden (except for the music from a nearby blackbird) was ideal as was the food- veal schnitzels with boiled parsley potatoes (petersilienkartoffeln) and German beer. We like simple food and in Germany that's what you get, but always beautifully cooked. Service is always good too as German waiters are professionals and take pride in their job. We always eat well in Germany!
The restaurant is called the Meistertrunk should you want to visit.
As the day visitors began to leave to return to their distant hotels we strolled back to the town square.
We sat at a cafe drinking espresso when I heard a man talking loudly in the center of the square. Looking up I noticed a familiar figure from the Rick Steves program that brought us here to see Rothenburg- it was the Night Watchman.
A crowd began to form-each one will have to pay a tour fee to join him on his evening walk
He may have 100 people by now.....
The majority of them would follow him on his tour of the quiet backstreets and it would be dark during the latter part of it. He's a very good speaker (in English) and witty too.
Those that didn't join the tour stayed behind in the square with us as we were waiting to see the kitschy mechanical reenactment of the Meistertrank on the town clock. Legend has it that during the 30 Years War the town was being besieged by Catholics and the besiegers said they would call it off if someone from the town could beat their champion wine drinker. The combatants appear in two windows which open up by the clock face....they tip their flagons of wine and begin chugging it down.....tense! exciting! Who will win??
The wine-guzzling Mayor of Rothenburg wins!! (window on the right if you are someone who likes to place bets). Siege called off!! Hooray!!
Once darkness comes it's time to enjoy a drink in a cosy tavern or outside on the cobbles in the warm night air. We would stroll the dimly-lit streets on our way back to the hotel stopping for a while by St Jakob's church where the ethereal voices of the choir practicing wafted through an open window. We would visit it tomorrow.
Back in the room in the Burg Hotel we opened the windows-something we wouldn't do back in the USA in warm weather without screens on the windows to keep the big flying insects out. No flying pests here nor any fear of being burgled. Just a quiet night in Rothenburg.
A good night's sleep was guaranteed.
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