Hamburg! What a great town!

Over the MLK, Jr. holiday, we took a train up to Hamburg.  This was our third visit to the city and we've concluded that this is a great place, even in the middle of winter.  It's windy and cold, but seeing the ships docked and knowing the North Sea is so close just makes it fun.  Hamburgers seem to be a special kind of people, fiercely independent and full of fun.

A perfect example of this spirit is the Sunday morning "Fish Market" down by the wharf.  This market is open every Sunday morning from 7:30-10:30am in the winter and from 5:00am in the summer.  Of course, there's fresh fish for sale from the local vendors.  But there's also vegetable sellers and sellers of all kinds of stuff.  And, of course there's live music inside the pavilion with early morning beer flowing.  Some of the folks are still in full swing from Saturday night, having migrated over to the market from nearby Reeperbahn, the hub of Hamburg nighttime entertainment.

And then there's "Miniature Wonderland", the most amazing computer-controlled display of model trains, ships and vehicles ever.  They even have a miniature airport with airplanes taking off and landing.  Pretty amazing stuff.

We were even able to find a SriLankan restaurant on Sunday!  Wow! We're looking forward to coming back to Hamburg later this year.

Next weekend we're off to Luxembourg!  Stay tuned.

Sunday Morning in Biebrich

We are so fortunate to have our own neighborhood palace within a 30 minute walk from our home in Wiesbaden.  This is the Biebrich Schloss or Palace and its construction began in 1688, when Count Georg August Samuel of Nassau-Idstein, apparently wanted a bit grander chateau overlooking the Rhine than his other palace in Idstein.  It was completed in 1702 and Prince Karl von Nassau-Usingen took over in 1734 ,and expanded it.  Unfortunately, it was heavily damaged by bombing in WW II, but since has been restored and now belongs to the state government of Hesse.  In any case, it's a wonderful place to enjoy a cappuccino on a crisp winter Sunday morning.  The view overlooking the river traffic on the Rhine is beautiful.

Schwetzingen: Asparagus and Schloss

Schwetzingen is famous for two things: its asparagus and its Schloss.  Other towns, like nearby Bruchsal, may boast of being #1 in asparagus production but Schwetzingen certainly has the bigger asparagus festival, held every May.  The artwork shown here is in the plaza directly from Schwetzingen's Schloss. It features a hardworking asparagus lady sorting and preparing the wonderful "spargel" or white asparagus that this region, north of Stuttgart, is famous for.

Once you've had your fill of asparagus, it's time to visit the Schloss, former summer home of the Carl Theodore, one of the Prince Electors of the Holy Roman Empire, who lived here in the late 1700's.

The Schloss itself isn't all that impressive by the standards of that time.  It's more of a "hunting lodge" than palace.  But the gardens and surrounding grounds are incredible.  I visited on a January morning so the gardens weren't in their full glory.  But the lakes and structures, even in winter, were beautiful.

One of the quirky structures on the grounds is a decorative mosque, built in the "Turkish style" that was popular at the time this was built, 1779-1791.

Statue of Three Kings in downtown Schwetzingen

First trip of 2014: Regensburg

Imperial Crest

The Diet Chamber

This weekend we went to the Bavarian city of Regensburg.  Regensburg is often overlooked in guidebooks or little attention is given to it.  That's a shame because this medieval town is one of the few of its size in Germany that escaped bombing in WWII.  The result is an interesting combination of modern structures and the original buildings that once played an important part in German history.  The Diet of the Holy Roman Empire met in the Rathaus, shown here, from 1663 to 1806 and its interior remains almost exactly the same as it was then.

The Rathaus

When the Emperor was unable to preside over the Diet for some reason, the prince of Thurn and Taxis took over.  The Turn and Taxis family is one of the wealthiest in Germany and their palace still operates from its location on the edge of town.  The current prince, who is 30, still lives with his family in the castle.  Unfortunately, he didn't know Tanya and I were in town so we were unable to share a brew with him.

The family still operates a brewery on the grounds, although it was sold to Paulaner a few years ago.

Another great place to visit is the St. Katharinenspital (St. Katharine's Hospital) on the north bank of the Danube in Regensburg.  There's a brewery on the grounds of the former hospital and they've been brewing Spital beer since 1226.  Money from the brewery and restaurant/pub help fund the operation of the complex which now serves as a home for the elderly.  Another great living possibility for Tanya and me when we get old and infirm.

The Stone Bridge, built between 1135 and 1146 still stands.  It was used by the Knights of the 2nd and 3rd Crusades to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land.

And, of course, what would any self-respecting medieval city be without a cathedral.  Regensburg's only took about 600 years to complete.  Construction started in 1275 and it was finally completed in 1869.  But it is stupendous and the silver altar, built between 1695-1785 is truly amazing.