6.6.09 Stuttgart to Rothenburg ob der Tauber with the Crisps!

6.6.09    Stuttgart to Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Terrific day!  We accomplished three goals:  Parts from the Hymer RV store, the Porsche Museum, and the medieval town of Rothenburg! 

I could not overstate the kindness of Carol and Steve – they are just the nicest, more easygoing, intelligent, interesting, wonderful people you could ever meet.  Alli, their daughter, is visiting from her college in Hawaii- she is also delightful, fun, well-traveled, multi-lingual, and obviously intelligent given her college location.  We think God is blessing us with the NICEST people on this trip to teach us to be better people ourselves- He has certainly picked some doozies! 

And did I mention that Carol made a plate of the best chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever eaten and got German chocolate and candies for the kids?  I won’t go on about her skills as a Master Gardener, chef, embroiderer, quilter and traveler extraordinaire.  Or brag endlessly about Steve being a super-smart missile specialist, photographer, marathon runner, Lazy Daze RV expert (even long before he owned one).  And wouldn’t you know their son’s job title is “Genius” at an Apple Store.  I’ll tell ya, if my next career as a pottery artist doesn’t work out, I want that job title- Ha!  Anyway, we just adore them.

So Carol and Steve escorted us to the Hymer store for a few little parts for Sugar- we would never have found it on our own.  We got some plastic pieces, springs, ties – if you have a motorhome, you know all the little things that seem to go and I don’t want to return Sugar with a list.  So that was a relief to take care of Sugar’s needs.

Then for Charles’ sake in particular, we all went to the new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, which was a very cool building and it was exciting to see all the models, including the tractor!  I thought, “Now there’s a Porsche my Dad would like!”  Haha!  There were many Porsches that Ned and Bob S. would love and so I took many pictures to share  (8E per person and kids 14 and under are free, audioguides in English are free).

Then we drove a couple hours up the road to the remarkable, quaint town of Rothenburg.  Can I describe how pretty the entire town was?  It had red-tiled roofs, gothic churches, cobblestone streets, flowerboxes and planters, timbered buildings, and water fountains from a thousand years ago!  We walked along the fortification wall, through the garrisoned areas, up dark stairs, under arched ancient city wall doorways, and into the large town square as a horse-drawn carriage passed by.  Steve and Lia climbed to the top of a tall tower and waved down- taking gorgeous pictures!.

We ate schneeballs and schnitzel and drank schobel.  Did I spell those right?  Round balls of fried dough covered with chocolate, sugar, or cinnamon; delicious sausages in baguette-like buns; and an orange drink!  Then we staggered around and sent the Crisps on to a real dinner- they had more moderation than we did! 

we found parking- there was a sign as we entered that showed bus and RV parking lots, so Steve led us there.  Guess what?  It is an Aire (RV overnight parking) for just 10E for 24 hours (can stay up to 48 hours for 20E)! 

This parking area, with grass between diamond pavers and some nice trees, also offers electric -.50E (half a Euro) get us 1 KW of electric.  We don’t know how much that’s worth, but we have charged computers and batteries, heated dinner in the microwave, and are cooling the refrigerator and still have time left on the digital meter for our plug.  A service point kiosk is also here for adding water (1E for 80-100 liters), and emptying grey tank and the chemical toilet (free).  A little restroom house nearby (no showers) is clean too. 

Obviously, Rothenburg recognizes the value of motorhoming tourists!. It must be the most popular campground in town- there are about 35 rigs in this lot- and there’s an adjoining lot with equal space.  While I’m vexed that I did not buy the German Aires (Stellplatz) book before this trip, I’m happy that Steve and Carol helped us find this one!

We are now on the “Romantic Road!”  It is the number one tourist drive in Germany, through the area called Bavaria, which is the southeast section of Germany.  The route is filled with picturesque villages, castles, and sights. 

The Bohen’s Bavaria book has come in extremely handy!  I think we have used nearly every one of the 30 or so books that they let us borrow- what a huge benefit in the RV exchange!  Without guide books, we are lost.  But now we have all these great guidebooks, language dictionaries, driving maps, and RV campground books! 

We plan to again walk the 50 yards into the old town in the morning (this parking area is SO very convenient!) for a self-walking tour of the town.  We bought a little book that shares the entire history- it makes the town come alive! 

I think it is better to choose just a few places and dive in than to drive past or through them all.  This is hard to admit on an “overview tour.”  There’s a careful balance. 

Without reading the guide books or getting the background info on a place, it really is only surface architecture.  So we need time to read and learn.  So I’m resigning to the fact that we can’t see it all- and I’m scheming to return later with Ned. 

Europe is a wonderful place to explore and enjoy via motorhome!  It is interesting and beautiful, with a fascinating history, architecture, languages, food, customs, wines, traditions, festivals.  The landscapes are dramatic and stunning, the people sophisticated and pleasant, the campgrounds and free overnight locations are numerous and highly rated, the roads are excellent. 

Our Springtime weather has been excellent too!  We are back north where the days are the perfect temperature and the nights become chilly- good sleeping weather.  J  We’ll do Greece, Italy, and Spain in the winter/spring, then head north as the weather warms.  And I want to explore Sweden, Denmark and Finland too- and Iceland!  What a beautiful earth!

The only thing I regret is not having more time, money, and Ned over here.  Minor details, but hopefully we’ll be able to rectify them within a few years (or decades), Lord willing.  We sure are grateful for this opportunity we have right now- it is really special and we know it.