This morning we went on a hike to the Heidelberg Castle, and then continued on past the castle to the peak that overlooks the city. We biked down narrow cobblestone raods to the beginning of the trail that seemed like a quick and leisurely ride on the way there, but was a little tiresome on the way back.
On our way up this never-ending stairway, we stopped along the way for a drink and to catch our breath. We also found a wonderful grove of blackberry bushes and snacked away. Interesting that Heidelberg means "Blueberry Town" and we can never find any blueberries! The blackberries were just as good though :o), made me think of home. We had a great, and hilarious conversation on our way up the hill and just when the conversation was beginning to dwindle (from lake of oxygen) we made it to the top. It was chilly and breezy, but it felt refreshing after that trek. Behind me is the runway for the hang-gliders.
We shared a salad at this restaurant on top of the peak and then hurried our way down the mountain because it got c-c-cold real quick like. We scurried down the steps and at one point thought I was going to tumble out of control, but we shared stories and had girl-talk all the way down which is always a nice distraction.
Here is the view overlooking Heidelberg from the Castle wall, followed by pictures of the Castle.
Strike a pose!
After the castle we found our way to the trail that would eventually take us to the peak. Jessica mentioned something about this particular trail that was an endless stairway of rock steps that her and her hubby had hiked and their legs were shaking by the time they made it half way up. She said we should try a different route, so we ended up taking a different route...
After the castle we found our way to the trail that would eventually take us to the peak. Jessica mentioned something about this particular trail that was an endless stairway of rock steps that her and her hubby had hiked and their legs were shaking by the time they made it half way up. She said we should try a different route, so we ended up taking a different route...... that eventually led us directly to this stairway of death. It just kept going and going and going. Yes, our legs did turn to mush!
On our way up this never-ending stairway, we stopped along the way for a drink and to catch our breath. We also found a wonderful grove of blackberry bushes and snacked away. Interesting that Heidelberg means "Blueberry Town" and we can never find any blueberries! The blackberries were just as good though :o), made me think of home. We had a great, and hilarious conversation on our way up the hill and just when the conversation was beginning to dwindle (from lake of oxygen) we made it to the top. It was chilly and breezy, but it felt refreshing after that trek. Behind me is the runway for the hang-gliders. We shared a salad at this restaurant on top of the peak and then hurried our way down the mountain because it got c-c-cold real quick like. We scurried down the steps and at one point thought I was going to tumble out of control, but we shared stories and had girl-talk all the way down which is always a nice distraction.We grabbed our bikes and headed towards the square and down the haupstrasse (main street).
On the way back, Jessica wanted to show us her favorite candy shop on the outskirts of town. Famous for their Salty Black Licorice. This place had "B's" name all over it (My bro-in-law). After I snapped these two photos the lady told me no photos allowed, but the place was dripping with crazy collector items, dentist chairs, stuffed rodents, kind of a mix between the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shoppe of Horrors. All the way down to the guy behind the counter with a goatee mohawk and crazy white scientist hair on the sides only. I asked the lady for a random assortment of candies and of course some Salty Black Licorice for B. Once she prepared my goodies I waited FOREVER in line to check out. Not because it was packed, but mainly because the guy behind the counter likes to talk to everyone and plays games with you. Guessing games. If you guess correct he gives you more candy. Jessica and I guessed correct and walked out with even more goodies.
We got back on our bikes, went through town and enjoyed the invitation to try on shoes that were for sale! I was so happy.. I got 2 pairs! We biked back home and all of us were mentioning how much longer the bike ride seemed. Our legs were still shaking from the rock steps. When Soni and I made it back, and up 3 flights of stairs... we collapsed. Now that's a good hike.
These are just a few pictures from our trip the other night to Ladenburg, about 15 minutes away. The evening was a perfect ride for a convertible. We walked to the square, found a place to sit, and just watched people mingling as the sun was setting. These are some of my favorite moments here... Enjoy!
Next destination was Neuschwanstein. This is the first shot we got of the castle as we were driving towards our new campsite.
The next site, near Fussen (Germany) was a little more crowded and we ended up with this site with a huge mud pit smack dab in the center. We grabbed some wooden planks and turned our most unfortunate circumstance into a nice, and rather handy, porch.
After setting up camp, we headed towards Neuschwanstein for some hiking and exploring. Of course Cotton came with us. Now, is this not the cutest Skunk you have ever seen?
Neuschwanstein, home of Ludwig II of Bavaria who actually only stayed there a few nights if I recall. It is an amazing castle and incredibly easy to see the influence of the Disneyland Castle. We walked up to the top of the hill and then around the back side to this incredibly shaky bridge that had definitely surprassed it's capacity limit. The day was perfect and we even continued past the bridge and hiked up into the mountains to get different views of the castle.
As we continued on the trail up around the castle, you get a nice view of his father's castle way down below. The view of the valley, the lakes, the mountains is really picture-perfect. Looks like a backdrop.
After dessert we decided to cook dinner: A satay and couscous dish followed by some french biscuits, hot chocolate and a long game of Dominoes. 
The next morning, I was wide awake bright and early and found myself, again, getting pulled to the water. So I went down to the lakefront and had a good Sunday morning moment. Everything was calm, still, and it was just me and God. I love those moments. 
