Heidelberg

Heidelberg is an adorable town a bout an hours drive from us.  We figured it would be a quick trip to go see the Heidelberg castle, and enjoy some time out in the beauty of Germany.

After driving around we finally found an underground parking garage (where the roof was barely taller than our van) and we lucked out and got a spot almost right away.  We then took a walk over to a train station where we got tickets on the train that takes you up the mountain to the castle.  The kids thought it was so cool to ride a train that goes up a mountain.  The trains ceiling and sides were all windows, though we traveled mostly through a brick tunnel (the ride was only a couple minutes long) so we didn't see much. 

Right off of the train.  We walked up this walkway to get to the castle.

The Heidelberg castle was originally built around the 1400's At that point it was kind of small, and I believe it was mainly a royal residence, not really a castle.  It wasn't until the 16th and 17th centuries when the Prince electors fortified it adding walls and turrets making it into a castle.  During the 30 years war the castle was destroyed many times, and after a while (I'm not exactly sure when) rebuilding was stopped.  At one point the castle was used as a quarry of sorts, and some of the stone from the castle was used to build the homes and shops and buildings in the city of Heidelberg.  Eventually though, that practice was put to an end in an effort to preserve what was left.

Beautiful isn't it?

This is the courtyard.  There are stages set up in different areas of the courtyard and other places because they put on productions here.  There was a stage just off to the left, where they were putting on The Three Musketeers ( not while we were there)  and then later on we saw a stage for a production of Cinderella.  I think it would be great to see a play with a real castle as your backdrop!

This is a shot of the bathroom.  Where I was standing when taking this picture was the mote around the castle.  It wasn't a water filled mote, and they had the washrooms strategically placed so that when "stuff" was dumped, it would go here, and I'm guessing that if you were trying to get through the mote to the castle, having certain things dumped on you, wouldn't be pleasant.  There was another mote, in front of the mote I was in, I think the guide called it a double mote.  They believed that if the invading forces were in the 1st mote, they'd be easier to pick off.

This is how Davin behaved the entire time we tried to take the tour.  Tim, bless his heart tried to distract Davin, but in the end he was too much of  a distraction and we left the tour..... sigh.

Beautiful isn't it?

So far, I have yet to find anything I don't think is beautiful here.  I'm amazed at the green, and the forest and the way everything is set up.  I love it here, and I've only seen a handful of things.  I can't wait to see more and more.  I don't think three years will be enough to thoroughly enjoy what Germany has to offer, let alone the rest of Europe!