Our First Adventure...Nuremberg, Germany

Today, we took a chance, went out of our comfort zone, and went on a day trip to Nuremberg. We had fun, but realized (the hard way) that research and planning is imperitive in order to maintain some sense of order and be able to actually enjoy the town to it's maximum potential. This trip was, for the most part, discussed yesterday. Steven has been in the German Head Start class and thankfully learned how to ask, "Sprechen Sie English". That asks if they speak English.

We caught the bus from Rose Barracks to Vilsek train station. The ticket to Nuremberg turned out to be very affordable for us (12 euro) because the kids were free. The train ride to Nuremberg was pleasant for everyone but me. No one else seemed bothered by the fact that we were sitting in rear facing seats which meant we were moving backwards. I, unfortunately, am very sensitive to such motion and felt a bit queasy most of the 45 minute ride.

Once we arrived at the Nuremberg Train station, the real fun began...we had no clue what to do at this point. There were people everywhere. No one was speaking English. There were signs pointing to places that I could only give an educated guess what they were. We followed the traffic of people and directions of the GPS on our cellphone. I needed to potty something bad...so we stopped in the McCafe (aka McDonalds). I admired the beautiful winding staircase in the midst of the fast food resturaunt as I hurriedly made my way to the toilette (restroom) at the top. There was a lady standing outside with a dish in which people would place change before entering the restroom. We had been warned beforehand that you had to pay to use the bathroom, so we were prepared with coins. What we were not prepared for was how much you had to pay. The lady could not speak English and kept telling us an amount in Deutsche (German). I showed her a 1 Euro coin and she said yes for Steven, Macie, and myself to enter the restroom. Later I realized that the charge was 25 cents, and we gave her a 25 cent tip. Learning my numbers and counting euro has now been raised on my list of priorities.

After the potty experience, we continued to follow the GPS, which brought us out to a very busy street. There were taxis, buses, streetcars, bicycles, cars, and lots of people EVERYWHERE. Seriously, I was expecting a typical small German town and found myself lost in a city comparable to that of New York City. Again, we walked in the direction of the crowd, and saw a man nearly get plastered by a streetcar. We were amazed at the sight that awaited once we neared the Hauptmarket. It was like a huge daily flea market, where everything from flowers, to trinkets, to sausages were sold. There were several cathedrals within the vicinity, but time did not allow for us to visit them on this trip.




The one and only thing that we had planned was a visit to the Imperial Castle (Kaiserbug). After a confusing walk through the town and then up a hill that I know burned at least 500 calories to climb, we found ourselves in awe overlooking the entire city. We purchased tickets (only 12 Euro cause kids again were free) that would allow us to climb the Sinwell tower (another 500 calories burned), see the "deep well", and tour the Palas. We did climb the tower, we saw the very deep well, but we got lost and was not able to tour the Palas. At this point, everyone was very hungry (again poor planning on our part)and so it was decided that we would just find something to eat and return some day with more time and a better itenerary.

We walked down the monstrous hill to a resturaunt (Hutt'n) that was suggested by the cashier at the castle. I did my best to read the menu and even tried to use the translator app on my phone, but ended up sticking with what I know and ordered bratwurst. I did not get the right kind though, because they were merely breakfast sausages. Steven, on the otherhand, ordered a nice plate that had several different kinds of Brats, saurkraut, and potato salad. I am finally getting used to drinks not being served over ice, and even went out on a limb and ordered "still wasser" (water that is not bubbly or carbonated).

Germans are very laid back compared to the hurried and rushed lifestyle of Americans. It is not wise to go out to dinner if you do not have at least 1 1/2 hours to spare. By the time we were finished eating, it was time for us to make our way back through the hustle and bustle of people to the train station. Though we did take time to shop for a souvenier and turn the ring on the "beautiful fountain". This is said to bring good luck, which we will definately need in the next 3 years. As we were walking back, shops were already starting to close. It is mandated that stores close early (6 pm through the week, and 4pm on weekends) in order to protect the small "mom and pop" businesses. We were able to take in some street performances by musicians, and other entertainers that didn't even realize they were entertaining us on our way back to the train.



Thankfully, we were able to squeeze on to a train that would ensure our connection bus transportation in Vilsek. At first I was worried that I would have to sit rear facing again, but apparently the lucky turn of the ring was already working in my favor and we scored good, roomy seats that faced forward during our return ride. Once at the Vilseck station, we caught our ride with the shuttle bus and held on for our lives for the next 10 minutes. It was a fast, and nauseating ride. I was so glad to see the Commissary parking lot and didn't even complain about the walk to the hotel room. Once in the hotel room, we were eagerly greeted by our sweet dog Rocky. We decided not to take him this trip until we learned the ins and outs of having him with us on trips (Germans typically take their dogs everywhere...even resturaunts). We do hope to take him on future adventures, although we were very thankful that we did not have Rocky on this go around.

Well, that sums up today's adventure. It was definately a memorable experience for all. I saw such beautiful sights and could not help but murmor a few words of praise to God for His glorious creations and for giving my family the opportunity to enjoy this little piece of heaven on earth.