Rothenburg Walled City (Wuerttemberg)

We took another trip today....we visited Rothenburg. It has a stone wall surrounding the whole city. The town was spared in WWII. It was a fun day wondering around all of the old buildings and streets. We enjoyed some treats at the bakery and a yummy Chinese lunch. Rothenburg is the town you see in the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when they are in the glass elevator.

Neuschwanstein

Yes, we walked all the way up to this thing! This castle was amazing. It was snowy and cold out, but worth the trip. It took 45 minutes to walk up through the slush pushing the stroller. We took turns pushing and we definately got a workout. It was a short tour, but was amazing to see inside. Even the outside was amazing! The castle served as the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland. The down walk was a bit easier, plus we purchased some snowballs (donuts) on the way. I even found a keychain with my name on it!!!

Christmas Eve/ Christmas 2007

On the night before Christmas, we headed to the Eve service at the church on base. Along the way, lovely Aunt Ingrid slipped on the ice while carrying Hayden. Fortunately, Hayden remained off the ground, BUT I bruised and skinned my knee. I can't remember the last time I tore a pair of tights by falling on cement. I think I can handle never doing it again. The church was packed. We heard music from an African group, a classical solo, and we sang many familiar carols. We even lit our candles from a candle from Bethlehem. After the service we took a few pics and opened a couple presents. We also ate a bunch of appetizers. Hayden also got to play a bit at the park behind my apartment.

Christmas morning we all slept in. We awoke to a tree full of presents and the smell of caramel rolls. We opened our presents and emptied our stockings. We ate ham and all the fixings for dinner. It was a nice relaxing day. Tomorrow, we head to the Neuschwanstein Castle.

Stuttgart Christmas Market

Today, we went to the Christmas Market in Stuttgart with Joey and Hayden this time. We bundled Hayden in his tights, warm fleece suit, and winter coat. The Stuttgart market is much bigger than the Dresden one. It was another chilly day!! So, we only covered a small corner of it. It was a chore to get the stroller through the crowds, but we managed. We ate many more German items today. Joey was a huge fan of the Gluhwein (warm wine). I can't handle the strong smell let alone the taste, but you do get to keep the glass if you don't want a refund. We ate rote wurst instead of the brat. We got a few things at the market and than headed home.