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Saturday, April 20, 2019

Day 4 - Germany

I hurt my left foot when I tripped and fell on the way out of the hotel restaurant after breakfast this morning.

In panic mode, negative thoughts swirled around my head. I couldn't believe that this tour of a lifetime that I had put on the back burner for 27 years culminated to this! Despaired at the situation, I was on the brink of tears.

Although I was insured for this trip, I decided against seeing a doctor for two reasons:

1. The  hubs and Rodney would have to remain behind in Switzerland with me, while the rest of the group would proceed to Germany without us. As we did not know the extent of my injury or how long it would take to get my foot fixed, it would be terribly unfair to expect the rest of the group to wait indefinitely for us. This was a very compact tour (5 countries in 8 days) and a delay would disrupt the entire schedule and itinerary.

2. We would have to find our own way to rejoin the group in Germany or whichever country they may be by then.

No, I was not going to miss out on any part of this tour that I had dreamed of all of my life. I didn't fly halfway around the world for nothing. Enduring the pain, I assured everyone that I was fine and limped my way to the coach with The Hubs and Rodney as my crutches.

Pain or rain... Germany, here I come!

Isn't it amazing how adrenaline can make one almost invincible!?

Luckily for me, the Rhine Falls was an hour's drive from Zurich so I had time to rest my poor throbbing foot.

As soon as we reached SchlossLaufen, we could hear the thunderous tumbling and rumbling of Europe's largest falls.

Then, as the full expanse of the falls unfurled before us, our jaws dropped....

We were spellbound!

The teal water...the azure sky... the white foam......it's hard to describe the mesmeric blue vista.

There are some things you just can't capture in a photo. A frozen snapshot couldn't possibly do justice to what we had witnessed.

Here's a video of the falls taken with a drone by Youtuber schrägoben


I had to hobble all the way down this path from the top where our coach was parked so I could get a closer view of the falls.

Every step was worth the pain!











After SchlossLaufen, we crossed the border to Germany and arrived in Titisee, in the southern Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg.

On the way to Titisee we were told that the Black Forest is really dark green and not black! Its dense fir population  makes it appear almost black  from a distance, hence the name Black Forest.

The forest where tales are spun: sinister, fanciful, mysterious, mythical...

Our tour in Titisee began in Drubba Shopping, a quaint place where we were given a briefing of how cuckoo clocks are made.






Cuckoo clocks galore!
There are clocks for every taste, and budget. Back in Malaysia, I could buy a brand new car for the price of some of these!

The  mechanism in a cuckoo clock works in tandem with its melody and automata : moving trains, dancing figurines, water wheels, even wives beating up husbands!

My favourite was the Romeo and Juliet cuckoo clock.

The cute little door opens up, the cuckoo bird looks out and cuckoos out the hour.  Once the cuckoo has finished, Romeo climbs up the ladder to reach his Juliet, only to fall back down again as Mr. Capulet threatens him with his hay fork. Dancing figures also turn to the sound of music.


This mill house clock is just as adorable. 3 woodsmen work the mill. One chops while the other two saw wood! A water wheel turns and happy couples dance to the music!



There's something magical about the cuckoo clock, don't you think? It's amazing how they have survived the test of time (pun unintended) for hundreds of years and are still around and cherished in  many homes today despite the digital age.

While admiring the clocks, I was contemplating getting one as cuckoo clocks are so quintessentially German. Having one ticking in the house would be the perfect memento of our visit to this wonderful country.

 "Nah, they're probably made in China," Rodney remarked.

"Please, they are a 100% German made!" a guttural voice corrected us in heavily accented English.

We turned our heads to find a man suddenly standing beside us.

Ooops! That remark wasn't meant to be heard!

The man who was staff then proceeded to give us a very long and detailed lecture on where each part of the cuckoo clock was sourced! Clearly, the Germans are very proud of their cuckoo clocks!

 Sorry! Our bad!

And yes, we did buy a small one that didn't cost us an arm and a leg. It is now ticking happily in our living room and will be treasured forever. That darn bird can be quite annoying! Contrary to what we were told, the silly bird is never on time —  always late by a few minutes.

LAKE TITISEE

Lake Titisee against the Black Forest backdrop



After a delicious German specialty meal of pork knuckles, we headed for Heidelberg, an hour's ride by coach from Titisee.

Heidelberg, a medieval town in southwestern German is famous for its university. Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany. Perhaps it was the pain in my foot that was numbing my brain or that I was having a sensory overload but I couldn't recall visiting any old university! I checked with The Hubs and he said that the only thing he could remember about Germany was the pork knuckle meal!! :smack:


Our walking tour of Altstadt (meaning old town) began with a photo stop in Kornmarkt.

KORNMARKT

Heidelberg is broken up into many different market squares. Each has its own personality and served a purpose in Heidelberg's history. Fish, vegetables, and other goods were sold separately in each individual square, hence their names. This square is Kornmarkt or Corn Market.

You can see the ruins of the Heidelberg Castle (German: Heidelberger Schloss) up on the hill

The Madonna statue at Kornmarkt
In an attempt to motivate the citizens of Heidelberg to switch to Catholicism, the Jesuits erected a Madonna statue in 1718.

MARKTPLATZ

The Marktplatz, is the city´s main square with the Church of the Holy Spirit at its center

It's really hard to put into words how enchanting  Heidelberg was with its Baroque-style Old Town, cobbled streets and fairy-tale castles. It was like something dreamed up by Disney.




The Carl Theodor Old Bridge (German:  Alte Brucke)
This 18th-century bridge spans the Neckar River.


The Nekkar River

The day ended with a Chinese dinner at a restaurant nearby and a 2 hour drive to Frankfurt where we checked in to our hotel for the night.

Musings Of A Tired Mummy

Keep Calm and Carry On Linking Sunday

25 comments:

  1. Wow so pretty; everything about your time there in Germany! Those falls were impressive. I too would have hobbled my way down to them. I would have been mesmerized by them! I like the cuckoo clocks. I would have had to buy something too to take back with me as a memento. They to take pride in their work for sure! I think this is the best way that you traveled with the tour. I would have no idea what to see but they put it all together so well!

    betty

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  2. What a lovely trip, but ouch on that fall. I hope it's better now. I hate it when something throws a money wrench in your plans. You did what I would do, just go and hope for the best. A trip of a lifetime.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

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  3. so sorry to hear you hurt your ankle! That must have made travel difficult. My grandmother had one of those clocks in her kitchen (that she purchased in Germany) and I used to love watching the bird fly out and all the girls and boys dancing around each hour.

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  4. Those are incredibly beautiful photos. I am sorry that you hurt yourself...I hope you are better now. I am impressed that you soldiered on!

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  5. So sorry you took a tumble and hurt your knee. Heal quickly!
    Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/04/springtime-is-glorious.html

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  6. A great post! I love your blog < 3
    I am following you and invite you to me
    https://milentry-blog.blogspot.com

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  7. Your poor leg! I've broken my foot and my leg at different times. I hope you're ok now.

    I love the pathway (first photo), and cuckoo clock place it adorable! I have one of those clocks in one of my paintings. My Grandparents had one for years. My Grandpa made a Grandfather Clock. My cousin got it. He has way more room that I do. I'm happy he took it.

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  8. Oh my goodness! What a lovely trip you are on! And I'm so sorry about your foot! I am glad you got to go, though. Take care of yourself and keep blogging!

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  9. I think this post describes every aspect of Germany perfectly. Loved looking through your pictures. I had no idea the black forest was so dark! Guess I should make a point to visit some day and see it for myself!

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  10. Veronica,

    Oh, what a bummer you hurt your foot! Is it doing better now? I understand about adrenaline keeping you going. In 2013, we made plans to see good friends in Naples Florida. I hadn't been feeling well for months but blamed it on my intestinal problems that would eventually go away on its own. During our stay in Florida, I felt off-key but determined to not let it get in the way. By the time we returned, things began to slip downward. After a few weeks with no improvement and I was actually getting worse I begrudging scheduled an appointment to see my GI doctor. Nothing was available for a few weeks so I set one and decided that I had to ride it out but then I developed a fever that wouldn't go away after a week so I called back they took me in immediately. Long story short, after two separate stays the hospital equalling 10-14 days and numerous tests and finally surgery I learned I had an acute case of diverticulitis. My body was so riddled with infection. Anywho, the good Lord kept His hand on me otherwise I wouldn't be here today.

    Rhine Falls is beautiful and just look at the power of the water? WOW! There's a little town in northern Georgia south of Knoxville TN about 3 hours called Helen and it has strong German influence. The downtown buildings have architecture like in your pictures. It's a great place to visit for the day. You mentioned cuckoo clocks. My great grandparents had one in their home and I often would wake to hear the little bird at the hour. It always soothed me to hear its little call in the stillness of night while everyone was sleeping. :)

    Thanks for visiting yesterday. Have a good week, my friend!

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  11. Catching up... what an amazing vacation you have had!! Thanks for sharing all the pictures. Hope your foot is better.

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  12. Great photos. I love those cuckoo clocks. Sorry about your foot though.

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  13. Wow your experience in Germany was well captured and the photos are beautiful. Hope your ankle is on the mend #globalblogging

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  14. Such beautiful pictures. Reading your post reminded me that I had a cuckoo clock (probably made in China, lol) before we moved. Wonder what I did with it. I have never traveled to Germany but it really looks beautiful.
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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  15. Wow. These photos are lovely. ~Germany looks like a lovely place. Would love to get here at some point. #BloggerClubUK

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  16. I'm glad you were able to overcome your injury and enjoy this leg of your trip. Germany looks stunning, so rich in culture and history. Thanks for linking up with #globalblogging

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  17. What beautiful photos. I love Germany but haven't been for such a long time. I'd forgotten how beautiful it is. #kcacols

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  18. What a beautiful city so much to see and explore X #kcacols

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  19. Those Falls look amazing, definitely worth the trip to visit them #KCACOLS

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  20. Oh, what a beautiful place! I've been to Germany a few times, Bremen is one of the places.

    #KCACOLS

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  21. Oh my gosh... I'm sorry to hear about your foot pain. However, I'm so glad you soldiered on because these pictures and videos are outstanding. #KCACOLS It definitely looks like you had a wonderful experience.

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  22. Hopefully you ar mended by now! A hassle when travelling to be sure! What beautful pics. I hope I get to see more of Germany - I've only been to Berlin and I loved it! #KCACOLS

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  23. I had no idea Germany was so beautiful! Such incredible pictures. I'm sorry to hear about your injury. I hope it heals soon for you and that you can enjoy the rest of your trip xxx #kcacols

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