1979 Rothenburg ob der Tauber (8/11/1979)

Saturday, August 11, 1979

We awakened early, ran downstairs to have our breakfast of tea and rolls with butter, cheese, or marmalade, served by a sourpuss. We then ran to an orthopedic shoe store to see about getting special sandals Kathy wanted, but they didn't have the particular style she liked. So we ran back to the hotel, checked out, and ran to the station in time to take a train to Würzburg. From Würzburg we took a train to Steinbach, and then boarded a rickety “bullet car” type affair to go to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This train passed through rural countryside, stopping at bus shelter-size stations in the middle of nowhere, and it had to blow its horn at unprotected crossings. A fellow passenger was apparently a bully teacher from the southern U.S. and he had many a mean tale to tell his companions. Upon arrival at the fairly large Rothenburg station, we were told the trains stop running at 16:00 and the station closed at 17:00. We didn't worry about time because the city was tiny and easily explored. It is completely walled in and was pretty well preserved as original, except for having all the modern conveniences. It seemed to cater to the tourist trade with a lot of hotels and restaurants. We had seen lots of U.S. servicemen in the Frankfurt and Würzburg stations, and all their visiting families and friends appeared to be in Rothenburg. We heard more English spoken in this quaint place than anywhere else.

Rödertor/Gate

Rödergasse

We arrived in the main square just in time to see figures pop out of windows to “drink” beer at the chiming of the hour of the town clock.

Rathaus/Town Hall clock

We toured a little museum, then headed for the gardens overlooking the Tauber River, a mere stream!

Historical Vaults ticket

Historical Vaults leaflet front

Historical Vaults leaflet back

Marien Apotheke am Marktplatz

Signs

View of the walled town

On our way back to the station, we stopped at one of numerous cafes to try some of the cakes. Back at the station we gobbled them down after learning that the last train (at 15:17!!) had pulled out just a few minutes earlier. Fortunately we also learned that our Eurailpasses were valid for the buses back to Würzburg. We had planned on checking our bags at Steinach, but didn't have time, so we checked them at Rothenburg. It’s a good thing because the bus didn't pass through Steinach! When the Würzburg bus came, the driver seemed disgusted that we were going his way and told us to "hurry, hurry" as we re-arranged our bags, which we had to put under the bus for an extra fee. From the train station we drove into Rothenburg to the main square, where we had a 45-minute wait before leaving again. Kathy and I sought out a fast food place where she had a hamburger and French fries with curry as the ketchup. I tried a frühlingsrolle/spring roll with meat and cabbage inside, which was tasty. We then re-boarded the bus, which took the beautiful Romantic Road to Würzburg, stopping in major villages along the way. For a while the driver turned on all the speakers so we could enjoy yodeling music. We were very glad that fate had us take the bus! Upon arriving in Würzburg, we found we had a couple-hour wait for our train to Vienna. We took a night walk all around Würzburg, seeing flood-lighted churches and a castle up on a hill. We couldn't find a grocery store, so ended up eating a late dinner at a McDonald’s where we also stocked up for breakfast. At about 22:45 the train for Vienna departed. We went in a compartment with a Scot on his way to a landscaping job near Nürnberg. He planned to work his way around Europe, sounds great! He got off at the next station, so that Kathy and I could stretch out on the seats. We have been taking advantage of the seats that pull down, so that the two seats across from each other form a bed. Comfortable enough and available on nearly all the trains in northern Europe.

Map of Rothenburg ob der Taiber

Next: Vienna.