Thursday 4
September
Good night last night! Walked
round town first and then to the Zillafel beer hall. Not very many German but
very good fun with a 3-piece band in leather shorts etc. Round the ceiling from
the bar to the band ran a miniature cable car carrying beer for the band (about
every ¼ hour). Very touristy but a good spot – drank a total of 3 litres of
beer between us and drove back to the tent (all okay despite sounding horn by
mistake on arrival).
[I know. Would not do that now but then was then]
Early morning start at 11.30 (to be fair A had done a lot
of clothes washing) to see Heid! A very beautiful town nestling between a high
ridge of pine topped hills with the river Neckar running between. We exchanged
some Swedish money at a bank and walked to American Express for some free
information on the town. From there via a store to buy a corkscrew (litre of
wine 4/-) to the Cable Car for a ride to the top of Koenigstuhl Mountain.
Although cloudy, great views of Heidelberg and surrounds. Back in cable car to
go down to Heidelberg Castle, a large castle transformed into a romantic ruins
by the wars of Palatinate Succession in 1689 and 1693. Built in various stages
from 1100 to 1550.
Mark Twain (wrote about Perkeo, the well known court jester
who consumed 15 bottles of wine every day from the vast 50,000 gallon barrel of
wine in the castle vaults – saw it together with two American girls spending a
year in Europe after graduating and before going to Israel) standing on the
castle’s ramparts and gazing down upon the city, declared it was “the last
possibility of the beautiful”. Quite. Looking down we could see, and later
visited, the university which was founded in 1386 and is one of Europe’s oldest
universities containing today approximately 15,000 students – many from foreign
countries.
The Olde Bridge built in 1786 by Elector Karl Theodor and spans the
Nackar River at Steingasse. This bridge was for centuries the only entrance to
the town. Later walked to the House Zum Ritter built in 1592 with a magnificent
Renaissance façade is the only private house to survive the fire of 1693. Also
saw Church of the Holy Ghost more than 500 years old. Very tired, returned to
tent late afternoon. This evening will be going to the Red Ox Inn – one of the
town’s oldest student inns.
We did heidelberg in 68. We can't remember where we stayed. Some camp somewhere Got a photo of me on the bridge I'll post it somewhere for you. August in Germany wrapped up in an anorak
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