Author: Ann Laemmlen Lewis

Well, we did it.  Ten whirlwind days of travel with Aaron and Abbey.  We spent time in Germany, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria and France.  We walked through beautiful cathedrals and churches, we saw palaces for rulers and Alpine huts for cowherds and shepherds.  We crossed rivers and lakes and climbed to see melting Alpine glaciers crashing through stone mountains.  We walked on cobblestone streets through picturesque French villages straight out of fairy tales.  We ate Brats and Spaetzle, Raclette, pastries and baguettes and oh, so much chocolate!  But best of all was spending time with family in places we love.  We will miss these two!  Au Revoir and auf wiedersehen–until we see you again!!

Our last stop on this whirlwind 10-day trip with the kids was in Heidelberg.  I’ve written about Heidelberg before here, so you can check there for more details.

We walked through town on the main street with all the shops and went into more churches.   We enjoyed some outdoor music and a wine festival going on, then paid the 9 Euro each for a round trip tram ride up to the castle.

Below is the “Old Bridge.”  The current bridge, made of Neckar sandstone and the ninth built in this place, was built in 1788, with a nice view of Heidelberg and the castle.

The first bridge built here was made of wood and built in the 1st century.  It was rebuilt in stone in 200 AD.  When that one collapsed, there is no mention of a bridge again until 1284.  There were lots of different bridges built here after that.  Some were destroyed by ice floes and some by fires.

On March 29, 1945, German troops blew up three of the bridge’s arches and two of its pillars, features that were restored after the end of World War II.

These are the high water marks during flooding in years past.

Here is the gate to the bridge:

I’m fascinated by how the old and the new mix in these old historic places.

Remembering Hermann and Marta Durlacher who sent 2 children to England on the Kindertransport ships. Herman and Marta were murdered a year later in Auschwitz. I wonder where their children are today.

These Stolpersteine are in front of the home where they last lived together.

The Jesuit Church in Heidelberg is beautifully white inside. There is a feeling of peace here, just like the feeling the Holy Ghost brings to us when we’re troubled or afraid. I am grateful for this perfect gift.

Heidelberg is a university town, so there are LOTS of bicycles and students.

The Castle Ruins

We spent about 1.5 hours up on top exploring.  The ruins are pretty impressive and there are a few places you can go into–the wine cellars, the apothecary museum, a gift shop.

The castle was built in 1508-1544. In the 1600s the women of the court lived in the upper level rooms. It was destroyed during the wars of the 1600s, then re-roofed in 1759. Major renovations were made in the 1930s.

A fascinating apothecary museum in the castle.

This wall reminds me of the story of filling a jar first with big stones, then smaller, then the sand, in order to fit it all in, an allegory of how to use our time well.

The wine cellar with HUGE wine barrels.

The glue wasn’t strong enough.

What the castle complex once looked like:

Then we returned back down into the town to enjoy the festival and some Brats, our last meal of this wonderful trip!

Our last day on the road. We are tired. This morning Aaron said to us, “Are you guys tired?? You seem to just keep pushing forward. Aren’t you TIRED??” Then he said, “Maybe I’m just a weenie.” I think we’ve worn these two out. Today they seemed exhausted and ready to go home. We are tired too, but we just keep going, wanting them to see everything they can before they go back home.

We learned the cathedral would be closed for Mass this morning, then not open until 2:00 this afternoon. So instead we went to St Thomas church (also a large cathedral) where the Mozart organ is kept. He played here. Also Einstein.

Outside that cathedral was an Italian festival with tents and food from Italy. Walked through, enjoyed watching all the people out and about.

I love noticing the manhole covers.  They are always interesting and many towns and cities have unique ones.

Today I noticed this electrical box under the pavement and I learned something new.  This must be how they get power to all the booths in a Christmas Market!

French cheeses:

Aaron and Abbey found this famous bakery on YELP and we found our way to it.  The line was long.

While they waited in line, I watched people going by.  I also noticed some construction workers upstairs over the bakery.  Look at the shute they made to get rid of the construction debris.

Roasted chestnuts:

The House of Tanners from 1572:

There was a 5k race going on through town today, honoring breast cancer victims and survivors.

Beautiful reflections:

The cathedral by day:

For our Sunday worship today, we participated in part of the Mass.  Later tonight our LDS General Conference begins.  We are so excited to tune in as soon as this trip is over and we have some quiet time to focus.

We had one more stop today, as we made our way back to Frankfurt–in Heidelberg.  The kids are exhausted.  We’ve had a very full 10 days.

We got to Strasbourg as it was getting dark.  Tonight we split up for dinner.  John and I went to see the Cathedral by night and it was SPECTACULAR.  Oh my, Goethe said,  “Architecture is frozen music.”  He must have been looking at this cathedral at the time.  We just stood and stared and the beauty. I think this is one of the most beautiful cathedrals we’ve seen. It was delicate and detailed and lit perfectly.  The stone looked like lace.  It took our breath away.

For tomorrow, Sunday, we noted the times of the services and open hours.  This evening we went to get the kids at the hotel and made them come back to see this beautiful place.

Tonight John & I found a perfect place to eat near the cathedral.  We had chicken cordon bleu that was fabulous. Homemade with vegetables in a gravy that was like a Sunday pot roast, served with delicious fried potatoes that were crispy on the edges. Wow, it was all so good. Enjoyed delicious cold apple juice and then creme brulee for dessert. Oh so good.

Next we drove to Riquewihr, another charming small walled Medieval town.  Riquewihr and nearby Ribeauvillé, roughly twice the size of Riquewihr, were sources of inspiration for the Disney team.  Ribeauvillé is a short 10-minute drive north of Riquewihr and is bordered by three cliffside castles.  These charming French towns are filled with the fairytale charm for which the Alsace region is known.

We walked through the main street in the center of Riquewihr, then circled inside the walls on the narrow cobblestone street. Last time we were here was in the dark at the end of a cold December day. It was lovely and charming and delightful to see today in the daylight.

It’s easy to see why Disney’s animators chose Riquewihr for inspiration, and even easier to see why Belle grew up with a love for fairy tales. From its bright, cheery houses to a steeple rising above the city, this “poor, provincial town” is straight out of a child’s imagination.

Entering Riquewihr from the parking area, you go through these city gates on the old cobblestone road.

I LOVED all the color in this little town.

The OLD guard tower gate at the far side of town dates back to 1291.

This is the outside of the walled town:

The drawbridge on the outside of the city gate.

We enjoyed sampling warm macaroons in these bakeries.

OK, this little town gets very high marks.  We loved every step here!