Post Ride Tourism

BW and I got back from our Alpine Tour with Rene Friday early afternoon. As odd as it sounds, I really wanted to go for a short ride with BW so that I could show him the beautiful area in which I get to ride every day.

I didn't think I could convince him to join me (after all that riding in the Alps), so I told him there was a great Biergarten on the way that wasn't too far from home.
The view is great, and their homemade Adlizer Bratwürste with kraut were the great end to a great week of riding.

As luck would have it, our local bierfest was finishing up its 16 event: what we call the '5th' season in our town. Ther is Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Berg (the name of the festival).

There is tons of great food, music, and about 100,000 people per day for 16 days. I think BW was expecting more 'traditional' music (which does play in the early afternoons). But, in the evening, it is full on party and dancing on the tables.
After a day of rainy tourism in Nürnberg on Saturday, the end of a great week was among us, and it was time to take BW to the airport. The great thing about true friends is that the time can pass by, but the friendship remains strong.

It was great to have BW visit us in Germany, and it was great to have continued shared experiences with a great friend...even after all these years and all of the miles, we can still have a great time. We drink a lot fewer margs these days, we have less and grayer hair, and we are a bit older (possibly more mature ?!?), but we can still have a great time.

Eva and I love having visitors, and we are looking forward to the next visitors to join us for a short (or long) visit at our home...

Above Zero

Today was the first day in a a few weeks where we finally got above freezing. Snow has been laying on the ground for a while, and we've covered just about every option that allows Quinn a bit of movement and exercise...

...except Tucherland. We finally took the plunge and headed to this indoor (and outdoor in the Summer) playground.
We got there when they opened at 10am. There were a few birthday parties, but the place was relatively empty (which changed around 11am, where hoardes of kids stormed into the place).

Quinn was overwhelmed by the size of the place...and the fact that his parents didn't really say 'no'. Everything was virtually kid proof and safe. We just let him run around and play. The slide was one of our favorites.

Quinn played for almost 2.5 hours and had a blast. He was absolutely pooped when it was all said and done, and we all had a great time. We'd have rather been outside, but considering the weather, this was a great option.

Nürnberg's Christmas Market (Christkindlesmarkt)

On Friday after work, before heading to Hattingen for Christmas Eve, we headed with my parents to the world famous Nürnberg Christmas Market (Chriskindlesmarkt). Tourists come from all corners of the planet to see Nürnberg all decked out in its Christmas Spirit. The Christmas Market of Nürnberg stemmed from the middle ages with Nürnberg acting as a trading center for the region allowing the local woodcrafters and bakers to sell their wares.

One of the advantages of going on Friday evening: the tour buses are gone and there are mostly locals around...which makes it much easier to find food at the food stands, and, more importantly, some hot mulled wine (Glühwein).

Above is the famous fountain of Nürnberg. If you find the ring and turn it once, it will bring you good luck and bring you back to Nürnberg. But, beware, there are two rings on the gates of the fountain. Just a hing: the ring that has a huge line of tourists behind it is not the right ring!

A view of the Christkindlesmarkt with the Frauenkirche in the background.
A view of the markets. Each one of the lighted posts represents a row of small buildings selling Glühwein, foodstuffs, and Christmas goodies.

Pickniking on the Pegnitz with Heinz and Kerstin

After work one day, we had a picknik with Heinz and Kerstin...friends we first met when we were in Atlanta. Below, one of the old water wheels on the Pegnitz in Nürnberg.