Wir fahren nach Heidelberg: Conducimos a Heidelberg: We're driving to Heidelberg

Mike had a meeting to go to at the base in Heidelberg where he used to work. He knew the area from living there so he gave us a run-through of the roads to get to the old town from the base, we dropped him off, found one of a billion parking lots, and started our walk along the river...in the rain once again. I wonder if it's always this rainy in Germany?

Mike jokes with us that every good tourist city has an old bridge, a castle, and a big church. Heidelberg had all of them, but we were denied access to the church because it wasn't open-oh well.

The castle from the plaza in which we stood for 10 minutes while the rain decided to crash down in buckets...luckily we were under the cover of a roof.

"The Red Ox"-legend has it this restaurant was frequented by Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.

Tom at one of the terraces at the entrance.

Tom, entering the celler...

Tom and Bob from the top of the keg.

Bob and the GINORMOUS Keg. Taxes used to be payed in whatever form of alcohol a farm produced...then all of it was mixed together in this vat. People in the typical home in the town drank about 1 liter of wine per day, but in the castle, the average was 3 liters! The tour guide later told us that they used to add things like mustard to the already nasty mix of different types of beers and wines!

Bob hiding in the cave from the rain as we think about going to the tour in an hour or so.

This tower was sliced in half when attacked in one of the battles. It is one of the first, if not only, times I have literally SEEN the section of a building that we draw so often for architecture. It was really really intriguing. I took lots of pictures, but none of them quite grasp how cool this ruin is...it's as if on half just slid off the other into the ground.

They look like they are up to something!

The castle from the gardens. The gardens were created by the king for his wife, but were a terrible idea because they allowed attacking armies to infiltrate the grounds and take the castle with few problems.

Model of the final additions to the castle before attack and downfall.

Incredible ceiling detailing...in the hallway.

Amazing detailing and color, even in the flooring of the typical room.

Random, but beautifully made, spiral staircase in the corner of the room which goes to all floors of the castle.

Last stop of the tour was the beautiful chapel in the basement of the building made for the King's wife. The carvings above the altar were particularly impressive.