Germany; Mannheim

I've started this post over twice now; first time; it needed rewriting. Second time; Blogger crashed. Third time, a charm?

The car trip itself was a door into a world I had forgotten existed; a long drive without children. There was yarn to knit,
the GPS to check, scenery, incredible scenery, to see, a Dan Brown book on audio and a handsome driver. Paradise.

It rained, most of the time. This was only a problem for the mist that covered the mountain tops I would have liked to see and the speed my chauffeur had hoped to reach on the Autobahn in Germany. Here is one of my hopeless attempts to capture scenery in a moving car. I felt much better once I gave that up.

 

The hotel was completely distinct from the grandeur of the French chateau, but massive in its proportions and with a fabulous view and location. A few shots: Outside: (ours was the balcony on the far right, second floor):

 Inside:

Around the outside:

I explored the residential neighborhoods, finding these beautiful, solid houses that I thought maybe embodied what was essentially the German character; reliable, lasting and not many frills. Then I spent a day in Heidelberg and saw a whole other side to German architecture. Conclusion and caution: a week is not enough to be able to grasp a culture. (The pastries really are quite massive though; and bring back memories of a trip to Berlin when I was 19. My friend and his family treated me to a fresh and different pastry from the bakery down the street every morning. They were so kind to me; taking me to every possible distraction and historical monument in Berlin as well as East Berlin. I was welcomed, cherished, happy...but I dreaded that morning pastry, knowing it must be eaten.

There were some flowers on balconies, but this did not prove itself the affair of national pride as it is in France or Italy. Naked balconies here are maybe a sign of "I have better things to do."

Next up; the cute little town of Heidelberg.