Minotel Hotel Im Rastmarkt Ansbach

... immediately. Vendors were just setting up for the touring masses that would be bussed in all day. It was cloudy today, which made for good pictures, and we took many as we followed the Rick Steves walking tour of town.

Starting at the Market Square, it took us through an arch lined alley and past what looked like stables under the old Gothic town hall, behind the new town hall. Upon exiting, our eyes were drawn skyward, looking up the back of St. Jacobs ...

... be great.

Since today is Sunday, nothing was open until 5 PM. It was a ghost town all day long, and now its just starting to come alive. My stomachache is finally gone...really happy about that.
I've finally been sleeping through the night

Not looking forward to any more long bus rides, but I think there is one later this week. I'll be able to use the internet ...

... going on, but realized the 10 with the boxes of champagne were the ones leaving. Then there was the water balloon throwing match to see! Everyone was friendly to us and tried to tell us what is going on. One chap shared his beer with us because it was different tasting. They all sang songs and there was a chant going back and forth between the troop and those dressed as pheasants.

We then walked around the town, seen the fortress walls ...

... be almost an entire day, because the bus broke down twice.

Then, there was a rockslide...so we got to the hotel at night, crashed and left again for our service project yesterday.
We had to pull huge plants out of the ground because they were killing hte indiginous ones.

Then more traffic and more bus.

Now Im in a podunk hotel with no internet..except a weird cafe slash casino.

losing service. more later!

It is a cool damp morning. Looks like rain and then the sun comes out and it is hot.

Tauberbischofsheim is the first town today. The town was first mentioned in a bio of Saint Lioba in 836. It bears its name ("bishop's place") due to its close relation to bishop Saint Boniface. Boniface brought his relative Lioba to the town around 735. To distinguish the town ...

... a bottle, but it's so worth it!

afterwards everyone bought lots of wine. it's a pretty good tactic of the winery to get everyone drunk and then offer to sell them wine. Nicole told me she bought a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine when she was on her Contiki europe trip, and regretted it lol. so yeah i almost bought some but i restrained. i've got smoe other awesome alcohol in mind to buy later

Today we (Dennis, Shawn, Jessi, Teeny, and myself) went to Rothenberg. I wasn't sure what to expect, but had read on the internet that while it was a walled city and one of the best preserved in Germany, it had become something of a tourist trap. Sadly, that was true. Still, the city was worth visiting.

Upon reaching the city by train, we walked to the entrance of the Altstadt, or Old Town. We walked up onto the walkway around the ...

... demonstrated a sense of humor, actually laughter. After that I started paying closer attention and I came to understand that most Germans are focused, structured, serious people while working. In the evenings when they gathered at the bar located in the hotel, they seemed to transform. They would laugh, joke and have a really good time. It seemed to me that they were quite adept at compartmentalizing work and play ...

... was spread on slabs of bread served with pickles and mustard. I still can't quite figure out Alpen-Kaffeesahne. It bears some resemblance to Pet or Carnation Evaporated Milk but isn't even a distant relative of Coffee Cream. I have also sampled a pastry that looks like a punchke (spell check where are you?) and is filled with every imaginable cream flavored center. YMMMMMMM. This week end I'm back on the road.

... grocery store. There is no doubt that none of my genes are German in origin. I actually found myself becoming more and more depressed as I navigated the multi directionally wheeled cart down aisle after aisle of the most boring, unattractive, unappealing, substandard food I have ever had the opportunity to rest my eyes upon. Well, maybe Russia was in the running. Those of you that know me are aware of what I can do with the barest of staples. This was beyond my ...