The Romantic Road, Germany

A crowd has gathered outside the shop window, transfixed by the expert hands working and shaping the dough. After many minutes, a collective “aha” is heard when the crowd has finally understood the secret to the pastry’s round shape and how it is achieved. Young children quickly look up at their parents, asking them to buy one or two to try. I, of course, could not resist either. I was fascinated by the local pastry here in Rothenburg ob de Tauber called schneeballen. Traditionally just rolled in sugar, they can now be found all over town, coated in various chocolates or stuffed with caramel or marzipan. I found the pastry itself to be quite dry and not very sweet; I’m glad I tried it but didn’t feel the need to finish my mini-sized one, or come back for seconds.

Schneeballen

Rothenburg ob de Tauber is in the northern part of the Romantic Road; an area in Bavaria that stretches from Wurzburg in the north to Füssen in the south. Approximately thirty towns comprise the area but I decided to visit only four: Rothenburg ob de Tauber, Würzburg, Nuremberg and Füssen.

I can vividly remember the date and location when I first heard about Rothenburg ob de Tauber. It was 11 December 2001 and my parents and I were having lunch in Epcot’s Biergarten restaurant. Our server was a lovely girl hailing from Rothenburg ob de Tauber and doing a college exchange program at Disneyworld. I distinctly remember her describing her town, how much she loved it and how to looked like it had jumped straight out of a fairytale and I can recall deciding that “one-day” I will get there.

Rothenburg ob de Tauber does not disappoint. It is the cutest, most charming town I’ve visited and perfect for walking. The town itself is compact and all the sights are accessible by foot.

The cute streets of Rothenburg

During my stay I also visited the Medieval Criminal Museum which is a look at the laws, punishments and torture during that era. It is a very well laid out exhibit with the right balance of education and shock-factor with all the torture devices.

The next stop on my tour was Würzburg. Unfortunately, I visited on a Sunday (so everything was shut) and it was pouring rain to boot. I walked around the town for a few hours taking in the sights but ended up at the hostel bar watching the finale of the Women’s World Cup.

Würzburg skyline

After Würzburg was Nuremberg: famous for its Christmas market and the Nazi Party rally grounds and Nuremberg trials after the war. Unlike the cute sized Rothenburg, Nuremberg is definately a city but still has its charms.

The view from the castle over the Nuremberg skyline

I visited the Rally Grounds that are now a museum and it was quite upsetting. Actually, upsetting is probably the wrong word; it made me angry. It really is a powerful place to visit. The museum sets out Germany's progression from signing the Treaty of Versailles to the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich touching only briefly on the Holocaust.

The final stop on my Romantic Road tour was Füssen; famous for the Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles of King Ludwig II. Neuschwanstein is nicknamed the Disney castle as it is reputed that it was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s design for Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The walk between the two castles in about 30 minutes uphill but enjoyable and the views at the top are definitely rewarding.

Side entrance to Hohenschwangau

Hohenschwangau from the uphill walk to Neuschwanstein

Swan Lake - between to the two castles

Neuschwanstein's courtyard

Neuschwanstein from the Marion Bridge

Strasbourg, France

Due to some unfortunate weather, my plans for canyon-swinging and white-water rafting in Interlaken were discarded and I headed back to France to Strasbourg, in the Alsace region.

Strasbourg has belonged to both the German and the French numerous times (currently the French), and the combination of cultures is evident in the language, architecture and, of course, the food.

Of course, I had to sample some of the specialities (or half of the specialities as portion sizes are HUGE):

Tarte Flamme (a thin pizza-like dough topped with bacon, caramelised onions and cream)




Foie Gras (served with bread containing figs, almonds and hazelnuts)



Tarte a l'Oignon

Strasbourg is visually stunning; surrounded by canals with numerous postcard-perfect bridges; it is the perfect city for walking and taking in the sights.

One of the key sights is the cathedral and the Astronomical clock. I lined up half and hour early to buy my ticket to the movie shown at 12.00pm about the clock before the clock springs to life at 12.30pm. It seemed that everyone thought the clock was malfunctioning based on the length of the display and how few of the figurines moved compared to one's expectations, but a quick review of a YouTube video afterwards has confirmed that the clock was operating perfectly well.

For my last meal in France (again) I decided to have a degustation of chocolate at Pierre Herme (my new favourite, sorry Teuscher). They were simply divine and I was too busy enjoying every mouthful to bother with photos and a running commentary. However, I can advise, if you are ever in France, track down a Piere Herme for some world-class chocolates.

Two months on the road

I have now been on the road for over two months and the time has flown by. As I was lying in my bed at the YMCA in Basel, I was thinking about how easy it has been and that hostelling is really not that bad.

Sure, you have to shower with your flip flops, I haven’t conditioned my hair in over two months, the same three shirts are getting worn over and over, my Ipod playlists are getting really tired and you are on permanent “red alert” that someone may be stealing your stuff but it has been quite easy to settle into a routine.

I have mastered the art of packing my backpack and hand-washing my clothes in the bathroom sink, have learnt never to trust the hostels “helpful” directions about how to get there from the train station, instead relying on google maps and I generally get a decent night’s sleep. All in all, it’s been easier than I thought it would be.

That was until my third night in Basel. I way staying in a 5-bed female dorm but there were only three occupants, myself, a Korean girl (in her 20s) and a British woman (in her 50s). Many people will tell you that it’s best to get a female only dorm because although boys are far more social and it’s easier to make friends, boys will snore more. I have shared with many boys and no one has snored. The British lady, however, was a foghorn. I’ve never heard anything like it. Usually when someone snores it’s for a short burst and then it stops, but not her. She kept going like the Energiser bunny and I did not sleep the entire night (even with earplugs). In the morning, the Korean girl looked at me and said “Me so tired, no sleep at all, she so loud” and I couldn’t agree more.

Which got me thinking, you really do meet all kinds of people in hostels. Some people you just click with instantly and others, well, it’s a little harder. I’ve met Nazi sympathizers, nude Brazilian and Dutch girls who are perfectly comfortable to have a conversation with you whilst they’re stark naked, college kids who can’t wait to get back home “because Costco pizza is so much nicer than the pizza in Italy”, travelers who are impressively multi-lingual and others who constantly complain that “no one speaks English”. However, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.