Nuremberg

Yesterday was a blast! Paul and I walked to the train station and headed to Nuremberg. I have to admit - finding our way around and not really being able to communicate with anyone is harder than I would have ever imagined. However, we are now starting to find our way...

Nuremberg was very, very impressive. The buildings are very tall and very old. We really felt like we were in Europe in Nuremberg...the tight streets, cobble roads, cafes all over the place, and a lot of history to see!

We used the guide book we had to figure out what to see and where to go. Most of the buildings in the area were built somewhere between 1200 and 1350 and have been kept in wonderful condition. We saw quite a few churches, the town hall, and even a castle that overlooks the city.

The biggest surprise was when we went into the oldest church in Nuremberg. In the church they had big poster boards that told the story of the church during World War 2. The pictures that were on the posters were unbelievable...they showed the city of Nuremberg after it had been bombed and there was rubble everywhere. The places Paul and I had just been walking around were nearly destroyed during the war. There was also a picture of the marketplace square we had just been that had Nazi flags and soldiers all around it and we just couldn't believe what we were looking at...it was quite unbelievable!

When looking at the buildings, you can see the bricks that are original and those that were used to help repair the buildings after the war. However, that is the only indication that the city had ever been in ruins. It is one of the cleanest, most organized, and beautiful places I have ever seen.

Paul and I stopped for lunch at a cafe just outside the oldest church. We had sausages, potato salad, pretzels and very large beers. It was delicious!

This morning I walked with Paul to his training centre. It is about a seven minute walk from our hotel. I then went to the grocery store and purchased a few things for lunches this week. This afternoon I am going to get a bike from the hotel and ride around the area. I am also going to ride to the train station and try to figure out how we are going to get to Munich this weekend.

So far, the trip has been amazing! :)