Rambling  and ‘retailing’ in Rothenburg (Apologies for the forced alliteration!)
Wednesday 21 December

We began today with a walk around the town walls of Rothenburg in the early morning light. We set out around 8am when everything was misty and had fun taking some atmospheric photos of views from the city walls.

Back to our hotel for breakfast then off to the German Christmas Museum at one of the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas stores. We loved the museum which covered the history of all aspects of Christmas from medieval times through to 1960, including Christmas trees, decorations, nativity scenes, advent calendars, Christmas cards and incense smokers. Some of the decorations from the 1950s brought back a lot of happy memories for both of us.

Ian's beakfast egg

A Rothenburg toyshop window - not Käthe Wohlfahrt but still amazing!

After visiting the museum we spent quite a long while choosing  Christmas presents for various people including each other.

We bought sausages in rolls for lunch from a stall at the Christmas market. Ian’s sausage was very thin but .5m long!

A short sausage for me and a very long one for Ian!

We spent the next hour and a half on a walking tour around the Old Town. Our leader was excellent but we were both feeling tired and, despite our down jackets, thermals, beanies and gloves, the cold was taking its toll, so we were relieved when the tour ended and we could sit down in a warm café. We returned to yesterday’s café where we both really enjoyed another Baileys coffee and cake. Then back to the hotel to recover!

St Francis and his brother Leo - figures on an altar
by Tilman Riemenschneider in the Franciscan Cathedral

Another altar in the same church

A view over the Tauber valley on the Old Town walk