A view from the road... Ingolstadt to Rothenburg

	Our hotel in Rothenburg, the Gasthof Greifen,  600 years ago the home of Rothenburg's famous mayor Heinrich Toppler, and now the home of "friendly hospitality from old tradition and comfort for todays people."  The most authentic and historic place we stayed, only a half block from the main square and overlooking a narrow but busy pedestrian street lined with shops and cafes.  A wonderful lodging experience.

			Hans Georg Baumgartner, the Night Watchman.  This guy was fantastic.  Read more about this tour and the story of Rothenburg by clicking here.
A highlight of our trip was "The Walk of the Night Watchman," a walking tour of Rothenburg which told the tales of the history of Rothenburg from its founding through the Middle Ages, the years when the town "fell asleep," its narrow escape from destruction in WWII, and its emergence as a tourist mecca in the 20th century.  Unforgettable.
		Marisa and Barb enjoy some frothy suds, Ralph locks up the Gasthof Greifen for the night, and a new mascot joins the trip for the ride to Austria.

Next stop, the Alps.  Our hotel in Partenkirchen is on the left side of the street, and Barb and Chris enjoy the balcony view.
Stuck on the hotel elevator.  But never fear, help is on the way!          Barb, is this heaven?
A stroll through town followed by dinner outside with some beautiful background scenery.

	The next day we stopped to see and tour Neuschwanstein Castle in the very south of Bavaria before taking off for Salzburg.
	Neuschwanstein Castle, which King Ludwig II built on a rugged hill against a backdrop of picturesque mountain scenery, was prompted by the idea of rebuilding an existing ruin "in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles"

Our first night in Salzburg was another unique experience.  Dinner in the Salzburg Fortress, followed by a chamber music concert  in the Prince's Chamber, "one of the most splendid rooms in Austria, commanding a breathtaking view of the town and its surrounding countryside."  Thunder and lightning added to the perfect effect!	The thousaand-year old Salzburg Fortress (Hohensalzburg) towers over Mozart's city. As well as being the icon of Salzburg, it is the largest fortress of its kind in Europe to have survived intact in its entirety.

The Sound of Music tour.  A little hokey to be sure, but lots of fun nonetheless.  The hills are alive!

Marisa found a unicorn.  Chris and Ralph found, well, some beer.
A typical World Cup viewing in downtown Salzburg, a truly beautiful city and maybe the surprise of the trip.

Our trip through the Black Forest was great fun.  First stop was the resort region of Lake Titisee, and it should come as no surprise that Chris and Ralph did not pass up the opportunity to pose for a picture with the train stop sign.
We toured an authentic mill, saw the world's largest cuckoo clock, and made Marisa a happy fraulein when we found one to bring home!

We wrapped up the adventure in the spa town of Baden Baden at the historic Hotel Colmar.  We walked and enjoyed the numerous parks and abundant landscaping, we drank some hot and healthy healing mineral water straight from the tap, we enjoyed our last authentic German meals (and beers) at the Lowenbrau beer garden, we watched (and listened - all night) as Germany celebrated a World Cup victory, and we braved the world famous Friedrichsbad Baths to immerse ourselves in those healing waters.
Finally, it was time to bid farewell to Barb & Chris and we were down to the last day of our European vacation.

Dinner on our last night, breakfast and it was time to come home from a trip of a lifetime.