Sunday was a bit more chill. I’ve been yawning since I arrived in Deutschland, so it was nice to catch up on some ZZZs. 1.5 hours by car from Neckarmuhlbach to Rothenburg, and sunshine was on our side. We walked through gates and on walls built in the 13th and 14th centuries. A festival was on in the old city, and I spied brightly colored tunics, droopy musketeer boots, many a bier krug, a masked Zorro (walking a chihuahua?), and bands playing fifes, drums, horns, and dudelsacks (German is WAY better at naming things like bagpipes). By my very American standards, it was reminiscent of Epcot at Disneyworld – on steroids. I repeatedly gawked at picturesque streets and stole down narrow byways between humble red-tile roofed houses, stopped to smell the flowers at a few windowboxes, and took a lot of photos. I commented many times (likely one too many) to Julia how unbelievable it was to think that this city was not a museum, but rather a home to many modern citizens. This very location was home to 6,000 Rothenburgers (Rothenburgians?) 700 years ago, passing through the same city gates and enjoying the same sunshine I did today.

Amazing.