Honister Pass the Lake District

We have really enjoyed living in Cumbria and the Lake District in northern England.  We have been able to travel from where we live in Cumbria to see many amazing places throughout Europe. However, we are always happy to return home and are often struck by the contrast and beauty of the place where we live.

The Lake District is often recognized as one of the most beautiful places on earth and we agree with that whole heartedly. The summer has faded and behind it bright clear days and changing colors  provide views that just can't be beat.

This past weekend we took a loop drive right here in our back yard through Newlands Pass, past Buttermere and Crummock Water and stopped here on the summit of Honister Pass. The climb took us up 1167 feet on a pretty steep grade of 1 in 4. It is one of Cumbria's highest passes. At the top we visited the Honister Slate Mine which continues to produce unique products today. The pass connects Buttermere valley to Borrowdale valley and the views from up here are well worth the climb. 

The Honister Slate Mine at the summit.

This little train doesn't move slate anymore but it once did.

We stopped at about the half way point to enjoy the scenery here. 

...and of course we shared the road with the local population, 
watch where you place your feet :-)

From the mine and the summit there are options for some wonderful walks. Scott wondered off on this one along the ridge line of Dale Head Fell, very nice. This fell is 2470 feet high with views that seem to reach out to the edge if the planet.

We continued over the pass and into Borrowdale where we set off on a walk to find the Bowder Stone. Borrowdale is strewn with large rocks attributed to glacial activity. The Bowder stone is the granddaddy of them all. This single stone is 30 feet high and fifty feet wide measuring 90 feet in circumference, and weighs in at about 2000 tons. The stone is believed to have been carried here from Scotland by glaciers during the Ice Age. There have been steps to provide a way to get to the top of the stone here since 1890, so we climbed to the top to take a look around. The stone is often used by rock climbers for bouldering or climbing without ropes. They place mats under the rock and then climb freehand.

Steps up to the Bowder Stone and some climbing mats beneath.

Views from the top of the Bowder stone…From here we headed into the town of Keswick where we stopped off for a great pub lunch to cap a pretty nice day in the Lake District. Not bad!

Wurzburg Germany

The Franconia Fountain 1894 tribute to Prince Regent Luitpold stands
in front of the beautiful Residenz.

We left Rothenburg and drove via the "Romantic Road" the short distance to Wurzburg where we spent the day exploring the city and its very turbulent history. Wurzburg became the seat of the Merovingian Duke from 650 and that Christianity was brought here by Irish missionaries in 686. The first Bishop of Wurzburg, Saint Burkhard was appointed in 742. Wurzburg had Witch trials that took place between 1626 and 1631 when 600 to 900 accused were burnt.  Wurzburg was also home to a vibrant jewish community and was a rabbinic center. However, with the rise of the Nazis, 2000 Jews were sent to concentration camps in Eastern Europe where very few survived. In 1945, 90% of the city was destroyed, in only17 minutes, by 225 Lancaster bombers and an ensuing fire storm.

Over the next 20 years following the end of World War II the old town and the buildings of historical importance were carefully and accurately reconstructed with a labor force initially consisting mostly of women called Trummerfrauen ("rubble women") because the men of the city had been killed or were prisoners of war. Wow, that is a lot to ponder…

The Residenz in the center of the old city

The Residenz: palace of the Prince-Bishop

In the middle of the old city is the Residenz, which when constructed became the palace of the Prince-Biship of the region. This is a grand and very impressive palace, recognized as one of the finest baroque buildings in Germany. The structure was completed between 1719 and 1744. After its completion the Prince-Bishop moved the center of power from the fortress on the hill to the Residenz. During the bombing in 1945 the Residenz suffered heavy damage, however a careful reconstruction has been completed and the interior spaces are dramatic and beautiful. The Grand Staircase leads up to large sculptures and paintings representing a view of the world at the time of construction that is quite entertaining. The White Hall with ornate Rococo stucco work, the elaborate Imperial Hall and the Hall of Mirrors stopped us in our tracks. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed.

Beyond the Residenz the grounds and gardens are very nice. We were here at a time when the fall colors were just coming into their own providing a brilliant show.

The River Main and the old city from the fortress.

Alte Mainbrucke, the Old Main Bridge is lined with Baroque statues of saints. The bridge connects the old city with the left bank of the River Main. The bridge was built from 1473 to 1543 to replace a Romanesque bridge.

The Prince's Gardens of the Marienburg Fortress

The Marienberg Fortress sits high up on banks of the River Main and provides expansive views over the old city. From the 13th century until the construction of the Residenz in town the fort was the seat of the Prince-Bishop, who held the land as far as the eye could see and ruled over the people of the region. We explored the fortress and visited the museum with collections of art, tapestries, period furnishings and artifacts. The views across the countryside through the large windows from each room are great.

Here in the inner courtyard of the fortress the tall tower to the left is the 13th century Bergfried (the keep). In front of the keep is the Renaissance well house, and the large dome and attached structure is St Mary's Church with foundations from the 8th century.

The Chapel

We had our lunch at the fortress where we had striking views of the countryside and of this Pilgrimage Chapel nestled high on the hillside among brilliant fall colors. The chapel was built in Russian Orthodox style in 1747. 

Rothenburg Germany

Plonlein (Little Square) is perhaps the most photographed scene in Rothenburg

To celebrate our anniversary this year we travelled back in time and travelled a small portion of "The Romantic Road": a scenic route through the southern portion of Germany doted with beautiful scenery and quaint towns. Along this route, and within the Franconia region of Bavaria, is the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The name is interpreted as the "Red fortress above the Tauber". This is a well preserved medieval fortress town located above the Tauber River. And, yes, all of the buildings have red tile roofs …or at least this is the way we understand it.

The town founded in 1170 has a storybook look and feel and was a great place for us to celebrate. It is considered an idyllic example of a German Medieval community and has been the inspiration for, and featured in, many familiar stories and films. Among a long list it was the basis for the village in Walt Disney's Pinocchio, used for the filming of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, was also used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Some damage did occur as a result of bombing during World War II however a special arrangement was made to surrender the town to the American forces without defence so that it would not be destroyed. As a result, today it looks very much the way it did so long ago.

Rothenburg has hosted a traditional Christmas Market for over 300 years. It's easy to imagine how beautiful this town would be decked out with Christmas decorations and it's no wonder it's a top destination for tourists hoping to enjoy a quintessential Christmas experience. It's October, though, and instead of snow and twinkling lights, Mother Nature provided her own spectacular experience in the form of a clear, crisp day and beautiful fall colors.

Rathaus, town hall

The Rathaus, or town hall stands out in the centre square and just has to be  explored. The structure has two very different parts. The Gothic portion of this building, the white painted portion shown in the picture below, dates back to 1250 and has a tall white bell tower. The Renaissance portion shown above dates back to 1572. It has been the seat of government from the medieval times. The town hall tower has a viewing platform which is 220 steps climb from the front door, taking you 52 meters above the market square. The panoramic views of the town are well worth the 2 Euro toll and on a beautiful fall afternoon are nearly irresistible.

Marktplatz (Market Square) with the Ratstrinkstube (Chancillor's Tavern) on the right. 

The Ratstrinkstube (Councillor's Tavern) holds a very large clock with life sized animated figures. On the hour the two windows on either side of the clock face open revealing the figures. Crowds gather on the hour to see the show so we joined them.

Fleisch-und Tanzhaus (the Meat and Dance House): the large half-timbered structure served as a meat market by day and a dance hall by night.

This really neat old truck is parked in front of the Christmas Museum and one of the largest Christmas Shops we have ever seen. Here it is Christmas all year round. Of course we shopped here!

Markustrum (Marcus Tower)

One of the eye catching tower gates is Markustrum ( Marcus Tower) and includes the Roderbogen (Roder Arch). These gates form a part of an inner fortification well inside of the town wall system. The connecting town houses decked out in flower boxes together with the arch and clock tower make for a beautiful sight.

Below is the town hall bell tower. Scott is the one on the right with a camera in his hands. The views of the town from up here are really special. You can follow the town wall all the way around and note each of the towers and gates. There is no doubt here about the abundance of red roofs leading to the name of the town.

We enjoyed a really wonderful, although extremely filling, traditional German dinner here. Afterwards we decided a walk around town was in order. The lighted storefronts and softly lit buildings made for a beautiful stroll. We especially enjoyed all of the store windows.

Scott posing next to a really
big beer stein!

This bike is covered in crochet work, not painted!

We took a long walk along the top of the city walls and ended up at these gates. This is the way in to town from the south. It is the Spitaltor or Spital Gate and it is an impressive structure built in the form of a figure eight in the 16th century. There is an inscription here that reads "Pax intrantibus, salus exeuntibus" translated as "Peace to all who enter in, good health to this who leave again". Sounds good to me! The structure has several levels where cannon would have been placed and has a series of seven gates, twisting passages, and even a draw bridge. It would not have been easy to sneak into the city from here.