Unfortunately, I realized that I forgot my camera (and my sunglasses). Since I didn't have my good camera, I decided to try out (for the first time) Instagram, a cool photo application that you can download from iTunes that everyone seems to be using these days. I had a few problems using it, but ended up getting a few sort of cool photos.
We climbed up the long walkway to the Castle. What awaited was well worth the hard walk. The views were incredible.
The castle was amazing, too.
We also checked out the giant wine barrel, commissioned in 1750, which holds about 58,000 gallons of wine! A statue of a court jester watches over the barrel. Apparently, the court jester was famed for his ability to drink.
While we tried to soak up the experience on our own, we bought some books. I learned that a Tudor descendant once lived here, Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I of England (Elizabeth I's successor, and son of Mary Queen of Scots). She married Frederich V, Elector Palatine, King of Bavaria, who later became known as the Winter King. The royal couple was reputed to have actually been in love with one another, and not just the result of a politically strategic move. Indeed, Frederich V actually created an English wing and garden at the Heidelberg Castle. Unfortunately, their reign as King and Queen lasted only thirteen months and they spent most of their remaining years in exile in Holland.
Although we wanted to see the gardens, we were running out of time. So we walked through the Market Place, through the Church of the Holy Spirit (one of the beautiful stained glass windows is pictured below), first mentioned in a manuscript from 1239, and then onto the Old Bridge.
We then stopped for some quick pizza and Coke and darted off toward the train station. I don't know what it is about Heidelberg, but we were pushing it on time (just like last time) and ended up grabbing a cab to make sure we made our train. Luckily, we made it (unlike last time after running the last mile)!
Anyway, it was a really great trip and I am glad we made it.
No comments:
Post a Comment