So after five years of marriage we finally went on our honeymoon. We saved airlines miles so the flight only cost $300 for both of us. Those United Airlines free tickets sure ain't what they used to be. Two friends came along for part of the trip. Their son is stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany. This helped us decide where to fly into, Frankfurt, which is close to Wiesbaden.
We checked the exchange rates before we left and this was the most painful part of the trip, it varied from .65 cents to .70 cents to the dollar. So if you went to the ATM and took out 300 euro it cost you about 450 US dollars and that is before ATM fees on both sides and the bank exchange fees of 3%. We tried to use our credit card whenever possible, we have one that does not charge to exchange Euro transactions to US dollars.
The flight was actually on Lufthansa on a 747. The plane was old and the seats very uncomfortable. About 3 hours in I though my rear end was going to kill me. I used 2 pillows to help. No internet or seat tv's only the old school ones every ten feet or so along the aisles. So my husband along the window could not really see the tv.
(Here we are waiting to board the plane)
We left Chicago O'Hare at 3:30 PM on May 3rd and arrived in Frankfurt on May 4th at 6:50AM. No one managed much sleep on the flight and since it was already morning we had decided to forgo sleep and start our adventure. Our friends son, the Marine was waiting for us at the airport. After a brief wait for our checked bags (Lufthansa allows one free checked bag each) we headed for the train and our first destination, Bamberg. We had purchased the Eurail passes back in the states and could use most trains for a certain amount of days. We tried to pack light for lots of travel, but still found lugging the suitcases on the crowded trains a bit of an ordeal.
(Steve at the airport - a little piece of home)
(The train station in Frankfurt)
(The train station main entrance in Frankfurt)
(Waiting with the luggage while the boys ask which train we should take. We were lucky to travel with mean who were not afraid to ask questions)
(Our ICE train to Bamberg)
In a few hours we arrived in Bamberg. We choose Bamberg for two reasons. The first and most important to my husband was smoked beers. Bamberg is famous for smoked beers and he wanted to try them. The 2nd reason was that Bamberg was not destroyed in WW2, so they have a very large Old Town section that dates to the middle ages.
So our first stop, luggage in tow, was at Schlenkerla. Their specialty is a dark, bottom fermented smoked beer, and tapped from a gravity fed oak wood cask. For my first lunch I had Schnitzel wiener art with pomme fries - which is breaded fried pork and french fries. Very good. I am not much of a drinker so I ordered water. Our friends son told us that they do not serve tap water and the bottled water tastes weird. He was correct, it tasted bad and it was just plain water. The smoked beer on the other hand was very good and my husband was very happy.
(Outside Schlenkerla - since 1405)
(The sixpointed star is the traditional guild sign of the franconian brewers - it is called the beerstar or brewstar)
After lunch we headed to the hotel to get rid of the luggage. It was a short bus ride out of the main part of town.
We stayed at the Hotel Buger Hof, which has been owned by the same family since 1898 and is being run by the 4th generation. It also is a beer garden and restaurant. A very nice, quiet place to stay. The staff was friendly, the room nice and clean and the meals very good.
(Steve in front of the hotel)
(The phone booth - and it still works)
(Across the street from the hotel)
(Walking towards town from the hotel)
(At breakfast - what a fantastic room)
We Stopped at the Tourist office and purchased the Bamberg City Card. It was good for 3 days and gets you into many attractions for free as well as allows you to use the bus. As our hotel was a bus ride out of town, we decided it was a good deal
(Cigarette vending machines)
(The bike paths - watch out and listen for the bells which are your last warning that a biker is coming)
(The old Town Hall of Bamberg, built in 1386 in the middle of the river. Rebuilt in 1744-56)
(Inside the old Town Hall is a museum)
(A staircase inside the old Town hall, it is made from marble or cement, not wood that's for sure)
(A closer look at the design, it is in sections, so it might be cast from a mold or cut from marble)
(Statue of St or Queen Kunigunde - the walking tour we took said there used to be several more statues located along the Regnitz River, but they were destroyed by ice flows)
(Cool blue building that the walking tour said something about but we can't remember. Kunigunde is in the foreground)
(Queen Kunigunde with the old slaughterhouse in the background across the river)
(statues behind the town hall)
(across from the statue above)
(an old crane in town next to the ancient slaughterhouse)
(Little Venice of Bamberg)
(A Chinese restaurant with the Madonna and Child Statue above)
(The Bamberg Cathedral dates back to 1002. It was completed in 1012)
(old lion statue at the entrance to the cathedral)
(A side entrance to the Cathedral)
(notice the statues at the side entrance, people standing on top of other people)
(The Alte Hofhaltung, residence of the bishops in the 16th and 17th centuries)
(The inner courtyard of the Alte Hofhaltung)
(The New Residence of the Bamberg Prince-Bishops was begun in 1613)
(close up of the New Residence)
(the rose garden of the New Residence)
(another angle of the rose garden, you can see the Michaelsberg Abby)
(picture taken from the rose garden of the New Residence and showing Michaelsberg Abby in the distance)
(shot of Michaelsberg Abby from town)
(Steve checking out the sites with Michaelsberg behind him)
(The view from the rose garden without the telescope)
(Michaelsberg Abby - the 1st church built around 1015 was destroyed by an earthquake around 117. The new church was finished in 1121 and damaged by fire in 1610)
The church is still in use. They used to brew beer in the Abby in the brew house from 1122 until 1969. Now it is a museum. This was quite a walk from town as the Abby is located on one of Bamberg's "Seven Hills" - it was well worth the walk. It is a very large museum with lots of cool old equipment and tolls.
(Frankisches brauereimuseum Museum entrance sign)
(Steve checking out the museum. he loves anything to do with beer)
(Steve looks inside the beer barrel)
(inside the beer barrel)
(cool display of making barrels)
We really enjoyed the beer museum. if you like walking you can see most of the sites on foot. Gives you a good workout but then you don't have to feel bad about drinking the beer.
(On our way to get drinks one night we saw this in the hallway of a local bar - The Simpsons are universal)
(The pumps at a local gas station)
(One of the narrow old streets through town)
Saturday May 7th, we head to the Bamberg Train Station (built between 1846-1848) and head to Mittenwald.
