Shaun and I left Saturday morning at 4 AM (!) to head up to Stuttgart. It ended up being a good decision because there was hardly any traffic, plus we got to see the sun rise as we drove through the Alps.
It was an eight-hour drive, so we arrived just in time for lunch. I hadn't seen the Murphys (except James) since I left Japan, and they hadn't changed a bit. They were excited to see us and even more excited when I told them I'd never been to Germany before. They love playing tour guide.
Mrs. Murphy made some delicious fondue, and then we all headed down to check out Schloss Ludwigsburg, a palace that was built in 1704.
It was very beautifully decorated. We took the English tour and heard lots of interesting stories about the royalty that lived there over the years. Afterward, James spent the rest of the day poorly imitating the accent of our tour guide.
After dinner, we went to Hohenasperg, an ancient fortress that overlooks the city. It dates back to at least 1308, and is now used as a prison hospital.
After that, we strolled around a section of town called Markgroningen. It was very stereotypically German, but in a cute way.
It was getting kinda late, so after that, we headed back to the Murphy's house and played a couple rounds of "Scene It," which is kinda like Trivial Pursuit, but centred around movies. Stephanie and I were on a team, and we totally kicked butt.
Sunday, we spent all day at Patrick Henry Village, a small Army post near Heidelberg, for Stephanie's commencement. She graduated with a BA in communication. It's strange thinking of her as a college grad, because the first time I met her, she was a freshman in high school in Misawa. How time flies!
After the ceremony, we headed into Heidelberg for dinner at a place called Vetters. It was old school German food, and this was the main entree--a gigantoid bowl of meat, split six ways. I ordered a vegetarian dish (a gigantoid bowl of vegetables and cheese). We all stuffed ourselves, and there was still plenty left over. Regardless, we didn't feel bad about ordering some apple strudel.
After dinner, we walked around Heidelberg, which was a really neat town with tons of shops and cafes.
It's built on both sides of the Neckar river. It features the oldest university in Germany, a huge castle dating back to 1214, and a Starbucks. (Shaun just HAD to have a Frappuccino!) We walked around the castle, but by then, it was too dark to take any pictures. Don't worry, though; I'll definitely be going back.
Shaun and I had to leave early this morning to head back to Aviano, so we didn't stay out too late. Before this trip, I'd never really had any interest in German culture or much of a desire to visit. But now, I can't wait to go back and see more.
As always, if you want to see the entire photostream, go here. It was so great to see James and Brittany, who had flown in all the way from San Antonio. And a huge "Danke!" to Mr. & Mrs. Murphy, who were more than hospitable, especially since they're packing out this week to move back to Oregon. Meeting such genuine, thoughtful, Christ-like people is a rare experience, and I wish them all the best.
1 comment:
dude you suck. you went and spent my 21st birthday in germany? way to give my birthday present to YOURSELF!!!! well it sounds like you had a fuckin rad time.
p.s. your pops told me about your blog while we were in D.C.
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