Yesterday, we went to Frankenstein Castle. Our train never showed up in the morning, so we hopped another train. We were going to rent a car, but took a train to Darmstadt instead. From there, we hopped a cab up to the castle. The road curved around the mountain for about four miles, surrounding by dense forestry. As we approached the castle, we saw a wedding party. A bride in a full-length …red dress and the groom were sawing a log with a two-person saw. None of us knew this tradition, so we looked it up. Apparently, it is an old German custom. The log-cutting ceremony is meant to represent the very first obstacle within the marriage. The couple must work together to saw through the log, and therefore, to get through the obstacles in their lives together. The cab continued to the castle. The castle was mostly ruins. There was work where they were excavating more the castle base. The chapel at the castle contained beautiful sculptures from the 16th Century. The tower on the castle is also intact. As you walk around the castle, you find four chairs carved out of wood. I am not sure what they were used for, but they were charming. The view from the castle shows miles of the forest, and then the town opens up the heavy trees.
After we left the castle, we headed to Heidelberg. The historic part of the town is heavy for tourists, and there were many shops. We walked up to Heidelberg Palace, a palace that is associated with German Romanticism. The walk was up a steep and long hill, covered in cobblestones. As we stood at the bottom of the hill and looked up, I joked that our relationship was lacking in something: piggy back rides. The Palace was built inside the remains of a 13th Century castle. The castle appeared to have an elaborate water system. The sound of running water can be heard as you walk through the gardens. An old bath house was covered with an iron link door. Across from it, a cistern collected water from small pipes. I imagine it drained the water from the bath, as well as from the mountain. As you walk up old steps from the garden, a stone irrigation ditch runs next to you. It drains the water down towards the cisterns.
Inside the palace, there was a museum on the history of pharmacy and apothecaries. The exhibit included multiple apothecary tables, elaborate designs with the many small draws.
The castle also had wine casks. One needed a staircase to climb to the top. The smaller of the two held 30,000 gallons. I realized that if one needs to die by drowning, this is the place to do it.
The walk back down was much easier.
We headed to the Holy Ghost Church. The church was first mentioned in the 13th Century. It is a massive stone structure. I had first seen it from the train station. The steeple looks like a giant upside down black tulip, topped with a giant garlic bulb. As we entered the church, the sound of the organs greeted us. The candles are placed on a metal tree structure. They lined the inside of the church.
After this, it was time for a quick meal and relaxation. A little souvenir shopping and then sleep. Another long, but enjoyable day.
Chasing Shelley 