REGENSBURG, GERMANY

What a wonderful surprise at dinner last night. To welcome us to Bavaria, we were served a typical Bavarian meal. First and foremost, German wine, pretzels, potato and leek soup, and a mixture of sausage, pate, and meats for the appetizer. Then waiters, dressed in typical Bavarian style paraded through the dining room with a roasted pig, prime rib and a mixture of other meats on sparkling platters. Dinner was buffet style and the dishes included cabbage salad, German potato salad, brat and sauerkraut, and much more. The staff really went overboard and by the time we finished everyone was stuffed and sort of rolled down the hall to the lounge to drink and party.

Regensburg is over 2,000 years old and one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. Parts of the original Roman wall can still be seen.

Steinerne Brucke, the Stone Bridge, was built in the 10^th century and is 1,000 feet long. There is a small statue on the bridge pointed towards the cathedral. It seems that the master builder of the bridge and the master builder of the cathedral had a wager on who would finish first. The bridge builder, being worried that he would lose the wager since the Bishop had God on his side, made a deal with the devil. The devil’s only payment would be the first 3 souls who crossed the bridge. The builder agreed. Needless to say, the bridge was finished first and there was a big holiday to celebrate and the Bishop, Mayor, and General wanted to be the first to cross. The builder, remembering what the devil had said, quickly gathered a chicken, a goat, and a dog and chased them across the bridge, spoiling the devil’s plot.

The cobblestone roads of the city where the lower class lived were barely 6 foot wide, but the roads in the rich section were much wider. To show their wealth, the patricians would build their homes as high as possible, as shown by this tower in the right side picture (even though it only contained a spiral staircase).

The Old Town Hall had two figures at the top…the figure with the crossed arms representing ‘protection’ and the other ‘ready to attack’.

On the side of the Town Hall were measurement poles; the shortest to measure elbow to arm, the medium foot to knee, and the third arm to arm (showing the height of a person).

St Peter’s Cathedral was started in the 1100s, more than half was built within 50 years, but the remaining half took 250 years. When the cathedral was started it was in the Romanesque style, but finished in the Gothic style.

We did a little shopping to help 'fortify' us during the cold weather (if you get my drift). We even found a TJ Maxx, but here it's TK Maxx. The snow started again so Anna and I got warmer socks, but I think the other 'fortification' will help warm us a little better.

We’re heading out tonight for dinner at a local restaurant. More later….