Day 33

This was a long day. And a very cold day. We woke up in Munich around 6:15 and gathered our things for day. We went downstairs to drop off our luggage and to check out. We walked to the train station and saw that there was a Starbucks. The thing about European coffee is, it’s good, but they serve it in such tiny cups that you need 4 just to enjoy it. I’m glad Starbucks has standardized sizes. We each got a grande coffee and loaded up on cream and sugar, another thing that Europeans seem to be stingy on. We boarded our train to Ulm and enjoyed our normal sized coffee. After an hour or so, we made it to the city. And it was cold! At least there was no rain yet. We had plenty of time in the city so our first goal was to locate and bank because I was out of money! Thankfully there was one right in the Munsterplatz. This was convenient because the Ulm Minster was also in this square. We took some pictures of the outside and then went in. The inside was very nice and instead of being filled with marble like many of the other churches we have seen, this one was made of stone. I really liked it. After seeing the inside we were ready for the Steeple. Here’s a little background information for you about this church. When it was built it was the tallest building in the world. It stayed that way until the Empire State Building was built. But don’t worry. It still holds a record. It has the tallest church steeple/spire in the world. It’s 528 feet tall. And we were about to climb it. There were 771 steps to reach the top. And that was one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do on this trip. The stairways were narrow and the wind was cold. The handrails was non existent so I had to use the walls to brace myself. We finally made it to the top, 469 feet. The view was amazing! You could see everything. But again, it was very narrow up there and not a lot of room to move around. The wind was blowing as well which made it 10 times colder up there. I had to keep going inside the stairwell just to warm up. But it was amazing. How many people can say that they’ve climbed 771 stairs to the top of the tallest church steeple in the world? Not many I guess. We descended to steeple feeling a little wobbly but in good shape. We spent the rest of the time walking through the old part of the city, parts that weren’t destroyed during WWII. There were even little canals that went around some of the houses. It was pretty cool. But also pretty cold. After we walked through the city a bit we were finally ready to head back to the train station. And it was almost time for lunch, so we were hoping for some good food options. When we got back to the station we came across a Burger King, which is a nice change from McDonald’s. I took one look at the menu and saw chili cheese burgers for 1,50. And I was sold. So I bought two. But I would soon be surprised on the train when I learned what Chili Cheese Burger meant in Germany. Once we were on the train I opened my bag and started munching on some fries. After I was finished, it was burger time. But when I opened my burger I was very surprised to find it covered in jalapenos and spicy cheese sauce. I thought they had made a mistake. I looked at my next one and it was the same story. I guess chili cheese really means “Jalapeno Cheese”. Well, you know how much I love jalapenos. So picked those right off and tried to stomach the rest of the burgers. It was a great disappointment. After 1 transfer and 2 hours of train ride, we made it to the city of Nordlingen. Now, I don't know if you're familiar with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but if you've seen the movie and remember the final scene, then the next few sentences will be exciting for you. We left the train station and walked briskly in the city. We could either see it in 45 minutes and catch an earlier train out, or spend 3 hours in the city and get a later train. We were shooting for 45. But there was a lot to do. We walked along part of the city wall and snapped some quick photos. Then we speed walked into the city and started heading up the tower. After about 20 steps, I knew that 45 minutes was not happening because I was dying! We decided to aim for the later train and enjoy our time in the city. So we continued walking up the tower, but at a much slower pace. And 347 steps later, we were at the top. If you're keeping score that's 1118 steps! And that was just going up. The view from the top was incredible. And slightly familiar. Why, you ask? Well, Nordlingen was the city used for the final scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Remember when they are in the glass elevator soaring over the city? It's Nordlingen!! And I got to see that. It was wonderful. We left the tower and walked around the city for a while before heading back to the town wall. We walked all of the way around the wall, which was a good 2 or 3 miles before finally calling it a day in Nordlingen. We walked back to the train station waited for our next train. Now, this leg of the journey was going to be difficult. We had to make 3 transfers, 2 of which were less than 5 minutes! Our trains needed to be on time. Good thing we're in Germany and not Austria. All 3 transfers went off without a hitch. We made it to Rothenburg safe and sound. We checked into our hotel and got ready to go out again. It was dinner time and we were hungry. Luckily, we found a pizza place right in the town square for a decent price. After consuming some very delicious vegetarian bruschetta we went back outside to wait for the Night Watchman Tour. But there was a problem. It was FREEZING! And I wasn't being a baby. I was shivering. My skin was like ice. And we still had another hour outside. Our tour guide came dressed in his watchman attire. He was a very interesting and funny guide. He told us all about Rothenburg and it's history, including the role it played in WWII. He also explained why it still looked medieval and why it was in such good shape. I don't know if being out in the cold was worth it, but I'm glad I got to learn a little bit more about the town. After our tour ended we raced back to the hotel so I could warm up a bit. I did that by hopping straight into the shower. Then it was bed time!