One more weekend for the books, and only 10 days left until I return to America, my time is running out. But, considering that all this short time in Germany has given me the opportunity to experience, I'm not surprised. A few weeks before I left America, I ordered a Fodor's Travel Guide for Germany and began reading it... Heidelberg it said was a German town if any town could exemplify that which is Deutschland. So, it hit the list of must see places and it finally got crossed off.
A photo of me with the castle in the background. Eli+Heat+Sun doesn't equal a good photo, but here goes anyway!
Arriving at 11am, after a very early am train ride with many stops along the way, Heidelberg was beautiful from the start. Deciding that this weekend was a good one to "splurge"on a decent hotel, rather than the typical cheap European hostel, we decided to get a room at the Heidelberg Mariott. Now, as far as typical German, it wasn't even close. But, considering the 90 degree temps outside, the un-European features like Air conditioning were warmly (literally) welcomed. With an early checkin and a high floor request, a room with a very nice balcony and view of the Neckar River was bestowed upon us. A short time of resting later, we were ready to hit the Alte Stadt. The old part of the city was quite far from our hotel, but a riverside walk was definitely in order.
Rathaus off of Hauptstrasse.
Heidelberg was a very warm city for sure. I've said if I remember Heidelberg in 30 years, it will be because of the heat. Somewhere along the way, I heard a local telling a tourist that the Mediterranean climate of the Neckar Valley made it one of Germany's first settling points. And i'd believe that considering that it was well into the 90s both days with high humidity. Regardless, exploring Heidelberg was necessary. Before leaving Hannover, and regular access to internet, I planned out an itinerary, including: visiting Alte Stadt and its markets, Philosophenweg (a mountain pathway), Alte Brucke, the Castle, and a Neckar River Cruise. Surprisingly, I was able to accomplish everything I had on the list.
Solar Powered Catamaran cruise on the Neckar River. Very nice, super quiet.
The city was very nice. With old-time charm wherever you looked. From the churches and cathedrals to the Castle itself, it was hard to not take a photo of everything (I know thats a habit of mine, but I deal with it...digital photography is the best). The walkway, Philosophenweg, on the other side of the river up the hillside was also very nice, but in a different sort of way. It allowed me to combine exercise with sightseeing. Not joking though, it was quite a hike. Very steep trails up a mountain in the scorching heat...imagine for yourself.
View from Philosophenweg.
Heading back to Hannover this time seemed too soon. Sometimes when on weekend trips, I start to miss Hannover, where the food/beer is cheap and my bed awaits me...but not this time. Perhaps because the Heidelberg trip was a mere two short days (including travel on one end), it seemed like there wasn't even enough time to soak it all in (and not just the sun, which i'm sure will cause me to burn). Coincidentally, Deutsch Bahn almost made that a reality as trains were delayed quite frequently today and almost long enough to miss the connection in Frankfurt...that would have made it interesting, considering that the revised arrival in Hannover could have been sometime between 4 and 5am if it wasnt possible to make the connection. Luckily, a girl bumped into me and asked me something in german about the train, and eventually we ended up figuring that we all were going to Hannover, and she helped us get home....so that I can sit in my room and write this update for you. But I'll be back in Heidelberg soon....can't go another 19 (20 in two days) years without seeing it again, maybe I'll be back sooner than I know it (studying)??? Next up: Last week of classes, Helsinki, exams, and returning to the US of A!
Tschuss!
Eli
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