Yesterday we didn't even get in the car! It was a welcome change of pace to stay put for a day. It was also a public holiday here - German Unity Day (anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany on 3rd October 1990, thank you Google!) and so it was even quieter in Bad Berneck than it usually is! We did go for a couple of walks into the forest just at the end of the village and manage to find a cafe open at 11:30 so we could get a coffee. Autumn colours are just starting - it's quite lovely when the sun is low and filtered through the leaves. I'll upload a photo when I have my camera at the right time.
The weather continues to be pretty well perfect. We have really not had any rain since we arrived. On the news last night much of Spain, France and Belgium is experiencing torrential rain, as are eastern areas of Europe. We are in the middle and have mostly clear blue skies. Today was cloudy though but that helped one photo of a fence that I wanted to silhouette against the white cloudy sky.
Today we visited Nuremberg, with a lovely Altstadt (old town) and of course lots of beautiful architecture. There are several churches around one of the main squares, one with stunning carved stone detail which fixated me…
…and another, St Sebald (who are these saints???) desecrated by Allied bombing at the end of WWII (along with 90% of the old town). Photos displayed around the church told the story of its rebuilding process and the commitment of the people to their church. One of the signs said "But the people of the old town did not abandon their house of God. Desperate clearing up. Desperate hope beneath the open heaven." I cannot imagine the heartache of those years.
And as it looks today...
Nuremberg also had a significant part to play in the history of Germany. It was here that Hilter had the Nazi Party Rally Grounds built and where those well known photos were taken of hundreds of thousands of marching soldiers and party faithful in the stadium saluting him. It is now a museum, which was fascinating, and a permanent reminder of "the city's obligation to analyse and discuss the darkest chapter of German history".
Here ends today's history lesson!
No comments:
Post a Comment