Reconnecting in Heidelberg with our gentle giant

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We were going to spend one more day in Stuttgart according to our itinerary, but last night I was chatting to Lars, a German CSer who had spent last christmas in SA with us and he insisted that we come to Heidelberg, even if just for one day. He was now back in Germany, studying in Heidelberg where he was living in a fraternity house. He said that there was just no way we were coming all the way to Germany without visiting him so I guess we have to leave Stuttgart a day earlier than planned. I liked Stuttgart so much, and I really wanted to take the girls to Ludwigsburg, that I was feeling a bit sceptical about going to Heidelberg, but Lars was adamant that we visit him so that's settled! Heidelberg it is!

Heidelberg is a small university town about two hours by train from Stuttgart. Lars was actually visiting his parents in Bonn, so the plan was to meet at the train station in Heidelberg. We arrived in Heidelberg and decided to wait inside the McDonalds (the girl's favourite eating place in Europe) for Lars. The girls ordered their usual, two kiddies meals, and we were pleasantly surprised that it was a lot cheaper in Germany than in Italy and France and to double the bonus, when they opened the meals there were actually two burgers in the boxes instead of one. The girls were happy. Just as they finished their meal, Lars arrived. After much hugging and kissing, we took a bus to the frat house where Lars was staying.

All the frat houses used to belong to the very rich people and they wanted their houses in the best locations, so the frat houses were all perched real high up on the hills, so to get up there with our bags was almost mission impossible!, But Lars was superman and he helped as much as his superhuman strength would allow him to.

The fraternity house was marvellous. All the other boys were gone away for christmas so we had the entire place to ourselves. After a tour of the house, Lars took us to visit the old town and for the second time since our Eurotrip we had rain and brrrrr it was so cold. The town was lovely. We walked across the Old Bridge(Alte Brucke) through the bridge gate(Bruckentor), into the old town. We stopped at a diner where university students hung out when the university was open and Lars ordered a Doner Kebab for lunch. The girls had just eaten their Mcmeals so they were not hungry and I was not really feeling up to eating. We visited the university that Lars was attending, went into an awsome gummi bears sweet shop where we bought gummi bears in any flavour you fancied in the world - even chilli ones! Krisel managed to find more things to buy, this time a pair of Ugg boots-they were so cute, I have to admit! Lars wanted to take us out for dinner that night, but I said that I wanted to cook for him and he was so happy as he said he was really missing Africa cooking. He bought chicken and rice for dinner which I later cooked. By now we were so cold that all we wanted to do was just go back to the house and cosy up, so Lars' suggestion about going up to the castle was not met with very favourable replies. Heidelberg is famous for its castle, which dominates the Heidelberg skyline, looming over the old town and Lars said that it is a must see for every visitor, but no not in this rain and cold, not for us South Africans. We already did one castle in the rain, when we were in Rimini - maybe next time. We could either walk up to the castle or take the mountain railway (3Euro for adults and 2Euro for children). Entrance into the castle gardens is free, but you have to pay to go into the courtyard (2.50Euro for adults, 1 euro for children & 1.20Euro for students). Lars shared some of the castle's history with us.
In the left corner of the courtyard, as you face the river Neckar, is the entrance to the cellar where the Grosses Fass (Big Barrel) is found. The big barrel is the biggest wooden barrel ever to have been filled with wine. The barrel was constructed in 1751 and can hold over 221,000 litres of wine! There’s a little walkway which takes you across the top of the barrel (the top area was sometimes used for dancing). There’s also a little German wine ship here – you can taste the wine before buying. Before reaching the house, we stopped at the bridge monkey next to the gate for some silly pictures and then started the long climb up to the house, this time it was a lot easier with no bags to pull.

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Photos

The loooong walk up to the frat house
You think this was bad, wait till you see the stairs!

Silliness at the bridge monkey
Kris and the monkey

These idiiers, I don't know what to say
Kee n the monkey

A freezing cold foggy winter's day lends
an eerie note to Heidelberg's castle

In Germany eating pigs made from marzipan
on New years is

considered to bring you luck
And I thought the pigs were so cute