Hiedelberg

---

On our way to Portland from India this summer we took a break in Europe. We first went to Germany for a quick break before heading to Greece. In Germany, we had a chance to spend some time with my colleague and good friend Jason and his family before they packed up and went back to Palo Alto after a two year assignment with SAP in Germany. They lived in Heidelberg so we decided to stop there. Bindu and Maya were also curious to see Heidelberg since I travel there on work frequently.

As you can see from our pictures, Heidelberg is a beautiful city. It has been an important center of education in Germany for many centuries. They have a wonderful Haupestrasse and great old churches including some excellent Catholic ones. The city is dominated by the towering castle built on top of the hill above the city. The Neckar river winds through the city and can be crossed by some wonderful bridges. The city also has a collection of trails that allows you to walk up the hills directly from the city center and from the other side of the river. The main street is a long winding cobble stoned street dotted with cafes and beer gardens. I am intimately familiar with many of bars having spent considerable time with my colleagues enjoying the best of the German brews while on business :0 . My favorite flavor is the dunkel weisse, a seasonal dark wheat beer native to Bavaria which is south of Heidelberg.

The city was spared the worst of the bombing during WWII beacuse it was not an industrial town. So much of the old city is in fantastic shape. The city is home to the European central command of the US Army. But, surprisingly you never see soldiers in the city. Among the famous Americans who have visited the city include Mark Twain and Thomas Jefferson who came to Heidelberg while he was the ambassador to France.

This trip will be memorable for us for the great hospitality shown by Jason, Becky, Thomas and Sara. We had a great time hanging out with them. We even snuck in a game of Cricket on the banks of the Neckar. we hiked down to the old town from the castle and had lunch at a Thai restaurant breaking Jason's rule to avoid "ethnic" food in Germany. It was actually pretty good and surprisingly spicy.

I hope we can go back to Germany for a longer visit soon.

---

Photos

060
Thomas, Sara, Becky, Sunjay, Maya and Bindu at the Kornmarkt

122
Hotel Ritter - built in 16th century

062
Just the Mohans

063
Maya eyes desserts

064
What I have to waiit till after dinner?

065
Beer garden

067
The funnicular that takes you up the hill

071
The view of the old bridge over Neckar from the top of the funnicular

073
Funnicular station

078
View of the old town from the hill

088
The train from the opposite direction passes us. The weight of the train going down pulls the train coming up

090
German butt humor_ Ha Ha

091
Walking down a trail from the castle to the town square

093
Castle tower

073
Funniculr station

078
View of the old town from the hill

089
Maya misses Freckles

091
Walking down a trail from the castle to the town square

093
Castle tower

094
Castle tower

097
Thomas check out the castle