After we arrived home last Monday night, my parents came for another visit on Tuesday! Unfortunately, they started their travels with a delay that caused them to miss their connection in Frankfurt. But they made it to Stuttgart by early afternoon, had a nap, and we could all enjoy a dinner out in our neighborhood biergarten.
During the days when we were working and at school, they enjoyed walking around our town and visiting all the local shops and restaurants. We had dinner at Corners in Sindelfingen Wednesday night, and on Thursday, we had a late dinner at Da Gianni’s after everyone was home from their activities.
Friday, I took off, and we headed to France for a day trip. It has become a tradition that we make a day trip to Alsace with my parents each time they come, and this time, we visited Obernai. Obernai is just outside of Strasbourg on the Routes de Vins and is the second most visited town in Alsace after Strasbourg. The town has a strong viticulture and a town center of cute, half-timbered houses. There is even a little tourist train that will take you around town and up into the vineyards for a view from the scenic overlook.
When we arrived, we walked around town and visited the town church, Saint Pierre et Paul, and the town’s War monument just outside. Afterward, we decided we were hungry and found a cute Alsation restaurant for lunch. Afterward, we did some shopping and then jumped on the tourist train for a ride. From the commentary on the train, we learned about the town’s history and main attractions before the train took us up the steep hillside to the panoramic lookout point. It was so steep, and we surely would never have made it up to the lookout without the train, so we were so happy we took the ride. The view was beautiful, and we could see some of the vineyards, which are now starting to change their colors for the fall.
After our tourist train ride, we got back on the road to Stuttgart. We got home just in time to change into warm clothes and head to Stuttgart High School. Stuttgart was hosting the first game of the high school playoffs. We had been hoping to host the first game because my parents really wanted to attend, and we really lucked out!
It was a really great game, and Stuttgart won, with the final score being 47-20. Kenneth also had a great game with lots of carries and yards gained. They will advance to the next round of the playoffs next weekend.
On Saturday, Ryan left early for a Boy Scout camp-out. Brooklyn had to work a bake sale for the wrestling team and then a shift at Pizza Hut. My parents, Matt, and I left shortly after lunch for a quick overnight trip to Rothenburg ab der Tauber. Rothenburg is a preserved medieval town just across the border in Bavaria. The city only suffered minor damage during the World Wars and has almost its entire wall and city center intact. It’s known as being one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, so we really wanted to take my parents to see it.
After arriving, navigating the tiny streets of the walled city to our hotel, and checking in, we stopped for a quick lunch at an Italian restaurant. Then, we headed to the Käthe Wolfhart Christmas store and the German Christmas Museum.
We did a lot of shopping in the famous flagship Käthe Wolfhart store and then toured the German Christmas Museum, where we learned about the history of Christmas celebrations and how they evolved in Germany. Many traditions still celebrated today, like Christmas trees, ornaments, and nutcrackers, originated in Germany.
After we had had enough of Christmas-themed activities, we made our way to a panoramic overlook. There, we were treated to a beautiful view over the Tauber Valley and the leaves that were starting to change colors for the fall.
We also really enjoyed the city walls covered in deep red vines. We looked them up and turns out the vines are called Virginia Creeper and are native to Virginia.
The medieval walls of Rothenburg are open to the public and free, so we climbed the steps and walked about half of the city for more great views of the town and the surrounding valley. Along our walk, we saw many plaques naming people and their origins. We would later learn during our nighttime walking tour that these were donors who donating towards the post WW2 reconstruction of the parts of the town damaged during the war.
I had forgotten that my mom is afraid of heights so she was pretty nervous during our walk but she did it so we were proud of her.
It was time for a drink when we climbed down, especially for my mom. We walked by the picturesque Roberbrunnen fountain and stopped at the cafe just by it. While we were having our drinks, my dad shared that a friend had suggested he try döner kebab, the infamous Turkish-German wrap. Since the cafe we were in served döner, we ordered one and split it between the four of us as a mid-afternoon snack. Luckily for us, it was a really good one, and my parents really enjoyed it!
We still had time before the trip’s main event, The Night Watchman’s Tour, so we returned to the hotel for a quick nap. Afterward, we were refreshed and ready for the night-time walking tour of the city.
I have wanted to take the Rothenburg Night Watchman’s Tour since I saw it on Rick Steves 10+ years ago. On the tour, the guide re-enacts a medieval night watchman’s walking path while the guests follow along and listen to his stories. Several friends have taken it, and everyone says it’s the best tour they’ve done. Even though we’ve been to Rothenburg a couple of times now, the timing has never worked out, so I’ve been trying to find a way to make it happen. While my parents were visiting, it seemed like the perfect time.
We met at the Marktplatz near our hotel and then walked a circuitous route around the city, seeing the older buildings, one of the city gates, and the walls. The Nightwatchman gave us stories about the long history of Rothenburg, including medieval times, the Thirty Years’ War, and World War II. The guide was captivating, and it was one of the best tours we’ve been on. My mom cried at the end (this is not that unusual, but still a marker of a good time).
Matt estimates there were over 100 people on the tour with us. Usually, on tours, the crowd shrinks as it goes on, but on this one, the crowd kept growing! Everyone was captivated, and from what we saw, everyone paid at the end instead of trying to sneak off. This just shows how awesome the tour was.
After the tour, we went back to the hotel for one more glass of wine and then bedtime.
We had a great breakfast at the hotel before the drive back home. It was a great little weekend; my mom even cried when it was time to leave the hotel ☺️. We promised to bring her back to Rothenburg for a longer stay on their next visit, so we are looking forward to that.
When we got back to Stuttgart, we picked up Ryan from his campout and brought him home for a shower and nap. Then, we were all back in the car to go to Krautfest, the annual cabbage festival in Echterdingen. The weather hadn’t been so nice over the weekend, so it was extra crowded on Sunday. We didn’t stay too long but had enough time to walk around the fest, have a drink, see the cabbage horns, and watch some of the cabbage shredding competition.
After a nap, we went to Tower 66 for a family dinner. With all of the kids’ activities, there have barely been any times when all six of us have been home simultaneously, so it was really special. Tower 66 is a Route 66-themed restaurant we’ve enjoyed every time my parents have visited, so we made sure to work it into the itinerary. Kenneth was even able to join us, and it was a great night.
We finished the weekend with a couple more episodes of Young Sheldon before an early bedtime to catch up on rest after a busy weekend.
Gilcrests Abroad 