One place that Laurie and I visited was the Crime Museum. It is a museum of crime and punishment in the medevil times. It certainly isn't what we would consider crimes today and the punishemnt could be a little brutal, while some, I think, should be brought back.
Besides the normal crimes of prostitution, witchery, and drunkeness, there was the crime of bakers making break too small, or being a gossip. The cruel punishment of stretching racks, finger screws and limb pullers, were used. They felt that it was OK to torture people into confessing if they were quite certain of the guilty person. They did believe, though, in courts and trials.
Some of the petty stuff like gossip was punished by wearing a metal mask with a big mouth. If a man was known to be a pig, he would wear a mask of a pig's face. Now that is one that I think should come back. The double violin in another. It is a wooden piece with two large holes for two heads and small four holes for hands. When someone, women or husband and wives would be disputing they would have to wear that until they worked things out. Another thing that was done for the bickering husband and wife would be to put a bar on their door so they couldn't come out until they settled their dispute.
The museum had athentic books, letters, seals, and torture items on display. All interesting and amusing.
Laurie and I then walked around the town and part of the walk that was on the wall. We then headed back to out room. It was another hot day and we were hoping to cool down.
At 8:00 we took the guided walk by the night watchman. He was dressed in full garb and had his candle lantern in one hand and a long handle spear/axe in the other. That was to make sure we stayed in order and paid him for his tour. He was very good in a humorous way. He told us of the ways things were years ago and the people that lived here. Rothenburg was a medevil walled city with 14 gates. He made me realize living in the old days wasn't so romantic.
I went back to the B & B after the tour to try to sleep for another hot night.
August 13, 2003
After our breakfast of rolls and cheese, a very common breakfast in Germany, Laurie and I hit the streets. We walked up the tower of the old town hall which was built between 1250-1400. We then walked around the town by the walking guide that they gave us to check out the buildings.
When we got back to the hostel, about noon, it was about 100 degrees out. No wonder I have been so thirsty. It seems like I haven't been able to get enough to drink and am always feeling thirty.
We walked to the bus stop where we waited for a couple of hours for the bus. As I was lying down on the bench a bee went inside my short legs and stung me. I felt it right away and jumped up trying to get the bee out of my pants. I may have looked funny, but I wasn't laughing. That darn bee hurt. It is now red, swollen, and itchy.
We took the bus to Munich, Munchen to the German. We had a few stops but they weren't long enough to look around. It seemed like a very long ride. I would have preferred the train. So if anyone suggests the Romantic Road to you, just do part of it. It's a long ride and it gets boring after awhile.
We arrived in Munich about 7:20 and we found our way to the hostel. It was about a 20 minute walk from the train station. The hostel is very new and not quite finished. Right next to the hostel is a beer and pizza place with an outside terrance. There is also a McDonalds near there to supply me with Diet Coke. I later found out that their ice machine was broken. I had to go next door to the movies to get my drink.
I went to the beer and pizza place where Laurie was talking to a Munich native. We talked to him for a few hours and then went back to the hostel. It rained a bit but it didn't cool off our room. It will be another hot night.
August 14, 2003
After Laurie and I used the internet this morning, we were going to go on the city walking tour. The one thing that ruins a walk is rain and that is what it started to do. We just walked around the train station and then went back to the hostel. I just did some odds and ends.
The weather started to clear, so we went to Marien Platz to do the walking tour. Marien Platz is a big square and the town hall is located there. The town hall is an enormous building with incredible architecture. It looks old, but it isn't. It has a Glockenspiel in the towers. At certain times the bells chime and there are three levels that have figurines that turn like a merry-go-round. We weren't there at the correct time to see it.
Isabell, our guide, brought us through the area with humorous stories of the past kings. We went by the Hofbrauhaus. This is a brewery that was founded in 1589. Hitler held many of the early Nazi meetings here. One meeting broke out during a speech made by Hitler and it became known as the Battle of the Hofbrauhaus.
Beer is everyone's past time in Munich. They have beer gardens all over. In the old days, they did a lot of trading with beer and there was also a reason to celebrate and drink beer.
After the guided tour, Laurie and I walked to the Englescher Gardens. The park was created in 1789 on former hunting grounds. The park is huge with lots of dirt roads. It looks like it would be very easy to get lost. One thing that the garden may be known for is its nude sunbathing. As Laurie and I were strolling through, we noticed, from a distance, that several were partaking in the the legal nude sunbathing. We got back about 8:30. I was tired and went to bed.
