Weekend with the Bausmans

The Bausmans from Idaho are senior missionaries here like us and retired military people to boot!  Sister B and I worked it out so that the two of us had medical appointments at the same time at Ramstein AFB.  Therefore, since it is almost a two-hour drive away, both of us couples took the day off and headed there on a Friday morning.  We lucked out with our drive because just a few hours later, this is what we would have faced had we still have been on the road!

We had an enjoyable afternoon watching the movie, "Eddie the Eagle," and then exiting a second movie that turned out to be R, not PG-13, as labeled.  That's OK.  Lunch at the Food Court, shopping at the PX and numerous vendors, and dinner at Chili's
made for a great "American Experience"!

One really fun surprise was that we ran into our dear military friends, Jr. and Theresa Hoopes, whom we knew in Tokyo and with whom we've reconnected here in Germany.  Earlier this summer we had been invited to attend the Frankfurt temple with them when their daughter, Terry, was leaving on her mission and son, Derek, had just returned home from his. And since then,
we've run into them a few times.  Awesome family!!!

Driving home Saturday we took one of those "brown historical sign" detours and headed to an unknown landmark.  It turned out to be a church in Partenheim, which was rather old--
almost 600 years, to be exact!

 

On the grounds of the church was a war memorial with names listed for both WWI and WWII.  It was very depressing to see the long list of names of so many who lost their lives from such a small village!  Elders G & B, Viet Nam veterans, posed appropriately in front of the war memorial.

Imagine this one village losing 27 soldiers during WWI!

Across the street from the church was the schloss (castle).  Note the arrow slits or "loops" in the wall used for shooting arrows or firing guns at the enemy!

Note how the plaster over the bricks & stones has worn away through the centuries.

 Side view of the schloss

The front view shows that this was a fairly simple "castle" built long, long ago.

Cute little cottage right across from the schloss.

From Partenheim we decided to take another detour and stop in Mainz, a city close to Frankfurt. 

And, boy, did we have the pleasant surprise of discovering an amazing cathedral
so close to "home"!

 The foundation stone for the St. Martin's Cathedral (or Mainz Cathedral) was laid in 975, modelling it after St. Peter’s in Rome.  The new building did not, however, survive the day of its consecration in August 1009 – a fire destroyed the edifice and it was not possible to use the cathedral again until 1036.  Seven coronations of kings took place in this Cathedral over the course of centuries.  We began our tour of the cathedral by walking around the cloister.

The hallways were lined with centuries' old medieval statues and worn carvings, 

some rather strange!

 

 

And the pavement was lined with the tombs/gravestones of its former residents!

The cloister, itself, was beautiful with the red stone,
beautiful carved arches, and green foliage.

Numerous carvings lined the walls of the cloister. 

This sculpture was fashioned after the famous Pieta in Rome by Michelangelo.

The cathedral is one of Europe's largest--so big there is a choir loft at each end.

Along the sides of the main chapel were numerous smaller chapels,
each with their unique altar piece.

  

 

We were all so impressed with the size and beauty of this building built almost one thousand years ago!  Here we're at the side of the west choir area, and to the left is the baptismal font.

   Below the windows along both sides of the nave were beautiful paintings
depicting the life of Christ.

As we walked outside, Elder G and I were in for yet another surprise.  Right across from the cathedral on the town square is the Gutenberg Museum, housing, of course, one of the Gutenberg Bibles!  We definitely agreed to make a return trip to Mainz--for both an informative tour of the cathedral in English and a tour of the Gutenberg Museum as well!