Family is Here! Part 2

Another day we headed to Heidelberg Castle.  It, too, was in ruins; however, 

the boys endured less freedom to climb and explore since we were part of a tour.

It was interesting to learn that this damaged portion of the tower was the result of a munitions building above the castle being struck by lightning, exploding, and then
sending a big chunk into the castle below.

Before leaving the parking garage, I just HAD to get a photo of our favorite phrase:

Our next stop of the day was Erin's choice, the Maulbronn Monastery.  It was like a little village of its own, and we really enjoyed checking everything out.

Cool choir seats!

Then on to Tübingen, another must-visit quaint little city. 

Here they are in front of their Airbnb, less than a block from the Altstadt.

I took a picture inside because I wanted to show off the interior wood framing.  

The house has been certified to be at least 600 years old!

The winding, narrow cobblestone streets are always a favorite in these old cities!

The town hall...

...and the town square.  Awesome!

We left the downtown area and walked along the canal.  It was full of boats--mostly, people "punting"--being steered along like the boats in Venice.

Cool church!

After the Hubands spent a week touring Bavaria, Salzburg, and Prague,
we met in our all-time favorite, Rothenberg ob der Tauber!

Mugging for the camera!

Everyone is impatiently waiting for the Night Watchman's Tour.

And he finally arrives!

His tongue-in-cheek tour was one of the trip's highlights--so much so
that Rhett now wants to be a night watchman for Halloween!

The next morning we walked the city wall.  

We thought this particular house was amazing!

We also toured the torture museum.  Here were the "masks of shame."

Chair of spikes, anyone?

This was a great display demonstrating the various ways students were punished
in medieval times!  Beware, all you grandkids!

This is one of our favorite, most photographed spots in all the city!

And here is proof that the Hubands can, in fact, complete an awesome
 500-piece puzzle in less than 24 hours!

Sunday we were all invited to Chuck's cousin's, Monika, for dinner.  Her sister Karin from Heidelberg was there with her family as well.

It was a great reunion for them--as well as the nine noisy "second-cousins-once removed"!!!

One their last day we visited Burg Eltz and Cochem, two more of our favorite stops!

And, what could be more fun than eating German Brats for lunch at a castle! 

Last stop, Cochem, before heading back.  The next day the Hubands would return home.  We had a wonderful visit while they were here, getting in two three-day weekends and a Tuesday.  We had great fun reuniting and showing them the beautiful sites surrounding us.