2000 years in a day

Regensburg is not dissimilar to Dunedin, 150,000 residents of which 20,000 are students, the place is alive and medical research (leukemia) is big here. Where we separate is history, here you find yourself on a journey dating back to early Roman times. Just beside where we docked, they are building a museum, just happens to be in the middle of Roman ruins. So I’m wondering how their equivalent of the historic places trust works here as there didn’t seem to be quite the concern for a 2000 year old wall that we down unders might expect (certainly noted in dinner conversation).

Fast forward a few hundred years and you have a town of traders, remembering of course that salt was like gold (where the word salary comes from), we went into a salt barn, seven stories high, check out those mean pieces of oak forming the building. We are talking construction some 400 plus years ago, (I couldn’t keep up with the technical explanation but the building moves), and its foundations gave me only so much confidence when inside and we have definite movement.

Back on solid ground, we cross a bridge 800 years old, it took 11 years to make and has now been permanently closed to traffic (again the historic places would never allow this in the first place). The foresight of those that built the bridge over the Danube ensured the future of the town as a trading hub and the 3000 men that built the bridge got mighty hungry and were fed in the sausage kitchen adjacent which is still operating today. It’s like the inaugural pie cart!

Four meter thick walls protected the town, plaster over wooden frames to provide fire protection and towers peppered throughout the town shows the wealth of the merchants (still today we merchants /countries are obsessed with tower heights), but the state got greedy, taxes were too high and the traders left…and in doing so, the town was never regenerated which is why we can enjoy this perfect example of a medieval town. How did it survive the war? Schmitt’s (aircraft construction) factory and an oil refinery were here in a different part of town and strategic bombing by the Allies on these targets left the medieval centre in tact.

It’s a Unesco site, I wasn’t sure I knew what that means but basically Unesco is all about preserving monuments, cultural or natural items of significance that represent a common heritage for humanity. Aside from being unique, it’s about intactness and authenticity and being Unesco is about a responsibility of the international community as a whole to preserve vs just owned by the place itself.

They too have a serious Cathedral here, St Peters, the windows were removed during the war and hidden in a tower, there is a silver altar that I suspect has only been moved once, in fact Ludwig 1 wanted an update, gothic was out according to him and everything bar the alter was moved. They are proud of their smiling statue here, the oldest known, I suspect our guide didn’t appreciate Caleb’s insight that it looked freaky but I’m with him, it was freaky and old or not, I would be moving it aside if I want to get people in the door. They are also proud of their Pope, Benedict hails from here.

Less proud are they of the treatment of the Jews, this time however not the war as we know it but a few centuries prior (1590) when they were blamed for the plague and exited from town. Grave stones were used in buildings as a very strong message that you aren’t welcome and there would be no eternal peace. Schindler also lived here and our guide ensured we left with a strong understanding of Mrs Schindler’s role, Spielberg did not do justice evidentially.

Standing in a little cobbled corner with a delightful Christmas tree we learnt that this is we’re democracy began (1663), they had to vote with one voice (beer halls and chocolate shops adjacent to help make this happen). It’s also where pillars were removed giving a straight line for all to the King. Beer was drunk, chocolate eaten and laws were passed and today we are left with the expression, it was decided on the round table, which is derived from this moment in history.

An important battle occurred in 1571, King meets girl, illegitimate son born, they are dispatched somewhere but eventually King recognises as legitimate child who goes on to fight a very important battle for Europe. Defeating the Muslims, Don Juan of Austria is responsible for life as we know it. His statue here proves it’s not completely Catholic here with defacement an issue.

Education over Caleb continued his crepe analysis at a pretty little Christmas market and we warmed up in a few stores.

The afternoon was magical – spent at Turn and Taxis castle, these people you can thank next time you post a letter or dial 4771 771, yes they invested the post and taxis and are enormously wealthy as a result but not necessarily loved. Christians don’t like hypocrisy and homosexuality views may be a little more advanced at home than here!!

We entered the castle grounds paying our six Euro for their castle upkeep and then went around the most beautiful arts and crafts market. I keep saying it but it was the prettiest yet and it was stunning wandering a castle ground with carols playing, wooden fires to warm up with, torch lighting to guide you and delicious food filling the air. I bought a hand-made tassel from here ( I will never admit what I paid for it but it’s beautiful) and small ones jumped in the bag too for Isabella. Loved this experience a lot.

Last story for the day is a trip into the famous hat shop. The first one I tried was 300 Euro, the next 400 Euro and on it went (makes my tassel a bargain). Fabulous they were like works of art and I had a ball. Suz this shop has yours and my name all over it for Melbourne Cup, a couple of pics for fun.