This week has been another good week in the Frankfurt Area German Mission. We've kept busy with our work and devotionals and scripture study classes which are fascinating and movie night with friends we've met here. Everyone has been over the top in continuing to make us feel welcomed. Soon, some of these friends we've met will be leaving to go home, they have served their time and it's time to depart. How do we say good bye to such wonderful people. We have seven new couples coming in the next few months. We will no longer be new and will be expected to help these wonderful couples feel as loved and appreciated as we have been made to feel. We have big shoes to fill.
Went to see Marksburg Castle and the quaint town of Reudesheim with good friends and fellow missionaries, the Roberts who have done such a wonderful job showing us around and making us feel so welcomed!
Parking cars right on the side walk is very common due to the skinny streets
I took a picture of this home because it was constructed in 1669!!!! This one has been preserved and kept nice, some of them look like they aught to be torn down because they may fall down!
The Gardens and landscaping is beautiful
Just a quaint little clothing store, I thought was charming
This is the Roberts. Jill and Don. Don is an attorney also and Jill works for the Area Presidency. They have been so kind to us. They've had us to dinner, taken us places and taught us how to get around in Germany.....which is not easy! Driving is crazy. I still can't tell when I am on a one way street......I drove down the wrong way on one today and the only way I knew I was going the wrong way is a bicyclist road by me and pointed the opposite direction.....oops!
This is Jill and myself holding the big castle doors open..... One thing I found fascinating about this castle was that the horse stables were actually inside the castle so the knights would ride their horses directly into the castle where they were stabled and cared for. When we toured, they pointed out the tall doorways to fit the knights and their horses!
I took this from inside the castle......what a spectacular view
Walking up to Marksburg Castle, one of the only castles not ruined by WW11. Most of the castles have had some work on them and rebuilding because of the war damage but this one was untouched by the war.
Believe it or not, this is the bed for two adults!!!! It's a little bigger than a twin bed and a lot shorter!
The photo below is an arial view of the castle.....I did not take this, I actually got it off their website but it shows the entire castle so I wanted to add it to my blog.
Some of the cannons that protected the castle from unwanted visitors
Another view, I couldn't get over the spender of the views!
The Rhein River where the famous Viking River Cruise line sails. As a matter of fact, we saw the Viking as we were driving.
I took this angled picture of the castle because the tour guide told us that this was one of the first castles to have "indoor plumbing".....if you can call it that! The area with the rod iron was actually a bathroom which consisted of a small room with a wooden bench. On the bench was a hole where one would sit. The hole was open to beneath which is where your "waist was deposited" I guess the ground beneath was very fertile! This proved pretty futile because enemies of the family would later have an entry way into the castle thru that hole, if you could only imagine!
Jill and Tony in the "torture" chamber. The torture chamber was not used to kill anyone, just inflict as much pain and humiliation as possible until they confessed of their crimes at which time a punishment was imposed....many times death.
Wine Cellar
There was a very small room in the castle which was designated as the chapel. This is supposedly a statue of Madona
These statues show the different attire for the Knights thru the ages. Some of their armor weighed 80 lbs. Their head gear was very heavy and very difficult to see from and breath from. They finally designed the head gear to have a "flap" which they could raise for more air and to show their faces. The movement of rising the mask was the beginning of the "salute" that army's and navy's use today.
More of the torture chamber
This was the blacksmiths quarters. This was primarily used to make horse shoes, nails and equipment. And, this is my honey posing for a photo.
This statue was built in the late 1870's and it is called the Neiderwald Monument. It commemorates the Unification of Germany. The monument was constructed to commemorate the foundation of the new German Empire after the end of the the Franco-Prussian War.
Reudesheim is a small tourist town right on the Rhein River and it is so beautiful. This little town is one of Germany's largest tourist attractions.
After visiting and going on a tour of Marksburg Castle, we visited the small town of Reudesheim along the Rhein River. We walked the streets, got some Gelato and left back to Frankfurt, 45 minutes away and a beautiful drive.
The streets were really crowded
I love the cobble stones
At first I thought this was a hotel, but it is apartments above the stores. Very beautiful and quaint.
And, as we were driving away to head back to Frankfurt, about a 45 minute drive, I snapped this photo of the castle! It's incredible how beautiful the landscaping is of Germany! When people come to visit us, we will take them to Ruedesheim for sure, it is so beautiful!
