Euro tour day 19 Nuremburg

Euro tour day 19

Today I decided to sleep in instead of getting up early and running around. Also it was actually really cold and I was nice and warm in my bed. I did not have a plan for the day so I was thinking about trying to find something to eat and then float away, but be back before dark so I could have a shower as the night before I ended up showering in the dark as the motion lights went out on me and I could not really see a thing. The day was crispy and clear. I was really happy to be wearing a heavy jumper and my jacket although it was hot wearing in England, but I did not want to take it off then. I was thinking of ditching it before leaving England, but luckily I didn’t as it was needed. In my pockets are my wallet, phone, passcode of the hostel, camera and German phrase book with a pap in the inside pocket. I do have a padlock key in my pocket too as anyone can actually walk into your room. My padlock has come in handy as I lock up my valuables inside and what I need is on my body like passport.

I started wandering around and ordered a bratworst burger. Just a sausage in bread and I put mustard with it. I was trying to find the bakery place I had found yesterday, but couldn’t remember with my random wandering where it was. I caught the underground rail from Opernhaus station to Rathenaupi station so I could wander to the imperial palace. This was the start of my wandering and I did see some really nice buildings including a museum that I passed and would visit later on my way back. Sure I cannot read German or speak it, but I can at least read a map and that does count. Many of the houses had statues on the corners of the buildings. The castle I found and wandered around the outside. I also found the castle was by tour only and since I was only one person, did not think it would be fair on other people to end up on an hour and half tour. It was at one time an imperial palace and built onto a hill. The gardens were really nice too and I was wondering if there were any squirrels.

I had to get a magnet from a gift shop of the city. I did also see around the city cigarette vending machines outside of places like restaurants and pubs. This must be what Europe is all about. I did come to the realisation that the city did in parts remind me of Copenhagen. I went back to the museum that I had found earlier although I was looking in pub windows at the menus hoping to find something in English. I know of one near the hostel that I will try later. The museum is actually a house that is around 900 years old called Statmuseum Fembohaus or Nuremberg’s city museum, Fembo house. This house is around 4 stories and gives the history of Nuremberg. Luckily they have English audio tours of the house to explain everything unless you are fluent German. Nuremberg was actually a kingdom in its own right and the major trading city in Germany. Traders, craftsmen and merchants applied their trades and made things in the city even though there was no river and far away from ports. The house was really lovely and designed of the era. The city did grow in the early days with in the defences being round towers to stop invaders. There were pictures of the city before and after the war and it explained the city was bombed at least 50 times and was one of the badly bombed cities in Germany. The audio tour was very helpful pointing out places of interest including the Hauptmarkt where the markets of old traded and still do. This area is spectacular and the church is actually built on the remains of an old Jewish settlement that was run out of town in the 1600s I think it was.

After the tour of the house that was saved I took a walk around the inner city although I do try and get myself lost there are signs that point you to where you want to go. At the Hauptmarkt I did have to buy new batteries as mine were telling me they were running low in my camera. At the same time I bought myself an apple and a pack of batteries. My spares are half used and back in my room. I ended up with a pack of 6 batteries. I did buy a large coffee later on from Starbucks and wandered towards my hostel as it was slowly getting late afternoon.  I did see on my way back a bagpiper playing although I don’t know if he really is Scottish. I did realise I was actually lost a little bit and didn’t know which direction to go although I ended up seeing the British Empire shop that told me I was on the correct path.

After my shower I was sorting out some stuff and putting socks on when some guy randomly walks into my room even though it is a dorm room and not locked. I had a couple of things on the desk not valuable like a pamphlet in German on the state archives and a book on Winston Churchill. The man picks up the pamphlet and starts leaving the room. I growl at him saying that is mine and he tells me he will be bring it back. He comes back and takes one of the blankets from one of the beds. I was wondering what he was doing and asked him if there were no blankets in the other room. Sure I was sounding hostile to a stranger. When the man came back he explained that they were making a youtube video of the hostel and needed something very white. That does explain things, but proves this place is not fully secure and why I have my bag locked up in a locker.

My German to English phrase book does not really help. There are words that are not listed that I was wondering what they were. I don’t know if they were the actual name or what. Even a toilet I looked up and I knew it was a female loo, but it got as far as Frau and couldn’t give me the rest. Another sign that basically said keep off the grass, but Do not enter security? I should learn some words, but I think I can handle wandering around and hopefully Berlin has some English floating around the museums.

I actually ordered my first German meal at a restaurant as it had sausage. It was pork and little sausage all on a skewer with potato chunks with spices. I thought it was lovely and luckily the menu was in English. That was the only reason I chose that restaurant as it was around the corner of where I was staying. I had a beer as well and that came in the ale mugs you see beer getting served in not the huge 1 litre jugs, although I do not think I could really afford that. The shop where I bought my apple and batteries did look a little like Aldi although I did see one nearby, yesterday.  You are directed to the aisles and then can only go through the checkouts to exit.