Despite our train leaving Bremen on time this morning, we had to sprint to make our connection at noon in Hannover, accomplishing it with about 60 seconds to spare.
That sprint may have qualified as my aerobic exercise for the day, but it was exceedingly annoying to be reminded that I am no longer 45 while travelling with a 45-year-old.
We arrived at Nuremberg’s main train station around 3:30 pm., having had a drink and a buttered pretzel en route, ready to check in to our hotel.
We’re staying at the NH Collection Nürnberg City, very close to the train station and about a 20 minute walk from the central Market Square at the cathedral. I really enjoyed my stay with son#2 at the NH Collection hotel in Berlin last year, so have been looking forward to our few days here. Our room is comfortable and well equipped, they’ll spot us a drink in the bar for each day that we don’t need the room cleaned, and the location is great.
Travel days have no itinerary beyond getting to our destination, so our priority can be food. I made reservations for us to eat on the terrace at Restaurant Oberkrainer am Hauptmarkt, a traditional Franconian restaurant overlooking the main market square.
We’ll return to the Hauptmarkt tomorrow when we do our walking exploration of the town centre, but tonight we reached the restaurant via a preliminary stroll along a portion of the Pegnitz River and through a very small part of the huge pedestrian-only area of the old town.
WEAPONS YARD
of the final city ramparts completed 1450.
Museumsbrücke (Museum Bridge), built circa 1700 and dedicated to the Roman-German King and Emperor Joseph I, and to Emperor Leopold I.
The Henkerturm (Hangman’s Tower) and attached Hangman’s Bridge over the Pegnitz River
In two days the annual Nuremberg Fall Market begins, running for three weeks in approximately the same area that will at the end of November host the city’s largest Christmas market. Today many of the booths selling local produce were already set up, and the gorgeous juicy peaches were irresistible.
The only downside to the market was that its booths obscured the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Nuremberg’s Catholic Cathedral, to the extent that it was impossible to take a photo at ground level that didn’t include booths under construction.
I got another chance at a photo from the restaurant terrace later, with an interesting lighting effect caused by the sunset. Tomorrow we’ll visit the interior.
On the up side, there were no crowds at all at the Schöne Brunnen – partly because it was difficult to walk around with all the protective barriers going up. Unfortunately that also made taking photos from more than one angle challenging.
The city’s most famous fountain, completed in 1396 by Heinrich Beheim.
Forty figures adorn the 9-meter-high Gothic stone pyramid.
Seated on the rim of the basin are Philosophy and the Liberal Arts; behind them sit the four Evangelists and four Church Fathers.
In the tier above are the Prince-Electors and three heroes each from the pagan, Jewish, and Christian worlds; at the very top are Moses and the prophets.
On the western side is the legendary seamless ring.”
Spinning the ring is supposed to bring good luck. After my Frankfurt airport debacle, I can use all the luck I can get.
Son #1 was sceptical, but … why not?
We were both hungry after not having had a real lunch, so ordered a couple of local specialties to share: a dozen little Nürnberg bratwursts with braised sauerkraut and potato and cucumber salad, plus Käsespätzle (long tiny dumplings fried with cheese and topped with crispy onion).
We tried the Rotbier (red beer) for which Nuremberg is famous, and both agreed that it was not among our favourites.
With full stomachs, we called it a night.
Rose and Ted’s Excellent Adventure 