Worms and Heidelberg

Monday evening was St. Nicholas Eve and we were all instructed to leave a shoe outside our door and St. Nicholas would leave us a present based on how good we had been.  I was greedy and put my big boot out instead of a regular shoe and St. Nicholas was not pleased.  Instead of a chocolate St. Nick, I received a chocolate Devil!

My weather luck ran out this morning as it was raining intermittently as we left the boat and headed into Worms.  This city is famous for its association with Martin Luther and the Diet of Worms, the general assembly of the Holy Roman Empire which declared him a heretic.  Eventually support grew for Luther, leading to the birth of Protestantism.
The cathedral dominated the Worm's skyline with its two domed choirs and four corner towers.for nearly 1000 years but was set afire during the last few months of WWII by the Royal Air Force. It has since been restored along with much of the city.

Outside the cathedral was another famous site, the Jewish Cemetery in Worms, dating from the 11th century and believed to be the oldest in Europe.  The Jewish community was established in the late 10th century and the first synagogue was erected in 1034.

Further along on our route was a portion of the old city wall begun by the Romans.  The white bricks date back to this era.

By now the intermittent rain had turned into a downpour with strong winds, convincing us to forego any further exploration of Worms -- except for the quick purchase of a new Gluhwein mug to add to my rapidly growing collection.  The warm liquid was greatly appreciated!

 Following a warm lunch and dry clothes, we were refreshed and ready for a foray into Heidelberg.  Fortunately, the sun had come out and spirits were lifting.  Heidelberg is a romantic city dominated by the ruins of its extensive cathedral and known also for its university.  The castle has been only partially rebuilt since its destruction in the 17th and 18th century but it is still a very impressive site.




Having given up on the Christmas Markets in Worms due to the bad weather, we were delighted when the sun came out in Heidelberg giving us several delightful hours to explore 4 or 5 of them.  After the initial cup of gluhwein we found way too many booths to visit and much money was exchanged! 

But it's not just the unique crafts that make the markets special, it's the old-fashioned carousels, delicious aromas of bratwursts, Christmas cookies and other local foods, and the decorations.  This is a giant replica of the Christmas windmill I bought in Germany many years ago.

Once the sun sets, the markets become even more magical.  Here's a photo of the  castle and the giant windmill lit up at nights..

                                                            

Tonight we're leaving Germany and cruising to France with a wonderful day ahead in Strasbourg
Linda