I go out walking....

Today was a beautiful sunny day in Heidelberg.  It was the perfect temperature for exploring, not too hot and not too cool.  After about 25 minutes meandering towards the West I came across a charming village of store fronts and street vendors, churches and street entertainment. As I continued along I was in awe of the beauty of the cobblestone streets...and then from over top of a building, the ruins of the Schloss.  I headed in that direction and discovered this amazing structure overlooking the city.
And soon I discovered how far up it was...303 steps to be exact! I knew I should have stopped for lunch first! But it was worth it, imagine how great my legs will look! The castle was beautiful and it took very little imagination to see what it used to be.  In fact a lot of it is still standing and you can go in and walk around, with a tour of course....I might go back tomorrow!
After heading back down all 303 stairs I slowly took in the sights of the small "village" street one could only find in Europe.  I stopped and had a falafel, which was delicious (they use raw red cabbage instead of pickled turnip, much better!) and people watched! There is an Autumn festival on Saturday so there are many tourists!
On my way back to the hostel I stopped at the train station to inquire about a ticket to Paris, which I am considering as my next stop! Then I grabbed my bag and headed to my new hostel! Yuk! I checked in at a restaurant and then they showed me a room right next to the door.  It has camp style bunk beds, and even as I type this with my head bent over it is touching the mattress! But I've met some lovely people and ate a wonderful traditional German meal of pork schnitzel and potatoes! Yum!
Walking through Heidelberg later with my peach gelato (it's not just in Italy anymore) I thought of all of you! There are so many things I want to share with you! Did you know that there were many stores filled with Christmas decorations? Today I saw a chub lollipop as big as my head and gummy candies made to look like beer! And tonight as I enhale the scent of my citrus spray, to cover the smell of the German kitchen, I wish I could really describe the awe that I feel being here in this country, getting to experience these amazing things!
Gutten nacht!