We returned to Heidelberg OldeTown for dinner before heading to the airport

Yes, there really is a "Romantic Road" and Al used it tohis advantage!

The Rathaus

The last stop along the "Romantic Road" was Rothenburg ob den Tauber, the most well-known of the medieval walled cities. The kids got to sleep in this morning so they got on real well!!

This 1000-year old castle received great reviews so we decided to stay there for one night. It's an impressive sight on top of a hill and very grand inside. We had a lot of fun exploring the inside!

We said good-bye to Dinkelsbuhl and drove north to our hotel for the evening, the Castle Colmberg!

We continued our drive on the "Romantic Road" from Donauworth to Dinkelsbuhl, another beautiful walled city

We thought it necessary to sit down and take in the view of Donauworth ..... while eating!

..... and the bottom end

The top end the street in Donauworth ....

Our next destination on the "Romantic Road" was Donauworth which is reputed to have one of the prettiest town streets in Germany. We took a picture of this sign because it references Wurzburg, where Al was born, and Nurnbeg, where his brother, Bob, was born.

The interior of the church was very ornate, but the contrast with the wooden benches was beautiful

Our favorite son was thrilled at the prospect of snow and church both in the same day!

Our first visit of the day along the "Romantic Road" was to the Weiskirche, a beautiful church in a meadow

On April 2nd we drove further south to Fussen (southern tip of Germany) where we rented a lakeside apartment with the intention of boating on the lake. Unfortunately, Al didn't realize that April at the foot of the Alps means snow on the ground and partially frozen lakes! Diana took this picture after an early morning run along the lake.

Our main objective was to visit Schloss Neuschwanstein, the famous castle that is the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Disney logo

Hey! Another beautiful model on the riverbank!

The architecture was stunning!

After touring Heidelberg Castle we departed for Bad Wildbad (pronounced "Bod Veelbod") in the Black Forest. We stayed the night at a Christian B&B and attended an evangelical service broadcast around Germany. President Obama visited nearby Baden-Baden two days later.

We ran across a beautiful model posing for pictures outside Heidelberg Castle

The Stewart HSM Jump after a few beers from the beer barrel to the rear!

On top of one of the largest beer barrels in the world

A view of the Neckar river from the Heidelberg Castle

The Stewart kids

Al was really excited to see the courtyard of Heidelberg Castle after 35+ years!

The youngest evidently became a little unruly .......

The Heidelberg Castle became a subject in this young man's geography report upon our return home.

Shoeshine machines were in abundance. Some patrons even used them for sneakers!

We checked into the Hotel Heideberg after our visit to PHV. We enjoyed the references to "einfahrt" and "ausfahrt" (on the autobahn)!!

During Easter break, 2009, we flew to Germany to visit Patrick Henry Village outside Heidelberg. Al's parents were stationed there for three years in the early 70's.

Al thinks he pitched his first and last baseball game at this field.

And the form's still not there!

Al and his family lived at 17A San Juan Hill Drive (the building on the left). Vivid memories are the marble court just beyond the end of the street (now gone) and many "curb ball" games.

Al remembers watching the 1972 Olympics on a small black and white TV screen in apartment 17A (where the bikes are parked)

A good-looking couple! (March, 2009)

Her first ever basketball game (on the U13 team) and she scored the final basket!!!

Excellent defensive position for Year 4 (3rd grade) hockey during a home match (Feb, 2009)