On our first visit to Germany the trains ran to time and the Deutsche Bahn staff had confidence in booking five minute connections between trains, which caused an issue in Italy.
Now DB are the laughing stock of Europe. Since arriving in Germany it has been one delay after another.
Booking our ride to Rothenburg on der Tauber (odT) this morning we encounter the three words dreaded by every rail commuter: Rail replacement bus.
Thankfully, just the last short stretch between Steinach and Rothenburg odT, but it is still unwanted. Then on the S-Bahn to Munich HBF we are the message that we are skipping the central station due to a fire. That’s okay, we can also board at Pasing, further up the line.
Except…
It’s delayed. It’s more delayed. It’s cancelled. No, it’s delayed again. Cancelled. Delayed. Finally, after half an hour, cancelled.
Oh, we’ll go back to Munich HBF now that it has been reopened and catch another from there. It should be easier to get a seat at the origin station. But now the train back is delayed. Go to the S-Bahn platform and the other train arrives. Just catch the S-Bahn, maybe it even beats it.
There’s almost an hour until the next train to Rothenburg odT. Buy some bakery items, drinks, go to the platform. I am bailed up and surveyed about station security by three university students.
Our train arrives and it is lucky we got on at the origin, for it is packed from the start. We sit in a group of 4 seats facing each other, luggage crammed between our legs because there is nowhere else for it to go. One window seat is wet and unusable.
The train leaves, only about a minute late.
After the outskirts of Munich we mainly pass through farmland and small towns under grey skies that gradually show glimpses of sunshine.
The tops of wind turbines, hidden by low cloud, now appear, languidly spinning in the breeze. Solar panels make waves in fields or cover roofs. Often more coverage than in Australia, though that may be a necessity in these higher latitudes that see far less sun on average than most Australian locales.
Some of the station buildings along the way seem more impressive than the towns they serve. Multistory blocks that hunt at a past railway system that involved more people to run it than today.
Passengers come and go. The train is delayed. I don’t know why.
Eventually we make it to Steinach, the junction of the mainline and the Rothenburg odT branch. Only that’s been replaced by a bus today.
We pile on board and set off down the rural roads lined with yellow autumn trees, through the historic towns with big farm houses, bright green fields and others where rich brown dirt has been churned ready for planting,
Rothenburg on der Tauber is considered to be the best preserved medieval town in Germany with intact city walls surrounding cobblestone streets and half-timbered buildings. B and I visited it on that trip in 2004 and it so happened to correspond with the annual Imperial City Festival, where locals dress up in old garb and the streets are filled with parades, stalls and historical demonstrations. There were even fireworks at night.
The centre of the old town is about a kilometre walk from the station. We enter through the Roederbastei gate and into the magical town, passing by our last accommodation here. At one point I am glad that our luggage has a backpack mode, because the cobblestones can be murder on the wheels.
Once we have checked in and dumped our bags we set out to explore what we can with what remains of the day. Our hotel is near the huge Rathaus (town hall). Every turn is photogenic, beautiful. There is a reason that the tourists flock to Rothenburg and it is good to be back.
Christmas is a big thing in Germany and especially Rothenburg. It is home of the Kathe Wohlfahrt shop and their Christmas Museum, a treasure trove of handcrafted wooden Christmas ornaments, gorgeous glass baubles and all sorts of other decorations. Most are terribly expensive, but even if you are tired of those big Christmas shops full of plastic crap, this one is a magical experience.
Continuing our wanders, we reach the lookout over the Tauber river valley and the double bridge. The sun has set and the light is fading. We stop to buy a couple of the famous pastry schneeballen, deep fried pastry balls, and a cherry cream slice for dessert.
First we have a dinner reservation at the hotel. B has a couple of (overcooked) pork escalopes in a pepper cream sauce, Alex and I the pork shoulders with carraway seeds in a beer sauce. There are the doughy potato dumplings and potato “noodles” to accompany it, along with, of course, cabbage. It is a struggle to finish it all, such is the size of the servings, but the pork rind is so good! I like the potato dishes as well.
Afterwards we head back out into the cold air to experience the town at night. Most of the shops are closed, but the streets are atmospheric in the dim lamplight. A room above the apothecary opposite the Rathaus is lit red, hinting at magical or evil performed within.
When we return to the warmth of the inn we collapse with utter exhaustion after a very long day on the move, but where we frequently went nowhere.