Looking for a Bike Shop, Finding a Graveyard

On Saturday morning I headed out from my hotel in search of a bike shop, knowing full well that it is much too cold, at least for me, to be riding a bike. Especially considering I am in a foreign country without any of the necessaries to keep me warm on a bike when its snowing outside and temperatures are hovering in the 30s during the day.

Nonethless I went looking, maybe on the off-chance that there will be heat wave one of these weekends while I’m here and I will be able to get out somewhere on a bike. Not having any success in my hunt for a bike shop, I accidentally stumbled on a fascinating graveyard surrounding a small church on the western side of Nuernberg. Turns out as long ago as 1528 they were burying people like Albrecht Durer here. There are also people buried as recently as last year. A very fascinating place.

Parking the Car

Space is a premium in the city of Nuremberg. During my walkings around town, I find it interesting that there are very explicit instructions on where you can and cannot park your car. The first and most obvious place to park, is on the curb.

Not quite as obvious – park half on the curb and half in the street.

And finally, half off, half on, but straight in, not parallel to the curb.

St. George slays the Dragon

In the old city in Nuremberg, the house of Albrecht Durer is just below the castle that overlooks the town. The Durer house is on a squre. And on one corner of one of the buildings on the square is a statue of St. George slaying the Dragon

In my attempts to learn more about this particular statue (which were unsuccessful), I learned that it was in Nuremberg in the 1400s that the Order of the Dragon was originally formed by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. One of the original members was one of the princes of Wallachia, named Vlad. His son was Vlad the Impaler, who eventually become known as Dracula (e.g. son of Drac, the word Drac being dervied from the German word for Dragon, which is Drachen)

Maxfeldstrasse 5

For the many people I work with who have never been to our offices in Nuremberg. A shot of the front entrance to Maxfeldstrasse 5 where our office here is located.

Land Rover

This entry is in honor of my brother-in-law. May his Land Rover one day look as good this one does. I walk past this particular one each day on my way to and from work.

Dusseldorf for a day

On Monday I flew to Dusseldorf in the north of Germany to work in my company’s office there.

Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures, as it would have been more boring than the stuff I’ve posted already. So rest assured that I’ve seen more of Germany than Nuremberg, but didn’t find anything worthy of picture on this particular trip.

LDS Church in Nuremberg

This is where the Nuremberg branch meets. It is just outside the old city.

Schöner Brunnen (beautiful fountain)

This also is on the main square in the old city of Nuernberg. According to what I’ve read it has been standing here since 1396. Rumor has it that there is a lucky ring in the fence that surrounds the fountain. Shortly after I took this picture I saw a father lifting his son up to touch it.

Pfarrkirche Unsere Liebe Frau (Church of Our Dear Lady)

On Sunday before church I went for a walk through the old part of town. On Sunday mornings the streets are quiet in Nuernberg. This is a picture of one of the many churches in Nuernberg. Right on the main square, I’ve read that the time to be in front of this one is at noon when the clock strikes.

Neunhof und Bassbach

After a traditional Franconia lunch of pork with a large potato dumpling, whose name in German I have completely forgotten, we walked for several kilometers around Neunhof.

This is the church in Bassbach. It dates to 1100.

And this is looking back down into the valley towards the church in Bassbach.