Sunday we had lunch at Keim, which is located near the train station. I had Rinderrouladen, a dish I enjoy but don’t make often because it’s a lot of messing around. I don’t think I have ever eaten there before; the food was decent and the restaurant was busy. The “Dorffest” (Village Festival) was taking place at the square in front of the train station so we spent some time there after lunch. It was cold and windy, so there wasn’t much of a crowd. We walked home and Thomas and family packed up and headed home.
Later in the afternoon Ruth, Rudolf, and I took a long walk all around Neuendettelsau and I was able to see all the new construction around the edges of town. Evidently some people are moving out of Nürnberg to get away from the traffic and congestion. Later that evening several of Ruth’s friends came over to celebrate her birthday early (without saying “happy birthday” – Germans are extremely suspicious about wishing someone happy birthday before the day), so it was a cozy evening in the living room. Since it was also Ruth and Rudolf's anniversary, there were multiple reasons to celebrate.
Monday it was time to get up early and head to the bakery to get some rolls for breakfast and get ready to take Ruth to the train in Heilsbronn, a neighboring town about 5km away. That’s probably where I’ll have Rudolf take me on Friday when I leave to head for Mainz and the Pfalz to see Hans and Mary, as it saves switching trains in Wicklesgreuth. We got Ruth on the train headed for Nürnberg with connection on to Berlin and came back to Neuendettelsau after stopping at a new butcher shop and supermarket in Heilsbronn. The international section was super interesting, with foods from Turkey, Russian, and India featured. Once back in Neuendettelsau, Rudolf needed to go to the pharmacy, so I went along and got some cash at an ATM and we stopped and had coffee and a baked good after he was done at the pharmacy. I had a piece of “Bienenstich” (bee sting), which is a cake sliced in two with vanilla custard in the middle and honey, cream, and almonds on top.
After the Queen’s funeral, we cooked the Weißwürste (white sausages – a Bavarian specialty) we bought earlier and had them with the sweet mustard and rolls we bought earlier. Then we hopped in the car and went to Ansbach, the main city in the area, with a population of around 35,000. We walked through the Brücken Center, a shopping center just outside the old city walls, and through the old city. Ansbach was an important city in the late Middle Ages, as it has two large churches from the late 15th Century: St. Johannis and St. Gumbertus. We spent a bit of time in each, and were lucky enough to hear someone practicing the organ in St. Gumbertus. Ansbach was seat of royalty (the Margraves of the Hohenzollern), and hence there is a beautiful rococo castle and Orangerie, neither of which were damaged in the world wars. Ruth and Rudolf were married 46 years ago at the altar in the Swan Knight Chapel (Schwanenritterkapelle) of St. Gumbertus (see pictures). Ansbach is also famous for the Bachwoche (Bach Week), which is held every two years and features many concerts throughout the city.
After having a Döner Kebab (turkish gyro-type sandwich) back at the Brücken Center, we intended to go to a movie, however we were the only two people who wanted to see that film. Therefore, they did not show the film, so we came home and watched a couple of features about the Queen.
The weather continues to be cold for the time of year, but no one is complaining about the rain. The walnuts are starting to fall like crazy from the tree in Kupsers backyard. While some things haven’t changed, there are definitely reminders that the world has changed dramatically: there are buildings in town where Ukrainian women and children refugees live, there are Afghan refugees, Syrian asylum seekers, and the Lutheran missionary and church systems that formed the foundation of this village are undergoing a time of transformation and change as well.
Pictures: left to right, top to bottom
Top row: Ansbach: St. Johannis; Main square; Altar where Ruth and Rudolf were married
2nd row: Ansbach: Organ in St. Gumbertus; Man with Luggage; Brücken Center
3rd row: Ansbach: Woman with Dog; Bridge and churches; Heilsbronn: International foods in Rewe
4th row: N'au: Ruth & Rudolf; Thomas, Martina, Ellis (10), Juli (7); Village Festival
Bottom row: N'au: Signs at Main St.; Train Station; St. Laurentius
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