Back in Germany.

We are back in the German speaking world for a few days. Here are some highlight pictures from Trier, Heidelberg, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

In the oldest church in Germany, the Trierer Dom (Trier Cathedral).

Helene and Danielle at the back of the cathedral as the late afternoon sun fills the church with light.

James and Anita making their way through the pews. In the alter far behind them is a reliquary containing the Holy Robes of Christ, brought to Trier by Constantine's mother Helena after a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

How the local women's hockey team trains?

In front of the definitely frilly Elector's Palace in Trier.

Fountain in the Marktplatz (market square).

Inside the Roman city gate, called the Porta Nigra because of it's dark colour. This is the only gate of this former Roman outpost to survive the middle ages - because it had been turned into a church. When Napoleon's army came through here in 1803, he had them strip it back down to the original Roman structure, removing almost any evidence that it was a church for 800 years.

Ready to roll.

Journaling in the hall of the Trier hostel. Most of the students have been writing quite a bit in their tour journals. Which makes me happy, and will make, for them, a great personal keepsake from this trip.

Our Heidelberg Castle guide Greta shows us around the castle with her special keys. I think she has done this tour a few times. She may have even lived in the castle before it became a ruin.

Greta explains how the giant wine barrel was filled, and then pumped up to be served to the prince's guests. And also how the wine was awful. She also told us the recipe for beer soup, which I may have Lisa make for me when I get home. It's a popular breakfast in some parts of Europe. According to her.

Medieval plumbing. Just have the toilets jutting out over the outside of the building. No problem.

The Renaissance section of the Heidelberg Castle.

One of the restored halls of the castle.

Prince Rupert - the guy the town is named after - is in the top centre.

Stained glass in the castle.

This thing held 55 000 gallons of poor quality wine.

People used to have dances on top of the barrel. Chris had finished his dance and decided to take a closeup picture of the ceiling.

Matt, Ashton, and Josh relaxing outside the bus. Well, I think Ashton is relaxing anyway.

In the centre of Heidelberg.

A different perspective, showing the castle on the hill overlooking the town.

Heidelberg University, where the greatest invention known to mankind was first dreamed up and created by young Baron Karl Drais. The bicycle, of course.

In Rothenburg - close detail of the famous woodcarver Tillman Reimenschneider's Altar of the Holy Blood.

Taking it all in.

In the Kriminal Museum in Rothenburg - this is an actual "indulgence" someone bought in the Middle Ages. This one gave the owner 100 days of absolution of sins. He could do whatever he wanted for those 100 days.