Bamberg, Germany - Take Three!

Of course when Warren and Carole were here, we had to take them to one of our favorite cities - Bamberg!  We take everyone here, but it's really just a fun city!

Why hello there.  I didn't see you peeking out from behind that centuries old column.  So dashing on your regal horse.  You might be a Nazi supporter, a devastatingly handsome gentleman of the Aryian race... but more likely you are King Stephen I of Hungary!  (He was married to Henry II's sister, so although it's not confirmed, many think this is him.)

The alter of the Bamberg Cathedral.

My wide zoom lens is the bomb!  It captures so much more!

One of my favorite things about the Bamberg Cathedral are the faces on the ceiling designed to scare away the baddies.  I thought I had seen them all but... nope!  I discovered this one up near the alter (on the left in the above picture.)

I literally cannon find anything out about this.  There wasn't any information at the cathedral and I can't find anything online.  It was in the crypt downstairs, and it appears to be a finger?

Intricate wood carvings can be found all over the Bamberg Dom. This one, the Kirchgattendorfer alter depicts the life of Mary, as well as Jesus in his childhood.

If you have to use the facilities at the Bamberg Cathedral... well, you can't!  You have to leave the cathedral and walk down the north side of the church and find the public WC and pay your 50 cents.  But at least you get treated to this beautiful old building and the millions of flowers it has covering it!  This is known as the Alte Hofhaltung and still contains some of the original 11th century masonry!

The Alte Hofhaltung (or Old Court) with the Bamberg Cathedral behind it.

We swung by the Hofbrau for a little lunch and libations.  I love this picture they had on the wall.  I'm sure everyone in these parts has a love/hate relationship with tourism!

Me and the ma-in-law having a fine lunch!

Warren taught his son to love a good brew.

We love the Hofbrau in Bamberg!  I had an amazing pumpkin vegetable stew with jasmine rice!

Bird on a Bamberg wire.

I will probably never tire of the Town Hall in the middle of the river in Bamberg! Queen (and Saint) Cunigunde is peering over at us from the other bridge!

Strolling through Bamberg.

Ahhh!  Our friend, the stork.  I'm guessing this is really a baby store since the legend of the stork (and actual real storks) live many hours away in the Alsace region.

First, we were undecided whether they were tearing down this building or putting it up.  (Also:  let's talk about how you're floodproofing that...)  Next, how fun is the island of grass and weeds (?) in the middle of the river?  I grew up in a town that was literally made like this.  Put up some seawalls, throw in some fill dirt and viola!  Instant city!  In this case though, they smartly just use it for growing greenery.

The wide zoom lens has yet to disappoint.

All of the little towns you pass on the way home from Bamberg are so cute.  Many of them have little castle ruins, also.

Castle ruin on the hill in Tuchersfeld. I took this picture and put a star in my google maps to remind me that I want to come back here to visit and hike this castle!

Until next time, Bamberg!  (And there will likely be MANY next times!)