So I went to the Celtic Corner again, and the owner was there.

They taught me a new dice game called shock…and it seemed I was going well until I had to buy everyone a round. Don’t know exactly how that happened, but I somehow ended up with all the coasters 🙁

Anyways…we’re going to take a work trip this morning…so I’m off.

I have to upload all my weekend photos and do that entry this evening. Maybe I’ll lay off the Guinness tonight to make that a probability.

Eberbach

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Most likely, I’m within 3km of wherever it is….but I never found it. Instead, I walked around the trails for about 3 hours and never found the ruins I was seeking. I need better GPS coordinates in the future…

It was a wonderful day to be out walking in the woods…and I came out at a few points into vineyards.

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But I never found anything really interesting…that was it for the ruins, and I’ve avoided searching for “ruins” again…I just don’t have the time to plan such a thing, and the TomTom isn’t really something I want to be carrying around telling me to “turn around” while I’m walking around. So I headed off to a castle that was real!   Even after reading more this week, I really don’t know where Eberbach castle ruins would have been… I think it was just a joke they play on people who trust in the internets.

Guttenburg

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So this was a real castle. And, they had a real bird show. Of course, the ticket folks don’t speak English so i paid for a bird show and a castle visit. I promptly ignored the bird show (on accident) and toured the castle.

It has a tour you’re able to climb all the way to the top of!

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Do I not look happy? I have this irrational fear of heights…and the old railing just wasn’t instilling a lot of confidence it would hold if I leaned over. I looked at the view…it was great. There was a nice cool breeze…and I notice this bird show below me… woops.

So I go to the bird show.

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I literally almost walked over this guy..while he was carrying the owl as I headed to a seat in the back row. It was a great show. Lots of birds. I was the only American, and main guy giving the show asked for an American as they had a bald eagle.

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He actually took the time to say a few things in English, and I am pretty sure I’m the only person in the entire audience who needs it. At any rate, it was a great show. They allow the birds to take off and soar about.

The birds come back…to their home! I had never seen “captive” birds allowed to just take off like that. At one point, they had 3 eagles of theres off flying around.

Go to Guttenburg. See the bird show.

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At the end of the show, you walk through more of the exterior of the castle and that’s where all the birds pens are at.

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When you’re done with that…head to Ettlingen, visit the Celtic Corner. Colorado Mike will serve you up some honest American English, and an Irish beer!

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Of course, if you’re me…the kitchen will be closed…so drink your beer and go get a Doner Kabob!

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and then go home and sleep…or go for a walk…whatever…that was last weekend!

I come home on 10-May…and I have more stuff to post and upload still from *this* weekend! I’ll get crack-a-lackin! Still need to find some chocolates that I’ve promised everyone, d’oh!

Back in Germany, I managed to get to Mannheim. I didn’t really have a plan for Mannheim..so I picked a park that the TomTom920 said I should go see. What did I have to loose?

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This was a realllly big park. At first, I didn’t figure out how to get inside the fence. I found a bunch of exits…no you couldn’t walk in them. So I probably wasted an hour as i wandered around outside the fence. Finally, I turned around and there was the entrance..about 20 feet from where I made a right turn. d’oh!

They had a neat gondola ride in the pond thing that was the length of the park. I bought a round trip ticket…and was kicked off at the far end.

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The sights from the boat ride..

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That was really it for the park. It was closing, and everyone was leaving. So I took a boat ride, which was very nice and relaxing after such a long walk around the exterior of the park… and a nice walk back where I entered.

As I was leaving, I crossed a cool bridge: [flickr]photo:2460205480[/flickr]

It was getting late, and I needed to hurry up a bit.

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Sorry, I couldn’t manage a picture at faster speeds…I tried, but it never worked out. Besides, I was getting passed..often…even at that speed.

Tchuse!

I visited another country! I didn’t even bring a passport, good thing no one asked for that.

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I went to Strasbourg, there’s a Cathedral there. And a famous clock! Apparently, the clock goes off at 12:30 and the figures move around. I got there about 20 minutes before 12:30…and staggered into the church. I then walked right up front. 2 euros, and worth every penny.

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The famous Astronomical clock! It’s really cool, and worth the price of admission. Why? Well, there’s the clock..and the entire church you get to explore. Plan and get there early, don’t just wander in like me…or do, it worked out for me.

The Cathedral is very nice. I enjoy stained glass [flickr]photo:2459363925[/flickr] and the church has it all over. The sunlight coming through it was great. There’s a nice alter, which you cannot walk up to. [flickr]photo:2460199128[/flickr]

Outside, when you are done with being in the Cathedral…you can take a tour on the tram. I enjoy anything in English I can find!

[flickr]photo:2460202700[/flickr] Minitram tours! good deal!

You get to see a lot of sights, and in the language you can understand. They drove all over, and explained a lot of the items along the way.

[flickr]photo:2460203222[/flickr] like this old building…

I enjoyed my time in Strasbourg. I got a bit los, and forgot where I parked for awhile. But…the steeple is tall, so, I found my way eventually.

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I paid the parking thing (which was English…) and got out! I sent probably half a day wandering around Strasbourg. On the way back I stopped at McDonalds and ordered the quarter ponder with cheese, medium fries and a coke. The guy next to the girl about died in laughter, and she was a deer caught in my American headlights. Obviously, she didn’t do the English. I got the Royal mit Pommes unt Coke…and I used the Herren Tolieten (which is why I really stopped…but the ordering was just too tempting.)

I have lots more pictures in Flickr, and I’ll do another post now that they’re uploaded!