Dinkelsbuhl

Our location along the “Romantische Strasse”- a stretch of highway known as the Romantic road or German holiday route- offers several towns to explore. Each town temps with castles, relics and medieval lore.
The stranger the name, the bigger the draw for my darling husband. We head for Dinkelsbűhl. Our children are excited because in Veggie Tales Christmas special….the toys go to Dinkle Town.
In the year 1632, the town was under attack by the Swedish Army. Legend has it that as the town council deliberated for 7 days the choice to surrender, the opposing colonel lost his patience and decided to burn and plunder. A young girl, followed by a group of children, went to the commander, fell to her knees and begged for mercy. The town was saved (for 2 years at least) and the story lives on in the annual 10-day Kinderzeche Feast each July.
This is a nicer introduction to heroism for our family. In Rothenburg, the town was saved by a man drinking almost 4 liters of beer in one “draught.” The kids keep asking about that one, “Was it really a gallon of beer? All at once?” The scene is replayed on the center square clock each day at 3:00pm.
We’re ignoring all the middle age charm for a trip to the 3D museum…three floors of optical illusions, 3D posters, holograms and antique Viewmasters. We all have a headache on our way out the door. Time for lunch.
At a restaurant, in our broken German we struggle along with the apologetic waitress until the end of the meal. Her English is not “very good.” Almost everyone apologizes for their poor English. So, I am apologizing about twice an hour for my poor German. As we come to the end of the meal, she asks where we are from and where we are traveling. Our trip is coming to an end.
“You were in Italy? Parla Italiano? Oh Sí! I am from Italy.”
It is suddenly possible to do a rewind of the meal and clarify all the missed communication, like finding batteries for the translator.
We enjoy the wrought-iron griffins above shops, half-timber homes and cuckoo clocks in every store (so tempting). DS8 asks for his very first souvenir, in sharp contrast to his siblings who will require another suitcase. He would like a little German flag. He waves it past the Christmas ornaments, trees and carvings. No singing vegetables or toys…just several smiling Germans.