Yep, it's Germany. I know, the rancher was confused, too. We docked in Mannheim, and traveled to Heidelberg. I can already tell that Germany is a place that I need to come back and visit more thoroughly. Knowing nothing about this part of the country, we loved the variety of history subjects that we were introduced to along the way to Marksburg Castle in Heidelberg.
We had an awesome guide who was about 12. Just kidding, he was a PhD candidate at the university there. From Connecticut, he was of Indian and Pakistani descent. He had an anthropology degree, probably from Yale, and was the cutest and smartest thing ever. He had such a great sense of humor and told the most interesting stories and history facts. This castle was my first, and from a girl who has been in every cave in North America, I can't believe that I had never been in a castle. I had as much trouble navigating those cobblestones as my peers. Don't forget the mean age. Well, I never told you, but it is higher than mine.
And here is the view of the Rhine from the castle...
Fact of the day. Today we traveled on a part of the Autobahn that the first car was driven. Who drove and what was the first car to be driven? Being an American, I confidently thought someone named Ford. Early 1900's. -- Wrong. I would have certainly never guessed it was a woman. It was Bertha Benz. She was a woman of means, and had believed in her fiance's invention of a moving vehicle more than he did. She was his business partner, bailed him out of literal bankruptcy more than once, and when this vehicle was ready to test, he couldn't bring himself to do it. At this time they were already married, and had children. His confidence was shot after multiple failures. So his wife got in the driver's seat and drove from Mannheim to Pforzheim, her 13 and 15 year old sons accompanying her, approximately 66 miles. She was unauthorized to do so, but she didn't ask permission. Encountering multiple problems, she used a hat pin to unclog a fuel pipe, and she insulated a wire with a garter. Notifying her husband by telegraph upon her arrival, she returned the next day. Shocking for a woman in that day.
Blue skies, and another beautiful day... December in Germany? Unbelievable.
And before we set sail, the obligatory local beverage was enjoyed.
Mike opted out, but I represented.
