The weekend after we went to Prague, Marlon and I were off again—this time to Germany to watch Florence and the Machine in Köln. Coincidentally, the Glee Club's first stop on this year's European tour was Oberweyer, a tiny village just an hour's drive from Köln, that same weekend. So we decided to drive over to see them.
On the way to Oberweyer, we had a few hours to stop by Limburg an der Lahn in the region of Hessen. My first tour with the Glee Club in 2000 included a lot of stops in Hessen, particularly in the green, hilly part known as Taunus, where Limburg is. I have wonderful memories of a beautiful Sunday afternoon driving around the hills of Taunus and walking in the cobbled, winding alleys of Limburg's Altstadt, or Old Town.
What makes this charming town so special is its collection of perfectly preserved half-timbered houses, with exposed timber framework, from the 17th and 18th century.
For me, Limburg's Altstadt is storybook Germany. Just like a storybook, it's complete with all the odd little characters you find in old tales.
Take these goofy demons, for example. They adorn a famous bakery that makes such figures out of bread. If I remember correctly, they are meant to represent the fire demons that keep the baker's ovens roaring.
While we posed for pictures outside the bread-adorned bakery, this immense, shaggy (and completely adorable!) dog kept passing back and forth in front of the camera. We couldn't take a picture without the dog in it! It completely cracked us up. Later we went up to the owner and found out that this is called a Black Russian Terrier. #iWant
Limburg is one of those hidden gems I would never have sought out on my own if I hadn't been touring with the Glee Club. Because of its picturesque charm and the memories I have here, it holds a special place in my heart. It's one of my favorite places ever. And I was so happy to be able to share that with Marlon.
Limburg's famous Dom, or Cathedral, stands on the town's highest point and beckons from miles away. On our climb, we saw signs of spring (hard to believe with the cold) and took a peek into the courtyard of Schoss Limburg, or Limburg Castle...
... and looked out over charming dormer windows and peaked rooftops tiled with blue-gray slate.
The Dom is just as I remember it, a towering structure made distinctive by its Romanesque features and coral trim.
Inside, it seems to have gotten a lighting upgrade and a good whitewashing over the last 11 years. All the better to showcase its serene beauty.
Before we left, I just had to slip away to find a special place, to see if it was still as I remembered it. A small outcropping beside the church, behind a low stone wall, towards the Lahn... and sure enough, there it was.
Lately I find that travel has become all about ticking boxes off a "bucket list", chasing the rush that comes with heady new experiences and exotic, unfamiliar destinations. I had forgotten how powerful it can be to take a picture in your mind—mine includes this 600 year-old bridge, a parting of the clouds, a breathless dash, laughter—and to treasure it for years...
... and return to find it unchanged, beautiful, special. Just as you remember. Just as you wanted it to be.
I remember those baker's demons :) I find myself wanting to return to places, too, and feeling happy when I find that what I wanted to see is still there.
ReplyDeleteI also remembered this house that has the faces of the Seven Sins on it. I tried looking for it, but I couldn't find it :(
ReplyDeleteI remember something like that, too! Maybe it isn't in Limburg? It might have been in Regensburg or in one of the other medieval towns we visited?
ReplyDeleteChaka ko! This is in reply to your comment :p
ReplyDeleteWe didn't go to Regensburg, haha :P It was in Limburg, I remember my host "brother" telling me what the faces meant. I also have a picture of one of the faces somewhere.
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