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A morning study of Narooma beach and the Glasshouse Rocks (at Narooma Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMMZ1dhhVGs/?igshid=ubi11xzxnc94

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Rothenburg 🇩🇪 December 2019. The the Marktplatz we found the Bäckerei-Konditorei-Café Walter Friedel bakery for refreshments and Schneeballen, a local pastry dough which is deep-fried, shaped like a snowball and covered in sugar. The bakery was a little homely like an English tea room, and not too many customers inside at 4pm, as we deliberately picked the in-between meal times to avoid the crowds. It was very courteous service here, probably by the owners. We were well refreshed for the major evening onslaught to the Weihnachtsmarkt museum and shop. The museum had many displays of 19th century scenes with various types of Christmas trees adorned with the interesting manufactured decorations of the period. We also saw another connection with America due to the insatiable demand for German Christmas decorations and other ornaments specially made for USA! We obviously bought up several seasonal souvenirs for all our Christmases to come! We then discovered a great place for dinner and to sample the local Landwehr-Brau Bier and a glass of local Rötwein. The traditional meal of pork steak casserole with roast potatoes was perfect, and so was the setting in this 15th century romantic tavern curiously called the Ratsstube (council room). This was very cosy and casual typical German Wirthaus. A good find despite being right on the Marktplatz! #rothenburgobdertauber ##rothenburg #marktplatz #ratsstuberothenburg #ratsstube #ratsstube #käthewohlfahrt #christkindlmarkt #christkindlesmarkt #christkindlesmarktrothenburg #Bäckerei-Konditorei-Café #WalterFriedel #walterfriedelbakery #bakery #landwehrbräu #rotwein #dunkel #schneeballen https://www.instagram.com/p/CD8oQ3_hp_X/?igshid=4vtfa1m32q5r

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Rothenburg 🇩🇪 16 December 2019. After exploring the Weihnachtsmarkt, and eventually finding the tower entrance, I climbed the 220 steps to the top of the 61 metre white Rathaus tower. The number of persons allowed to enter is restricted via a traffic light and turnstile system as the tower is very narrow and steep. The last flight from the top room (and the toll booth!) is an even tighter squeeze to get to the final deck outside. The small 360 degree balcony felt slightly exposed, but with commanding and uninterrupted views being the highest point around. Wow! Views north over the St Jakobskirche, a 15th century Gothic Basilica. Evening views east over the Marktplatz and the city red rooves glowing in the soft sun rays seen from the top of the Rathaus tower. Fortunate to have golden light over the city illuminating some key landmarks the Markusturm copper tower and the square Rödertor behind also looking east. The Georgsbrunnen fountain can be seen below in the Marktplatz, next to the Ratsstube where we went for dinner is on the left. I am clinging on to the narrow balcony rail at this point! The first section of the tight staircase traverses a unique Spiral at the front of the Rathaus. Gives memories of the Graz castle double spiral! #rothenburgobdertauber #rothenburg #rathaus #stjacobskirche #marktplatz #ratsstube #georgsbrunnen #markusturm #röderturm #rödertor #spiralstaircase # https://www.instagram.com/p/CD6gwM6hwlN/?igshid=tkh48x03xvu2

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Rothenburg 🇩🇪 16 December 2019. Exploring the central area of the city in the early evening discovering the Weihnachtsmarkt or Christkindlmarkt in the Marktplatz. This is under the towering St Jacobs Church and the Rathaus. Next thing is to scale the narrow staircase up to the top of the white tower of the Rathaus. #rothenburgobdertauber #rothenburg #rathaus #marktplatz #stjacobs #weihnachtsmarkt #christkindlmarkt https://www.instagram.com/p/CD3z7TcBsG2/?igshid=1lsuzrznuolx1

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Rothenburg 🇩🇪 16 December 2019. Coming back down to earth from the Turmweg wall walk, we strolled up through the pristine cobbled city streets to the central Marktplatz, going via the picturesque scenes along the Spitalgasse and the Plönheim. The Plönheim is where the well known typical German scenes of half timbered and colourful buildings here are photographed for postcards and calendars. The local Landwehr-Brau is prominently positioned under the central Siebersturm tower. Reaching the Obere Schmeidegasse, we checked out some of the gift shops displaying their historic wrought iron emblems outside, stopping for a simple bratwurst roll for lunch. #rothenburgobdertauber #rothenburg #plonheim #spitalgasse #landwehrbräu #siebersturm #obereschmeigasse #marktplatz #cobblestone https://www.instagram.com/p/CD0_JqvBOM8/?igshid=1secgqin5j9zo

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Rothenburg 🇩🇪16 December 2019. Views of the Bastion. The Spitalbastei is at the end of our wall walk at the southernmost end of town. Here is an unspoilt Mediaeval fortification as a major double entrance to the city. The Spital Bastion fortification (circa 1586) features a unique figure eight design with two courtyards adjacent to a moat. Inside the vast space inside the outer wall, there are ramps to wheel up cannons, vehicles with ammunition and other weapons to the height of the windows. #rothenburg #rothenburgobdertauber #spitalbastei #spitaltor #bastei #bastion #mediaeval https://www.instagram.com/p/CDRDrqmBMd6/?igshid=ayjtuidohfy3

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Rothenburg 🇩🇪16 December 2019. Elevated views from the Turmweg. The first picture is looking west along the Rödergasse from the wall walk next to the Rödertor. The St Jacobkirche church towers are in the distance. The last picture is the skyline of the 61 metre white tower of the Rathaus, with the prominent towers of St. James church behind. This is on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain! #rothenburg #rothenburgobdertauber #turmweg #rödertor #rödergasse #stjacobkirche #rathaus https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMASG1BovV/?igshid=13pjckq8cnhjr

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber 🇩🇪 Monday 16 December 2019. “A study of the Turmweg”. This ‘Red Fortress above the river Tauber’ was founded as a city in the 12th century and later became one of the largest Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire. Prior to WWII it was regarded as a German town representing the ideology of the Nazi regime. It was subject to some war bombing but has been rebuilt in the original Mediaeval style and is now an important place on the Romantic Road. Strangely, it was the inspiration for the American 1940 Walt Disney film Pinnochio and the setting for Vulgaria in 1968 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! It is very well known as the home of the Christmas Village and Museum. We came here to see and walk the cobbled streets and the well preserved city wall, much of which is still intact or restored, almost encircling the city. We also wanted to check out the Käthe Wohlfahrt Weihnachtsdorf „Christmas Village“ and the Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum. After finding a convenient cark park right next to the wall, we set off to walk the solid but uneven paving of 1.7km of the Mediaeval Turmweg eventually ending in the unique figure of 8 Mediaeval Bastion at the southern end of the wall. The whole wall length provides beautiful elevated views of the city. This was a great experience. #rothenburgobdertauber #rothenburg #turmweg #mediaeval #franconia #citywall #pinnochio #chittychittybangbang https://www.instagram.com/p/CDJPUTWBaQg/?igshid=eucxx5qoi0u5

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Bamberg 🇩🇪 Dom 15 Dezember 2019. The Romanesque Dom and the expansive cobbled Domplatz with the impressive Neue Residenz adjacent. It’s a very intriguing and unique cathedral with it’s history linking the city. The very early 13th century Renaissance Bamberg Horseman sculpture is significant and can be seen here. It’s unique in that the sculpture and the artist is unknown but is extraordinary in that it was Renaissance art ahead of the declared Renaissance period which started in the 15th century. Also Pope Clement II is the only pope buried here in north Europe. This cathedral once had Gothic and Baroque art and decorations which were installed and later removed. The original Mediaeval frescoes and coloured windows were destroyed in the 17th Century with whitewash paint and plain glass. The rood screen was also demolished. Balthasar Neumann extended the Building with chapters, and King Ludwig in the 19th century eventually restored it to Romanesque and established it as National monument. It was used as a model for many other cathedrals and civic design is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBnc4R6Bqt5/?igshid=bvbggycgr8za

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Bamberg 🇩🇪 Sammlung Ludwig Porzellan Museum 15 Dezember 1019. We needed our limited language skills with the nice local people to enquire, chat and purchase tickets to see this collection of approximately 300 works of art. It provides an exquisite range of Meissen porcelain, as well as Strassbourg faience and a variety of objects from various other manufactures. The outstanding faïence and porcelain holdings of this Ludwig Collection were given as a permanent loan to the City of Bamberg and have been exhibited since 1995 in the Altes Rathaus or “Old Bridge Town Hall“, being a municipal institution. The Baroque building is exemplary for the entire townscape. In addition to its function as a museum, the building is used for official representative purposes, with its Rococo hall serving for receptions. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBiPoQ6hGnr/?igshid=ro1fi7do4fc3

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Bamberg 🇩🇪 Altstadt 15 Dezember 2019. The city has great significance, from the 10th century onwards, Bamberg was an important link with Slavics from Poland and Pomerania. It had a period of great prosperity, from the 12th century onwards, and the architecture of Bamberg strongly influenced northern Germany and Hungary. King Henry established it as the 2nd Rome, of Franconia. In the late 18th century it was the centre of the Enlightenment in southern Germany, with eminent philosophers and writers such as Hegel and Hoffmann living there. The layout and architecture of medieval and baroque Bamberg exerted a strong influence on urban form and evolution in the lands of central Europe from the 11th century onwards. The city is an outstanding and representative example of an early medieval town in central Europe, both in its plan and its surviving ecclesiastical and secular buildings. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage City. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBf5dF4h-ew/?igshid=1e1hx7dypryqt

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A post shared by Alan Bainbridge (@albain13)

Nürnberg 🇩🇪 U-Bahn Dezember 2019. The amazing efficient, unmanned and completely automatic U-Bahn train on the U3 line is frequent, has a very smooth acceleration and deceleration and a comfortable ride speed. In 2008, driverless and fully automated trains were introduced on this new U3 line, making it Germany's first automatic U-Bahn line. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdPstmBIDe/?igshid=vtvo13rlrfu7

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Nuremberg 🇩🇪 Lorenzkirche 14 December 2019. Accidental discovery of a huge advent concert of orchestra and massed voices singing Mozart Messias being a 2 hour epic! The church was full, with chamber orchestra, soloists and large SATB choir. There would have been at least 400 people making up the audience and performers in total. This was an unusual concert, not often known or performed in the world (probably more common in German speaking countries), because the Mozart Messias is a variation on Handel’s Messiah composed by Mozart – similarities and uniqueness but all in German! We strolled back down the Christmassy Konigstraße past the Frauentorturm to the Hauptbahnhof. Before this happened, we had an overture from the additional finding of advent singers in the Lorenzkirche U-Bahn Station. Just above the station was the busy Christkindlmarkt and the nicely lit Müller Store amongst the many stalls. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBZZQ6KBvwT/?igshid=giaqqp2x13xf

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Nuremberg 🇩🇪 Aldstadt 14 December 2019. This is the impressive sunlit 13th century Tiergärtnertorturm tower which is part of the wall perimeter of the city. The nearby Augustiner zum Schranke also on the TiergärtnertorPlatz is an impressive Mediaeval building where we enjoyed Augustiner Dunkel and Heiße Glühwein. Right next door is the 16th Century Wood framed Albrecht Dürer Haus. Up the hill at the immense Kaiserburg castle we checked out the elevated city views and the notable sights. #nuremberg #nürnberg #tiergärtnertorplatz #tiergärtnertor #tiergärtnertorturm #augustiner #augustinerbräu #augustinerkeller #albrechtdürer #albrechtdürerhaus #kaiserburgnürnberg #kaiserburg #glühwein https://www.instagram.com/p/CBQPL8EhIYF/?igshid=qlcke21mx989

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Nuremberg 🇩🇪 Christkindlmarkt Saturday 14 December 2019. Venturing out on the U-Bahn from Schweinauer to Lorenzstrasse in the Aldstadt we eventually needed our umbrellas, this time to shield the rain and not the snow. The markets were indeed very popular but that didn’t deter us from grabbing a Nürnberg Bratwurst mit Semmel (sausages in a crusty roll). We went inside the very unique Frauenkirche to see the rich advent decorations and the view of the markets from the Christ Kind church balcony and displays. This is where the tradition of Christ Kind is announced and presents to the children of Nuremberg every Christmas. This is quite an old church but felt cosy and friendly and is very popular. #nuremburg #nürnberg #frauenkirche #christkindlmarkt #christkindlesmarktnürnberg #hauptmarkt #hauptmarktnürnberg #weihnachtsmarkt https://www.instagram.com/p/CBKxNfLBRxn/?igshid=mefubxnmr0gg

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Regensburg 🇩🇪 St Peters Cathedral 13 December 2019. This impressive gothic cathedral started construction in 1273 and officially opened 300 years later in mid 16th century. Most of the extensive stained glass was installed very early in the 13th century. The striking silver Altar was made in Augsburg and added in the 17th century. View of snow covered tracks and station roof of the Regensburg Hauptbahnhof, with a reused large industrial building in the background. Snow continued to fall throughout the day! https://www.instagram.com/p/CBH7gJphvH1/?igshid=1hdvlsm4twhoi

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Regensburg 🇩🇪 Weihnachtsmarkt in the snow ❄️ on 13 December 2019. We walked the town cobbles through the floating but heavy falling white snow to the Aldstadt and the Weihnachtsmarkt in the Neupfarrplatz. Regensburg has its unique Glühwein and succulent local Lebkuchen (gingerbread), which we experienced while standing under one of the many festive shelters under the snowfall. In the middle of the square is the Neupfarrkirche Protestant church, which is in contrast to the enormous and famous gothic cathedrals with its extensive windows of stained glass. The cobbled Tandlergasse in the Regensburg Aldstadt takes you to the cathedral. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBHJDgNh7MV/?igshid=1wnmsvv2qm4uq