Heidelberg

Today will be a relatively short post because it was mainly a travel day with over five hours on the coach. Tomorrow will be an even longer day of travel because we have to cross most of Germany to get to Amsterdam.
We arrived in Heidelberg, Germany today after crossing the border from Switzerland. Heidelberg is a cute town with a lot of history (like many towns in Europe). General Patton died in the hospital here back in 1945.
I walked at the beginning with Anita and Brenton but Brenton left partway through. We went to the Baroque Church that is in the center of the main square. It is a very pretty church and it was nice to walk around in. You could walk up to the top of the bell tower for two Euros but I didn't think the views from up there would be worth the money so we didn't go. We had too much else to see.

After the church, we went and wandered along the water. The river Nectar runs through the city. We went up on the bridge over the river to take a few photos.

Over by the bridge, there is a brass statue of a monkey. It is mooning the river. The statue is supposed to symbolize that the people of Heidelberg are no greater or less great than the people outside of the city. You are supposed to rub the mirror he is holding for wealth, his outstretched fingers for a return to Heidelberg, and the mice near him for fertility.

Anita and I walked to a Jesuit church after. I think it was arguably more impressive than the Baroque one. It had a museum with a treasury as well which was pretty neat.

That's about all we got to see because we were only in the city for an hour and a half. Just like many of the cities we have seen on the Contiki I would have liked to have seen more. I wasn't able to get to the Castle or the University. I did get pictures of the castle though from a distance.

Tomorrow will be a really long travel day. We will be in Amsterdam by the end of it and done with the long coach days of the Contiki. I will add another country to my ledger by the end of tomorrow. Next stop: The Netherlands!