Mainz

Traveled to Mainz, Germany today...

Walking around the Altstadt under the chilly overcast Central European sky, another city, another stretch of cobble stone streets, another cathedral, another market festival with all kinds of quality produce, german sausage, gourmet cheeses, beautiful breads and magnificent pastries. We had a bite to eat that took almost 2 1/2 hours. (these things happen quite often in Europe) I had the Yager Schnitzel with BratKartoffel... yummy! And a nice bottle of water. It's good meals like this that allow you to sink into conversation and spend quality time with good friends.

After lunch we headed across the square to the Gutenberg Museum. Johannes Gutenberg invented to printing press in the 15th Century. I will admit, I thought this museum might be a little boring, but it was awesome! I got to see some of the very first Bibles ever printed. These Bibles were printed in Latin in 1455. We also got to see a demonstration of how the original printing press was used... way cool! ( i got some postcards for a few of my peeps...)

After the museum we headed over to the huge cathedral in Mainz. There were some clergy or what looked to me like monks singing these crazy chants and harmonies. The blend of their voices would echo through the hall while people gathered to pray, take pictures and admire the amazing architecture. It's amazing that a church this big, that was still around in Gutenberg's day... seems more like a tourist attraction than a house of worship.

We decided to get some crepes and stroll down allong the river, taking some pictures and savoring the twilight. The city was buzzing with the transition of daytime market and carnivals to nightlife and fests. We found some German engineered spinning playground tea cup sort of things and spun ourselves into a dizzied frenzy. Followed by a nice walk past the innumerable Doner shops and enticing Italian restaurants.

A great day of memories...