We finished our trip up the Romantic Road at its featured attraction, the walled city of Rothenburg (translated as ‘Red Castle.’) Going by the full name ‘Rothenburg ob de Tauber,’ the town was even more medieval than Dinklesburl (insert chuckle here) with even more personality. Perhaps that is why it is shaped like a skull.
We walked, talked, and breathed Rothenburg for the rest of the afternoon, pretending to be archers on the city walls and window-shopping in what appeared to be a set for a Christmas TV special. Ironically, the town itself is essentially ‘Christmasville’ – with multiple stores 100% dedicated to the holidays and its many decorations… specifically ornaments. (The best store is Kathe Wolfahrt's , just off the main square.)
Christmas on Steroids! Although I vowed not to use the past phrase aa month ago... there really is not other way to describe it! 
However, my favorite moment in Rothenburg was when we stopped for gelato. Up until this point, I had felt like a fish out of water in Germany, unable to say anything except “Danka.” This was exponentially worse than how I feel in Italy, where I feel linguistically incompetent only 97% of the time. However, empowered by a little positology, I had a full 5-minute conversation in Italian with the gelato shop owner, discovering that she had immigrated to Germany ten years prior from northern Italy and that she both 1) loved Sicily – especially Catania, and 2) thought stracciatella was her best flavor. (I concurred… twice!) It was a vindicating moment for me, proving that all those trips to Quaranta gelato in Piazza Bellini had not gone in vain.
Pretty cool car, huh? 90 miles to the gallon on this hog...
~ J. Twice
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