The tale of two Staufens and a day in Rothenburg.

Today we explored the Black Forest, Schwarzwald in German.  Our destination was Staufen via  a scenic highway that took us high into the mountains.  From a vista we could see out across to the Rhine Valley. Depending on our trusty Inga we programmed "Staufen" into our GPS.  She has been right 100% of the time up until now.  We ended up in a small town of maybe 100 people, all small farms, no castle ruins overlooking  the town , no vineyards sloping up to the castle. no town center, no town!  Rick told us we would be entering a darling town of 7,500 people, cute downtown market square, wine tasting.  Well it turns out there are TWO Staufens in Germany!  After actually reading a real map, we located it.  

Staufen has been "Rick Steve'd". It is a darling little town on a babbling brook with an incredible pasterie, Cafe Decker.  We stopped to have a slice of Sacher Torte and Black Forest Cake with a cappuccino on their roof top patio.  It is a "real" town in that their are real businesses, butchers, bakeris, pharmacies.  Freiburgers come to Staufen to shop because the stores are smaller and the owners-clerks are friendlier.  It was well worth the journey.

Tuesday, 5/28, we drove over to Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the pouring rain.  We are to have rain for four more days and it is about 40 degrees.  Oh, well.  Even the Germans are complaining about the weather.

Rothenburg is a gem of a perfectly preserved medieval town dating back to the 1100's.  it is a walled city.  Their main economy  since the early 1800's has been tourism!  They do it well.  We are staying at the Hotel Gerberhaus, a small 20 room inn.  We enjoyed two walking tours, one of which is at night and called "The Night Watchman Tour" and is filled with slice of life gritty tales of medieval Rothenburg.  The city also has the best Medieval  Crime and Punshment Museum.  Masks of shame, thumb screws, leg and neck shackles, chairs of nails, tongue depressors for quarrelsome women!   Nothing to pleasant.