Are you ready for your history lesson? Because you are getting one! Trier is the oldest city in Germany, and it is just packed with history!!
We were lost so Amanda stopped to ask for directions. Notice the sign in the background? Probably not the BEST place to ask for directions with all of the kids.
Isabellas bumblebee dessert.
The kids inside the churches. The churches in Europe are SO AMAZING.
The doorway has such intricate carvings.
Here we are at the Roman Imperial baths. The Imperial Baths, or Kaisertherman, were constructed circa AD 293 and
the baths are one of the largest Roman baths ever built. The main reason they
were built is because the nearby Barbara Baths also located in Trier, were the second
largest baths in the Roman Empire at the time, but they were too small
to accommodate all of the local people.
Public baths were an important part of Roman life and this extensive complex helps support that. There were cold, warm and hot baths, each in separate but
connected bathing rooms, changing rooms, a huge courtyard surrounded on
three sides by a colonnade and used as a sports ground, as well as an
intricate underground tunnel system that functioned as service passages
and sewage channels. The baths were not only used for bathing. They were also for socializing by both politicians (see, they even campaigned back then!) and the general population. Gambling, relaxing, salon services such as waxing, pumice scrubs, etc, were offered as well as the use of libraries and
pubs. The foundation underground of the Imperial Baths measures 480 x 820 feet (145 x
250 meters), which would fit almost three football fields, and even
though most of the baths above ground is in ruins, the underground
labyrinth of tunnels is very much intact. The kids had a BLAST running through and exploring each room.
The House of the Three Magi, or Dreikönigenhaus, is located near the
Main Market. Built in 1230, it is one of the oldest stone houses in
Germany. Since it was built before the medieval defensive city wall was
built, the house has its own defenses: a front door that is built into
the second story. In the photo you can see there is now a business on
the first level, but also a door floating to the right above it where
the original residents attached a retractable wooden staircase, as a
matter of protection. The Moorish style of the house was popular at the
time.
The kids and I at the Roman bath tunnels
I bought fresh flowers from the market. I am Loving all of the beautiful fresh flowers here.
A Pinocchio dessert.
Amazing inside of the church.
You have to pay to use the bathroom here. Prices are different everywhere, and it sure adds up with 3 kids who use the bathroom. Obviously Eden will too at some point. There is someone who collects your money, and they are responsible to keep the restroom clean and stocked with toilet paper, towels etc.
Audrey and Lauren trying bubble shakes.
This is
Trierer Dom (or
Dom St. Peter), a Roman Catholic church which dates back to Roman times and is home to the
Holy Tunic, a garment with a recorded history back to the 12th century, in
Catholic tradition said to be the robe
Jesus was wearing when he died. It is only exhibited every few decades, at irregular intervals.
Inside the tunnels of the baths.
The Church of Our Lady, or Liebfrauenkirche, is the oldest Gothic church
in Germany. The Church is attached to the south side of the Cathedral
(Dom), and has Roman foundations, though everything above ground dates
back to about 1235 or later.
The main part of the church is built in a crucifix pattern which is
supported by twelve large columns. An interesting characteristic of this
church is that there are twelve Gothic portraits of the Apostles, each
one painted upon a separate column.
But, you can only see all
twelve paintings at the same time if you stand in one specific spot,
designated by a black stone on the floor. It's fascinating to find the
brick in the aisle floor and then see all of the paintings at once,
which you simply cannot do from anywhere else in the church. This is only one of the paintings.
Here are the kids in Jews' Alley
(Judengasse), which is the former medieval Jewish Ghetto. Some items
found there during excavation, have Hebrew inscriptions which proves
that there were traces of Jewish life in Trier dating back to the 1st or
2nd century. A local Jewish community came into existence in Trier by
the beginning of the 11th century, and in 1235, the first houses were
built by four Jews in the street which later became "Judengasse". In 1096, the Jews were forced by the knights of the Roman Catholic
Church either to convert to the Christianity, or to commit suicide or to
be killed by the knights. The Jews who were baptized by force were
authorized to reconvert one year later. From 1096 till 1349 the Jews of
Trier lived in peace. In 1349 an epidemic of
plague struck the country, which cost the lives of almost one third of
the population. The rumor is that the Jews spread the disease bit by bit in the country. This led to a real massacre, as in a period of one month, several hundreds of Jews
were murdered.
These murders marked the end of the community of
Trier. Only a few Jews remained living in Trier.
In 1418, Jews were banished out of Trier by the bishop. Their fate was much like those
of other Jews in European cities in those days. Initially, it was a
flourishing community with many of its members working as pharmacists,
doctors or money-lenders and the Jewish quarter consisted of more than
60 houses. After their expulsion, many Jews went east. When the descendants of
the expelled Jewish families were allowed to come back after 1600, they
settled in different parts of the city and the Jewish quarter lost its
significance. Today Judengasse hosts a number of restaurants and bars, and today you can find four of the original houses, and flight tunnels that remain.
Hamorroiden? This place has the treatment you need!!
A slightly blurry view of the tunnels.
The kids above the tunnels.
The ovens of course are in Celsius. You have to convert the temp, and even then it doesn't always work right... 
Eden trying her first FRESH pastry. She gave it two thumbs up!!
The olympic coke display at the base. 
Eden was playing in a box we got in the mail. Without furniture, this was our fun. 
At the German toys r us, we pushed Eden around, played with scooters and bikes in the store, and walked around. 
With the garge work being done, we watch lots of trucks come in and out. Our driveway is narrow and slanted, so this truck had a really hard time hauling the concrete from the wall that came down. It nearly tipped over with the weight on the slant. They kept putting boards on one side, and the weight would crush them, and the truck would start tipping. Crazy. 
Penny playing with the kids. 
Daddy taking the kids to the park. 
Here they have extended the garage forward, and are starting to re-roof the new section. 
Joachim had two goats. One of them Elaina has named scaredy cat. The other one she named Rammy. NO need for explanation on the names right? These goats both love Joachim. No matter how much I go out and feed them, Rammy still rams the heack out of me, and scaredy cat still runs from me. He put them in my yard to mow the lawn for me. It was fun having them in the backyard for a week. 
IN the summer, everyone hangs their laundry on the line. No dryers are used. I tried it. Funny to see the goats and laundry. When I took it off the line, I smelled them, and told the kids "mmm, this is what sun dried laundry smells like!" They just wrinkled their nose up at me saying it didn't smell as clean. hmmpf. 
This is Penny. Joachim's granddaughter went on "holiday" for a MONTH, and he was watching her. I fell head over heels for this little cutie. She came over everyday to visit us. We loved playing with her. 
The church here was amazing. I loved the clock tower and the massive dragon, with the slayer. 
Elaina was thoroughly enjoying her banana and nutella crepe. The crepes were SOOO good. 
Bart and Wes were in beer heaven. Here they are trying to decide which beer to try. 
Amy and Wes, drinks and sausage. 
They had a free kids zone. They could bounce, play games etc. Connor was moving the egg from one end to the other with some German kids. 
The boys with their blue tongues, after drinking their slushies. 
Random street dancers walking around the festival. 
I think Bart is pretty happy. At least he looks like it....
Most of the racers were in costumes. At the front they would beat the drum, and the rowers would keep up to the beating drum with each row. The got faster and faster. The winner would then beat the drum like crazy once they passed the finish line. 
This was a novel idea. Lets put a huge wooden playground in the middle of a festival, and give kids access to hammers and nails to pound away at any area they please. Wait, what? Kids with hammers and nails? Seriously. All I could envision was a kid pulling back to give a big whack, and hitting another little kid in the head. 
The family... CHEERS!
More of the races....
The restaurant is beside this church. 
After dinner hike to the ruins.
The view from our table. Incredible, right?
Our sponsor and his wife. 
