Germany according to Ryan!

Next stop, the industrial heart of Deutschland; Mannheim. We chose to visit Mannheim so that we could stay with my friend Marc Ritter and his family. I met Marc in Thailand last year and we had kept in touch ever since. I always thought I would see him in the states first, but Laura and I beat him to the punch.

          We both have German in our blood, so it was nice to get some firsthand experience of our heritage. Upon arrival to Marc’s house, we were greeted with enthusiasm and warm homelike accommodations. We had finally gotten out of hotels and hostels and into a cozy, clean and extremely comfortable living environment. Not to mention food galore every meal of the day. Most notably breakfast, which consisted of an assortment of German meats and cheese, dark German style bread and rolls dipped in lye to add color and taste, homemade jams of strawberry, cherry and pear, juices, cappuccino, tea, lattes and finished with a homemade German summertime cake made with fresh cherries from their garden.

          Mannheim is certainly not your vintage German town due to its industrial relevance, but also from almost the complete annihilation from WWII bombings. Mannheim was targeted by the allies for its industrial relevance that heavily aided the German War Machine. Also, Mannheim was easily targeted because of the geographical characteristics, where the Necker joins the Rhine River. Bombing by the Allies was like shooting ducks in a pond because of this feature.

          Fortunately for us, and the preservation of German history, the town of Heidelberg was a thirty minute train ride away. The town was spared by the Allies because of its historical sites and utter beauty the charming town possesses. The town sits in between two mountains where the Necker divides the center with beautiful homes casing one side and hotels, businesses and an astonishing Castle overlooking the other. Heidelberg’s vintage German décor with hints of Bavarian style architecture and scenic landscape graced the beloved city.  

          Although we did not venture to the heart of Germany, we sure felt that Germany had our hearts. Also, I believe that Germany is the backbone that clutches Europe and feeds ingenuity and innovation to its extremities. The Germans are resilient, hard working people that clearly stand alone in Europe when it comes to business. We witnessed it firsthand from our amazing hosts and the many industrial sites that blanket the Rhine, which makes Germany the industrial giant that it has always been.

          Next stop, Switzerland, which we have been told is a true gem of a country encrusted by so many cultures. French, German and Italian influence the different regions and we anticipate the allure of the it all. Although in the back of our minds we realize that we are inching ever so close to our destination of mutual desire, Italy! Yearning for its whimsical majesties of its bountiful architectural masterpieces, which the Romans so conveniently left behind. The splendor of Tuscany’s vine covered rolling hills, Rome’s grandeur of all its ruins and the magnificence of the Amalfi Coast’s sharply peaked mountains that protrude from the Mediterranean waters. By God, this trips keeps getting better!