Quirky Travel with Theo and the Dragon

 Our trip through Germany is part of an established tour. Day 1 go here. Day 2 go there. You get the picture. Some of the days are better than others. Once in a while, we just have to marvel at how quirky things are from our point of view. 

We are still in Regensburg, but totally on our own. Just drifting around. Theo likes these kinds of afternoons. No pressure. See what you see. We pass by a store called Keramik Werkstatt, filled with odd and quirky ceramic pieces:

We can't resist visiting another museum: Museum Der Bayerischen Geschichte. I know what you're thinking. But this museum is Theo's idea. He wants to see a suit of armor up close so that he can smell it.

He wants to see one of the oddities in the museum--a full sized dragon that comes to life. His eyes open. He gives an authentic dragon growl (I think.) It is mesmerizing. I can't pull Theo away. Scary? Just a bit.

There are other unusual quirky exhibits: an old old fashioned bicycle:

And an assortment of stuffed animals--the taxidermy kind, which frankly freaks Theo out. How you do you explain this to a cat? He takes one look, one sniff, and that's it. 

He wants out of the museum.

Luckily before the afternoon is over, we find a loveliest of lovely sunflower fields. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. 

And then we stumble upon a glorious view:

The gangster cat is happy again. For the moment.

Theo Time Travels to Regensburg

 I, for one, have always been fascinated by the concept of time travel. What if you could go back and see the way people used to live? Or re-live a day from your childhood? Or meet someone famous who has long since moved on?

It's a dream, some say. It's the stuff of novels.

But . . .

Theo, the gangster cat, has no patience for museums, but he does like to sniff around outside. We posed a proposition to him: let's time travel back to 179 AD, to the center of the Roman Empire. Where the Crusaders gathered in support of the church to a town once called Casta Regina (Fortress by the River). Where you can still see the 12th century bridge the Crusaders marched over. Still see the Port Praetoria, the stone entranceway to the city. Where you can meander through and see one of the most well-preserved medieval towns with the old buildings and cobblestone streets. 

Some call it a miracle. The Allies spared Regensburg during World War II. Many German towns were not so lucky and today are a weird combinations of the new with the old. Not Regensburg.

This is a time travel that is possible. 

Theo agrees. 

"Will there be snacks?" he wants to know.

"Plenty of snacks," Dan assures him.

So, we are off to see the bridge:

We walk through the old town and spy some rather curious oddities--a medieval well, evidence of the crusades on a wall, and medieval patrician houses--tall with narrow lanes--some of the reasons why this town is a UNESCO world heritage site. We also pass an open air market.

 

I promised Theo no churches, but when we see the Regensburg Cathedral, in all its medieval magnificence, we can't resist going inside. 

"Only five minutes. This church . . ." and I blab on and on about why we have to see inside.

 

Theo acquiesces. Five minutes. I half expect him to produce a stop watch with Mickey Mouse's face on it.

As usual, I am overwhelmed by the details. Full disclosure--we spend more than five minutes walking around. Dan plies Theo with his favorite snack. The Regensburg Cathedral, constructed in the 13th century is Gothic in style with twin spires that reach 105 meters, which is over 300 feet high. The cathedral holds the most extensive collection of preserved medieval stained glass dating from the 13th and 14th centuries:

As usual, I try to imagine living in medieval times. No pizza. No Netflix. 

Okay, I agree with Theo. A nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to stay here in the 13th century. I would miss my iPhone too much.

Museum Escape in Passau

" I'm out of here." Theo gives a big sigh of relief. Hours spent walking through a museum that never seems to end is not on Theo's top ten list of things to do in Passau, Germany. Sure, it's an old historic town near a bunch of rivers. (This is Theo's down and dirty summary of our afternoon experience.) But can we leave now? Haven't you guys had enough?

"Look around you," I say to my frustrated cat. "Look. The river. The town. This place definitely does not look like New Jersey."

He scoffs. 

Dan has an idea. He whispers into my ear. "Snack. I think the kid needs a snack."

We have this portable bowl that expands. It's handy for situations like this. Open the ziplock bag. Pour in a bunch of dried cat food, ahem, healthy dried cat food and make a peace offering of sorts. We're standing on a bridge that connects this museum (a used to be castle) with the rest of the town. We have a super magnificent view, the kind you want to stare at so you can re-imagine it later when you're back home in the states.

Theo expectedly chomps on his snack. The bowl is clean. Finally, the kid looks up. Dan hoists him on top of the wall that lines the bridge for a better view. 

"Well, Theo? What do you think?"

Is that a nod? A smile. A look of approval?

"How do you even begin to capture this?" as I ignore Theo's enigmatic response. I decide to take a video.

Everyone counsels to be in the moment. Appreciate what is around you. I glance back at the used to be castle. 

And, before I realize it, Theo is glancing back, too. Is he changing his mind? Maybe stopping at the Veste Oberhaus wasn't such a bad idea? 

Theo begins walking along the top of the wall. One slip and . . .

Dan grabs my arm. "Let the kid be. He's not going to fall off this wall. He's being a cat."

When seconds later Theo jumps down, I know it's time to go. We start walking down the bridge towards the spot where we'll meet a small shuttle bus and get back to town. He'll probably be asleep before we arrive back at the hotel. Life is good.

Theo--Not a Fan of Cathedrals

 On tour, at times, travelers with a gangster cat can become a bit overwhelmed (especially in Germany) by all the churches and cathedrals. A friend of mine once said--if you see one cathedral, you've seen them all. Sometimes I sympathize with that comment. But at other times, I don't. I can be overwhelmed by the grandeur of a cathedral, especially when you compare that grandeur to the simple houses of ordinary people who lived in that time period. 

The churches can be gigantic in size, with marble floors and stained glass windows, decorated with works of art, gold trim--the quintessential example of Gothic architecture. This is my long winded way of saying that I am so impressed by St. Peter's Cathedral that I can't move on until I share some of what is inside this space. Theo vehemently disagrees and resents every second we spend walking around and gawking. 

I love the story behind this cathedral. Initially it's built to honor St. Peter (the apostle) in 700 AD but, unfortunately, it burns down in 1156. Beginning in 1273, the process of rebuilding begins, but it's not finished until 1872, six hundred years later. 

Why does it take so long? Well, let me share some of what is inside to illustrate what you see inside:

I note the crucifix adorning a tomb, the statue in the alcove, the small intimate space devoted to Mary, the ornate columns on the wall. Every image tells a story of devotion. 

Dan and I take turns keeping Theo happy. The question is how many snacks can one cat eat? Theo explains quite simply, "I need energy, mom."

We continue:

I tell Dan I hate to leave. There is so much to see. But we've run out of snacks, and Theo is becoming jumpier with every minute we delay. He wants to be put down on the floor so he can sniff. He wants to wander over to the statues and play hide and seek. And he probably wants to take a nap in the cozyish alcove honoring Mary.

"Remember, you wanted to come on this trip. Think of how Chucky would have acted. He was always . . ." but I stop mid-sentence. Chuck, the rascal cat, had his moments, too, when he rebelled. "Never mind, Theo, you're doing just fine," I end up saying.

Theo and the Regensburg Sausage Kitchen

 Theo agrees to go to Regensburg--another quaint historic city on the Danube River--because it hosts a Sausage Kitchen that still serves sausage and sauerkraut, the oldest continuously operating public restaurant in the world (1135AD.) That information is kind of mind blowing. I want to taste the sausage myself. I love sauerkraut. So I sympathize with Theo. As usual the kid is hungry. As usual we'll have to listen to his plaintive meows as we tour around this famous city. 

"First we see the city. Then we'll eat."

Theo frowns and shakes his head.

"Sorry, buddy. But this isn't a gourmet eating tour. You'll get your sausages, I promise."

Skeptical. Unhappy. And, of course, hungry. I try to distract him.

"Look."

We've just spotted one of the city's key attractions--a stone bridge built in the 12th century (the oldest bridge in Germany) which for years was the only bridge across the Danube. Can you imagine? If anyone wanted to cross the Danube, they needed a boat for years!

Luckily, Regensburg was not bombed by the Allies during WWII so we can see the gorgeous Renaissance and Gothic style buildings that define the town. Regensburg is one of the biggest medieval cities north of the Alps. Its history spans 2,000 years, beginning as a military camp in 179AD by the Romans and later growing into a bustling hub due to its location on the Danube. The city is very livable. We pass an open air market and have to literally pick Theo up as we walk on by:

The Protestant Reformation literally began in Regensburg. Martin Luther (and others) led a movement against the Catholic Church, upset over the selling of indulgences, etc. resulting in the formation of various Protestant sects. Nevertheless, the Regensburg Cathedral (the Cathedral of St. Peter) lies in the heart of the city. Two towering spires extend 105 meters into the air. Stained glass windows from the 13th and 14th centuries let the light in. The interior is glorious:

Walking through a cathedral, gawking at the art work, statues and the sheer magnificence of the place wears Theo down. Maybe it's my imagination, but I can hear his little tummy growl. 

Off to the sausage kitchen. The place is packed. There is eating inside (waiting list) and out. We stand in line and put in our order--sausage and sauerkraut on a delicious roll. We pay and then walk over to a window in the kitchen and wait for our food. Theo doesn't quite understand why there is a delay.

We find a table that overlooks the Danube. The day is sunny with a slight breeze. Dan puts the sausage sandwiches on a table. By this time we're drooling. But then the unthinkable happens. 

In a blink of an eye Theo jumps up on the table, grabs a sausage out of the roll, leaps down again with the sausage securely in his mouth and begins running towards the river. We are more than astounded. 

Dan runs after him but loses sight of the gangster cat. Where did he go? 

"I give up," Dan says.

"He'll come back." I don't know why I'm so calm, but I figure he's looking for a quiet place to eat. 

We wolf down our sandwiches, and sure enough, I spot him, licking his chops, walking confidently across the stone floor towards our table.

I can hear his excuses running through my head. "I had to do it." or "I was starving." 

"Theo."

"I did what I had to do," he says before he proceeds to lie down at our feet and close his eyes.

"Let it be," Dan says. And I do.

Finally, we head off in search of Port Praetorian, a Roman style gate built from massive blocks of stone--the oldest gate in Germany--dating back to 2AD. It is well preserved and much bigger than I imagine it will be. For a moment I imagine walking through the gate and ending up back in time, able to glimpse the way life was centuries ago. 

No, that doesn't happen. We remain firmly rooted in 2025, but as we're leaving this city, I ask Dan and Theo--what was the highlight. For me it was the cathedral. Dan picks Port Praetorian. For Theo, it was the sausage kitchen. I'm not surprised.