Theo Visits Notorious Zeppelin Field, Then Eats Fish

 Nuremberg was famous long before Adolf Hitler decided to take over the city, stage his rallies there and ipso facto turn it into a city that is now best known for the Nuremberg trials after World War II. 

It had an illustrious history which Hitler used to his advantage. We are lucky enough to be touring the city with an expert, who is steeped in Germany history. 

He explains that before Hitler, Nuremberg was the unofficial capital of the Roman Empire. It then became the heart of the German resistance in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Third Reich, referring to Hitler's time, actually means the Third Empire, representing the third attempt, Hitler's attempt, to rule the world. 

It was heavily bombed by the Allies in World War II, which destroyed some of the city. Earlier Adolf Hitler chose Nuremberg  as the site of massive conventions between 1927 and 1938. He held parades here and rallies at Zeppelin Field. 

Grandstands were designed by Albert Speer, Hitler's chief architect, to hold over 100,000 spectators. Still today you can see the stadium style seats on both sides and the podium where Hitler stood.

I am a fan of German history. I remember being reluctant to visit Germany as a tourist, ashamed in part because I am half German.  Once I arrived, I began to understand the history--the good and the bad. I can more clearly see the parallels with today when a charismatic leader tries to wrest control of the government. 

The weather is slightly chilly but the sun is out. After we visit the courtroom, I am anxious to see Zeppelin Field and imagine what took place here. 

Theo is lured on, to behave and be patient, by the promise of a snack, of course, when we visit the open market. It can't come soon enough. There is plenty to choose from, and we let him free, to sniff, to run, to investigate the tables of foods and goods. 

We lose sight of him for a few minutes, but then notice one of the fish vendors has put a plate on the ground covered in what looks like fish. 

We rush over. He's busy with a customer, and it seems Theo (cramming the fish down his throat) is a good marketing scheme. Soon there's a line of people, waiting to buy fish and watching Theo at the same time.

"Maybe the guy promised him a cut of sales," Dan whispers.

"Or more fish," I suggest.

We scoop up our overfed boy and traipse on over to a local restaurant, for--you guessed it--lunch.

Theo Investigates Trials at Nuremburg

 For almost anyone of a certain age, the town of Nuremburg conjures up World War II and its aftermath, when the decision to prosecute those responsible for the Holocaust (politicians, generals) were put on trial in the first international court that is established to sit in judgment of the atrocities committed by Germany. The idea that the atrocities--concentration camps--were so extreme that Germans should be held responsible is an American belief. Ultimately, the Americans and French presided over the trials.

This is the second time I've visited Nuremberg. The first time I saw the courtroom from the outside. The building remains impressive:

This time the courtroom is open and Dan, I and Theo can go inside. It is a small space considering what happened here--on the second floor up a long flight of stairs. 

Black and white photos flank visitors who arrive. They are posted on the outside and starkly contrast what the courthouse looked like in the day and now today. The place stands as a living memorial to justice.

We learns things we didn't know. After the trials, for example, the Germany people themselves were blithely unaware of what had happened. A new Germany constitution, the Grundgesetz, was created in 1949 guaranteeing freedoms such as freedom of the press, speech and opinions in order to prevent the kind of censorship and restrictions that existed under the Nazis. Still it took years for the full story to come out and be accepted by the Germans.The Holocaust was not taught to students in schools. It wasn't until 1968 that students at the university demand more transparency, and the Holocaust becomes part of the curriculum. 

We also learn that the local leaders--the Mayors of town, the lawyers, etc. are not prosecuted after the war. The thinking is to spare these people so that they can participate in the rebuilding of Germany. In reality many German cities were heavily bombed by the Allies. Today in Germany, you can often see an old part of town (which was not destroyed by bombs) and the newer more modern part of town which was rebuilt after the war. 

You might be wondering about Theo. How is he handling all this history? All in all, he loves history and can often be found at home perched on our oversized lounge chair in the living room staring at the screen--at the birds, at the squirrels, at Ken Burns' documentaries.

Today he is remarkably well-behaved. Quiet and respectful. And for the hordes of people crowding into the courtroom to check it out and hear the presentation--Theo is seemingly unaware of them, and they are unaware of him. Everyone is transported back in time--to that most horrific of times. Everyone wants to hear the story and look around. Everyone is mesmerized. Even Theo, the gangster cat. And for once no snacks are involved in the making of this blog.

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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.