Rhapsody

As I have stated many times on this blog, one of the most important aspects of my blogging is getting in touch with people from all over this planet. Since starting the “Streets of Nuremberg” nearly three years ago, I have connected with many wonderful people. And with some, even virtual friendships have developed over time. One of them is Rhapsody. Now living in far away Nevada, she has her roots in a small village about an hour by car from Nuremberg. We’ve been talking about meeting each other in real life for quite some time. Now that she came back to Germany to tend to family matters, we finally turned virtual plans into reality. Yesterday I drove out to pick her up and take her to nearby historic town of Schwäbisch Hall, where we did spend a splendid day together, a day full of great talks, photography, sightseeing and enjoying some local beer and food. For the photos of our trip continue after the jump….

The weather was awesome, a crisp but sunny fall day. We started out having coffee on the terrace of a small coffeeshop on the first floor of a historic half timbered house at the banks of the Kocher river, being warmed by a blazing fall sun. Schäbisch Hall was a as a free Imperial City (just as Nuremberg) for more than five centuries until it was annexed by the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1802. Salt was produced nearby by the Celts already more than two thousand years ago, resulting in early fortune, and in the 12th century emperor Frederick I Barbarossa founded an imperial mint in the city, and Schwäbisch Hall became a rich merchant town. Many splendid historic buildings have been built over the centuries and remain to this day, as the town has suffered little damage during the World Wars.

After our coffee we climbed up to the market square with the magnificant St. Michaels church, a roman basicilca founded in the 12th century, and turned into a gothic church in the 15th century. From the church portal a magnificent stairway (built 1507) leads down to the market square surrounded by rich merchant houses.

After touring the magnificent interior of the church, we climbed up the bell tower (see photo below) that provided for great views of the historic city below.

Through the narrow alleys we descended back down to the river and visited the Museum of Modern Art on the other side. This is the gallery where me and the Significant Other visited just a few weeks ago and where I shot street photography on a rainy Sunday. And also this time I took a few photos, among which another selfie of the two bloggers 🙂

As the evening neared we went back to the other side to finish the day with a nice dinner in a historic guest house in the old town.

I truly enjoyed the day together with Rhapsody. She is an even more wonderful person than the one I virtually knew from following eachothers blogs (if you haven’t checked out her blog, do so here). I totally admire her strength and determination with which she cares for her ailing mom, and she has my utmost respect. We share many common interest and values and despite seeing each other for the first time face to face, it was a day full of great talks and great company. It means so much for me turning virtual friendship into a real one, and we know we will meet again. Thanks, Rhapsody, for this wonderful day, that I will remember forever.

Wish you all a great Sunday!

Marcus

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