30 Sept Monday - Rothenburg and then Munich day 3

Toilets, bathrooms, WCs, the loo.......

One gets very focussed on bodily functions and the need for toilet breaks and when one has to pay for the privilege ( or the necessity) at .70 c (Euro) or 1.50 Euro in Venice, it all seems a bit bizarre.

I think this was the first day when we had to pay .70 to get a ticket to use the toilet ( when the coach stopped for a break). You are then able to get  .50 offset against purchases at the shop/ eatery.

The thing that I wasn't prepared for at the first lot of toilets was when the toilet flushed, there was a bit of a chugging noise and the seat swirled about with a part of the cistern going in and out. I wouldn't have been surprised if it had taken off. Another toilet in Italy constantly flushed while in use which was a bit disconcerting. At yet another pit stop, a woman had to be rescued from the locked toilet that wouldn't open. At the Vatican, the women lined up almost lynched an Italian (young) woman who ignored the lines and the attendant and just barged ahead to the front of the queue with the attendant sighing "Italians, what can you do?"

Onto more important things

We moved on to medieval Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, still surrounded by its old walls and watch towers.  It was very picturesque.

I will however, remember this day for two things.

1. The church and the blonde (SS Nazi ) woman - in my mind; and 

2. The gift shop run by 85 year old Anneliese who lived in Australia with her husband and they both worked on the Snowy River scheme.  She loves talking to Australians and showing them photographs of her life and like most 85 year olds just keeps on talking and talking........

Reminded me of my darling mother.

This was a lovely shop, time.

Then I went to the scarey bit.

Our tour guide had suggested a visit to the church - fancy that! ( I should be so blessed by now after so many church visits and a prayer in most).  There was an entrance fee which J and I paid and this rather stern blonde German woman dressed in a white jacket gave me such an abrupt response to my query about the altar ( which was upstairs separate from the rest of the church). I immediately thought of the women I had seen in the movies as an SS guard and decided she fitted that profile.  I'm pretty sure that there was a sign saying "no photographs" but as we climbed the stairs ( out of SS guard's sight), I saw others using their camera so I thought "Blow it, I'll use the camera"

We then went downstairs, and feeling rather invincible, I continued to take some more photos.  There was also another altar downstairs.

Then, as I was looking and taking photos I paused and saw the SS guard coming towards me.

Honestly, I froze.  I thought I was a goner.  As she marched up to me I thought about awful Sister Albertus who used to "intensely dislike" me in primary school and Flissy who used to put the fear of God into us at boarding school. Incredibly, SS guard strode/ marched past me and it took me a while to recover.

I did light and pay for a candle but "borrowed" a plastic candle holder and said a prayer for me! However after one last glare from the SS I exited shaking and dropped all my coins out over the church's steps.

I know this is all quite ridiculous and very unfair to the blonde woman but that's how I felt.

Munich

We arrived in Munich to see and hear the chiming of the Clocktower - 10 mins must be a world record for going for so long.

Then a call at a couple of beer halls

 This is the beer hall where Hitler  ( yuk) made one of his 'important' speeches.

 I don't usually drink beer but I liked this German one.

We could have gone to the Munich Ocktofest but alas we were too tired.  We had a wonderful evening and checked into the most fantastic hotel - Westin Grand Arabellapark.  Everything was just perfect I thought as I had a relaxing hot shower.  I hopped out all refreshed and energenised - and then realised I had flooded the bathroom with the shower!!