Rothenburg was a short 4 hour bus ride today, so I tried to catch up on my tablet journal in between Jesse's informative talks on the historical and cultural background of the Middle Ages.  These talks on the bus throughout the tour enriched the experience for me, and the music that Jesse selected to play for us as we said "hello" and "goodbye" to each destination really set the mood.

 

I especially enjoyed the free time on the tour, whether it meant

I was wandering off on my own or as part of a smaller group of like-minded folks.  It was nice to have the option to be totally independent at times, or to have the comraderie of a group at other times.  Today, other than going to see the altars at the St. Jacob's Church, I had no big plans -  I just wanted to explore this quaint little walled town and see what treasures it held.  After several hours of wandering, a familiar tasty smell reminded me that I had missed lunch.  This late in the day, a Doner Kebob and fries would fill the bill for both lunch and dinner - I enjoyed mine at an outside table, watching the tourists go by.

 

I wandered side streets and main streets, and even found an old Franciscan Church.  I had just a quick look in the Christmas store, but a much longer stay in my favorite shop: it was full of locally made, hand-embroidered linens.   Oh, I can still smell the lavender from that shop!  Perhaps it was the lavender that made me feel sleepy, or maybe I just knew that tomorrow would be another early day - either way, by early evening I was done!