It has been a long weekend for me, no steemit, no computer at all, just some quality time with my aunt. I have been living close to this city of immense beauty for exactly a year now and I must admit it, I hadn't visited the huge Residence they have in the inner circle of the city. For that, I am very happy that my aunt came from the Canary Islands and we had the opportunity to explore the nicest places in town.
The Illuminati sign above the entrance of the Residence(Palace)
My family is not big, I mean, we have a lot of relatives but we are not so close to each other. And, even though we all come from Latvia, most do not live back at home and do not intend to ever return. For me, I want and I know I will go back when I am ready, the land holds some of my best memories, the nicest times and the greatest childhood. I have my land there, the one that I miss, and even though our house is now just a shell rotting away, I know that one day I will be able to build a new home and hopefully it will be in the place that I grew up in.
So, my aunt came on a plane and then took a train on the evening of Friday, we went for some food and had a nice time talking. She took her boyfriend with and so we spent time conversing in Spanish, a little Latvian and a little English. That happens a lot when you have a multi-cultural family :D
Friday went fast as they arrived late and so we met again on Saturday. We drove from the small town a couple of kilometers outside the city and my aunt took a short walk from the apartment in the city center that we rented for her. The weather was horrid but we were going to spend most of the day indoors anyway and it did not bother us so much. Well, maybe a little as photos came out gloomy and gray.
However, my aunt loved the cold weather. She lives on a tropical island where everything is brown most of the year, so the rain and the cold was a welcome change. It is true what they say. Us, from the cold countries, want some sun and the people living under the sun-kissed lands want to see some cold and snow. Well, my aunt was a little disappointed that she could not show snow to her Canarian boyfriend but all is well as she is going to Latvia soon and we tend to have some freezing winters there. I hope that they are careful of what they wish for :D
Our first destination
This is the same building as in the first picture, with that Illuminati sign. This is one of two huge royal structures of the city and it was our first destination. I had never been inside before but, from the outside, the building reminded me of a palace we have in Latvia, and, indeed, the planning is quite similar. Also, in this particular palace, one of the Three Musketeers movies was filmed. So, Würzburg is a popular and beautiful place to visit.
From the backside of the palace, while walking through the gardens.
What I admire the most about this huge structure is that it was almost fully destroyed during WWII but today, you would not even be able to tell. In the time when resources were scarce and people struggled to stay afloat. In a time when the whole city was run down to the ground by bombers that turned the place into a burning ocean and took more than 5000 lives the citizens of Würzburg alongside with an invading party found the strength to get up, find materials and rebuild. All of it.
I know it is tragic, what happened not so long ago. But it is also inspiring, that today, there is an even bigger city where there was a pile of rubble some seventy years ago. Even though the times were scary and lives lost, Würzburg prevailed and did what would seem impossible for most.
So magical and so mystical
It wasn't really allowed to take photos inside the palace but this was one statue that reminded me so much of my stories. All throughout the palace, there were ancient themed elements found in every corner. I love the ancient world, Greece and Rome, Egypt that is one of my favorites. I snapped a picture and it will serve as my muse and inspiration, I am 100% sure of it!
We also visited a museum on the other side of the residence, this one was amazing for the reason that it was Egypt themed and I got to see some things that are going to greatly help in my writing. My book, the one of Mars has different cultures worked into it, the Norse mythology, the Egyptian Gods, those are just a couple of things that I want to touch on and the museum, that is free to visit(it operates on donations) is full of pottery and small knickknacks as well as ornaments for mummified bodies. I have found a new place to be in, in this grand building full of secrets and mysteries.
Two royal buildings in one photo
Okay, maybe the medieval castle in the distance was not so royal, per se, I mean, it was built in a different period and had differently titled leaders but we will stick with it. The castle you see in the distance is another heritage site that we visited on Sunday. We will get to it in a very short while.
As the photo is still taken in the palace, you should know that those places are freezing cold, the huge rooms make sure of that. To heat all of the place would be madness so whenever you go on such a tour, take your jackets with you. It is almost as cold as outdoors. But it is beautiful beyond measure. The ceilings, the furniture, the feel of yourself reliving history. It is all worth it. You are small in these huge ballrooms and bedrooms, connected with each other. It is humbling and rich at the same time.
When one door closes, another opens
With this, we end our journey on Saturday as we spent two hours in the palace and then went for some nice, warm lunch in an Italian restaurant. Some soup really warmed us up for that cold weather that reminds of Autumn more than it does of Winter.
We didn't do many special things after that, just visited some shops in the city center. We also had to skip the wine bridge on that day as the weather was less than pleasant and we had to rush to Brotzeit with my boyfriends family. It is an amazing Bavarian tradition that I had never seen anybody do before arriving to live in Germany. Once in a while, the family would sit down in the evening and have bread with all the possible things imaginable. Cheese, sausages, vegetables, meats, spreads and everything else. It is a real tradition and I introduced my aunt to it this Saturday. Most people at the table(except me) drank some local wine, ate a lot and finished off with yeast cake. We said our goodbyes after 10 PM and as my boyfriend drove them to their apartment, the rest of us played a game of Wizard.
And here are those new doors.
Sunday started better, much better. It was sunny and we were in a good mood. Tired, but in a good mood. We had reservations at a real Frankish restaurant that we wanted to introduce my aunt to. I had some beef tongue(I know that at least 50% of people will not find that appetizing, but I love it), my aunt had a half of a duck and her boyfriend ate pigs shoulder. It was obviously accompanied by some Kloße(everyone visiting Germany should try those) and some typical Rotkraut(red cabbage) salad. We ate plenty and had a lot of fun. Also, try out some Johannesbärschorle(black currant drink) or local wine/beer. Everything here is delicious and mouthwatering.
As we finished with our meal, we said our goodbyes to my boyfriend's parents and continued on to the castle on the hill. By this time the sun had gone back into hiding but the weather was still nice, cold but nice.
The marvelous thing about the castle is that you can see the whole city from it. It is a spectacular view. You can observe the houses, the park, the palace and the tens and tens of churches beneath. The city is beautiful and breathtaking, if you have time to wander, that is the place to be in. The architecture of each building is different and even though most buildings are completely rebuilt, they are still amazing to explore.
It does not matter if you are a church goer or not, the beauty of all of the churches is worth observing if just to give aesthetic pleasure to your eyes.
The cathedral on the other hill
I know that the quality of this picture is not the best, I had to zoom in with my phone as I was not ready to risk getting the expensive camera wet. You never know with the weather here so left it home, where it was safer.
Würzburg is in a place that is a kind of a valley, not really, but kind of, it is built around a bank of a river. There are more than just one hill. On top of one is the castle, on top of another, is the Cathedral that is another object that I am yet to visit. I have admired it from afar a lot and I hope to go to it soon enough but we will see when that happens.
Obviously, the pictures can not do justice to the reality so I have only one thing to say to you. Come and visit! This is a beautiful city that looks like you have been dropped into a fairytale, it is romantic and sweet, modern and full of life and love. People love wine here, they love standing on a bridge and enjoying the simpler things in life, like the views. They love their city and they love their food. You can join them and fall in love, just like I have.
Th very popular Wine bridge and one of the rare buildings that were not devoured by fire during WWII
Oh, and before I forget, sorry, 
And, I came up with those pictures so I do not feel like I am missing out horribly, hopefully, one day, but right now, I do not think I am going to visit the castle anytime soon. At least not for a while.
Thank you for sticking with me through this long post,
I wish you the best day, today, tomorrow and forever,
Linda