Snowballs in October

Ich liebe Schneebaelle!

Schneebaelle (snowballs, in English) is a delectable, tasty treat that is commonly found in the Franconian area of Bavaria, Germany. My German boy and I had the grand opportunity to sample these sinful pastries during our day trip to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber!

These snowballs have been around for hundreds of years! I read that they were more commonly used for weddings, and used to be only covered in a type of confectioners sugar. Now they're more more elaborate! Unfortunately I didn't discover any pistachio ones.

I had been wanting to go to this quaint, medieval town for several months now. It took about two and a half hours to reach the village, but I'm so glad that we went! The town is very touristy--American, Russian, and Japanese tourists were everywhere, enjoying the warmth of the autumn sun and the astonishing, fiery hills that surrounded Rothenburg. There were even some small "parades" which consisted of traditionally dressed men and woman, meandering through the streets, while other performers were adorned with grand feathery hats and bells. I especially liked the large hats, of course.

I couldn't have imagined a more perfect autumn evening. 

We began our adventure with the Criminal Museum--I was beyond excited for this part of the visit! The museum was about four or five stories and included old documents, photos, torture devices, and things of that nature. I was extremely interested in the context of the medieval judicial and justice systems, and often found it ironic that many of these "middle aged" practices are still common in numerous parts of the world today. Also, I found this incredibly massive rosary to be rather intriguing. Good thing Methodists don't practice this form of punishment for missing church, or I would most certainly be in trouble! 

After our walk through the museum we wandered aimlessly through the town and gazed into the little shops that lined the picture-perfect streets. Even though I really loved the town, Sebastian commented that it must have been so dirty just hundreds of years ago. I think he is definitely right! Although I was mystified by all of Rothenburg's charm, it was a little eerie walking along the old castle walls as the sun was setting. Perfect for the Halloween spirit, right?! 

A nice Asian man professionally snapped this photograph! :) It was much warmer than either of us expected. We are always lucky with our traveling weather!

We were getting a little hungry at this point since Schneeballen aren't the most filling, or nutritious, of snacks! There were, of course, the traditional Bavarian meals in most of the restaurants--although they were quite pricey compared to Bamberg and Stuttgart! I loved looking at the old houses and towers in this part of the village. Also, I stumbled across a couple of churches in the area too, they were not as elaborately ordained as I expected but still beautiful nevertheless. 

Just before sunset. We were trying to find an old mill, but it still remains a mystery! Perhaps because I was too busy playing in the leaves? 

We found the perfect size drinking 'stein'! This was probably well over 1,000 Euros. I suppose if I were German this would be a great investment? ;)

The day ended much too quickly for my liking. As I sat on an old bench underneath the flaming trees and looked out upon the rolling hills, I couldn't help but miss Tennessee since the Bavarian landscape looked so strikingly similar. Autumn is my favorite time of year and this trip was the perfect way to celebrate it. 

I thought this bridge looked like something from Sleepy Hollow. I was half expecting the Headless Horseman to come charging out of the other end on his horse from Hell! Which reminds me, Halloween is only a few days away (and I still *gasp* haven't decided on my costume)!