Chewbacca's Travels

--Germany--

*Dedicated to Crump*

One day, I thought about going to seek a Wombat Castle.
When I knew that there were a Cat Castle and a Mouse Castle along the Rhine,
I thought that there should be a Wombat Castle.
Because we wombats are sometimes called as a cat or a mouse.

I invited Crump and Hiroki to go on a journey to Germany.
We three wombats decided to go on a trip together for the first time.

Crump worked in Germany for twelve years and a half,
and so he was going to visit Germany for the first time in a year.
Hiroki and I never visited there.

Crump was the captain, of course!
He was not sure he could be a captain since he only lived in Hannover.

Anyway, we three wombats left for Germany in October, 2010.

We took a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Frankfurt International Airport.
a
From the left, Crump, Hiroki, Chewbacca

Crump came back to the Tama zoo in November, 2009 for the first time in twelve years and a half.
Hiroki lives in the Kanazawa zoo in Yokohama City. He suffered from summer heat, but he now recovered.
Chewbacca has been lived in the Tama zoo since September in 1986.

To the Rhine


We departed from Frankfurt Central Station in the early morning
for Rudesheim where there was a ferry.

Frankfurt Central Station


Hiroki: I'm going to take a train now. Please wait!


Chew & Crump: Hiroki hasn't boarded yet.
Chewbacca: I'll look for him.
Crump:I'm looking out of the window.


Hiroki: Crump, Chewbacca, where are you? I was in the next car.
Chew & Crump: We were worried about you.

The Rhine Cruise

We boaded this ship.

Crump & Hiroki: Chewbacca, there's no time to bite the fence. You'll miss the ship.
Chewbacca: I'm giving my own leaving signal with biting.

The ship left at 9:15 in the morning.
Chewbacca caught it, of course.

On the deck

Hiroki: We have a good view from the deck.
Crump: I don't like the rain, and so I hide from the rain.



Mouse Tower

There is a vineyard on the slope.
　




Burg Rheinstein


Burg Rheichenstein


Burg Sooneck


Burg Stahleck
1

Die Pfalz


Shonburg

Loreley

Burg Katz (Cat Castle)

Three wombats: A Cat Castle!

Judging by its appearance, we could even say that it is a Wombat Castle.
The two steep roofs look like the wombats' ears,
and the colour of the castle is similar to the wombats'.

St. Goar

Two hours later, the ship arrived at St. Goar.
A lot of people were going ashore, and so I was following them.

Crump: Don't go ashore, yet, Chewbacca.
Chew: Oops! I'm not supposed to step onto land.

The chairs were placed on the deck after it stopped rainging at Burg Katz.
We got seats.

Hiroki: There was no wombat castle so far, wasn't there?
Crump: No, there wasn't. However, we can say this is a wombat ship
since three wombats are aboard the ship.
Chew: Oh, many people are taking our picture. Let's look into the camera.

Schloss Rheinfels



Burg Maus (Mouse Castle)

They say that the name of the Mouse Castle doesn't come from the shape of the mouse,
but it is located in the next to the Cat Castle.

Marksburg



Rhens
These houses are built of wood

Crump: We are arriving at Koblenz shortly.
Hiroki: Where is Chewbacca?

Chew: I feel I got seasick.
Hiroki & Crump: Seasick again? Are you ok?

We came ashore at Koblents.

Three wombats: There wasn't a Wombat Castle so far.
We wonder if we can find it at the next place?

Koblents Station

We started for Koln by train from here.

Koln Station

Kolner Dom(Cologne Cathedral)

It is located in front of Kolen station.

Chew & Hiroki: It isn't a Castle, is it?
Crump: It is the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. It's a world heritage.

3

Three wombats: Huge!　

You can climb up the South Tower by taking 509 stairs.

Excuse us, we'd like to see..........


We could see the top of the North Tower from here.

Stuttgart Station

We were going back to Frankfurt, but we reached Stuttgart by mistake.
We went back to Frankfurt three hours behind schedule.

Crump: Sorry! I was not careful.
Chew & Hiroki: It's not your fault, Crump. We all should be careful.
Crump: Let's check the train more carefully from now on.

Frankfurt City Center

We happened to see the event "Save the pandas", and we were inspired by them.
We attended the performance, too.


"Save the wombats!"
Three wombats: This is fun! We wonder if we draw their attention?

Romerberug (Romer Square)



The view from the tower of the church

Ice cream

Three wombats: They look delicious. We can't eat them, though.
　　

Apple wine tram

This tram runs in the city center on Saturday and Sunday.


Apple wine & apple juice

We don't drink either of them.



The Frankfurt Zoo

The tram parked here for a while.

Three wombats: We wonder if there are wombats in this zoo?
Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit it.



Hiroki: Most people got off here.
Chew: Did Crump get off, too?


Crump was absorbed in scouting out for his favorite fallen leaves.

From Frankfurt to Rothernburg

Weikersheim

We made a brief visit to Weikersheim.
There was one of the finest Renaissance palaces surrounded by beautiful gardens.

A dog was hooked up to a dog statue.

Hi, I'm Chewbacca, and you?


Hiroki & Crump: Chewbacca, hurry up! We'll go ahead.




Crump: Chewbacca is coming.


Chew: Sorry, I kept you waiting.

Crump's villa?

The scenery which we saw out a window on the bus to Rothernburg.
Crump said that he saw similar scenery in dreams a couple of times.

Crump: I dug as much as I wanted in my dreams.
Chew & Hiroki: That's nice! You didn't see a Wombat Castle around here, did you?
Crump: No, I didn't.

Rothernburg

It was hard for us to walk because of stone pavement.

Plonlein

It means small place in Latin.

Three wombats: It's a cute town, isn't it? People often say that we are cute, too.

Markt Platz

Since a lot of people were waiting for something, we also stayed here.

We knew that they were waiting for a marionette clock.

City Hall Tower

There was an observation deck at the upper part of the white tower.


The view from the observation deck

Walls

It is 4.2km long, and we could walk 2.5-kilometer of the castle walk .


Chew: Hurry up, Hiroki and Crump!


Chew: Did you come up?


Crump: It's a little high here.


Hiroki: This wall reminds me of the one in my pen.

Hiroki: Crump, Chewbacca, I found the same ivy as in my garden.

Snow ball
This is a specialty in Rothenburg though we wombats don't eat it.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

Obviously, this is not a Wombat Castle , but a New Swan Castle.


Photographed against a background the Castle in the rain



The view from the inside of the Castle



Marien Brucke (Marien Bridge)

Three wombats: We looked at the Castle from the bridge a littler while ago.
We got a little scared.



Schloss Neuschwanstein from the other side


Schloss Neuschwanstein from the foot of the village


Schloss Hohenschwangau (Hohenschwangau Castle)

Wieskirche (Wies Church)

This is a world heritage.

Crump: The appearance is simple, but the inside is colourful. Let's enter it.
Chew & Hiroki: Wait a moment. We need to stretch first.

To Nuremberg

We went to Nuremberg from Munich by train.

Munich Central Station

Three wombats: Look! The men who wear Scottish clothes wear our masks.


Crump: Chewbacca, Hiroki has already boarded.



Nuremberg Station



Walking in the town

Can you see who's who? All of us are pigeon-toed.


The leaves were beautiful. They were turning to red.







The Specialty Sausage stall

We joined the sausage seller.

Chew: Though we don't eat sausages, there is some bread, Crump.
Crump: Chewbacca, when did you go in?



Markt Platz

A Christmas market is held here from the end of November to December 24th.
They sell vegetables, fruits and flowers at this time.


Chew: There are a lot of vegetables. I'm excited!
Crump: I'll eat this leaf.
Chew & Crump: Where is Hiroki?


Hiroki: I'm here. I'm coming soon.


Various kind of cabbages


Various kind of pumpkins


Golden Tower

Kaiserburg(Imperial Castle)



We are going to Kaiserburg.




Hiroki: This wall is good for scratching my back.
Chew & Crump: Hiroki, the wall is your friend, isn't it?




Chew: Great!
Hiroki: Look at me! I usually do like this in my pen.
Crump: I've been walking in behind the wall.


Three wombats: Hello, Squirrel. We are wombats.


Three wombats: This slope is steep, isn't it?


The town in medeaval times

Munich City Center

Marienplatz

Three wombats: The new City Hall is majestic!



Crump: The center of the tower is the biggest marionette clock in Germany.



Hiroki & Chew: It's really big! Some of them might have seen you in Hannover, Crump.
Crump: I don't know......




Scholoss Nymphenburg

It took us 15 minutes from city center to this white castle by tram.


Hiroki & Chew: We wish this were a Wombat Castle!
Crump: I hear this castle means "a fairy castle".


Crump: It's not easy to dig the ground here.


Chew: I'm tempted to do logrolling when I see the water.


Hiroki: I don't have this flower in my pen.


Chew: Crump, there are a lot of fallen leaves here.


Crump: I visited moles' home.


Hiroki: Since I walked a lot, I got tired and yawned.


We went back to downtown by this tram.

Residenz

Three wombats: Where is the entrance?


Three wombats: How gorgeous!
Hiroki: Crump, Chewbacca is biting the rope.
Crump: When Chewbacca sees the rope like that, he is tempted to bite it.

Karls Tor

Three wombats: Let's show the German our grooming. shall we?
We wonder if they know that we are wombats?



Frauenkirche (Holly Mother Church)

Crump: One of the onion shaped dome looks like it wears a bandage.
Hiroki: Injured?
Chew: I'd like to wear a dome cap.

Walking downtown


Chew: Where is Hiroki?
Crump: He wasn't in the shop.

The roast chesnuts stall

Chew: Hello! 11 pieces at 3 Euro. It's yuumy.
Hiroki & Crump: Chewbacca, don't enter the inside of the stall without asking.
Chew.: No problem. I asked the owner to let me look after the shop.

To the Airport

We started out for Munich Airport by the suburbs.

Hiroki: The door won't open, Crump.
Crump: Push the button with your nose.
Chew: I'm tired and yawned.


Munich International Airport


Though we couldn't find a Wombat Castle, we old wombats enjoyed our journey in Germany.
Thank you for coming along on our journey through Germany.

-Chewbacca-

I planed to make the "Three wombats joureny"page in October, 2010.
Sadly, Crump passed away in December, 2010 while I was working on the page.
I'd like to dedicate this journey to Crump though it arrived late.

-Womland-

**************************************************************************************************