My German Vacation

My German Vacation

There was a cool, refreshing breeze blowing as I looked up at the clear, midsummer night sky. I had just arrived in Germany and my mind was filled with thousands of ideas of what I thought I was going to see there. Any minute, I expected to see a man in lederhosen, Alpine mountain clothes, drive by in a Volkswagen, yodeling and eating Wiener schnitzel. However, as time passed, I began to notice that these stereotypes were simply American humbug. The luscious vineyards and towering castles are but a footnote of what this Western European nation has to offer. The countryside is a collage of green fields and bustling meadows, like a painting by Claude Monet or Bob Ross. Between the archaic cathedrals and the thrones of Emperors who have long since passed away, this country's scenery is the finest Europe has to offer.

A few days after arriving in Frankfurt, I was already on the road. The first stop on my road trip, through the exquisite southern region of the country, was the city of Wurzburg. Towering over the city, situated on the mountainside, Wurzburg castle is a gateway into the past. While standing in the presence of this architectural goliath, I cowered below its mighty walls. In the presence of this massive citadel, I imagined that even the bravest generals shuddered while attacking this colossus. Ironically, inside the castle walls it was so peaceful that one could hear a pin drop. The chapel within the castle walls houses the tombs of dead bishops and princes. Their likenesses, engraved forever on the floors of the holy mausoleum, spoke to my soul. While gazing upon the Romanesque style carvings and the Gothic style architecture, I felt transported into a metaphysical realm. The alters of gold magnified the sunlight and reflected it off the ground floor etchings, presenting the tombs in an otherworldly light. Exiting the chapel, I walked into a splendid rose garden decorated with renaissance era sculptures and paintings. Trees with pink flowers were scattered along the walkways and when the wind blew, and the flowers fell, it was almost as if time itself stopped. The whistling of the wind was like a distant choir, an angelic chorus, and the flowers were like heavenly ornaments falling from the cosmos. After leaving the castle, I felt as if I saw all that there was to see. I felt like Columbus must have felt after discovering the new world or like Magellan after he first gazed into the vastness of space. I was awestruck and couldn't imagine that human hands could even begin to create something as marvelous as the castle.

I was with a group of friends and as we began traveling north to our next destination I became lost in a waking dream. As I peered outside the window of the car I couldn't help but notice the copious amount of grape vineyards adorning the mountainside. The plants swooped down the great hill like a green silk veil covering the face of a Middle Eastern woman. Small towns dotted the landscape, each with its own culture and way of life. I traveled through one town, the name of which I have long since forgotten, and noticed that the houses were crammed together so tightly that it was as if some omnipotent force smashed them all into one. On the balconies of all the houses hung flowers of red and gold, and etched into their side were Christian engravings made by an artist who has since fallen into obscurity.

After an hour of driving north we finally came to our next stop, the Abbey of Bronnbach. When I first set my eyes on the Abbey from the outside, it looked like any other church. Once inside though, I couldn't believe my eyes. The alter in the front of the church was