Before we left for Nuremberg, we made a plan of what we wanted to do and when we might do them. The highlight of our arrival there was a visit to the National Museum, with a huge exhibit of musical instruments over the ages. My first sight at the entrance to the gallery was a case of brass instruments dating back to the mid-16th century. Some of the oldest trombones in the world were there, made in Nuremberg and other parts of Germany. I had read about these trombones for a research paper, and seeing them inches in front of me was astonishing. Jack was similarly impressed with the long line of pianos stretching the length of the gallery. A few instruments were really comic. There were some walking canes which were stringed, so during a rest, one could play the cello for companions. One of the keyboards was built into a statue of a busty woman. The fretted cello/guitar was interesting, too.
For dinner that day we went to Landbierparadics, a German pub outside the tourist area. Here they have a big selection of village brews from around the country, but unfortunately they don't offer a sampler. We just had to split a few bottles between us. The dinner was fantastic, too. I had some potato dumpling type things, sauerkraut and bratworst. Deeeelicious! Everything was made more-so by the fact that there were no loud tourists around. That's another thing I've learned, that I really dislike loud tourists. I'm the silent type. The only guys there were loud Germans, which I didn't mind so much.
Our next day was full of new experiences. In the early morning (all mornings on this trip were early for us) we set out for the north of town to see the Berg. I played trombone in a huge tunnel in the wall for half an hour. Jack later told me he'd walked around the city while I played, and heard me almost everywhere. The stone worked as another amplifier and made me sound like a full trombone section - no, a choir. I was so loud the police came and asked me to leave. Apparently busking is a restricted activity in Nuremberg. The ones that talked to me were real jerks. The guy made innuendoes about me being homeless and a drunk while he took down my information. As it happens, a drunk homeless guy had been watching me play, and when the police started to leave he shouted something at me about my music, and the cops went over to him and started harassing him. The male cop asked me in passing if I was his friend. Putz.
I met Jack at a big church around 9am to go to an Easter mass. It was a freezing, a long, tall gothic church that we at first thought was catholic. As it progressed and we didn't recognize the form, we realized it was protestant-lutheran. That was a big "oops" moment for Jack, who was raised catholic, and took communion that morning. It was fun trying to sing the German chorales, and the sound of the place was fantastic. Stayed for the whole service, and left energized for the rest of our trip. The train to Salzburg left a few hours after.
Before we left for Nuremberg, we made a plan of what we wanted to do and when we might do them. The highlight of our arrival there was a visit to the National Museum, with a huge exhibit of musical instruments over the ages. My first sight at the entrance to the gallery was a case of brass instruments dating back to the mid-16th century. Some of the oldest trombones in the world were there, made in Nuremberg and other parts of Germany. I had read about these trombones for a research paper, and seeing them inches in front of me was astonishing. Jack was similarly impressed with the long line of pianos stretching the length of the gallery. A few instruments were really comic. There were some walking canes which were stringed, so during a rest, one could play the cello for companions. One of the keyboards was built into a statue of a busty woman. The fretted cello/guitar was interesting, too.
For dinner that day we went to Landbierparadics, a German pub outside the tourist area. Here they have a big selection of village brews from around the country, but unfortunately they don't offer a sampler. We just had to split a few bottles between us. The dinner was fantastic, too. I had some potato dumpling type things, sauerkraut and bratworst. Deeeelicious! Everything was made more-so by the fact that there were no loud tourists around. That's another thing I've learned, that I really dislike loud tourists. I'm the silent type. The only guys there were loud Germans, which I didn't mind so much.
Our next day was full of new experiences. In the early morning (all mornings on this trip were early for us) we set out for the north of town to see the Berg. I played trombone in a huge tunnel in the wall for half an hour. Jack later told me he'd walked around the city while I played, and heard me almost everywhere. The stone worked as another amplifier and made me sound like a full trombone section - no, a choir. I was so loud the police came and asked me to leave. Apparently busking is a restricted activity in Nuremberg. The ones that talked to me were real jerks. The guy made innuendoes about me being homeless and a drunk while he took down my information. As it happens, a drunk homeless guy had been watching me play, and when the police started to leave he shouted something at me about my music, and the cops went over to him and started harassing him. The male cop asked me in passing if I was his friend. Putz.
I met Jack at a big church around 9am to go to an Easter mass. It was a freezing, a long, tall gothic church that we at first thought was catholic. As it progressed and we didn't recognize the form, we realized it was protestant-lutheran. That was a big "oops" moment for Jack, who was raised catholic, and took communion that morning. It was fun trying to sing the German chorales, and the sound of the place was fantastic. Stayed for the whole service, and left energized for the rest of our trip. The train to Salzburg left a few hours after.
I love the trombone-in-tunnel story. Definitely one for the grand-kiddies.
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