Today we had our last cup of coffee gazing out of Thomas and Emmy’s windows watching the apple and plum trees. We drove through the area where the archaeopteryx was found and marveled at the sandstone outcroppings. Everywhere around were fossil museums (you can even see the archaeopteryx) and parks to stop and fossil hunt. Poor Bob, it was killing him to just pass through the area and not stop. Next time we visit we will certainly spend some time there.
In Mannheim we found Ravi and Ashwini’s apartment easily. I was thrilled to see my old friend that I last visited in 2000 in Tulsa. I can’t believe it has been that long – in the intervening time he married, moved to Germany, finished a Ph.D. and got a job working at BASF. The campus is apparently ENORMOUS covering roughly 6 square mile with 32,000 employees and somewhere around 200 chemical plants. Incredible. Ashwini works in human rights for Southeast Asia, specifically India. She travels to India for work with some frequency and is able to visit home as well. They are expecting a baby in mid September.
After a fantastic Indian lunch Bob drove Ravi, Crystal and I to Laden burg while Ashwini rested. Ladenburg is famous for being the home of Carl Benz and the place that he developed the first gasoline powered automobile. We were able to see the car in the benz museum which keeps limited hours but displays the vehicle in a large window.
The town is also well known for the Roman ruins in the town center. Layers of local red sandstone walls, wells and fortifications c an be seen between the buildings. The streets are narrow cut stone lined with shops, restaurants and homes. The buildings are half-timber construction with slate roofs and lovely shutters. The shutters are held open by latches outside that are decorated with a knights head. It is a quaint town and we enjoyed walking around and seeing the river and parks as well.
That evening we returned and had another fantastic Indian meal that Ashwini prepared for us. After dinner we walked through Mannheim to a gelato store owned by an Italian (Bob was so happy). Mannheim was almost completely destroyed during the war but had been rebuilt nicely. Just down the street from Ravi and Ashwini’s apartment is the water tower, an incredible stone structure with decorative embellishments and lions with men’s heads guarding it. A huge fountain rolls downhill from it into a large pool. Gardens around the fountain are incredible with so many different flowers packed into a tiny space and bunnies covering the lawns.
We enjoyed our gelato from the steps of the fountain and watched the locals clown around in the water. Back home we stilled in for a good night’s rest to prepare for the upcoming trip to Heidelberg.
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