Travelog for: Galo

I know, that you already saw photos of Bruchsal, but now we have summer and so things look very different. So I hope, you can enjoy this photos too.

Today we were invited to Martin's 16th birthday, which he celebrated on 12th June already, but today the whole family came to celebrate with him.






I'm waiting for some coffee, but Petra told me, that I'm too young to drink coffee and so she brought some milk.

Today is a big flea market in front of the palace of Bruchsal. Petra's husband and her son were "very happy" to take me and the other toyvoyagers with them and take photos with us.

It is raining cats and dogs and the thunder is very loud. Petra says, that the thunderstorm is just over Bruchsal. Later we read in the newspapers, that one house burnt. Thank Godness, nobody got hurt.

Here you see two views out of Petra's bedroom.

Petra's daughter is on the way to Stockholm, Sweden. It is her first flight and she is very nervous and so is Petra. She took three toyvoyager with her: Precious, Kari and Hasi. So of course we are excited too. Here I watch the flight and the airplanes arrival in Stockholm.





Petra's daughter sings in a choir, which takes part at the big Pueri Cantores Festival in Stockholm.





There is a very long list of choirs from all over the world.

Ralf and Petra read in the newspapers, that there are Scottish Highland Games in Angelbachtal. Both are big Scotland fans, although they never had been there already - but they surely will go there one day, that's what they told us. So today they decided to go to the festival and watch the games and listen to the Pipes and Drums Bands.





(sorry for being not in this photo, Petra said, that she has to zoom it)


There were several shops and Petra bought a Scottish Teddy Bear and some hair bands and Ralf bought two Scottish flags.

Wow, I can tell you, Petra had some crazy last weeks at her school. She is so happy, that there are only 2 more days and then summer break starts.
I'm sure, you aren't really surprised, that it is raining once more and very windy.

Today we visited the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau. It is located between Rastatt and Freudenstadt in the beautiful Murg River Valley.
There is an exhibition of various alternating Unimog of six decades from the beginning until now, giving hints about technology, love stories between drivers and vehicles and lots of models.
We also took part in off-road driving on the Unimog Museum premises, climbing various hills and tackling other obstacles on the Unimog parcours. It was so so great!









I'm sorry, but there is only one photo with Spooky outside at the parcours.

Another thunderstorm! It is unbelievable, how often we have lightning and thunder.

Here are some summer impressions of the Michaelsberg and the chapel.

Then it was time for Tito, Tilla Mook, Spooky, Nanu the cub, Coco, Kari, Tasmanian Devil, Scotty and Friendship Bear and me to say good bye to Precious.

Once more we are in Eichtersheim. This time there is a big medieval market and a joust.







Two zoomed photos without me:

Today we drove to Enzklösterle. At first we played Adventure Golf and had a lot of fun.




Then we had lunch at a restaurant, where the Krippena is located. We saw the world largest wood carved Christmas crib and a Christmas tree.

On our way home we stopped at a field, where you can pick flowers and throw the money in a box. We bought some gladioli.

Today I will add some more information about Bruchsal. Bruchsal (orig. Bruohselle, Bruaselle) is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km Northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route.
Bruchsal is the largest city in the district of Karlsruhe and is known for being Europe's largest asparagus producer and one of the economic centers of the region of Karlsruhe


Bruchsal is located at the edge of the Upper Rhine River Plains and the Kraichgau along the Saalbach, which is a small tributary of the Rhine that joins it between Philippsburg and Oberhausen.
                                   
Ancient era and early Middle Ages
Excavations and artifacts that were discovered evidence a settlement existing on the Michelsberg (Untergrombach) as early as 4000 BC during the Neolithic. In the core of Bruchsal the oldest settlement discovered was dated back to 640 AD. It is located near the present Peterskirche, where I stay right now. The first mention of Bruchsal in official documents occurred in 976 when the King came to town. And during October of the year 980, Otto II and his Court stayed at the King's palace in Bruchsal for several days

1248 was the first time Bruchsal was referred to as a city and in 1278 St. Peters Church is mentioned for the first time. After extensive damage to both, the Palace and the Peterskirch were reconstructed in 1320. The Bergfried (an outlook and defensive tower bastion) was erected in 1358 and the city wall was completed in 1452. In 1460 the first coin was pressed in Bruchsal.


By April 24, 1711 Bruchsal had recovered sufficiently to play host to Prince Eugene of Savoy of the Habsburg Court in Vienna. Then in 1716 the Bishop of Speyer, Heinrich von Rollingen, moved his residence into the Bruchsal Palace. This move elevated the city's status to that of an official residence of the Diocese of Speyer. At the same time, Bruchsal became the seat of the "Vizedomamt", the most important office held by the Diocese on the West bank of the Rhine. In 1719 Cardinal Damian Hugo von Schönborn became the new Bishop and after settling in he commissioned in (1722), among others, the new baroque château and the new Peters Church (from 1742). Both were built and, in part, designed by Balthasar Neumann. In the Bishop's honor, the Southern gate out of the château grounds is referred to as Damian's Gate to this day.


In the afternoon of March 1, 1945, Bruchsal was bombed. In addition to the 1,000 lives that perished that day, the entire inner city and the baroque château were destroyed. The baroque palace was rebuilt in the 70th.
   

That's enough of history now. I'm not sure, whether you want to read everything, but I thought, Petra should write a bit about Bruchsal's history. She used wikipedia and you will find more history and information there.

I'm not sure, if you already know this sundial at one of the buildings, which belongs to the palace area.





We are sitting in the sun for a nice photo with a part of the back side of the palace and the church tower.





Then we saw some interesting statues, when we walked in the palace garden.




There are statues, which show the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Here you see summer.




There are some of the most beautiful and oldest houses of Bruchsal in Franz-Bläsi-Straße.




On our way back through the palace garden we found this old and interesting tree. Here all toyvoyagers, which stay in Bruchsal right now, are sitting together on the tree. It was a nice resting place and we had a good view from there.






On our way back to our current home, we went past the old tower of the old castle, called Bergfried.