I left my heart in....Heidelberg

My second stop in Germany was a trip to Mannheim to visit the PRA office located there, and spend some face to face time with my boss (Liana) and co-worker (Virginia). My touring of Mannheim was limited to a stroll into "downtown" to enjoy tapas and cocktails with Liana and Virginia. On the way to dinner, we passed der Wassertum (the water tower), which is the landmark symbol of the city. Mannheim is distinctive as its one of the few cities in Germany to be laid out in a grid pattern, similar to many US cities.

After work on Friday, Virginia and I headed out to the nearby town of Heidelberg. The first thing I noted about the city was the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere. The city of Heidelberg is dated back to 1196, and as the city managed to avoid the devestating bombings of WWII, there are still buildings that date back to 1592 (Ritter Hotel).

The distinctive landmark of the city is the Heidelberg castle, which sits 80 meters above the River Neckar. The castle overlooks "old town", which is also marked from the river by Karl's gate, completed in 1791 and erected in honour of Prince Elector Karl Theodor.

Next to Karl's gate, lies the Brass Monkey of Heidelberg. The inscription next to the monkey reads “as you look at me, world, don’t laugh too quickly at me because if you were to look at humanity, or even into a mirror, you just might see something as funny as me.” The legend is that rubbing the coin brings luck, but the meaning of the coin is still a mystery. Also, it is said that placing your head in the mask is also for good luck. I did neither, but I did take a moment to pose with the monkey!

After touring the city on foot, Virginia took me to experience the bar scene of Germany. Heidelberg is home to some great beers, and we enjoyed them at the Bier Brezel along with some great local food, on the outdoor patio at the Hemingway, and in a small hazy bar that was built around a very old tree. All too soon, I had to call it a night as I had a 0730 flight back to London in the morning, however I will be returning to Heidelberg...hopefully soon rather then later.