A Fair in Trier

Today we went to Trier. It's located on the banks of the Moselle River and is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BCE. Again, only about an hour drive from Ramstein. Today the city was having an Easter Festival or an Osterfest. The boys enjoyed riding on the swings, eating waffles and painting eggs.

We made our way through the shopping area to --> The Cathedral of Saint Peter (German: Trierer Dom). It is the oldest cathedral in the country. The edifice is notable for its extremely long life span under multiple different eras each contributing some elements to its design, including the center of the main chapel being made of Roman brick laid under the direction of Saint Helen, resulting in a cathedral added on to gradually rather than rebuilt in different eras. Since 1986 it has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
The pictures we took do not do it justice. It is an unbelievably beautiful structure...full of intricate detail.

 We walked back through the market area and the boys got some ice cream and got their picture taken with this "statue"...

Lastly, before we left for the day we had to be sure to tour the Porta Nigra (Latin for black gate). The modern appearance of the Porta Nigra goes back almost unchanged to the reconstruction ordered by Napoleon. At the south side of the gate remains of Roman columns line the last 100m of the street leading to the gate. Positioned where they had stood in Roman times, they give a slight impression of the aspect of the original Roman street that was lined with colonnades. The gate is today closed for cars, but stands right next to one of the main streets of Trier. In addition to the general pollution, the exhaust fumes of the passing cars have been damaging the stones for decades. Generally, however, the Porta Nigra is still in remarkable condition. 

I've learned from this trip that 

A: I need to work with my camera more to get better shots indoors. 

B: I need to learn to use the video camera so that I can take video of the inside of these places. Sometimes pictures just can't show it all. 

Also, I miss a few things:

Large parking spaces like those in America

Shops open on Sundays

The value of the dollar (or at least what I thought it was)

My minivan (it's sitting here but I can't get it until tomorrow)

Having more than 4 outfits to wear...I want my household goods!

Free/accessible toilets

Ice..drinks here do not come with ice...something I guess I didn't realize doesn't happen everywhere. 

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE IT HERE...but I just realize the there are things we have grown used to and often take for granted.  

 

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