Germany again...Heidelberg

It took me a while to get back to Germany because of the trains. My train from Amsterdam was cancelled which caused a ripple effect as I was then late for every other train to Heidelberg but I arrived in one piece and Joachim and Marlene were happy to wait for me. Joachim worked with my father and it was wonderful to see them both after many years. Over the next few days they took me around Heidelberg and we had many wonderful conversations about politics, life and writing novels. The castle is made of a red sandstone and is stunning to walk around and the food was delicious. It also has the oldest university and the largest wine barrel in the world (last picture) as people used to pay their taxes in the form of wine. 

As we drove around, I was struck by how big Heidelberg is and while I spent most of my time in the more picturesque parts of the city, there are some that are more modern and perhaps more souless but isn't every city caught in a trap of contradictions?  Yes, as some people have commented, it is far more beautiful than the Heidelberg in Melbourne. I could have stayed longer but I had my train booked.