Heidelberg: Because YOLO

Before hopping on the bus to Heidelberg I decided that I had better experience a spa while I was in one of the most famous spa towns in Europe.  I received a recommendation for a place called Caracalla Spa (http://www.carasana.de/en/caracalla-spa) It cost me 17 € for a 3hour admission ticket.  This place was massive.  It consists mainly of a large pool and a complex of saunas.

Here's a picture I or someone else drew showing the complexity of it.

Even clean pools are dirty, you just can't see it.

The pool was family friendly but the saunas were not.  Besides the pool area, most other places did not necessitate clothes.  Children from the age of 7 to 14 are allowed in the sauna areas if accompanied by an adult.  This struck me as a very distinct cultural difference from the USA.  The spa also offered services such as massages but it was clearly an aside to the pool and saunas.

Feeling reinvigorated,  I hopped on a bus north to Heidelberg. I arrived there in early afternoon with plenty of time to explore.

Geographic representation

   Heidelberg is one of the many cities around the world that has a US military base in it.  Because of that, there is a large portion of Americans in Heidelberg (apporximately 60,000 out of 147,000).

Heidelberg

Much of Heidelberg's old buildings and architecture still exists.  This is because we did not level it during WWII like we did with other German cities.  

I was hungry so I made that my first priority in Heidelberg.  I managed to find a vegetarian restaurant called  Effulgence-Waves (http://www.das-grüne-restaurant.de/).  

Restaurant Logo

I got a fantastic tofu and spinach dish for 6.90 €.  The staff was friendly and the food was very fresh.  

Next I went to the famous Heidelberg Castle.  Construction of the castle dates back to the 1300s.  The castle is made up of several buildings and a courtyard.  

Castle

  The castle cost 7 € for a tour.  The best part was that it included entrance to the German Pharmacy Museum (http://www.deutsches-apotheken-museum.de/englisch/index-en.php), which was inside the castle.  The museum has over 20,000 artifacts about the history of pharmacy.  

It was kind of weird.

 I had a really good tour guide:

Hilda was a doll.

I was getting tired so I figured I better call it a day if I was going to have any energy tomorrow.  I found a hotel called Hotel Kohler (http://www.hotel-kohler.de/index2_engl.htm).  

Picture of the outside of the hotel.

 My room only costed 49 €, but I had to use a public shower and toilet.  It also didn't come with breakfast so I had to eat on the go.

Shabby

I woke up feeling refreshed after a long nights sleep.   I gathered up my things and was on my way 90km north to Frankfurt.

Baden-Baden: Because One Baden Just Doesn't Cut It

I arrived in Baden-Baden with plenty of time to see some of the night life.  Baden-Baden is located in southwest Germany near the border of France.

This illustrates approximately where I am

 Around 2,000 years ago, the Romans built and used bath houses here.  This is the main reason for the city's name.  Not surprisingly, modern-day spas are plentiful in Baden-Baden for those who wish to be expensively pampered.  Baden-Baden caters itself to catering to you.  Tourism appears to be a large part of their economy. http://www.baden-baden.de/en/index.html

A promotional video for Baden-Baden

As soon as I got into town I headed straight for the Kurhaus.  The Kurhaus is one of the main destinations in Baden-Baden.  Built in the 1820s, the Kurhaus houses a spa, casino, restaurant, and more.  Many famous visitors have come here.  Fyodor Dostoyevsky supposedly wrote his novel The Gambler after losing all of his money here.

The Kurhaus

 Since it was getting late in the evening I decided that most of the action would probably be in the casino.  Boy was I right!  The German a cappella group HardTchor was just about to begin a performance.  It was a show I'll never forget. http://www.hardtchor.de/

HardTchor FTW!

 How have I not heard of these guys

An hour and a half of a cappella had put me in the mood for some gambling.  I don't normally gamble since the accident but I decided what the hell.  If it was good enough for Dostoyevsky, it was good enough for me (Plus a lot of the money probably goes to the schools anyway).

Casino in Baden-Baden

 I had to rent a tie and jacket to even be allowed at the tables.  They also made me ditch my Stuttgartian cupcakes I had been schlepping around.  It didn't take long at the tables to realize that I wasn't going to be leaving with anymore money than I came in with.  It was late and I was tired.  I asked around to see if I could find a good hotel.  Someone told me about a place called Hotel Am Markt.  It was nearby and inexpensive, which was a big deal to me considering how much money I lost at the Casino.

Hotel Am Markt

A room by itself would've costed €36.  I got a room with a shower, toilet, and TV, which costed  €50.  In a town called Baden-Baden, you have to have your own bathroom.  The price also included a breakfast buffet.  http://www.hotel-am-markt-baden.de/index.html

My room

 As soon as I hit the bed I fell right to sleep.  It's a good thing I set my alarm or else I would have slept all day.   

Somehow I dirtied all my towels up and needed more.  Thankfully, the staff at Hotel Am Markt was there to help.

Hilda was a doll

 

I decided to take advantage of the breakfast buffet.  I was hungry and wanted to get on my way.

Superb Value

It was almost time to hit the road again, but before I left Baden-Baden I wanted to see the Roman bath ruins.  The weather forecast wasn't exactly promising today.  The high was expected to be 14°C which isn't too bad.  Unfortunately it was going to be cloudy all day with sporadic rain showers. http://www.wetter.de/deutschland/wetter-baden-baden-18224713.html

Cartoon Depiction of Probable Weather Circumstances

 Thankfully the bath ruins weren't too far from my hotel, so I decided a short walk would be nice.  On the way there you'll never guess who I ran into.  Give up? It was my new favorite German      a capella group HardTchor.  I went up and congratulated them on a spectacular show last night.  Before I knew it, we were at a nearby park just goofing around.  I guess you could say we're homies now.

We had to kick a bunch of kids off the slide for this photo.  BTW, totally worth it.

I said my goodbyes to HardTchor and made my way to the bath ruins.  It cost me €2,50.  I took a guided tour which taught me lots of history.  Primarily, that 2,000 years ago a bunch of Romans took baths and hung out here. http://www.carasana.de/de/roemische-badruinen/

I wouldn't take a bath there anymore.

I decided it was time to hit the road again at this point.  I hopped on a bus and headed 89km north to Heidelberg.